Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Long-Awaited Reunion
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“Will we get to see Uncle today?”
Lee Ji-ah hummed a little tune as she glanced around.
“Who knows. Didn’t he head out early again this morning?”
Goo Dong-hwan shrugged his shoulders.
Lee Ji-ah frowned.
“I told you, it’s not a vacation. So he’ll be back today. Right, Da-hye?”
She scampered over to ask, and Kim Da-hye nodded.
“See!”
Lee Ji-ah planted her hands on her hips and glared at Goo Dong-hwan.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. We’ll see him today.”
Goo Dong-hwan smirked in reply, and Lee Ji-ah seemed pleased as she started humming again.
“But what on earth is going on?”
Gye Soo-ji, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke up.
Ever since the vampire named Reina had appeared, the atmosphere at the academy had changed.
No, it was more accurate to say the entire imperial capital was in an uproar.
“Feels like they’re hushing it up, but I have no idea what the problem actually is.”
Even when she asked instructors or nobles she was friendly with, they just shook their heads and said nothing.
“Maybe it’s because of that monster that showed up in the sky that day? The one that looked like a whale. It was enormous.”
Lee Ji-ah spread her arms wide as she spoke, and Gye Soo-ji nodded in agreement.
“It definitely didn’t seem like your average monster.”
Its size was one thing, but the demonic energy radiating from it had been far too overwhelming for them to endure.
“What even was it? Is it connected to Uncle somehow, making him rush around like this? I’m dying to know what he’s even doing out there.”
She looked like she’d unleash a barrage of questions the moment Seo Woo-jin appeared in front of her, without giving him a chance to answer.
“Well, we can ask him when we see him today.”
Gye Soo-ji was just as curious.
Why he was wandering around outside all the time.
Had he really fought that vampire Reina—and won?
Why had Baek Si-woo been kidnapped?
The questions had piled up like a mountain.
Of course, she wouldn’t even need to ask herself—Lee Ji-ah would handle all the questioning.
“I wish he’d hurry up and show. Isn’t he being way too neglectful of us lately?”
He’d just tossed them a single summoning stone with instructions to grow stronger and hadn’t shown his face since.
Lee Ji-ah snorted to express her displeasure.
‘She relies on him a lot, huh.’
It was too much of a stretch to call it romantic feelings between a man and a woman.
More like a father and daughter?
‘No, that’s going too far.’
Big brother and little sister felt about right.
Lee Ji-ah treated Seo Woo-jin like her own flesh-and-blood older brother.
Anyone who saw the two of them would sense it.
But with Seo Woo-jin nowhere to be seen lately, her frustration seemed far from ordinary.
“Just wait till he gets back. I’ll give him a good scolding!”
Her punches swung with cries of “Right! Left!” drew laughs.
Though the sound of her fists ripping through the air was anything but cute.
“Waiting around like this is getting boring anyway. How about a spar?”
Gye Soo-ji glanced at Goo Dong-hwan as she asked.
He perked up and nodded vigorously.
Lately, his one joy had been trading blows with Gye Soo-ji.
Their win rate was 5:5.
Their skills were evenly matched, so neither could claim a decisive edge.
“Today, I’ll win for sure.”
Goo Dong-hwan transformed into his Magical Girl form and flexed his massive pectorals. Gye Soo-ji smiled at the sight.
“That’s my line.”
As the two assumed fighting stances, Lee Ji-ah let out a sigh.
“Here we go again. Da-hye, let’s head over there.”
Once those two started sparring, the training ground always ended up a mess.
The other heroes—everyone except Seo Woo-jin—had been stacking growth on growth.
Now they were strong enough to shatter the training ground’s defensive spells.
They still couldn’t compare to Seo Woo-jin, of course, but if they kept it up, they’d all hit level 100 in about a year.
“Here I…!”
Goo Dong-hwan raised his wicked-looking magic wand, signaling the start of his attack.
“Hey, wait a sec!”
Lee Ji-ah suddenly shouted, halting their duel.
“Huh?”
Goo Dong-hwan, mid-skill activation, stumbled to a stop.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Look over there!”
Goo Dong-hwan blinked as he asked, and Lee Ji-ah pointed to one side.
Everyone’s gazes followed her finger.
And…
“Huh?”
Seo Woo-jin was stepping into the training ground.
* * *
‘I wonder if they’re all doing well.’
Seo Woo-jin, fresh from the imperial palace, headed straight for the training ground upon returning to the academy.
‘I gave them the summoning stones and advice on how to grow.’
He’d been far too busy to check on them personally, so he’d only laid out the basics.
If they’d followed through properly, they should have made considerable progress by now.
‘At least level 50, no doubt.’
Excited at the thought of seeing his comrades after so long, Seo Woo-jin quickened his pace.
‘That said…’
His eyes drifted to the back of his hand.
A tattoo that hadn’t been there before was now etched into his skin.
A red triangular mark composed of ancient script.
‘Luden Gardora…’
Surprisingly, the moment he’d touched the armor, it had seeped into his body like it was being absorbed.
Startled, he’d glanced at the emperor—who explained it was how the item worked.
Whenever he wished, by infusing his will and calling its name, it would manifest in its original form to protect his entire body.
A highly useful ability.
In a world where battles could erupt anywhere, anytime, he couldn’t walk around constantly clad in armor.
But what truly concerned Seo Woo-jin wasn’t that feature.
‘It was definitely demonic energy.’
He hadn’t noticed at first sight.
Not even when he’d touched it.
Only after ‘Luden Gardo’ had been absorbed into his body did he finally sense the demonic energy.
Even then, without his chaos energy, he never would have detected such a subtle trace.
‘And it’s potent.’
At minimum, Apostle-class.
No—purely in terms of power, even beyond that.
He couldn’t help but wonder how an item could contain demonic energy of such absurd purity.
‘What if someone else had gotten their hands on it?’
Nine times out of ten, they’d have been consumed by it, just like Baek Si-woo.
And devoted themselves solely to destruction and slaughter.
Only now did Seo Woo-jin understand the nobles’ horror and why Drunak had tried to dissuade the emperor.
Fortunately, he’d absorbed and fused even that demonic energy with his chaos energy.
Had he not, it could have been catastrophic.
It might even have spawned an entirely separate personality from his own, like during his first Demon King Transformation.
‘Hmm.’
Seo Woo-jin furrowed his brow.
‘The emperor can’t possibly be ignorant of what the nobles know.’
Which meant the emperor had hoped for Seo Woo-jin to lose his mind.
Why?
Just because he’d failed to kill Baek Si-woo?
‘No, that can’t be it.’
There had to be some other motive.
For example…
‘Something like my connection to that dark entity.’
Crusiel, Yorn, the Empire.
In the end, they all seemed to view him as a potential enemy.
Even if not, they probably couldn’t afford to leave a risk factor unchecked.
‘What should I do?’
It was no longer mere suspicion.
They were actively moving to shackle him.
Even the emperor himself, with authority above all others, had stepped in.
‘Should I bolt?’
He’d escaped danger this time thanks to his chaos energy, but he couldn’t bank on such luck forever.
What if they tightened the noose in a way he couldn’t even imagine?
Could he slip free then?
‘I still don’t know enough about this world.’
He didn’t need to delve into sky tower magic.
There were beings like Gerald or Rinar, gifted with abilities beyond ordinary humans.
Elves, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Dragons.
He had next to no information on other races.
If they struck from the shadows of his ignorance, not even the superhuman realm might save him.
It might be safer to wrap things up here and flee elsewhere before that happened.
‘What’s the play?’
His legs carried him toward the training ground, but his mind was consumed by the dilemma.
Then, a chuckle escaped him.
“Isn’t this the same old worry?”
Back in Massive Guardian, when Aileen had told him he had to join the subjugation.
Seo Woo-jin had seriously considered running away.
Had Van Slane not caught him, he’d have fled to some unfindable hideout.
The dilemma he faced now was identical.
‘Stronger now, and it’s still the same crap.’
He’d ascended to the superhuman realm.
His level had surpassed 100.
He’d fused mana and demonic energy to birth the monstrous chaos energy.
He could wield the ‘Demon King’s’ power while staying sane.
How many people on the continent possessed such strength?
Seo Woo-jin was certain: no more than ten.
Even including transcendent beings like dragons, not twenty.
Not that the exact number mattered.
‘I’m stronger than them.’
Even in Demon King Transformation state, he’d once exploded a young dragon’s head with a single kick.
And that was just the start.
He’d crushed Luyonbali’s skull like a toy, and even the Lion had fled before his might.
‘With power like this, cowering makes me a fool.’
Having gained such overwhelming strength, it was time to adopt a fitting mindset.
How long would he skulk like prey, scheming escapes?
‘I’m the predator now.’
Seo Woo-jin resolved to let it go.
In Demon King Transformation, donning ‘Luden Gardo’ and wielding ‘Ka Raniele’.
The mere thought sent shivers of power through him.
‘No more running.’
He’d done enough dodging when he was weak.
Now was the time to choose retribution over flight.
With that settled, Seo Woo-jin smiled as he stepped into the training ground.
No trace of worry lingered on his face.
‘Oh?’
Goo Dong-hwan and Gye Soo-ji were preparing for a spar.
Their growth since last time was unmistakable.
‘Definitely past level 50.’
The aura they exuded confirmed it.
But Seo Woo-jin wasn’t just impressed by their levels.
Their stances and gazes had been honed to a razor’s edge, incomparable to before.
‘They’ve been working hard.’
No other explanation for such a fierce presence.
As Seo Woo-jin watched with a satisfied smile, he noticed Lee Ji-ah looking his way.
“Long time no see?”
He raised a hand in greeting.
Lee Ji-ah grabbed Kim Da-hye’s hand and came running over.
“Uncle!”
It had been a while since he’d heard that fond call, and the familiar chatter was about to begin.