Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Level 10
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#82.
Level 10.
A level comparable to an advanced knight.
But his actual combat prowess fell short of that.
Just as Seo Woo-jin had heard endlessly in the North, it was due to a lack of real battle experience.
That was exactly why Jaironin was so shocked.
Seo Woo-jin, not even level 10 yet, had hunted a Drakeas?
It was utterly unbelievable.
By his common sense, you’d need at least level 15 to even stand a chance against it.
“…Is that true?”
“Of course.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded calmly.
He had hunted the Drakeas, leveled up, and reached level 10.
“Hard to believe.”
Jaironin eyed Seo Woo-jin with disbelief,
as if peering into his innermost thoughts.
But Seo Woo-jin stood tall.
Without a shred of falsehood.
Only then did Jaironin have no choice but to accept that Seo Woo-jin was telling the truth.
“Seo Woo-jin, was it? I’ve been hearing that name a lot lately. Seems well deserved.”
A D-rank hero who defeated an SSS-rank.
It was absurd, but it had actually happened.
Naturally, the existence of this irregular named Seo Woo-jin spread among the nobles.
“Now, let’s get back to the main topic. The Drakeas has the trait of commanding lesser monsters.”
Jaironin continued the lesson, as if he could no longer afford to waste time.
“There’s a world of difference between fighting it knowing that and fighting it unaware.”
In short, even an advanced knight with the skill to defeat a Drakeas could die.
Of course, with his current overwhelming power, it was irrelevant….
“But that doesn’t diminish the value of the information. What you all must learn from me is precisely that intel.”
Monsters, demonic beasts, and the denizens of the Demon Realm.
They needed to master everything about the foes Seo Woo-jin and the heroes would face in the near future.
That way, their survival rate would rise, even if just a little.
“They say the North’s Sion distributes something called a Monster Compendium. What I’m handing out now is similar.”
At Jaironin’s gesture, attendants entered and began distributing thick booklets to the heroes.
“Whoa, all these are monsters?”
“So many.”
The heroes who flipped through the books were awestruck.
They had seen no small number of monsters themselves, but compared to the varieties listed here, it was a drop in the bucket.
“Records on a total of 1,372 monster species. Their appearances, traits, and weaknesses—all detailed.”
A faint smile played on Jaironin’s lips.
“Now, memorize them all.”
“Are you insane? How long would that take? A thousand… what was it?”
“Roughly 1,300 species? About that.”
Even memorizing just the names would be no easy feat at that number.
But to memorize the contents too? Lee Ji-ah already looked like her head was splitting.
“Mister, aren’t you worried? Why so relaxed?”
“Hm?”
Seo Woo-jin, who had been skimming the booklet quickly, looked up.
“Well, not easy, but… doable, I think?”
He said with a smirk.
“N-No way! How?”
Truth be told, Seo Woo-jin wasn’t overly concerned, just as he’d said.
Not because he had some genius memory that never forgot after one glance.
‘Thanks to Ailin, I guess.’
Ailin, who had dubbed him the walking Monster Encyclopedia in the North.
Her one-on-one tailored lessons made it possible.
‘Not everything’s covered, but…’
Still, a good chunk of the book’s contents were monsters she had taught him about.
So it would be far easier for him to master than for others.
Lee Ji-ah, unaware of this, kept pestering him curiously.
“Woo-jin, sparring in the training grounds again today?”
At that moment, Kye Soo-ji asked.
She seemed far more eager to cross blades with Seo Woo-jin again than to study this book.
“Ah, well…”
Seo Woo-jin made a troubled face.
“What, no sparring today?”
Goo Dong-hwan’s eyes widened as he asked, and the others looked at him like something was up.
“I’ve got something to do today.”
Seo Woo-jin gave an awkward smile, looking apologetic.
“What is it? If it’s just running a bit late like yesterday, we can wait.”
Kye Soo-ji asked urgently, her blood pumping, but Seo Woo-jin had no intention of answering.
What he had to do today was best kept out of sight, if possible.
“Sorry. Let’s definitely do it tomorrow instead.”
“No helping it.”
At Seo Woo-jin’s apology, they all shrugged.
He was the one giving them one-sided help in the first place; demanding it would be ridiculous.
“Haha! It’s not just one day! Tomorrow it is!”
Goo Dong-hwan laughed heartily and nodded.
“Then I’ll head out first.”
Seo Woo-jin bowed and slipped away from the group.
Lee Ji-ah tried to cling, but he firmly refused and walked off alone.
‘Hm…’
His hand dipped into his pocket.
He felt a hard stone.
“Summon Stone.”
A gift from Martes.
“It summons whatever monster you want, right?”
Total of ten uses.
For ordinary people, it’d be pretty useless.
Maybe for terrorism like a Demon King’s follower, or at best for knight training?
But not for heroes.
‘Because we can level up with it.’
Of course, he’d heard the academy would procure monsters going forward.
Real combat experience was good, theoretical education was good, but…
Heroes ultimately needed to raise their levels to grow stronger.
But those monsters were solely for the heroes’ experience points.
Not like Burtel or Rosie Ruby—things that provided life-or-death real combat and solid exp.
There were too few of those to capture alive, and not many with the skill to do so anyway.
In that sense, the ‘Summon Stone’ was exactly what Seo Woo-jin needed to get stronger.
‘Summon something like Burtel and hunt it…’
He’d gained three levels from that one.
Even while fighting alongside Rudin.
He could hone his sword and skills simultaneously—a two birds with one stone deal.
“The question is which one to summon.”
Seo Woo-jin glanced at the opposite hand gripping the ‘Summon Stone.’
There was the Monster Compendium Jaironin had distributed.
A book recording info on no less than 1,372 monster species.
“Let’s pick a suitable one.”
A smile crept across Seo Woo-jin’s lips.
Ten times total.
That should net quite a few levels.
* * *
“Rosie Ruby is dead.”
Was this what the underworld felt like?
A chilling voice that made souls tremble just to hear it echoed out.
“…The mantis?”
Gerald’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“Wasn’t it guarding the sanctuary?”
“There was an intruder.”
The black-robed revenant answered Gerald’s question.
“…A hero?”
Until now, the sanctuary had never revealed itself to anyone in the Empire.
Because Demon King Kademain had personally veiled it with magic.
“No hero could possibly breach his magic.”
“But it has already happened.”
Debating possibility was pointless.
It was fact.
“Who killed the mantis?”
“SSS-rank ‘Sword God.’”
Gerald’s eyebrow twitched.
“Should have killed him that day for sure.”
A hero emitting brilliant ‘aura’ flashed in his mind.
Back then, still unripe, killable with a mere gesture.
Yet in so little time since, he’d hunted Rosie Ruby.
“Heroes truly are irrational beings.”
“Blasphemous, repulsive, and absurd.”
The revenant spoke in cold sarcasm.
“With the mantis dead, the grand plan may face setbacks.”
“…Not just that—Burtel has also met his end.”
Crunch—
Something shattered in Gerald’s grip.
“The monkey too? That also the ‘Sword God’s’ doing?”
“A different one.”
As the revenant shook its head, Gerald pressed with a furious expression.
“Who? I won’t rest until I rip out his spine and drink its marrow.”
But the revenant didn’t answer easily.
Frustrated, Gerald exuded killing intent.
“Couldn’t identify him?”
“No. I merely hesitated due to the intel’s slightly low reliability.”
“Speak.”
“Top-class knight, Rudin. And D-rank ‘Sword Soldier.’ Burtel fell to those two.”
Gerald’s face hardened.
“D-rank?”
He didn’t know this Rudin.
No, he had no interest in such small fry.
But a D-rank hero was different.
“That guy?”
The rare breed unaffected by even a trace of his demonic energy.
His skill may have been meager, but shrugging off demonic energy that even SSS-rank heroes couldn’t endure was a marvel.
Even Gerald, with his long years, couldn’t comprehend it.
“I need to learn about him.”
Perhaps the sanctuary’s veil lifting was due to him.
He’d been too busy with other priorities to focus, but no longer.
The sanctuary defiled, Burtel and Rosie Ruby slain.
He had to uncover what happened.
“I’ve already taken measures.”
“Plans needed for the ‘Sword God’ and ‘Sword Soldier.’”
“I’ve thought of that too. So Gerald, take on one task separately.”
“Say it.”
Gerald wasn’t one for scheming.
His pride was in raw power alone.
Planning was always the revenant’s domain.
“Go to the Empire’s east.”
“The east—Mernotain?”
The east’s greatest city.
The bountiful land shaped by the gods themselves.
Many names for Mernotain.
But none more famous than this.
The land blessed by the Grand Duke.
Domain of Grand Duke Briana, one of the Empire’s five guardians.
No one had ever encroached on Mernotain thus far.
She was that powerful, and cherished her domain fiercely.
“There’s work for you there.”
“What?”
Gerald showed little concern even hearing Mernotain’s name.
Whether confident he’d evade the Grand Duke, or indifferent if caught, was unclear.
The revenant spoke to the nonchalant Gerald.
A gloomy, spine-chilling voice flowed out.
“Briana. We must clip one of the Empire’s guardian wings.”
Gerald replied without a second’s hesitation.
“So be it.”