Chapter 185
Chapter 185
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Test (2)
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A short while later.
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min, both fitted with mana suppressors, made their appearance.
"Hand them over right now."
At Count Wyder's command, the knights transferred custody of the two prisoners to Kang Hyun-soo.
"Good work."
"With your permission, if you're not too busy, could you spare me a moment? Grant me the honor of hosting Duke Rokto."
Count Wyder bowed deeply at the waist as he made his request.
"I'll stop by next time I have business here."
With those words, Kang Hyun-soo took Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min and left the scene.
"Ah...."
Count Wyder watched the scene with regret.
He had handed over two prisoners but failed to build any rapport with the Duke of the Rokto Empire. It was a complete loss.
Meanwhile, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min, who had been in Count Wyder's custody but whose ownership had now transferred to Kang Hyun-soo, were racking their brains furiously.
'Why does the Duke of the Rokto Empire want me?'
'Could it be recruitment?'
They had been called criminals of the Rokto Empire.
But Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min had never once set foot on Rokto Empire soil.
Naturally, they realized this was just an excuse to spring them.
'This is my chance.'
'I can live.'
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min swallowed hard as they gauged Kang Hyun-soo's mood.
A short while later, they arrived at the destination.
'Why bring us to a place like this?'
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho looked puzzled.
Kang Hyun-soo had brought them to a remote forest with no signs of human activity.
It wasn't even a monster-infested area, so players rarely passed through.
"You two have no choices here. Accept it unconditionally."
With those words, Kang Hyun-soo cast the Commander Appointment skill on Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min.
[Player Kang Hyun-soo has used the Commander Appointment skill. Do you accept?]
[Yes] [No]
System messages appeared before their eyes.
"What is this?"
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min asked Kang Hyun-soo with a puzzled expression.
"Accept it."
"You have to tell us what we gain from accepting before we do."
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho asked Kang Hyun-soo with a confident look.
'It's definitely about recruiting me.'
He had crossed into the Atlantis dimension and become a Named Player in just four years.
If he had joined a major guild like Balhae Guild or Goryeo Guild?
He would have become a Named Player much sooner.
But unable to join a major guild, he had settled for a mid-tier one.
He grew his power quickly by devouring them.
But becoming a mere Named Player was his limit.
'I never got a real break.'
What he thought was an opportunity turned out to be a rotten rope, landing him in prison.
But now the situation was different.
'The Duke of the Rokto Empire wants me.'
He had no intention of going along passively.
He needed to leverage this opportunity to the max if he wanted a real springboard for growth.
"You're saying you'll only accept if there's something in it for you?"
At Kang Hyun-soo's question.
"Of course."
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho spoke boldly.
"Exactly. We can't become your subordinates without compensation."
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min, who had been gauging the mood, quickly sided with Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
He figured two heads were better than one for negotiating a sweeter deal.
"I've already given you a huge benefit, or so I thought."
"I could have escaped prison on my own anytime."
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho declared confidently.
"The same goes for me."
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min chimed in.
"I'm not talking about pulling you out of prison. I'm talking about the fact that you're still breathing."
"Ha! What nonsense is that?"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho scowled and raised his voice.
He believed now was the time to push hard.
At that moment.
Slash!
The sword in Kang Hyun-soo's hand swung lightly.
Thud!
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's right arm was severed.
Blood sprayed out like a fountain, soaking the ground.
"Aaaagh!"
A gut-wrenching scream erupted from the one-armed Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
"Now you know it's not nonsense."
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho gritted his teeth at Kang Hyun-soo's words.
He had made a grave miscalculation.
'He didn't bring us out of prison to use us as subordinates.'
It wasn't the left arm—it was the right.
For a swordsman like Lee Kwang-ho, it was a fatal blow.
If he planned to use him as a subordinate?
He never would have cut off the right arm.
"If you don't want your left arm gone too, accept it."
With those words, Kang Hyun-soo turned his gaze to Guardian God Lee Cheol-min.
"I guess I need to show you the reality too."
"No! You don't need to!"
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min quickly accepted Kang Hyun-soo's Commander Appointment.
Kang Hyun-soo's gaze shifted back to Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
Swoosh.
As Kang Hyun-soo raised his sword to sever the left arm.
"I accept!"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho also accepted Kang Hyun-soo's Commander Appointment.
'Basic conditions met.'
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho and Guardian God Lee Cheol-min.
Kang Hyun-soo's sworn enemies and test subjects.
For the test, both needed to be under Kang Hyun-soo's command.
Whoosh!
Kang Hyun-soo cast Immortal Holy Flame on Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
The bleeding stopped in an instant, and the stump of the severed right arm healed.
But that was it.
The arm didn't reattach to the shoulder.
Nor did a new one grow back.
"Take this."
Kang Hyun-soo handed an orb to Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
As he reflexively grabbed it with his left arm, a blood-red message unlike any he'd seen appeared before Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's eyes.
[The Orb of Demonic Energy is full of demonic energy. Absorb the demonic energy?]
[Yes] [No]
"Choose yes."
At Kang Hyun-soo's command, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's eyes filled with fear.
Demonic energy.
A power only demons could possess.
"No choice, huh?"
Kang Hyun-soo nodded at Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's question.
'Damn it.'
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho finally understood why he had been pulled out.
'Using me as a lab rat.'
He had been selected as the test subject to see what happens when a player absorbs demonic energy.
He wanted to refuse.
He might turn into a demon.
And if he did, he'd likely lose his head right here.
But.
'No choice.'
To survive, he had to obey.
"Don't want to lose your left arm too?"
Under Kang Hyun-soo's pressure, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho reluctantly selected yes.
At that moment.
Shoooo!
The demonic energy contained in the orb surged into Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's body.
Kang Hyun-soo watched him sharply.
Surprisingly.
'No change?'
He thought he might transform into a demon.
But there was no visible change.
Nor was demonic energy leaking out.
"Tell me what changed."
At Kang Hyun-soo's question, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's eyes gleamed.
Boom boom boom boom!
Explosive demonic energy burst forth.
Crack!
The mana suppressor binding Sword God Lee Kwang-ho shattered to pieces.
'He got stronger.'
There was only one way a mana suppressor broke.
'When the bound person's mana exceeds the suppressor's limit.'
To have that much mana?
You needed to be at least an upper-tier Named Player.
Yet lower-tier Named Player Sword God Lee Kwang-ho had shattered it effortlessly.
Using demonic energy instead of mana, no less.
"Did a special stat, Demonic Energy, form? Or did mana and demonic energy merge?"
Kang Hyun-soo asked Sword God Lee Kwang-ho with keen interest.
"You think I'll tell you that!"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho shouted and charged at Kang Hyun-soo.
In his left hand, he clutched a fragment of the shattered mana suppressor.
Boom boom boom!
It was no bigger than a dagger.
But infused with demonic energy aura, it expanded to the size of a longsword in an instant.
'Kill the bastard.'
He had lost his right arm.
Time for revenge.
'I'll make him regret using me as a guinea pig.'
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho was a sword genius.
He prided himself that his swordsmanship was on par with top Named Players.
What he lacked was physical stats like strength, agility, stamina, and the root of all skills: mana.
But acquiring massive demonic energy.
Erased all those shortcomings.
It bolstered his deficient physical stats.
It substituted for his weak mana.
Power surged through his body.
The demonic aura could destroy anything.
Swoosh!
The demonic sword flew toward the enemy who severed his right arm.
Then.
Clap!
The opponent casually reached out and grabbed the demonic aura.
"What the—?"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't blocked the enhanced destructive demonic aura with a skill.
"With bare hands?"
It was beyond Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's comprehension.
"Shouldn't have left one arm."
With those words, the opponent flicked his index finger.
Slash!
A blood-red aura shot from the finger, severing Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's left arm as well.
"Aaaagh!"
With his last remaining arm gone, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho let out an agonized scream.
"Answer. Did a special stat Demonic Energy form? Or did mana and demonic energy merge?"
The question was the same as before.
But Sword God Lee Kwang-ho no longer dared to lie.
Kang Hyun-soo's index finger was now aimed at his right leg.
If he didn't answer?
He'd lose a leg after both arms for sure.
"A s-special stat Demonic Energy was created!"
"And its effects?"
"It boosts physical abilities and can substitute for mana!"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho spat out the info he'd gained.
"Open your status window."
At Kang Hyun-soo's command, Sword God Lee Kwang-ho revealed his status window.
"Hmm."
Kang Hyun-soo examined it.
He checked just in case.
But aside from the new special stat Demonic Energy, nothing unusual.
'Effects similar to the Holy stat.'
Boosts physical abilities and substitutes for mana.
"Can it be used alongside mana?"
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho nodded at Kang Hyun-soo's question.
'So, same effects as Holy stat, just different attribute.'
Holy stat and Demonic Energy stat.
Opposing attributes.
But identical effects.
"Hmm."
Kang Hyun-soo frowned.
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho showed no side effects.
'But Sword God Lee Kwang-ho doesn't have the Holy stat.'
Mana stat meshes well with both Holy and Demonic Energy.
But possessing Holy and Demonic Energy at once?
No one knew what problems that might cause.
'Better play it safe, even if it costs a bit.'
Best to test it himself.
Problem was, Goddess's Tear was a bracelet.
'Shouldn't have cut off both arms.'
But that wasn't an issue.
Kang Hyun-soo picked up Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's severed left arm from the ground, pressed it to the shoulder, and reactivated Immortal Holy Flame.
Fwoosh!
With a brilliant glow, the severed left arm reattached to the shoulder.
But it wasn't fully healed.
Just stuck on.
'No sensation yet.'
Probably felt like a prosthetic.
Immortal Holy Flame was SS-Rank.
Attaching a severed limb was possible.
But for full function?
Continuous dot healing for at least a day was needed.
However.
'No issue for item use.'
Kang Hyun-soo slipped the Goddess's Tear bracelet he was wearing onto Sword God Lee Kwang-ho's left arm.