Housewarming (6)
Review in progress.
Hyun-soo was taken aback by the alert.
No matter how long he waited, Examiner Bon never showed up.
The repeated message that the review was still in progress sparked all sorts of grim possibilities in his mind.
The most likely scenario weighing heavily on him was that someone was fighting them.
This was reinforced by Karn's words.
"Atlas's former commander was truly a strong and exceptional man. But with great power came arrogance and a tendency to look down on others, or so the tales go."
Hyun-soo decided he couldn't just stand there waiting for them.
"It's been an hour, and we have no idea what's happening. We need to find them fast."
The good news was that NPCs couldn't die during a review.
Hyun's Forge shifted plans from waiting to hunting them down.
They scattered quickly to search.
Hyun-soo's teeth ground together.
Who the hell...?!
Then it happened.
Nel had collapsed into bed right after her tea times, exhausted.
She'd heard the full story from the guild members.
She spoke in guild chat.
"...?"
Hyun-soo frowned in confusion.
Why would they be coming to Atlas?
Soon, Nel explained about her tea times.
It made sense.
Hyun-soo understood why she'd acted on her own.
Gathering Life Seeds was grueling for Hyun's Forge, with its small numbers.
Nel had taken it upon herself to meet them in hopes of securing the seeds.
Hyun-soo wasn't angry.
He got her intentions.
Sometimes, words from others carry more weight than my own.
Her solo move was for Hyun's Forge, too.
It was a real possibility.
That's why Hyun-soo moved even faster.
They cherished him as much as he cherished them.
And soon, Hyun-soo spotted Bon and his 500 elite troops.
Did they really clash with one of the legends?
Their HP had already plummeted below 50%.
And their numbers had shrunk dramatically from the initial thousand.
One thing was clear: the review was no mere formality.
Hyun-soo immediately activated the power within the Twin Dragon Swords.
Linkage
The Twin Dragon Swords maximize the wearer's latent power, doubling the connection speed or more.
This is finishing move territory.
Hyun-soo could tell at a glance they were utterly exhausted.
HP drops usually meant sharp declines in status resistance, too.
In one swift motion, he pulled them all before him.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Hyun-soo, the new lord of Atlas."
It was fury over them harassing his precious people(?).
He hadn't known the three legends were together.
But if they'd been alone, the fight wouldn't have been easy.
What insane power...
Bon felt the colossal force from the sword Hyun-soo had drawn behind his back.
He and his elites were spent.
They'd just faced transcendent powerhouses beyond common sense, leaving them dazed.
Bon had denied that even the lord could be strong.
But that denial shattered at the sight of the drawn Twin Dragon Swords.
And then.
Overwhelm
Hyun-soo's new legendary stat, Overwhelm, unleashed its power.
Its description noted amplified effects based on context.
Bon and his 500 exhausted elites fit perfectly.
Everyone, including Bon.
Kuhooooo—
They were utterly overwhelmed by the intense aura from his sword.
And Overwhelm was a special legendary stat capable of various status effects.
You are afflicted with Stun.
Sudden terror paralyzes your body.
Bon was frozen solid.
And the power in the Twin Dragon Swords Hyun-soo swung with all his might from behind.
It was the force that had bisected hundreds of rankers in continental war in one stroke.
One Stroke, Two Halves
Cleaving power maximized to 641%. Slashes horizontally across a 5m radius.
Planting his right foot, Hyun-soo thrust the Twin Dragon Swords forward with full force.
Sgak—!
Bon's pupils dilated.
What the...?
He couldn't hide his shock.
At level 475, with near-legendary power, he'd nearly been cleaved in two with massive wounds.
The 5m radius slash had turned about 200 clustered elites to ash in an instant.
"Commander Bon!"
"Damn it all!"
The surviving 300 elites rushed to save the staggering Bon.
But they shouldn't have.
Flutter—
Hyun-soo, now swapped to buff-form Twin Dragon Swords, soared high into the sky.
He pondered.
What was this review?
A test to see if he was worthy to own Atlas.
Hyun-soo posed the question.
What gives you the right to judge me?
A review implied superiors evaluating inferiors.
And Hyun-soo understood the situation better than anyone.
Whoever they'd faced, he was in prime position again.
Bon and the elites' HP was low enough for his ultimate to finish them off!
Three Feet to Heaven
Mountains and Rivers Stir
Debuff auras manifested instantly, slamming into the 300 charging elites and Bon in their midst.
"Kuh...!"
"Gahk!"
Kugugugugu—
And then.
One Swing Clears All
Blood Stains Mountains and Rivers
The Twin Dragon Swords, supercharged by buffs.
"Sword Cry."
Hundreds of blades shredded them.
But something odd happened.
The soldiers' faces, twisted in shock and fear, began to show strange relief.
Even Bon felt it.
The 300 soldiers turned to ash and vanished.
Bon met death—but didn't die.
Examiners cannot die until the review ends.
His dispersing body reformed.
That small relief from Bon and the elites?
Before opening his eyes again, Examiner Bon recalled his talk with the saint.
'Bon, the next lord of Atlas must not be as frail as I, unable to bear these Life Seeds. I was weak, powerless to protect my territory and people. If one worthy of your loyalty appears—one who can prevent this repeating—follow him. Not for you, but for the awakened.'
Deep down, Bon and the elites knew they must serve a new lord someday.
Bon had watched with his elites as dragon breath reduced everything they and the saint built to ash.
The despair, loss, pain...
'I didn't want history to repeat.'
He opened his eyes to the new lord, gasping for breath.
He still didn't know if those three were his subordinates.
But they were people he'd protect.
Hyun-soo's gaze on Bon was sharp.
"You should've come to me first. You had no right to attack them."
Bon understood his anger.
In truth, they'd been beaten like dogs, but this man, misunderstanding, cherished and worried for someone.
Bon realized.
He'd feel the same for Atlas's people.
"So, do you acknowledge me now? Satisfied?"
Bon had already "died" once—the review was effectively over.
Bon replied.
"Not bad at all. And no apologies from me. That was my duty."
Shrr, Bon began to fade.
As he closed his eyes, Hyun-soo heard a stunning alert.
Hyun-soo didn't know, but from the arrogant Bon, "not bad" was highest praise.
Review ended.
Seed count exceeds 200,000 total.
Can awaken to current maximum capacity.
He offered no excuses or vows to the furious Hyun-soo.
But he'd given his highest review score and maximum seeds.
As Bon fully dispersed, he thought.
When I awaken, will you win my heart too?
Only time would tell.
After Bon vanished completely, the guild members who'd heard the commotion rushed in.
"Hyun-soo, you okay?"
"I'm fine."
With 200,000 seeds in hand, Hyun-soo still worried.
200,000 seeds in his inventory.
Who knew how many that would awaken.
"...Can we handle this many?"
Nel got it.
"It'll be tough. Awakening tens of thousands would overwhelm our current funds."
Feeding, clothing, housing them would cost a fortune.
They'd generate taxes once productive, sure.
But stabilization could take months.
"Still, we should awaken them, right?"
"We must. Hyun's Forge is still too weak right now."
Hyun-soo thought of his bank balance.
"Guess my real-world king dreams are on hold."
He'd have to dip into building funds.
Nel added.
"I'll tighten my belt too."
"We'll focus on hunting for territory funds awhile."
Guild growth would stall short-term.
Hyun-soo felt bitter.
His guild suffered under a lousy master.
They trudged back to the lord's castle, bittersweet about the seed haul.
Then, an unexpected twist for Hyun-soo.
The three legends had arrived.
"Housewarming gift."
"Heh, took some effort to bring it."
"A housewarming gift from the Ares Church."
"Gah!?"
The housewarming gifts totaled 1.7 billion won.
Aria emptied her sub-space, piling junk items into mountains.
With junk included, it hit 3.6 billion won total.
Hyun-soo heard the full story from the three and screamed inwardly.
Jackpot! Massive win!
Coincidences and circumstances had piled up perfectly.
Now, Hyun-soo had no fears.
No matter how many awaken!
He had funds to lead and sustain them.
And there was urgent business.
Please use the Life Seeds.
Use the Life Seeds to awaken the sleepers and become a true lord.
Heart pounding, Hyun-soo headed to the activation point.
Then.
Life Seeds gathered exponentially in short time.
The alert revealed one fact.
One of the saint's legacies.
You can learn a passive skill.
Ultimate is Transcendent grade.
More rewards awaited.