Chapter 255
Chapter 255
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.56 – The Obvious Story He Wants to See (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"-Whoa, what is this…!?"
Derek had been whipped on the calves with a switch until they felt like they were on fire, but he was too shocked to even register the burning pain.
And who could blame him?
"Why are the components so clear and active? Even the fresh blood itself must be packed with nutrients."
"…You're starting to give me the creeps acting like that?"
"……."
No joke—Derek's appearance as he experimented on the tiny amount of drawn blood with various tools was indistinguishable from that of a mad scientist.
With his cheeks flushed from excitement to boot, if he wasn't a lunatic, what was he?
In response to this assessment, Derek...
"I-It's just because I'm surprised. Th-There's no other intention..."
He offered an excuse by way of explanation, but the more he spoke, the quieter his voice grew as he reflected on his own actions somewhere in his mind.
He was aware that even he himself looked bizarre, and with a series of awkward coughs, he swiftly changed the subject.
"A-Anyway, about your blood, Instructor..."
"Oh? Trying to change the subject?"
"N-No, it's not that. It's something you should know about too, Instructor. It seems like all the monster factors you were supposed to have are completely dead?"
"…?"
"No, not dead—maybe they weren't there from the start."
"What do you mean?"
"It means you're a 'human,' Instructor."
"???"
Lee Han tilted his head in confusion, unable to comprehend, while Derek scratched his cheek and took a moment to organize his thoughts before trying to explain in as much detail as possible.
"You said that as a child, you were given troll and gnoll factors by a mage, right? That's how you gained the troll's sturdy physical abilities and regenerative powers, as well as the gnoll's keen sense of smell and touch."
"Y-Yeah?"
It was an old story by now, and one Lee Han had never doubted as truth.
His physical abilities, earned by surviving as a spellcaster's test subject and ultimately overcoming it, were far from those of an ordinary human. Thanks to them, he had survived—and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they formed the foundation for him to grow strong.
However...
"That's wrong. Take a look at this. It's the analysis result from your blood, troll blood, and gnoll blood..."
Swish.
"It's negative. Meaning no monster factors at all."
Derek showed him something that looked like a diagnostic kit, insisting that it should have come out positive if there were any monster factors.
"……."
Lee Han blinked for a moment.
He had allowed the experiment on a whim, lightly, but now his common knowledge was being upended, leaving him flustered.
Yet this cool-headed guy kept drilling in the truth regardless of Lee Han's confusion.
"In that sense, Instructor, you're not a human with monster powers—you're genetically human."
"…Does that make any sense?"
Those words carried multiple implications.
How, then, to explain his superhuman regenerative abilities or exceptional senses? To that question...
"'Evolution.'"
"What?"
...came an utterly baffling, absurd answer that was nonetheless delivered with complete seriousness from Derek.
"This is just a hypothesis, but maybe your body kept evolving to endure the experiments you went through as a child. You said you had a strong will to survive from a young age, right?"
"D-Did I?"
"It could be what they call grit theory, but your body seems to have gradually evolved to overcome the monster factors during the process of enduring the experiments. Others couldn't bear the pain and met tragic ends, but you survived near-death agony through sheer 'willpower,' and your body evolved in the process."
"……."
"I know, I know—it's fringe theory. So don't glare at me like that..."
"…I'm not glaring; I'm thinking. Even if your hypothesis is true, it doesn't explain all my abilities. Especially since I'm sensitive to potions made from troll blood and have benefited from them in various ways. How do you explain that?"
Lee Han thought it was a sharp question, but Derek answered without hesitation, as if he'd been waiting.
"That's where evolution theory comes in."
"…Huh?"
"You know this? Biological evolution isn't just one thing. There's also evolution through genetic mimicry."
"……."
"In other words, your cells mimicked the incoming monster factors to survive, in order to fight and overcome the monster cells."
"…Interesting, at least."
But even hearing that, Lee Han couldn't help but remain skeptical.
Evolution couldn't happen that quickly, could it?
'Ah, ten years is on the longer side, isn't it?'
Reminded anew of how long he'd been held as a test subject, he even began to doubt if the theory might actually fit. And to Lee Han in that state, Derek delivered the finishing blow.
"You know this too? Trolls and gnolls are said to be incredibly cute when young. But they undergo a massive ugly transformation on the way to adulthood."
"……."
"Got a guess?"
"Kinda, yeah?"
Lee Han let out a hollow chuckle as he vaguely recalled his own prime.
He had definitely heard he was quite cute back in his teens and early twenties.
'I thought it was because of training... guess not?'
Harboring such thoughts, Lee Han paid closer attention to Derek's words.
They were starting to feel credible now.
"That explains why your traits have so few monster-related ones. If you truly had monster factors, there should be things like Berserker or Monsterization among your traits."
"Hm. So I'm just an ordinary human?"
Not some modified human?
"Of course you're not ordinary. You evolved, after all. If anything... a mutant?"
"……."
"More simply put, a mutation. In a way, isn't it more wondrous than a mystical race?"
"……."
"Ah, speaking of which, Instructor, can I draw a bit more blood? Maybe your blood is worth way more than troll blood..."
"Headbutt the ground."
"P-Pardon?"
"I said headbutt it. Should I kindly explain it's a forehead barrage?"
"…It's a gravel patch here?"
"So?"
"……."
"Execute."
"Ex-Execute..."
Derek complied with a tearful salute and slammed his forehead down, eyes glistening with tears, but Lee Han merely clicked his tongue.
'This guy's going great until he ruins it.'
There are those who repay a thousand nyang debt with a single word, but Lee Han was convinced this one was the type to rack up a thousand-nyang debt with one.
Taechang, well-fed and thriving, was undoubtedly a lucky guy.
"I'm grateful even if it's belated. Thank you. Even repeating it wouldn't suffice."
"Thank you, Instructor."
"Haha, we meet again in less than half a day."
"…Hm."
But with the guests—no, the hosts themselves—visiting, the additional infusion of master's grace was put on hold.
It was regrettable, so the best he could do was have him stand by after a modest forehead barrage.
One couldn't very well pick up a stick with guests present, after all?
"Ahem..."
The whelp sneaking sidelong glances was wisely choosing to draw attention with fake coughs, and Lee Han had to admit his perceptiveness was sharp.
The adults, on the other hand...
"That'll make for good training."
"Hardening the neck? Our family's swordsmen do that often too."
...offered sword-family-appropriate positive interpretations and promptly lost all interest.
"Ugh... why are there no normal people..."
The guy muttered something, but Lee Han lightly ignored the grumbling and addressed them.
"Why are you busy folks here?"
Lee Han's tone was brusque, but in truth, he was genuinely puzzled about their visit at this time.
Mansion repairs after the collapse, managing the half-demons, assessing family damages, reporting the incident details to the royals, and more.
They had mountains of work, yet here they were out of the blue. To such a Lee Han...
"It felt like if not today, we'd have no chance to thank you."
Felicia intoned gravely, a rare expression for her, and the father-son duo nodded along.
But to Lee Han, it felt awkward.
"I've heard it so much my ears are callused..."
No exaggeration—the thanks had been endless to the point of nausea.
For instance, Felicia, that auntie, right after the fairy tale author survived...
- Thank you, truly thank you...!
She had wept rivers of tears and snot in gratitude.
Well, that might warm the heart, but what followed was quite troublesome and exhausting.
- Thank you, thank you...
- I'll regard you as my lifelong benefactor!
- It's modest, but please accept this...
Beyond that, retainers of the Offen family had come one by one to express thanks, some even kneeling, leaving him utterly embarrassed.
'When folks way older than me do that, how could I feel at ease...'
Perhaps remnants of Confucian spirit made him deeply uncomfortable.
Yet telling them not to thank him would be bizarre too.
Not only had he saved the family from the bandits' hands, but they'd also kept their revered Sword Sage and family pride—the Sword Saint and grand literary master—from loss. How relieved must they be?
Thus, for the five days since the incident resolved, Lee Han had been forcibly confined to the mansion.
The Offen family wanted to repay him somehow, and he wished they'd spend that time on family recovery instead, but...
- How can we call ourselves nobles if we can't even properly care for our benefactor? Honor is more important than life or wealth! Please don't let us become honorless rabble.
...that was the impassioned cry of one elderly Offen retainer, and over those five days, Lee Han had eaten lavishly, been pampered splendidly, his skin even glowing radiantly.
'The three meals a day were delicious.'
They even provided dessert and midnight snacks, worrying him about gaining weight.
So the thanks had grown tiresome, and now with all three generations coming to express gratitude again, it was already burdensome.
"Heh, I see the annoyance on your face."
"They say one verse is enough for anything. Dial it back now."
"How could we? No amount of thanks would suffice."
"……."
"I promise you this. Even if the kingdom turns against you, Offen—no, I—will aid you. Even staking everything I have."
"…Whoa."
The final exclamation wasn't from Lee Han but from Taechang, still in the midst of his forehead barrage.
And rightly so—it amounted to gaining command authority over an Aura User.
Invaluable, an authority that would make even a nation's monarch envious to the point of bellyache. Surely all would envy it, but...
"…Please keep that gratitude. I don't need it."
"?!"
The recipient treated it like an unwanted antique he was trying to return, and Felicia's eyes welled up slightly.