Chapter 96
Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Unexpected Level Up
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Arriving in the black space, Seo Woojin was dumbfounded.
"Suddenly? Why?"
Leveling up just from walking down the road?
It wasn't like some web novel title...
"You level up just from walking?"
He let out a hollow laugh.
Then he pondered what could have caused the level up.
A whopping five levels.
He was now level 38.
He had surpassed Lee Ji-ah's level, no less.
'Something worth that much experience...'
Only one thing came to mind.
"No way Gerald died?"
The battle had lasted barely three minutes.
He had dealt significant damage in that time, but that was the limit.
He couldn't kill it, or even inflict a fatal wound.
Without Briana, he would have been the one to die.
If Gerald's death had granted him this level up...
"The experience is insane."
If he had taken it down alone, he might have gained dozens of levels.
It really hit home just how monstrous it was.
"But who killed it?"
The fact that he got the experience meant his contribution was recognized.
That meant Gerald had kept fighting without recovering from those injuries...
'It couldn't have been the Grand Duke.'
She was too busy restoring Mernotain right now.
She wasn't in any shape to chase down and kill a fleeing Gerald.
Frowning, he racked his brain, but no answers came.
Seo Woojin didn't know about Crusiel or their power.
In the end, he gave up thinking about it.
"Whatever. Probably ran into some passing Sword Sage."
He nailed the truth but left the black space oblivious to it.
"Level 38, though."
Just twelve steps left until level 50.
"Something changes then, right?"
That was Baek Si-woo's words.
Skills at level 5, class at level 10.
And at level 50, another change.
He hadn't detailed what, but it wouldn't be anything ordinary.
"Hope it's not horns sprouting from my head."
Muttering what didn't sound like a joke, he entered the academy.
"Uncle!"
Having heard through Aileen, people had come out to greet him.
"You okay? I heard you got badly hurt? They said you nearly died—what happened?"
"Good to see you're in one piece, kid."
"That's what you get for skimping on iron workouts! Starting today, upper and lower body days with me..."
It was chaos.
But he didn't mind.
He was glad to have people welcoming him like this.
Grinning, Seo Woojin answered each question.
Hiding what needed hiding, revealing what could be revealed.
They naturally headed to the training grounds.
* * *
"So, you can summon any monster with this?"
Kye Soo-ji held up a Summon Stone and asked.
"Any monster at all."
"...That means we can level up."
The academy-supplied monsters gave steady experience, but it wasn't enough.
Training with Seo Woojin had fueled her drive to grow stronger faster.
"You have to summon ones you can handle, though. Don't pick something that'll kill you."
"Of course."
Kye Soo-ji's face lit up with anticipation.
Just like her, she couldn't get enough of a fight.
"You get ten summons total, so use them efficiently and you could gain ten levels or more."
Ten levels was no small feat.
Even Lee Ji-ah could catch up to her elite friends in one go.
"Is it okay to give us something like this?"
Goo Dong-hwan asked hesitantly.
Grateful, sure, but getting free items like this sat uneasy.
"I can't use them all myself anyway. We've got extras, so better we all get stronger together."
"That's our uncle!"
Lee Ji-ah shot up a thumbs-up, but Seo Woojin twitched an eyebrow.
It seemed like praise, but the wording irked him.
'Does that mean I'm amazing, or just old-man-ish?'
It stung a bit, but he didn't show it.
"Ahem. For now, focus on leveling up. Sparring training comes after."
"Sounds good."
Kye Soo-ji nodded at his words.
"Thank you!"
Lee Ji-ah bowed first and deepest.
"Thank you."
Kim Da-hee followed, and the others thanked Seo Woojin too.
'This should max out their affinity, right?'
They'd think of him first in most cases now.
That was enough.
"Oh, and do the summons in your private training rooms. No need spreading it around."
Everyone nodded.
It was like an experience buff.
As he said, publicity would just bring trouble.
"Got it!"
"Alright, dismissed!"
He didn't pick monsters for them one by one.
They were seasoned heroes.
They knew their own limits.
'They'll choose wisely.'
No one was dumb enough to court disaster.
'...Right?'
Seo Woojin eyed Lee Ji-ah, who was bouncing with excitement.
She seemed like the type to cause trouble.
'Whatever.'
Even if Lee Ji-ah acted impulsively, she wasn't thoughtless.
She looked after others and picked up on cues quick.
Lighthearted, maybe, but no fool.
'No need to worry.'
Seo Woojin smiled warmly at the group huddled over the monster manuals Jay Robin had distributed.
* * *
"It's what you wanted."
Thud.
Dariel tossed a round object onto Agna's desk.
"You got him in the end."
"No body left."
It had been sliced into countless pieces and turned to dust.
"This is enough."
Agna lifted Gerald's severed head.
The papers he'd been working on were soaked in black blood, but he didn't care.
He had taken down Gerald, after all.
"Nearly let him slip away after losing our precious Grand Duke. Good work."
"Hmph. What's so great about catching a wounded rat?"
Dariel crossed his legs on the stiff sofa.
"How many left now?"
Gerald was the most infamous powerhouse among the Demon King's followers.
But not the strongest.
"One down, twelve to go."
The 13 Apostles were down to 12.
"Still a damn lot."
"Only three with confirmed locations."
Agna sighed.
Even with all of Crusiel's resources, that was all they'd uncovered.
Most lurked beyond imperial borders.
"So when do we hit those three?"
Knowing where they were meant they could just go kill them.
But Agna shook his head.
"Not now."
"...What?"
"Not with your skills."
"Hah!"
Sharp aura exploded from Dariel.
"Cut it out, it's annoying."
Agna just frowned.
"No fun."
The aura vanished in an instant.
Mastery over mana flow.
"What do you mean, not with my skills?"
"Zenonia, Gorn, Ardethos."
Agna replied with three names.
"...Yeah, that's too much."
Those three were exceptionally powerful even among the Demon King's followers.
Even as Sword Sage, victory wasn't guaranteed.
"You need at least three wings together for certainty."
Sword Sage, Magic Duke, Fist Sage, Shadow Duke, Grand Duke.
Three of them to ensure victory against one.
"...So what's your plan? You're not the type to sit idle."
"One year. Just wait that long."
Agna said it casually, like a countermeasure would appear by then.
"Using the heroes, huh."
"Right. By then, they'll be useful."
Think of them as blades being sharpened.
"Seo Woojin seems sharp enough already."
He'd held his own against Gerald.
Not alone, but impossible for heroes at their level.
"I'm keeping an eye on him."
"What the hell happened?"
"Asked the Grand Duke, but she just said she didn't know. She's hiding something, but I can't pin it down."
Agna didn't buy Briana's words.
If anything, it deepened his suspicions about Seo Woojin.
"Why not grab him and interrogate?"
Plenty of ways to uncover secrets.
Crusiel had hundreds of methods.
Snatching one unripe hero and digging was easier than flipping a hand.
"Touch him, and more than a couple people won't stay quiet."
"I'll shut them down with my sword."
Dariel was confident.
But Agna shook his head.
"I'll consider it if you can handle Magic Duke and Sword Sage at once."
Dariel froze, staring at Agna.
"The Grand Duke aside, Magic Duke too?"
"No idea why, but she took a real liking to Seo Woojin."
"Huh."
Martes was noble.
Far above a mere noble Grand Duke.
For such a Magic Duke to favor a single hero?
Dariel couldn't believe it.
"Curious? Go ask her yourself."
Agna tossed it out, but that wasn't feasible.
"Guess I'll just watch from afar for now."
With Magic Duke's eyes on him, kidnapping Seo Woojin was off the table.
Even if possible, it wasn't wise.
Incurring Martes's full wrath terrified even the Sword Sage.
"Business done? Get out."
Agna lit a new cigarette, issuing the dismissal.
"Took your prize and now you're kicking me out?"
"I need to admire this. Out."
Agna raised Gerald's head.
The head of the bastard who had tormented him and Crusiel endlessly.
Once Dariel left, he'd have it taxidermied and hung in the office.
To gaze at it on bad days.
"Unpleasant bastard."
"She's a woman?"
"The Rapid Response Unit took heavy losses. Compensate them properly."
Dozens of knights died capturing Gerald.
Nameless, but they chose the empire's path.
Least he could do was proper rewards.
"I'll handle it. Now go."
"...Fine."
Dariel snorted and left.
But Agna didn't even glance, just shook Gerald's head like a toy.
He looked utterly mad.