Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Hero's Body
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"I've learned a lot, that's why."
Cheon-ho replied as he examined the martial arts section. As expected, its progress was slower than the others.
Each skill was displayed in a square box: the ones he had already acquired glowed brightly, while those he hadn't learned yet were dark and colorless.
However, in the martial arts section, the number of dark squares overwhelmingly outnumbered the glowing ones.
'The Heavenly Demon Divine Art needs at least 7 stars... or level 7, to use its true techniques.'
The six divine wonders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that his father had mentioned.
The moment the Heavenly Demon Divine Art reached level 7, the skill tree branched out sideways, totaling six branches.
Cheon-ho gave the Four Guardian Kings Martial Arts a quick glance before turning his gaze to the section Mitra was examining.
Unlike the other sections, it had no activated skills at all, and the entire area was wrapped in chains.
'Bloodline Inheritance.'
An ability passed down through blood.
[Indeed. So this is the noble blood the Forest Dragon spoke of.]
Mitra said with a serious expression.
Another power inherited by Cheon-ho. But one that had yet to awaken.
[My lord, do you truly know nothing about your mother?]
At Mitra's question, Cheon-ho made a troubled face. He had little knowledge about his mother himself.
'Anyway, she's definitely no ordinary person.'
That much had been proven several times already.
[Sigh, no helping it. Anyway, let's get to the main point.]
Mitra let out a sigh and pointed to the 'Hero's Power' section right next to Bloodline Inheritance.
[Look closely, my lord. Right now, you can only use one basic power from the Hero's Power: the most fundamental Thunder.]
It was just as Mitra said. Only the box at the very bottom of the skill tree was lit up.
[Thunder? Lightning has symbolized the power of the heavens since ancient times, so it's also proof that you are the Hero.]
[But on the flip side, it's merely proof. To advance to the next stage, you must master an essential power.]
Mitra, explaining methodically, pointed to the box directly above Thunder.
[This is the power you must awaken first. It's the process of shedding your human limits and stepping into the realm of the true Hero—a superhuman. Only by completing this can you wield the true powers of the Hero.]
Mitra pointed to the boxes above Thunder. They branched in several directions but ultimately converged into one.
"What's the final technique?"
Probably the ultimate skill.
At Cheon-ho's question, Mitra pondered for a moment before shaking her head.
[It's a secret for now.]
"A secret?"
[Yes. When you grow stronger... no, much stronger, then I'll tell you.]
Mitra turned her back to Cheon-ho, as if hiding her expression.
It might have been his imagination, but she seemed oddly embarrassed.
"Hmm."
[Anyway! The important thing is to acquire the next technique after Thunder: Hero's Body.]
"What?"
[Hero's Body. Humans and Heroes are different. You must first transform your very flesh from human to Hero.]
A kind of complete metamorphosis.
The process of transcending from human to superhuman, as Mitra had described.
[Normally, you'd progress step by step, but this time, we'll force it a bit. Thanks to the level system, your body has already slightly surpassed human limits.]
[Moreover, you have a considerable amount of mana accumulated within you.]
If they utilized all of that, they could forcibly unlock Hero's Body halfway.
"Hmm, no reason to refuse."
There was no reason to turn down the arduous metamorphosis.
"How do I do it?"
[Simple. Relax your body as much as possible and lie down comfortably.]
Cheon-ho lay down as instructed. Then Mitra clambered onto his upper body with some effort.
In her tiny state, she weighed almost nothing.
[Now close your eyes. Breathe steadily, and accept everything that comes from now on.]
"Everything?"
[Everything.]
[?ㅅ?]
Cheon-ho nearly burst out laughing at Mitra's expression but managed to steady his breathing and closed his eyes. Mitra placed her hands on various parts of his body and continued.
[It'll hurt quite a bit once it starts.]
"Quite a bit?"
[Yes, quite a bit.]
[^ㅅ^]
Was it his imagination that Mitra's voice carried a hint of delight?
Cheon-ho tried to say something, but he couldn't. Pain beyond imagination assaulted his entire body.
* * *
"Gah!"
He bolted upright, expelling his breath. No, it felt like more than just breath.
"Gah, ack. Kgh."
Bile rose in his mouth. Cheon-ho panted repeatedly, then pinched his nose shut. A horrific stench emanated from everywhere—no, from his entire body.
Inside the bath's tub.
Thick, viscous green liquid filled not only the bottom but also coated Cheon-ho's body. Seeing it oozing from between his clothes, he immediately knew what it was.
'Impurities.'
Residues from his previous body expelled during the metamorphosis.
Cheon-ho hurriedly stripped off his clothes. The sensation of the impurities trapped in his garments was utterly revolting.
He first removed his top and examined his body in shock. The sculpted muscles remained the same, but his skin had improved dramatically. It wasn't his imagination—it had become much fairer.
"Haa."
Exhaling again, Cheon-ho lightly clenched his fist. His physical abilities hadn't increased much, but something had definitely changed.
It was only a level 1 increase, but the difference was stark.
'No, it's not just the skill level.'
The foundation itself was different. His qi—or mana—now flowed through pathways that felt like smooth highways instead of winding dirt roads.
'And Thunder.'
Flicking his fingertip lightly produced a natural blue spark of lightning. The Thunder, which he could only discharge without control before, now felt like it had a steering wheel.
[My lord, how does the new body feel?]
Mitra's voice came from right beside him.
Cheon-ho looked at the golden gem and said,
"It's amazing, but you should've warned me. I should've stripped first."
He wondered if washing would remove the smell. Maybe he should just burn these clothes.
[Hmm... If it's laundry, I'll cooperate as much as possible.]
"Drying too?"
[Hmm, yes.]
"Ironing as well?"
[Sniff, yes.]
Unfortunately, no expression appeared on the golden gem. Cheon-ho chuckled softly and caressed Mitra's gem. She felt a bit more familiar now.
[First, bathe. The tub's a mess, so better to shower than fill it.]
"Hmm."
[No 'hmm.' You stink badly, so hurry and undress.]
At Mitra's urging, Cheon-ho reached for his pants but paused, then used his previously removed shirt to cover Mitra's golden gem.
[My lord?]
"No, just... something."
[My lord, how do you plan to wash like this? Strip quickly. You may not know, but it's been over seven hours since we started. The sun will rise soon.]
Was the laughter in her voice just his imagination?
"Hmm."
After hesitating, Cheon-ho undressed, and Mitra let out hot water with a small laugh.
* * *
"It suits you well."
[Inner Power Operation has reached Lv4.]
"It suits you well."
At Queen Lucana's words, everyone in the conference room nodded.
Specifically, the queen's guards, the mountain folk, Raguel sparkling-eyed with her mouth covered, Eizel blushing brightly with a wide smile, Aurael with an awkward smile, the combat angels led by the chuckling Saschiell, and the rock dwarves who thought it a bit lacking by their standards but acceptable since he was the Hero.
"Th-the Hero looks... so cool...."
Lucille fidgeted, unsure where to look, and murmured softly. Her face, ears, and neck had all turned red. It was unclear if she truly thought so or was just saying it to comfort him.
"Hmm."
[They say it suits you—must feel good, my lord.]
Mitra said innocently, and Cheon-ho narrowed his eyes.
[Wh-what? It's a compliment. Ahem.]
Even her voice showed she was pretending otherwise.
Cheon-ho was now wearing the mountain folk's traditional attire—a leather outfit that barely covered his privates.
The reason was simple: he had failed to remove the smell.
The imperial librarian's clothes were too cumbersome for anything but sleep.
And it wasn't just the uniform he had to give up.
"I blew up the tub too...."
[Ahem. Hmm.]
If he'd known, he'd have lain naked on the bare ground.
But regrets were too late now.
[Hero, look at their gazes. They're filled with admiration and praise, aren't they?]
[They instinctively sense it: that you've transcended human limits and become a true Hero.]
"Hmm."
It didn't sound entirely wrong. Leaving the angels aside, the mountain folk's eyes clearly held reverence and awe.
They worshiped the first Hero to begin with. Though not by blood, Cheon-ho wielding the Holy Sword Mitra made him exceptionally special to them, just like the original.
"Thank you."
It was their traditional attire, after all.
Cheon-ho bowed to Queen Lucana and got straight to the point.
"Your Majesty, a day has passed. What's the situation outside?"
At his question, those who had been smiling sobered up. A faint shadow crossed the queen's beautiful face.
"Black clouds block the sun, prolonging the night. The unnatural aura from the capital is too strong—even approaching it is impossible."
The capital's fall was just yesterday, barely half a day since the ritual began in earnest. Yet the Plague God's influence had already strengthened to layer 3 or higher.
[Likely a burst of the power it had been condensing.]
[Sacrificing countless people as offerings....]
The Floren Kingdom's capital housed over ten thousand souls.
The scale differed vastly from the sacrifices in layers 2 or 3.
Time was short.
If this continued, the surrounding area would become the Plague God's domain before they could act.
'Royal blood.'
For now, only the power of the Goddess of Healing offered hope. Cheon-ho recalled Princess Letisha, cradling Prince Yug in deep sleep, as he'd seen before entering the conference room.
They had lost family, home, everything overnight. To the young children, it was as if their world had collapsed.
"Hero."
Lucille spoke softly, grasping his hand. She knew what he was thinking, what pained him.
"Your Majesty, what of the mage tower?"
At Saschiell's question, Queen Lucana replied in a still somber tone.
"Better than the capital. The unnatural aura is still weak. But no small number—at least a thousand Ratmen—guard its perimeter."
She nodded to an aide, who placed a staff on the round table.
"It's the Staff of Spirit Summoning. One of the treasures left by the first Hero. Using it calls forth the lingering thoughts of the dead, so it could summon the mage tower's mages from there."
Uncover the mage tower's hidden secrets through the mages' thoughts.
[Ah... to think it still remains....]
Mitra said nostalgically. Cheon-ho nodded once and looked back at Queen Lucana.
"Your Majesty, time is short. So I have a proposal."
What he'd thought of while listening.
What he believed was the best immediate action.
"Can you help me?"
"Gladly, heir of the Hero. Speak your wish."
All eyes turned to him. Cheon-ho squeezed Lucille's hand and faced Queen Lucana squarely.
* * *
Rat Noble Rekaros gazed fondly at the blackened sky.
The Plague God's aura spread everywhere. It was faint around here, but near the capital, it was different. Deep aura stirred in that land.
The depths.
A place he, a low-layer being, had never experienced.
But Rekaros knew. His origins stemmed from the depths. The more he basked in its aura, the stronger he grew.
Rekaros took a deep breath. Far larger than an ordinary Ratman, rivaling elite human warriors, he had earned great merit last night.
The mage tower in Wintertree Forest.
It had taken immense effort to conquer. He'd lost eight-tenths of his forces, and his left arm was barely usable from severe wounds.
But he was satisfied.
In the end, he'd burned the mage tower. Roasted the loathsome tower master and mages alike as offerings to the Plague God's altar.
And last night.
A messenger arrived from Karaka, the Plague God's apostle who seized the capital.
'The Hero will come.'
Short, but sufficient. Rekaros had heard Doruma's tale of fleeing from layer 3.
Rekaros smiled anew.
The reason the Hero would target the mage tower was obvious.
A hidden power within.
He didn't know specifics—the tortured mage died before revealing all—but something mystical was concealed there, for certain.
Thus, Rekaros had made proper preparations.