Chapter 19
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: To the Gurkan Mountains
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Gulp...
Willard patted Joanna's shoulder as she stared at the basement door, swallowing hard.
"Don't worry. The young master will be fine."
"Right? He has to be!"
[Put one potato and one cup of water through the door every day for a month. Exactly one potato and one cup of water. And no matter what, don't come in. Got it?]
Johann had left those words behind and entered the basement exactly one month ago.
True to his instructions, Joanna had slid one potato and one cup of water under the door each day while watching over him. More than once, she'd desperately wanted to go in and check on him with her own eyes.
Especially when the light inside the basement flashed endlessly... how worried she'd been.
If Willard hadn't stopped her, she might have rushed in a few times.
'But it's all over now!'
Creeeak.
The basement door, locked tight for so long, finally swung open, putting an end to the agonizing wait as Johann stepped out.
"Young master!"
Whoosh!
Johann had barely emerged when Joanna flew into his arms. He gently embraced her.
But...
"Y-Young master's body...?"
Her joy was short-lived. Joanna gasped in horror at the sight of him.
Johann's frame was shriveled like a wrung-out rag.
And what were those vine-like blue scars covering his body?
"That's why I told you! I said to come out if it got too hard! Why did you push yourself this far? What if something had gone wrong!"
Joanna wept bitterly, fretting over him.
Johann lightly stroked her hair, a soft smile on his lips.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Thanks to you two, I reached my goal. Thank you."
"That's a relief, then... but should we call a priest? We should at least check your condition first."
Even Willard voiced his concern, but Johann shook his head.
"No, I'm good. Got any food?"
That night.
Johann devoured ten servings in one sitting and fell into a sleep so deep he could've been carried off.
The next morning, he rose early and examined his body, quite satisfied.
'Definite results.'
With nutrients restored, his flesh looked unrecognizable compared to yesterday.
The sturdy body, like it was clad in muscle armor, bore faint blue vine-like scars—lighter than before.
They'd vanish completely with time.
'Since I've walked this path once before? I'm regaining my old power faster than expected.'
And if the path back was wider and sturdier than before, his pace would only accelerate.
'At this rate, I might not just recover my old strength—I could surpass it.'
The thought of reaching realms once thought impossible sent a strange exhilaration surging through him.
'But first, there's something else to handle.'
"Alpha!"
"Preparations?"
Johann sought out Gellpin and got straight to business.
Gellpin took him to the warehouse, showed him the items Johann had requested, and replied confidently.
"As you see, everything's ready. But this cost us a fortune. We had enough funds for two months; now it's barely one. We're all in on this. You have to succeed. No—succeed!"
"And I'm not part of that 'all in'?"
Heh.
"Guess not."
Thud.
Johann bumped fists lightly with Gellpin, mounted his horse, and rode swiftly from the territory toward Gurkan Gorge.
Roooar!
The majestic roar of the gorge waters grew deafening as he approached.
"Good work. Head home."
Slap!
Neigh!
Johann dismounted, smacked the horse's rear to send it back, and stood before the gorge cliff, peering down.
The raging waters crashed against walls and rocks, spraying endless white foam.
It looked like hundreds, thousands of white horses stampeding madly.
'Fall in by mistake, and you're done for.'
The opposite cliff was over 100 meters away.
Impossible to cross normally.
But!
Crackle, zap!
Blue lightning discharged from Johann's body.
Unlike before, even a trickle of mana filled him to the brim. His lips curled up.
Whoosh!
He kicked off the cliff, shooting toward the other side at blinding speed.
Surrounded by lightning, it was less a jump than flight.
Johann landed lightly on the far cliff.
'Eyes on me already.'
Sensing stares from monsters and beasts in the forest beyond, he pressed inward.
How far had he gone?
Grrrrawr!
A starving Owl Bear hidden in the brush sprang at him as he passed nearby.
A determined Owl Bear was hard for even veteran mercenaries to spot.
Considering its strength and speed, a dozen skilled mercenaries would be needed head-on.
But!
'If I already knew? Different story!'
Its bioelectricity had given away the ambush long ago.
Dodging a known attack was child's play for Johann.
Stab!
His sword, drawn from his waist, pierced the beast's gut as it reared up.
If Owl Bears could smirk, it would have.
Its belly hide made leather armor tougher than most steel plate.
And even if stabbed, thick fat and muscle meant a blade wouldn't do much.
Better yet, it could eat the fool trying to retrieve it.
The Owl Bear gaped its massive beak to devour Johann headfirst.
That instant.
Zzzzzap!
Vast current surged through the sword into the beast.
Thud!
Eyes rolled back, trembling like a leaf, it collapsed as Johann withdrew his blade.
External shock it might've endured—but internal? No chance.
White smoke rose from its eyes, nose, mouth, ears. As Johann left, monsters drawn by the scent tore into the corpse.
'Owl Bear delivers. Clean kill.'
An apex predator.
Most watchers fled or vanished upon its fall, unwilling to risk their lives—they sought easy prey, not worthy foes.
Leaving its territory, a few more ambushes came, but Johann crushed them easily.
'This the right path...?'
Racking his memory, he headed for the orc village.
Gurkan Mountains were treacherous and maze-like; even known paths led to getting lost.
And lost here meant dead.
Then...
Thwip!
A powerful arrow streaked from nowhere, aimed dead at his head.
He tilted slightly to dodge, but its force buried the fletching in the ground.
'Found the right spot.'
Whish whish whish!
The first was a probe.
Subsequent arrows flew faster, harder—Johann couldn't take them lightly.
"Think those are elf shots!"
Tips weren't steel but bone from beasts and monsters—no mana control possible.
Impossible to dodge all by sight alone...!
Crackle!
Whoosh!
"Intruder's gone!"
"Find him!"
Orc archers atop trees gawked as Johann vanished in blue lightning, scanning around.
That moment.
Crackle!
"Hiding here, huh."
"...!"
Orcs bulged their eyes at Johann before them.
But they were strong.
Surprise aside, they reacted instantly to the foe closing in.
Shing!
The nearest orc drew its waist dagger and slashed at point-blank.
Instant reaction that could've turned ambush into counter if unanticipated.
But Johann sidestepped effortlessly, hand on its head.
'What now...?'
Zzzzzap!
As Johann zapped the archers unconscious one by one, his eyes swept the surroundings.
'Encirclement already complete?'
Swish.
Hidden orcs tightened the net swiftly.
"Die!"
Thirty Gurkan Orcs charged from all sides, killing intent thick.
A full encirclement by thirty Gurkan Orcs—even elite knights lasted under a minute.
But the foe was Johann.
Crackle!
Whoosh, clang!
Lightning-clad, he targeted one point, fist slamming into a leather-armored orc's gut.
"Gahk!"
The orc clutched its belly, eyes rolled back, vomiting everything as it crumpled.
Leather blocked electricity, but that wasn't all Johann had.
Lightning Mana supercharged his body beyond wind speed.
And his Aura Fist, armed with Lightning Mana, pulverized rock like pudding.
Electricity was bonus; Johann himself was a superhuman beyond human limits.
"Too fast! Don't fight solo—grab him, stop his movement!"
At the leader's order, as Johann struck, orcs flailed to seize him even as minds blanked.
Lucky grabs on limbs? They'd cling unconscious with fanatic grip—impressing even Johann.
"Got him! He's stopped!"
"Kill it!"
Orcs poured everything into the opening bought by comrades' sacrifice, swarming Johann.