Choi Hyun-seok ran away from the battlefield at full speed.
Within just a few minutes, he moved to a location tens of kiloters away, and soon decided there was no pursuit and stopped.
Perhaps because he ran at full power even if briefly, a streak of sweat flowed down his forehead.
“Whew, it’s been a while since I ran properly.”
He wipes the sweat with the back of his hand while wearing a refreshed expression.
Rachel, who was hanging on his shoulder, wore a disapproving expression.
“Hero! Running away like a little mouse! Why did you do that!?”
“If I didn’t run? Should I have fought three legends there and died?”
“Well, that’s not it but…”
Her mumbling suggested she still had lingering dissatisfaction.
She clearly got too invested in teasing Kinley earlier.
Choi Hyun-seok explained with a sigh.
“I told you from the start. This attack was like testing the waters. How much I’ve grown. And testing how strong the enemy is.”
“Hmm, is that really necessary?”
“Since I’ve been away for so long. I need ti to adjust. I’ll go through this process a few more tis.”
Choi Hyun-seok had been in the Isilius Desert for the past 6 months.
It was to fully absorb the power that Sara Dunphy had left behind.
That process was really not easy.
3 months to absorb Sara Dunphy’s demonic energy and make it his own.
Another 2 months to stabilize the absorbed power.
The last month was spent on final stabilization while simultaneously training to adapt to his grown body.
“This is sothing I really never want to do again.”
Just thinking about that ti still makes him shudder.
Walking a dangerous tightrope between life and death multiple tis.
If Rachel hadn’t been there helping him, he really would have died.
After going through such a harsh ordeal, he naturally beca curious about Park Hyun-a’s well-being.
‘I wonder if older sister Park Hyun-a is okay. She wasn’t fully recovered when I left, but she should be finished by now?’
Choi Hyun-seok’s process of gaining power was similar to Park Hyun-a’s.
Expanding and stabilizing the vessel containing magical power and mana in a short period.
Just looking at Park Hyun-a shows how difficult and hard this process is.
At that ti, without Sara Dunphy’s help, Park Hyun-a would have died.
Even after fortunately saving her life, it took her a very long ti to make the new power her own.
But Choi Hyun-seok’s difficulty level was much higher than Park Hyun-a’s.
Unlike Park Hyun-a, he modified his vessel with soone else’s demonic energy rather than his own magical power, so the shock was greater.
And there was no Sara Dunphy to give detailed advice from the side.
If he hadn’t been of a special constitution, he probably would have died several tis.
“Hero. Why are you making such a serious expression again? If it turned out well in the end, isn’t that what matters!”
“Well, that’s true.”
Anyway, Choi Hyun-seok passed through all the trials and achieved his goal.
He absorbed the power with minimal waste and made it completely his own.
He also completed training to adapt to his suddenly grown body.
As a result, Choi Hyun-seok’s combat power had risen incomparably from before.
▫Na: Choi Hyun-seok
▫Title: Legendary Hero
▫Level: 1249
Strength: 486Agility: 486Stamina: 488Mana: 632Charisma: 133Fighting Spirit: 156
While the level remains the sa, his stats have grown significantly from before.
Strength, agility, and stamina each rose by over 50 points, and mana rose by over 100 points.
Perhaps because he went through so much hardship, his Fighting Spirit also rose considerably and had already surpassed charisma.
“I wonder how much combat power I have now.”
“Well… When we checked before it was unasurable. Wouldn’t it be at least in the mid-600,000s?”
The asurent limit of Choi Hyun-seok’s combat power ter is 600,000.
Currently, Choi Hyun-seok has exceeded that limit of 600,000 and is in an unasurable state.
Since he continued growing after that, while the exact amount was unknown, it was estimated his combat power would be in the mid-600,000s.
“Maybe because I ran hard after a long ti, but I’m tired. Let’s prepare to camp soon.”
“Okay~”
Afterward, Choi Hyun-seok moved into the forest and found a small cave.
He planned to make a fire here and spend the night.
While going without sleep for a day or so wouldn’t be a problem, it’s good to rest whenever ti allows.
Especially in situations like now when physical condition isn’t 100%, the importance of rest becos even greater.
“Uuum… Hero. Since we’re in the forest anyway, we should hunt and eat at, why are we eating this?”
Rachel poked at the lunchbox with a sullen expression.
It’s the Hero Shop brand lunchbox that has been responsible for their als for the past 6 months.
She seed to want to eat sothing else, but no chance.
“Those who don’t work shouldn’t eat. Be grateful for what you’re given. If you’re unsatisfied, go get at yourself.”
“Tch.”
“And this has its own kind of taste too.”
If he had to compare, it’s about the quality of convenience store lunch boxes from Earth.
While it’s not particularly amazing taste, personally Choi Hyun-seok didn’t think it was bad.
“By the way, hero.”
“What.”
“Aren’t you going back to that fox?”
In the middle of eating, Rachel brought up another strange topic.
At the word fox, Choi Hyun-seok thought for a mont before recalling sothing.
“You an Ms. Abelson?”
“Yes.”
“Well… I don’t particularly feel like going back.”
“You could at least contact her. Isn’t that what you want to do too, hero?”
Choi Hyun-seok laughed lightly.
Rachel was right.
Even now, there’s a communication crystal connected to Abelson in front of him.
Honestly, he wants to contact her right away.
But, he won’t do it.
He hadn’t answered any of the frequent communications that ca over the past half year.
Even now if he activated the communication crystal from his side, he’d get a response right away, but he had no intention of doing so.
Choi Hyun-seok put the communication crystal he’d been looking at back in his inventory.
“For you to show such consideration. That’s unexpected.”
“Just thought it wasn’t like you, hero.”
“What’s like then?”
“Looking for won?”
“Want to die?”
“Truth will prevail soday.”
Rachel quietly fled to one corner of the cave.
Choi Hyun-seok, who was about to jump up and chase her, lay back down on the ground out of laziness.
Looking up at the cave ceiling, he opened his mouth.
“Yeah. To be honest, I want to contact her. But I won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I contact her, Ms. Abelson will try to help. And naturally, I’ll want to see her more too.”
“Then you can just et her.”
“No.”
Choi Hyun-seok shook his head.
His eyes held sothing serious that was rarely seen.
“From now on, I have to seriously fight Gatren. In this situation, Ms. Abelson would just be a burden.”
A burden.
He deliberately used a more aggressive word.
Because that way his heart would beco firr.
“If I’m not careful, I could end up repeating what happened with Sara.”
In the end, this was Choi Hyun-seok’s true feelings.
That because of him, the Kingdom of Mariette could fall into crisis again.
So he won’t work with Abelson.
While there will be various inconveniences in daily life, and it will be harder in terms of getting information, that’s fine.
If really necessary, he can ask for help from Orlaben Grimier of the Drason Empire.
“From now on, I’ll harass Gatren with a strictly elite few, hit-and-run strategy.”
Just being on the receiving end is over now.
Now it’s our turn to harass them.
For that, first, there must be nothing to protect.
After all, soone who plans for the future can never beat a madman who lives only for today.
***
Gratiam, capital of the Holy Empire of Garten.
Pope Orban IV frowned at the ntion of an urgent report.
Since the word urgent was attached, it was almost certainly bad news.
“Hmm…”
The report contents were indeed the worst.
He let out a small sigh.
“This is troubleso. Park Hyun-a alone was a headache, but now Choi Hyun-seok appears too.”
Choi Hyun-seok has returned.
He had a brief battle with Legend Kinley Fusel, resulting in multiple casualties.
His estimated power is equal to Kinley.
Or perhaps even greater.
“In the end, the situation we were worried about has occurred.”
The Pope had been watching Choi Hyun-seok from quite early on.
As soone who knew the danger of heroes better than anyone.
It was natural to be concerned about Choi Hyun-seok, who was growing much faster than ordinary heroes.
Of course, even then, he was nothing more than a mayfly that would die with one wave of a hand.
The Pope always wanted to eliminate Choi Hyun-seok even if it ant using excessive force.
As they say, using a cow-killing knife to kill a chicken.
Even though he knew his subordinates would surely be dissatisfied.
He couldn’t just leave Choi Hyun-seok alone, so he tried to eliminate him by any ans necessary.
“But… Sigh”
However, it all beca futile.
Those who had boasted they could kill Choi Hyun-seok all returned to nature without even having their coffins closed.
Using them as nutrients to grow, Choi Hyun-seok has now grown to a level even the Pope finds difficult to handle.
“This is the worst. The worst…”
The Pope closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair.
“Perhaps Sara Dunphy might be alive as well.”
If Choi Hyun-seok has returned, there’s a possibility Sara Dunphy is alive too.
They were originally companions, so they might have hidden together.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that she didn’t appear together with him this ti.
“Anyway, Park Hyun-a, Choi Hyun-seok, and even Sara Dunphy. This is terrible… Terrible…”
The Pope slowly opened his eyes.
While his mouth was making groaning sounds, his pupils were emanating a blue demonic energy.
“From now on, order all armies to maintain constant battle readiness. Also, prohibit Legends and Cardinals from acting alone. Tell them to move in groups of at least three from now on.”
“Understood.”
“And… We must prepare for contingencies.”
“By contingencies, you an…?”
The Cardinal who was recording the Pope’s orders raised his head.
It was to understand exactly what the Pope ant.
“The Empire’s Dedication. I believe the preparation work was completed several years ago, is that not correct?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Then make preparations so it can be activated at any ti.”
The Cardinal rolled his eyes back and forth.
He looked like he wanted to say sothing but couldn’t quite bring himself to speak.
The Pope’s eyes grew even sharper.
“Did you not hear what I said?”
“Ah, my apologies! Your Holiness!”
“The Empire’s Dedication. I said prepare it so it can be used at any ti.”
“Yes!”
“Then you may go.”
The Cardinal bowed his head and hastily retreated.
In his mind, the Pope’s final order ‘The Empire’s Dedication’ kept circling.
‘This can’t be… This…’
This is sothing that absolutely must not happen.
Sothing that cannot be followed even if it is the Pope’s order.
He planned to quietly overlook it.
‘His Holiness the Pope is surely just saying these things… Yes. That must be it.’
The Pope surely doesn’t intend to actually implent that forbidden plan.
He just spoke those words because he couldn’t control his anger.
Yes. That order was a slip of the tongue – or so he thought.
However, there was sothing the Cardinal didn’t know.
The ‘Empire’s Dedication’ whose planner was unknown actually ca from Pope Orban IV’s mind.
And the fact that he was the one who had completed all the preparations and plans from the beginning.
Naturally, the Pope wasn’t a fool who would create and prepare plans he had no intention of using.
“Hmm.”
The Pope frowned as he watched the departing Cardinal.
“Lord O’Brien.”
“Yes.”
Kuan O’Brien, commander of the Hounds.
The now nominal Hounds were actually focusing their efforts on managing the Empire’s internal affairs.
“It seems you’ll have to move personally. You understand what I an, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
This is Kuan O’Brien who has read between the lines for over 30 years.
He can understand the Pope’s orders just by looking at his eyes.
He bowed deeply at the waist and said.
“The Empire’s Dedication. I will ensure everything is perfectly prepared so it can be activated at any ti.”
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