Episode 196
After a bit of commotion.
Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah left the cabin and walked along the path.
“I heard things went well over there?”
“yes.”
Choi Hyun-seok nodded and said.
“Mr. Abelson has become the king, and the kingdom is on the path to stability.” “That’s good. It seems like your level has gone up a bit as you’ve been handling the work.” “Huh? How did you know that? You didn’t even level up that much…”
Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“If you pretend, it’s pretend. You punk.”
Even though the level went up, it was only a little bit.
This is because the growth rate noticeably slows down after passing level 1000.
While he was at it, Choi Hyun-seok checked the status window.
▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok
▫Title: Regular Warrior
▫Level: 1104
·Strength: 365
· Agility: 365
· Stamina: 365
·Mana: 500
·Charisma: 115
·Fighting spirit: 103
His current level is 1104.
When I broke up with Park Hyun-ah, I was at level 1096, so I went up 8 levels.
‘If I hadn’t caught Cardinal Vincenzo, I wouldn’t have been able to post this.’
Killing Cardinal Vincenzo raised my level by 6.
If I hadn’t fought him, I would have barely leveled up.
‘Oh, by the way, I haven’t asked about the cardinal yet.’
Choi Hyun-seok decided to ask since the thought occurred to him.
Why does the Cardinal have such power?
If it was Park Hyun-ah, she might know the secret.
“Sister. Did you know that?”
“what?”
“The Cardinal is incredibly strong.”
Park Hyun-ah’s eyebrows furrowed at the mention of the cardinal being strong.
“The Cardinal is strong. What the hell is that?”
Park Hyun-ah also just heard the news that the matter in the Mariott Kingdom was resolved.
I don’t know the details.
Choi Hyun-seok talked about his fight with Cardinal Vincenzo and his subsequent hints about the Pope’s powerlessness.
“… So I asked if you knew anything.” “Hmm, not really? I thought all cardinals were just old men.”
Park Hyun-ah also seemed to know nothing about this.
Even Park Hyun-ah, who had been fighting against the Holy Empire’s Gatren for years, didn’t know.
Thinking back, even the knights who fought together at the time seemed unaware of the Cardinal’s power.
Park Hyun-ah scratched her head nervously.
“Oh, this is a headache. The Cardinal and the Pope were hiding such power.” “How many cardinals are there in the Church of Deusis now?” “Probably a little over fifty.”
The number of cardinals exceeds 50.
Choi Hyun-seok was startled by those words.
“Fifty! Isn’t the game already over!?” “Of course, not all of them have powers like Vincenzo. If they did, they would have already taken over the continent without a second thought.”
“Oh, I see.”
Vincenzo’s power is at the beginning of a legend.
In terms of pure physical ability, he was comparable to other legends.
If the number of such strong men had exceeded fifty, the continent would already have been ruled by Gatren.
“There won’t be more than ten people. That alone is a headache.”
Suddenly, Park Hyun-ah stretched loudly.
“Ah, shit. I already have a headache, and things just keep getting complicated.” “By the way, how’s the situation here? I heard it’s not very good?”
Choi Hyun-seok asked.
The letter simply said that the situation here was not good.
Since the specifics weren’t given, I was curious about the details.
“To put it roughly, it’s a dog-like situation where you just keep retreating.”
“Retreat?”
“Oh. The reason I’m alone right now is because the front lines were pushed back even further.”
When Choi Hyun-seok made a face of incomprehension, Park Hyun-ah continued her explanation.
“After I sent you the coordinates, the front line retreated again. I had no choice but to leave while the others went ahead and I waited for you.”
This is a battleground.
In order for Choi Hyun-seok to teleport, he must secure a minimum level of safety.
However, as the front lines continued to retreat, Ultimoon Fes had no choice but to retreat as well.
Park Hyun-ah had no choice but to stay behind and wait for Choi Hyun-seok.
“So this is enemy territory?”
“That’s what it is.”
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“Then those guys up in the tree over there are enemies too?”
“huh?”
Choi Hyun-seok pointed somewhere with his hand.
Park Hyun-ah narrowed her eyes and looked in the direction he pointed.
“What is that?”
“It looks like a person.”
“I don’t feel anything?” “I discovered it by chance, too.”
Choi Hyun-seok also felt nothing.
Even though I had the enviable ability to sense energy, I felt nothing.
I just happened to find it while I was moving my gaze.
“Should we just go for a walk?”
“Yeah.”
Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah kick the ground.
The two new models flew forward as if they were being shot.
***
“This one is also a dud.”
Choi Hyun-seok shook his hands.
At his feet lay a soldier in camouflage uniform.
The soldier was already dead, and Choi Hyeon-seok did not intervene; he committed suicide.
“Ha, this is why those Gatren brats are so annoying.”
Park Hyun-ah kicked the dirt nervously.
He became angry because he had achieved nothing despite repeated pursuit.
“By the way, a magical tool that hides magical power so perfectly? Isn’t this a bit dangerous?”
He was wearing a magical tool that concealed little magical power.
So, it didn’t even catch on to their detection.
“There’s nothing you can do. Magic tools that hide energy are more common than you think. They’re sold at the warrior shop, too.”
“That’s true.”
“Well, it’s true that the magic tools themselves are very valuable. If you’re like Gatren, you’ll probably have enough of these to trip you up.”
A total of fifteen scouts have been discovered so far.
Seven of them were wearing magical tools that concealed magical power.
They clung tenaciously to Park Hyun-ah and Choi Hyun-seok as if they would not let them go, but after their identities were discovered, they committed suicide in this way.
Choi Hyeon-seok shook his head at the enemy’s fierce determination.
“Is this really a person…”
All living things have a desire to live.
But he committed suicide without a single moment of hesitation.
I wondered what kind of education one must go through to achieve this kind of mental state.
“Let’s get moving for now. The fact that they’ve been waiting here means our information has been leaked.”
Park Hyun-ah continued speaking, frowning.
“It’s impossible to get anything out of these guys anyway. We have to increase our speed to shake off their pursuit.”
“All right.”
Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah started running in earnest.
When they reach legendary levels and decide to run, no one can catch up unless they are at a similar level.
The pursuers who had been spread out throughout the forest eventually had no choice but to give up the chase.
***
Hound Master Kuan O’Briel.
He sought out Pope Orban IV.
Because there was something urgent to report.
“Choi Hyun-seok appeared on the front lines?” “Yes. I confirmed that he was with Park Hyun-ah near Sodrika Castle.”
Pope Orban IV tapped his armrest.
“Then, you’re saying that you escaped from the Mariott Kingdom…” “What are you going to do? Should we handle it?” “No. Leave the Mariott Kingdom as it is.”
The Pope shook his head and said.
“The information regarding the enemies using magic and necromancy is not yet clear. Until that is certain, please refrain from taking any hasty actions.”
“yes.”
“Hmm… Anyway, work has become a hassle.”
The Pope’s eyebrows furrow.
“I recently heard that Choi Hyun-seok’s military power has reached legendary levels.”
“Yes…”
“Tsk. A legend after just over a year of coming to this land…”
It’s a growth rate that is beyond common sense.
Generally, the age at which one reaches the realm of legend is around 100 years old.
Even for someone with the greatest talent in history, it would take 40 or 50 years.
Of course, since Choi Hyun-seok is a warrior, we cannot apply the standards here.
However, even considering that he was a warrior, his growth rate was unusually fast.
“That’s why I told you many times: You must kill him before it’s too late.”
The Pope knew better than anyone the dangers of being a warrior.
Even among those warriors, Choi Hyun-seok is a very special case that stands out.
He has grown stronger much faster than expected and has already grown to the point where he is becoming a hindrance to the great undertaking.
“At this rate, it could soon become too strong to handle.” “I’ll deal with it before that happens.”
Quan O’Brien bowed his head and said.
“Can you handle it?” “Currently, Choi Hyun-seok’s one-on-one combat ability is judged to be one level lower than Park Hyun-ah’s. It is certainly possible.” “I suppose so now. But have you considered the bastard’s growth rate?”
A glimmer of distrust appeared in the Pope’s eyes.
It’s a natural reaction.
Because everyone who has confidently set out to hunt down Choi Hyun-seok has failed.
“Sir Obriel. Based on the data we have so far, his one-on-one combat ability will surpass Park Hyun-ah’s within a few months.”
“you’re right…”
“Even if your overall combat ability is long, it will catch up to Park Hyun-ah within a year. When that happens, hunting will become even more difficult.”
The Pope’s words were not empty.
Even the current guess is as conservative as possible.
The scariest thing about Choi Hyun-seok is his unimaginable growth rate.
Choi Hyun-seok’s power is said to be on the verge of becoming a legend, but no one knows how long he will remain there.
“Within half a year, you will be in the upper-middle ranks of the legends, and after a year, you will be so strong that it will be difficult for the Empire to touch you.”
The Pope sighed deeply.
The hound leader, Quan O’Brien, bit his lip.
“I’ll handle it myself before it’s too late.” “Can you trust me?” “I’ll stake my life on it.”
I’m going to hang myself.
Suddenly, the Pope smiled kindly at the words that he was prepared to die.
“There is no need to go that far. Lord O’Brien is a valuable talent to the Empire. You should not risk your life so carelessly.”
Quan O’Brien did not answer, he simply bowed his head.
Because he knew better than anyone that what the Pope was saying now was a lie.
‘He is the kind of author who immediately throws out anyone when he no longer needs them.’
Quan O’Brien served Pope Orban IV for over 20 years.
How many close associates have stood by the Pope during those years?
I can confidently count them on one hand.
No matter how good a person was at flying and crawling, he would not last even 5 years before he was eliminated.
That’s why Kuan always wanted to serve the Pope from a distance…
Finally, his turn came.
“I will bring about results that will satisfy Your Majesty.”
Best? Effort? Process?
All of them are unnecessary.
All the Pope needs is the best results.
Did you like his answer?
The Pope smiled contentedly and nodded.
“I will believe you, Lord O’Brien.”
***
The next morning.
Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah arrived at the place where Ultimoon Fes was waiting.
We would have arrived earlier if we had done so, but it took longer because we had to backtrack to avoid confusing any potential pursuers.
“Welcome back! It’s nice to see you again.”
The leader of Ultimoon Fest, Carebe Cowell, greeted us.
Choi Hyun-seok nodded and looked around.
“Were you in a meeting?”
Temporarily constructed barracks.
Several executives, including Sullivan, were gathered inside.
The Duke of the Dracaen Empire, Olaven Grimire, whom we met last time, was also there.
“It was just getting started. If you don’t mind, let’s do it together.”
Carebe Cowell said.
Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah nodded and sat down on the dirt floor.
“First, let me look at the map and check the current situation.”
Sullivan was in charge of conducting the meeting.
She continued, magically levitating a giant map.
“As you can see, the front line is continuing to move south. It’s much faster than expected. If things continue this way, the enemy will reach the Demon King’s Castle within this week.” “This week… It’s too fast.”
The atmosphere became heavy from the start.
It had not even been two months since the temple began.
The army of the temple had already reached the center of the demon’s territory.
“There’s nothing we can do. We’re pushing back the Demon King’s army without any real fighting. It’s basically like a march.” “I guess… our predictions were right, huh?”
The executives nod their heads at Carebe Cowell’s words.
‘Expectations? What expectations are you talking about?’
At the moment when Choi Hyun-seok was about to ask a question in a conversation with no context.
“Yes. I guess that’s the only way.”
Shocking words came out of Sullivan’s mouth.
“The Demon King’s army is intentionally opening the way.”
