The EX-Class Extra o Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Growth (5)

“Yu-seong really is reliable.”

Kim Su-hyeok, who had already leapt into the battlefield and destroyed two Swordsman Statues, smiled while glancing behind him.

He had managed to turn the Archer Statue, which seed like it would be the biggest nuisance, into dust just like that.

It felt as if they were in sync even without speaking to each other.

“I am really glad I approached him first back then.”

Even in the middle of a busy battlefield, Kim Su-hyeok recalled the past.

He rembered the day he first spoke to Choi Yu-seong.

At the ti, he had simply approached him casually, but looking back now, it was a truly excellent decision.

“The length of ti you have known soone is not what matters.”

There are friends who do not get along even after knowing each other for ten years.

However, there are also friends who can understand each other after only a month.

Among them, Choi Yu-seong was definitely the latter for Kim Su-hyeok.

“It does feel like Yu-seong has so kind of wall around him… but that will fade soon, right?”

It was not that Choi Yu-seong was pushing him away, but how should he put it?

It felt as if an unidentifiable wall existed every ti they t.

However, he did not feel particularly hurt by it.

The other kids all had walls like that when they first t, too.

Therefore, this relationship would also eventually grow deep.

Thinking that, Kim Su-hyeok muttered lowly toward the statues.

“So, I should start by cleaning you all up one by one.”

A deep relationship only cos when a future is guaranteed.

If that was the case, he needed to deal with the enemies in front of him first.

Having reached that conclusion, Kim Su-hyeok swung his sword without hesitation.

And then.

KABOOM!!!!

Kim Su-hyeok’s sword, devoid of hesitation, was sharper than anything else.

The statues showed signs of trying to do sothing, but they crumbled helplessly.

If the statues could speak, they would have likely said this:

That a monster was standing before them.

That this was an unfair fight.

RUMBLE!!

Unfortunately, the statues possessed no ans of speaking.

Only one fate awaited the statues, who were forced to remain silent.

It was to be quietly sliced apart by the monster before them.

To beco the fertilizer for an unreasonable person who possessed the World's Protection.

That was the only fate granted to the statues.

After the fierce battle continued for a short while.

“Phew. I think it is finished over here.”

Kim Su-hyeok, who had destroyed every statue blocking his path before he knew it, muttered while looking at the debris.

Indeed.

In the end, the statues could not defy their fate.

However, that was rely the circumstance of the statues.

It was a story that had absolutely nothing to do with Kim Su-hyeok.

“Yu-seong! I am done on my side! Should I go help you?!”

Thus, Kim Su-hyeok shouted toward Choi Yu-seong rather than paying any attention to the debris.

Since he had not sustained any injuries, he was in a state where he could help at any ti.

However, the answer that ca back was a refusal.

“No. I just finished over here, too.”

Choi Yu-seong spoke with a blunt face. He was not as clean as Kim Su-hyeok, but he was without any significant wounds.

When Kim Su-hyeok looked around Choi Yu-seong at those words, the sight was quite a spectacle.

It was not just debris; it looked as if everything had been ground into powder.

Kim Su-hyeok remained silent for a mont while looking at the scene, then soon showed a bright smile and spoke.

“I see. Yu-seong really is reliable.”

***

‘He does not even look tired.’

That was exactly what I thought when I saw Kim Su-hyeok’s face.

His fair skin looked as if he had not shed a single drop of sweat.

His hair was tidy, as if he had not moved violently at all.

Seeing him look as if he had just gone for a stroll, I could not help but let out a dry chuckle.

‘Was I underestimating him too much?’

I thought I was seeing him clearly, but apparently, I was not.

Kim Su-hyeok was more than what I had imagined.

‘Man, I cannot even compare myself to him.’

Here I am, looking like a ss even after using performance enhancers to fight.

And there is Kim Su-hyeok, maintaining a fresh appearance after fighting with nothing but pure skill.

The difference was so stark that I actually felt sorry for comparing us.

Still, I did not feel any jealousy.

In fact, my current feeling was that I felt great.

‘As long as he keeps going like that, it will be perfect.’

The fate of this world will ultimately be decided by Kim Su-hyeok’s growth rate.

They say every piece in chess is important, but you cannot play a ga without a King, right?

In short, Kim Su-hyeok is like the King in chess.

And I am not a madman who gets jealous because the King is strong.

‘Then am I a pawn? I want to be at least a Knight, though.’

Since I had unnecessarily compared it to chess, useless thoughts began to fill my head again.

Fortunately, those useless thoughts did not linger for long.

“We destroyed all the statues. Is this the end?”

Before I could continue my thoughts, Kim Su-hyeok spoke to .

I offered a slight opinion in response to his question.

Of course, I maintained a voice that sounded uncertain, rembering my setting as soone who was here for the first ti.

“…I do not think it is going to end just like this.”

“Is that how it looks to you?”

“Yeah. For sothing that was so grand, it feels a bit too simple. I get the feeling there is sothing more.”

“Is that so……?”

Yes, there is definitely sothing more, Su-hyeok.

However, there was no need to go out of my way to convince him.

Kim Su-hyeok would find out soon enough anyway.

And the ‘soon’ I ntioned arrived not long after.

[Challenger. Prove your qualification.]

The voice we heard when we first arrived here echoed again.

However, there was a clear difference.

“Yu-seong. Don’t you think it is a bit different from before?”

“Yeah, you are right. Earlier we were visitors, and now we are challengers.”

Unlike before when it referred to us as visitors, the voice was now calling us challengers.

To put it simply, it was this:

‘The first battle with the statues was to prove we were qualified to challenge.’

Do we have the qualification to undergo a proper test?

It ant that we had fortunately passed that first test.

It was a bit funny that a re Gate would discuss qualifications, but…….

‘What can I do?’

That is just the way this world is.

And it is not like they are ending it with nothing; they are even giving out rewards, so I guess they can test us.

I thought that as I wrapped up our brief mont of rest.

“Su-hyeok. I think it would be good to get ready.”

The fact that this voice was heard ant that the final proof was about to begin.

And from what I rember, the enemy that appeared here was…….

“A De, Death Knight……! Yu-seong!”

“Yeah. I see him, too.”

It was a Death Knight.

A monster that appears as a boss even in a B-Rank Gate.

That fellow had now revealed its hidden form within the temple and was walking toward us with a majestic gait.

‘Damn it. I can tell just by looking that he is no pushover.’

They say that the boss of a high-rank Gate exudes a different kind of pressure.

I did not know what that felt like because I had only read about it in text, but I think I understand now.

Even though there was still so distance between us, I felt a shiver down my spine just by looking at him.

Even being optimistic, I could not easily say that this was a winnable fight.

‘But I have to do it.’

The dice have already been rolled.

Even if I tried to back out now, the only future waiting for

was starving to death inside the Gate.

Therefore, I spoke to Kim Su-hyeok, mimicking a voice that was as calm as possible.

“Su-hyeok.”

“Ye, yeah?”

“I think we should get ready. It does not look like he is coming over to have teati with us.”

At my words, Kim Su-hyeok finally realized he had been zoning out.

However, his actions after realizing it were fast.

The sight of him imdiately drawing his sword and aiming it at the Death Knight was quite reassuring.

‘I should also reveal all my cards this ti.’

After confirming that Kim Su-hyeok was ready, I also raised my sword.

However, it was different from the battle with the statues earlier.

That was because blue flas were now flickering on my sword.

Kim Su-hyeok threw a puzzled look at my appearance.

“It is an artifact I received as a gift from soone I know. I prepared it just in case.”

I imdiately spat out the excuse I had prepared to settle the situation.

As expected, the naive Kim Su-hyeok seed to believe my words exactly as they were.

‘I was worried about what to do if he did not believe , so this is a relief.’

If it had been anyone else, an excuse like this would not have worked.

And in fact, the calculation that Kim Su-hyeok would believe

was also half a gamble.

Despite that, why did I pull out the Blue Fla talent?

‘It is because the situation is that desperate.’

I did not intend to pull it out from the start either.

But seeing that guy with my own eyes, I could be certain.

There was no chance of victory without pulling out the talents I possessed.

‘And Blue Fla is the talent that can increase the chances of winning this battle the most right now.’

As I ntioned before, Blue Fla is a talent that has good compatibility against the undead.

So, what I am saying is that I had to pull it out even if there was a possibility that Kim Su-hyeok would not believe .

No matter how much I want to hide a talent, I cannot keep it hidden until the mont I go to the afterlife, can I?

Thinking so, I tapped the Spatial Storage Bracelet.

‘I should take out Blue Nightmare in advance, too.’

Since I used up all the ones I took out earlier, I needed to set so out again.

While I was putting the newly retrieved Blue Nightmare into my pocket, a hollow laugh escaped

for so reason.

‘They say you never know what will happen in life, and that is truly a correct statent.’

Originally, Blue Nightmare is an ultimate poison powerful enough to kill a Hero-Rank player.

Yet, it has now beco my most reliable move.

As expected, one can never foresee what lies even an inch ahead in life.

I could not help but praise my past self, who had trembled while purchasing the talent from the Admiration Shop.

“Su-hyeok.”

“Yeah?”

At any rate, with this, I have brought out all the moves I needed to.

The rest is a matter of observing the flow of battle and adjusting according to the situation.

Therefore, all that remained was to check Kim Su-hyeok’s condition.

“How about it? Do you think it is doable?”

“Haha, even if it is not doable, is it not sothing we have to do anyway?”

Hmm, a wise answer to a foolish question.

He is right.

In fact, whether our condition was good or not, there was no option such as backing out.

“Still, if I think positively, I do not think it is bad.”

“…What is?”

“The training you ntioned, Yu-seong. I think this might actually be the best training possible.”

I ended up letting out a laugh at those words.

Right, co to think of it, that was the reason I brought him here in the first place.

“I like it. That kind of positive mindset.”

“Ahaha, I am nothing if not positive.”

“That is fine. On one hand, I am actually a bit excited, too.”

“Huh? What are you excited about, Yu-seong?”

Kim Su-hyeok’s question about what I was excited for.

Actually, I wondered if it was okay for soone like

to give an answer like this…….

But I decided that since it was just words, it would be okay to reveal my true feelings.

“Fighting together with you. I am really looking forward to that.”

“…What?”

“To be honest, it was a bit ambiguous to say we fought together against the statues, right? But now we have to properly synchronize our moves.”

I am so thrilled and looking forward to that.

It was a bit of an embarrassing thing to say, but I wanted to say it at least once.

That the monts I spend with you are all the best monts for .

“…I see.”

“I am sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

“No, not at all. It is just… I did not know that ‘soon’ would co so quickly.”

Soon?

I was curious about what that ant, but unfortunately, I was not given the ti to ask.

ROAAR!!!

Perhaps it had grown tired of waiting too long, as the Death Knight was finally showing its intent to battle.

Therefore, for now.

“Shall we go?”

“Let us do that. I am counting on you.”

“Likewise.”

It was ti to act first.

So, following that conversation, we both charged toward the Death Knight as if we had planned it.

CRASH!!!!

Starting with the sound of Kim Su-hyeok’s sword clashing with the Death Knight’s, the battle began.

Finally, the final stage of Kim Su-hyeok’s growth had begun.