Episode 16
Three weeks have passed since the first hunt.
During that time, Choi Hyeon-seok hunted with the cooks without a single day of rest.
Choi Hyun-seok, who had raised his level by 22 on the first day alone, continued to grow steadily since then.
“Haa… That was really hard.”
Of course, hunting was not easy.
I’ve probably been through dozens of near-death experiences.
Literally hellish times.
Choi Hyun-seok endured those times only to survive.
in result.
“Finally level 100.”
Choi Hyun-seok was finally able to reach level 100.
He opened the status window with eyes filled with emotion.
▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok
▫Title: Reserve Warrior
▫Level: 100
·Strength: 54
· Agility: 51
· Stamina: 53
·Horsepower: 50
·Charisma: 26
·Bonus points: 0
▫Warrior Points: 200
▫Abilities: Pickaxe (C), Leadership (E), Cooking (F)
▫ Skills: –
Overall, the abilities showed a noticeable increase.
“It took longer than I thought…”
Choi Hyun-seok shook his head.
To be honest, I didn’t realize it would take 3 weeks to reach level 100.
Because I went up by more than 20 levels just by fighting briefly on the first day.
By simple calculation, this is a level that can be reached in 5 days.
However, the reality was not so easy.
As the level increases, the rate at which experience points increase decreases exponentially.
These days, it’s become burdensome to even level up a few times a day.
“Haa, is there another warrior like me who goes through so much trouble to level up?” “What are you talking about? For a warrior like you, it’s like sucking honey.”
“what…?”
There was a murderous look in Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes.
“I sucked the honey!?”
Just today, a paw as big as an elephant passed over my eyebrows.
If only the evasion had been delayed even a little, the forelegs would have gone over the head instead of the eyebrows.
“If that were the case, the cooks would be dancing and boiling my corpse! But this is so sweet? Huh!? Is that all you need to do is open your mouth!?” “Ahem! Now that I hear it, it’s a bit hard to call it so sweet… But it’s true that it grows incredibly quickly, right?”
Choi Hyun-seok looked indifferent when told that he was growing quickly.
“Is that so?”
“Of course! I’m already level 100 after only three weeks of hunting. That’s crazy speed.”
Because the leveling speed varies so greatly from person to person, it is difficult to give a general level.
However, it was clear that Choi Hyun-seok’s growth rate was beyond common sense.
“It would take at least half a year of diligent hunting for a normal warrior to reach level 100, right?” “That’s at least a little comforting.”
It takes half a year to reach level 100.
Although he started leveling up late, Choi Hyun-seok has only been here for about two months.
So, as a result, we could say that it was a very fast speed.
“Rahel. With this level, would you be able to win a duel?” “Hmm… Well, I’m not sure. Levels are for heroes only. It’s hard to use them as an absolute measure of strength.” “Really? Then what is the level of the strongest hero?” “The level of the strongest hero?” “Yeah. I thought that would give me a sense of how much stronger I’ve become.”
“Uhm…”
Rachel thought for a moment and then continued.
“If I remember correctly, the level of the last warrior who challenged the Demon King was around 2000.”
“Two thousand!?”
Choi Hyun-seok was surprised by the level being higher than expected.
“Because it was the result of over ten years of hard work by someone with outstanding talent.” “Haa… No matter what, there’s still a long way to go.” “Don’t feel too burdened. You’re just getting started, Warrior.”
It was when Rachel was comforting Choi Hyun-seok.
Suddenly the door opened wide and someone came in.
“Zookeeper Choi Hyeon-seok.”
The Demon King’s army that entered immediately called Choi Hyeon-seok.
Choi Hyun-seok, who was lying on Bobo’s back, jumped up and waited for the next words.
“This is a call from the Commander.”
***
Hemis, commander of the Demon King’s 3rd Army Corps.
To Choi Hyun-seok, he is a high-ranking demon who is often called the Lip Monster.
“Commander, Choi Hyeon-seok has arrived.”
“Come in.”
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Still, her voice alone was truly beautiful and mesmerizing.
Choi Hyun-seok, who entered Hemis’ office with the Demon King’s army that guided him, swallowed hard.
‘Why did you call me all of a sudden?’
Her office, which I visited after a long time, was no different than before.
A desk and chair haphazardly placed in a large space are the only pieces of furniture.
Hemis, sitting seductively on the desk just like the day we first met, opened her mouth.
“Welcome, Choi Hyun-seok. Your face looks better than before. I wonder if you’ve adjusted to work to some extent?” “It’s all thanks to the grace of the heavenly commander!”
“Ohhoho!”
Hemis laughed at Choi Hyun-seok’s habitual flattery.
“Yes. You go hunting with the cooks every day these days, right?” “Yes! I work hard every single day to deliver fresh demon meat to you, Bobo!” “Is that why? You’ve gotten a lot stronger since we first met. Your magical power seems to have more than doubled.”
Hemis immediately recognized Choi Hyun-seok’s condition.
Choi Hyun-seok nodded, secretly suppressing his surprise.
“Yes. I did get some accomplishments from hunting demons.” “I see. But I think the growth is a bit too fast. Is it because of the level up of the warrior?” “Yes! Thanks to the level up, my abilities have… .”
Choi Hyun-seok suddenly opened his eyes wide.
‘What did you just say…?’
Warrior. Level up.
This is such an obvious story for Choi Hyun-seok.
But, these were words that should never have come out of Hemis’ mouth.
“Ohhoho! Don’t look so surprised. I didn’t call you here to harm you. I knew from the beginning that you were a warrior.”
“yes?”
You knew from the beginning that you were a warrior.
Choi Hyun-seok was so surprised that he asked back without realizing it.
“How long do you think I’ve been fighting humans? This much is basic.”
“sorry.”
“Oh ho ho! There’s no need to be sorry.”
Hemis, who had been smiling pleasantly, suddenly became serious and muttered, “Actually, I found out because of that girl.”
Choi Hyun-seok had a moment of doubt.
‘Who is that girl…?’
A being that makes Hemis feel bad just thinking about it.
I was curious, but I had to quickly erase it from my mind.
“So. Why did I call you today?”
“that…”
Choi Hyun-seok, who had been desperately racking his brain, carefully opened his mouth.
“Is it because of Bobo’s education?”
Hemis shook his head.
“Then because of my duel…?” “That’s right! You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?”
There’s no way I could forget it.
Hemis protects Choi Hyun-seok.
Instead, Choi Hyun-seok must fight a duel every month against an opponent designated by Hemis.
If you lose the duel…
I don’t even want to imagine what will happen.
“Oh, and if you happen to lose the duel, don’t even think about dying comfortably.” “I guarantee you, you’ll know deep down what it feels like to want to die.”
Perhaps you will experience for yourself what Hemis meant by what he said earlier.
“Of course I remember.” “Yes. About a week left? You have to fight and defeat the Orc Kurken within that time.”
“yes.”
“But you know…”
For a moment, Hemis’ tongue brushed against her red lips.
“Isn’t that too complacent?”
“yes…?”
“I just think you lack a little bit of alertness.”
Choi Hyun-seok felt his lips becoming dry.
“I am so ignorant that I cannot understand the commander’s wisdom.” “I told you, didn’t I? I knew from the beginning that you were a warrior. How could I possibly not have known of the warrior’s extraordinary growth rate?”
“…”
Choi Hyun-seok bit his lips tightly.
“Choi Hyun-seok. I like you. You survived in a way I never thought possible, and you’re getting stronger quickly. You make me happy in many ways. But…”
Hemis came down from the desk where he was sitting.
She slowly approaches and brings her face close to mine.
Her breath was close enough to reach Choi Hyun-seok’s ear.
“If this is all you have, I will be disappointed… and you will die.”
Hemis whispered.
At the same time, a subtle magical power leaked out from her body.
“Struggle a little more. For me. Do you understand?”
Choi Hyun-seok was sweating profusely.
My whole body was soaked as if I had been hit by rain.
“Keep in mind…”
Choi Hyun-seok opened his mouth, trying his best to calm his trembling body.
“I will keep that in mind, Commander.”
***
After the interview with Hemis.
Choi Hyun-seok, who returned to Bobo’s house, sighed.
“Phew…”
The conversations I had with Hemis quickly flashed through my mind.
“Hemis knows that I am a warrior. And he knows how quickly warriors can grow.”
“Yes.”
“But still, he gave me a month to fight. Why is that?” “Maybe it’s because he wants me to become stronger and win the fight?”
Choi Hyun-seok nodded at Rachel’s words.
“That’s not entirely wrong. I’m just a fun toy for Hemis right now. He wants me to survive.” “Then that’s good!” “No. Not good at all. It’s dangerous.”
“why?”
“You know what the funniest thing in sports is?”
Rachel tilted her head at Choi Hyun-seok’s unexpected question.
“What’s the most fun situation?” “Yeah. There are probably a lot of things, but I personally find it the most fun when there’s a twist.”
Choi Hyun-seok was a professional martial artist.
However, before becoming a professional athlete, he was also an avid fighting fan.
“If you watch the game every day, there comes a point where you get tired of it. This is the same with any sport.”
“why?”
“It’s obvious. The one who was always going to win will win anyway. Of course, watching the star’s moves is fun in itself… but there’s something even more fun.” “That’s a twist?” “Yes. An unexpected turn of events. An underdog. The birth of a new star.” “Ah! I get what you mean.”
Rachel nods and says.
“So you’re saying that fresh things are more fun than obvious things?” “In simple terms, yes.” “But what does that have to do with the current situation?” “I told you before? I’m a fun toy for Hemis.”
“yes.”
“Then, from Hemis’ perspective, what do you think is the most interesting picture?”
“that…”
Rachel made a face as if she was wondering.
Choi Hyun-seok nodded.
“I’ll win a match I can’t possibly lose. In other words, that’s what I’m saying.” “The warrior is setting up a situation where he can’t help but lose.” “That’s right. From the start, Hemis will force me into a fight I absolutely cannot win.”
Choi Hyun-seok was confident.
Because Hemis said it himself.
“I told you, didn’t I? I knew from the beginning that you were a warrior. How could I possibly not have known about the warrior’s extraordinary growth rate?”
Hemis gave the warrior a month, even though he knew how fast he would grow.
Why is that?
The answer is simple.
This is because from the beginning, we designated an opponent that could never be defeated with just one month of growth.
Yet, paradoxically, Hemis wants Choi Hyun-seok to win.
Just for fun.
The scene where Choi Hyun-seok breaks expectations and wins the game will bring the greatest joy to Hemis.
“If you think this way, all the puzzle pieces fall into place.”
It feels like the questions I’ve had for a long time are being resolved.
Why did he so easily accept a human like him into the Demon King’s army?
Why did they accept him and then assign him to be Bobo’s keeper, which was like a death sentence?
Why should anyone be so interested in the actions of a mere human being?
The answers to all these questions were revealed.
“I just needed a new toy.”
A toy that can break at any time.
That was Choi Hyun-seok’s current position.
Choi Hyun-seok clenched his molars.
“This can’t go on.”
“So what should I do now?” “For now, I have to keep hunting and growing. But, there’s something I have to do before that.”
“What is it?”
“Information gathering.”
Choi Hyun-seok opened a warrior shop.
“It’s not enough to simply level up. You need to know what kind of monster your opponent, Kurken, is. How strong he is. What techniques he uses.”
Choi Hyun-seok continued speaking with an unusually serious expression.
“The most important thing to do before a match is to analyze your opponent. There’s a saying that if you know yourself and your enemy, you’ll win every battle.” “Warrior. Somehow, you look a little cool today.”
“okay?”
“Yes! For the first time, I feel like you’re a smart person!” “I wish you hadn’t said that…” “So, Hero! How do you plan on gathering and analyzing information?” “I have something in mind.”
Choi Hyun-seok opened a warrior shop.
Then I went into the ‘Items’ section and bought something.
“This is it.”
“What is this..?”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at the items Choi Hyun-seok had purchased.
“Combat power meter.”
“Yes…? A combat power meter…?”
Choi Hyun-seok nodded with a confident face.
“We gather information with this.”
