Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Deodor's Obsession
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Death Knights were S-Rank elite monsters.
Their greatest feature was that, as undead originating from knights, they were masters of swordsmanship.
They overcame the inherent weaknesses of the undead through their sword skills alone.
And this was a named Death Knight?
It would probably be stronger than your average S-Rank boss.
“Uh… are we screwed?”
Monsters were different from players.
Even if a player’s HP stat rose sky-high, it only improved their physical durability and stamina. Monsters, however, had a concept called vitality.
Even if struck precisely in a vital spot, they merely consumed some vitality and didn’t take instant-death damage.
Of course, exceeding their vitality with damage could kill them in one hit, and severing the head or limbs would drastically reduce their combat power, but…
‘High-grade monsters have insane vitality on top of ridiculous defense.’
Undead were only vulnerable to holy power and lacked distinct vital spots anyway.
Even Jae-hyeok, who had one-shot players stronger than himself, had no business discussing odds against a Death Knight. The 120-day deadline felt far too short.
-Where did you hear that guy’s name from?
“It spoke directly into my head.”
-That wastrel resurrecting already… But why talk to you?
“From what it said about some sword-mad demon or whatever, it seemed to mistake me for that demon.”
The Lion Statue groaned.
-A sword-mad demon… Indeed, your obsession with swordsmanship might resemble that demon from twelve years ago.
“Who the hell was this demon?”
-One of the outsiders who joined the fray when this land became a battlefield. He slaughtered enemies without a shred of hesitation, and his brutality was so demonic that allies and foes alike muttered the name ‘Yaksha’ in terror.
“Huh…? What?”
Yaksha?
-His frenzy was so indiscriminate, butchering humans and monsters alike, that humans and monsters instinctively allied against him, backs turned to each other. Especially that sight of him grinning as he licked blood- and oil-smeared blade with his tongue—it was like a devil crawling up from hell.
Even now, the thought sent chills through it, the Lion Statue’s voice trembling faintly.
If it were a living being instead of a statue, its expression would have been a sight to behold.
“…….”
The epitome of nobility.
To Jae-hyeok, his father was an incomparably noble and respectable man.
That was why he had never deeply pondered the moniker ‘Yaksha.’
Yaksha.
In other words, a vicious asura.
A cruel, merciless ghost that harmed people…
While Jae-hyeok feigned shock and kept quiet, the tactless Lion Statue prattled on.
-That wicked demon wrought a sea of corpses and blood here before vanishing abruptly—likely ascending to the demon realm. No wonder the wastrel Deodor is obsessed. He probably idolized him. You be careful too. Deodor’s the type utterly mad with fixation on that evil demon… Gah! Why hit me!!
“Just… a bit.”
-Just? Juuuust?? You’re completely insane! Now I get why Deodor mistook you for the demon!
“Ahem!”
Jae-hyeok coughed awkwardly, a subtle smile creeping onto his lips.
‘Mistaking my killing intent for Father’s… Does that mean I’ve come to resemble him that much?’
Nobles were supposed to be warm to citizens and resolute against enemies.
History was so distorted it was hard to know the truth, but twelve years ago would have been around the time foreign forces invaded Lion’s Castle.
Jae-hyeok took immense pride in his father slaughtering the enemy army to defend the homeland’s territory and sovereignty.
Licking a bloodied blade with a grin? Seeing it in person must have exuded tremendous charisma.
It was surely an act to instill fear and shatter enemy morale.
‘Maybe I’ll try it myself sometime.’
Jae-hyeok was pleased in many ways.
Learning a new side of his father, inspired by the feat of piling enemy corpses into a bloody mountain, and above all, inheriting his father’s legacy.
Named Death Knight, Deodor.
His father’s old grudge had passed to him like fate.
It felt like a revelation that he alone was House Kang’s true heir.
‘I shouldn’t dodge it. I need to take responsibility.’
-…You madman! You dare strike the dimensional lord and smirk about it!!
“Sorry, sorry.”
-This isn’t the time to act cocky. It’s only been a short while since resurrection, so it’ll need about ten years to regain full power, but Deodor’s no pushover.
“Ten years? Not four months?”
-Four months…? Even after four months, it’d barely swing a sword. Though that guy’s not the patient type anyway. The moment it can move, it’ll hunt you down—no surprise there. But!
The Lion Statue issued a stern warning.
-Deodor bears the surname of the Ducal House, the continent’s strongest sword clan a millennium ago. That wastrel could crush a greenhorn like you with one finger, so abandon vain hopes and run while you can. Let’s call our pact off too. I’ll hand your unfinished quest to that silver-haired punk instea—Gurk!
“A millennium ago, the continent’s strongest Ducal House?”
Jae-hyeok’s eyes gleamed as he smacked the statue’s head with his scabbard again, the thing constantly trying to ditch him.
“I am the sole bloodline of the era’s greatest Ducal House.”
He declared firmly. His brothers were alive and well.
***
“Yoon the TA’s gone missing?”
“Did he enter a danger zone or something?”
“He’s a B-Rank player—think a monster got him?”
“Zones near the coast swarm with A-Rank-plus monsters. Getting lost at night and becoming monster chow wouldn’t be weird.”
News of Professor Shim Ye-jin’s TA vanishing spread quickly among the faculty.
Most suspected a monster attack.
But the Iron Guild staff knew the truth.
‘The moment he got orders to kidnap Kang Jae-hyeok, he disappears….’
‘Did that idiot Yoon Sang-ho act rashly and catch Martial Force’s eye? Better lay low for a while to avoid trouble.’
Iron Guild was just a mid-tier guild.
Even among Lion’s Castle staff from Iron Guild, there were only three, including Yoon Sang-ho.
With one caught targeting a student, the remaining two couldn’t escape suspicion.
The guild master would hound them to resolve it, but what power did they have?
They had no choice but to play dead for now.
‘…No, there’s still a chance. A way to blow our nose without using our hands.’
‘Best to catch a kid with another kid.’
Dizzy at the thought of the guild master’s tirade, they racked their brains and began gathering info on students recently tangled with Kang Jae-hyeok.
They soon found the name Ha Kyung-su.
Class A’s red evaluator.
He’d been docked points during the Leech King raid because of Kang Jae-hyeok.
‘Level 23… We can use this kid to easily drag Kang Jae-hyeok to the infirmary.’
The dueling evaluations starting next week.
Bribery was child’s play before then.
They exchanged cold glances and prepared a gift to sway Ha Kyung-su.
***
After three days of real combat in the swamp, Class B students’ levels neared 6.
Hunting with safety guaranteed was a massive boon.
Ordinary players who failed Lion’s Castle admission punched the clock at unfamiliar Gates, risking life and limb for barely one level a day.
In just three days of explosive growth, the students’ confidence soared sky-high.
But when adaptation training to a new terrain began, their bravado shattered within two hours.
Desert.
Watch for worm holes, and it wasn’t much tougher than the swamp.
Buoyed by levels and multiplied strength, the students were confident they’d adapt easily.
They didn’t.
Aside from Kang Jae-hyeok’s sabotage, the new environment was brutally hard to adjust to.
Kim Jin-myeong halted training and gathered the students to explain.
“Rising levels and stats don’t directly translate to skill improvement. Du Bae-su, front and center.”
Lee Jin-seong’s buddy stepped up to the pull-up bar at Kim Jin-myeong’s call.
Instructors had set up over a hundred bars nearby.
“Do some pull-ups.”
“Yes…? Yes, sir!”
Just that?
Du Bae-su dangled from the bar with a puzzled look.
Then.
Crack!
The bar buckled under Du Bae-su’s strength and collapsed.
As students burst into laughter, Kim Jin-myeong casually hung from a intact bar nearby.
“Adjusting your body to match elevated stats is crucial. The instant your grown body and perception misalign, your balance crumbles across all actions, and skill can actually decline. Don’t claim strength until you fully control your body. That’s delusion. Arrogance.”
He demonstrated ten pull-ups effortlessly, then hung sideways from the bar’s post, extending his body horizontally.
“Higher strength, stamina, and agility mean greater muscle power, density, and flexibility. Check exactly how much each muscle has grown and how via the bars before you. Master control to your limits.”
Finally, he casually bent the bar one-handed before stepping back.
That kicked off body adjustment training.
Crack! Thud!
Half the students dangling from bars snapped theirs instantly.
The other half failed pull-ups from under-exerting.
Only Jae-hyeok breezed through pull-ups, did handstands, leveled horizontally, then broke into pole dancing and more antics.
“Whoa, insane… That’s the secret to his skill?”
“His stats are higher than ours, and damn.”
“But why dance all of a sudden?”
“Kid’s cool sometimes, but usually seems a bit off his rocker.”
As admiration for Jae-hyeok’s feats soured to boredom, Kim Jin-myeong clapped and shouted bravo.
“Bravo, Kang Jae-hyeok! Amazing, Kang Jae-hyeok! Everyone, learn from him. Pole dancing’s intensity defies imagination. Gripping and core-focused, it uses full-body muscles—perfect for body adjustment.”
“Ooh….”
“I see….”
Some students adapting to their growth mimicked Jae-hyeok’s pole dancing.
Among them, Park Hae-rin and Cheon Hye-ji.
Cheon Hye-ji’s voluptuous blonde waves and lithe frame lent a sultry air, while Park Hae-rin looked awkward and precarious, like a kitten clinging to a tree for the first time.
Many couldn’t hold back laughter at the contrast.
Meanwhile, Cheon Hye-ji burned with rivalry toward Kang Jae-hyeok.
‘How’s this? Don’t underestimate my rhythmic gymnastics-honed body.’
I win at pole dancing!
Thrusting long legs as she pulled flashy moves, her golden hair soon tousled wildly. Hanging upside down, eyes bloodshot, she evoked a madwoman.
Jae-hyeok, just descending, stuck out his tongue.
‘Ridiculous.’
Bored, he’d loosened up and come down to find everyone dancing like maniacs.
Was this crap fitting for the sacred land Father bled for…?
‘This country’s beyond saving.’
I must swiftly restore House Kang’s honor, right history, so the people snap out of it.
Steeling himself, Kim Jin-myeong approached.
“Tomorrow’s advanced mana operation lesson. Just a preview, but the professor herself lectures—should help you a ton.”
‘Professor….’
Jae-hyeok’s eyes sparkled.