Hoo...

"Hoo..."

White breath spilled from Yujun's lips. The cold of Sourtul Forest was nothing ordinary; had he not been a player, frostbite would have claimed him long ago.

"This forest is peculiar, isn't it. In cold like this, how are the flowers even blooming?"

Jo Su-a said. It was true enough that the conditions were wretched for anything to flower. But when had the Tower of Infinity ever consented to run on common sense alone? Yujun let it pass and drove his search magic to full output, looking for another laboratory.

"Miss Jo Su-a. Have you ever killed a monster over level 600?" Yujun asked, walking at a quick pace.

"No."

"Then how did you reach level 600?"

"I killed monsters of a lower level."

"Why?"

"Because that was easier."

"Kill something higher and the experience is far better, isn't it?"

"Easy to say. There's a life on the line. And it isn't as if monsters above my own level are simple to find."

"...So that's all it was? You simply killed a great many monsters?"

"Yes. That really is all there is to it."

Yujun let out a thin sigh. Jo Su-a's level was 611. Honestly speaking, that was high. Far too high. The Demon God Worshippers were monstrously high-leveled as well. Even if those levels were not something they had earned themselves, the fact that they were high could not be denied.

And here I thought I was growing quickly myself. When would he ever reach level 600? And even if he did, could he obtain items suited to that level? The finest piece of equipment in his inventory was a level-500 restricted item. Beyond that, there was nothing. The thought left him faintly restless. He wanted to wring every advantage from his inventory perk, and it unsettled him to think he might not be able to.

I need to secure more Transcendent Stones. A witch could foresee, and prophesy. Manuela was a pureblood witch, and a pureblood witch would deliver prophecies of greater weight, the ones that mattered. If she were ever to speak another prophecy bound to the Transcendent Stones... That was a large part of why he kept her beside him. Manuela herself had no idea. Whatever the case, worry over the future was a constant companion.

Don't think too far ahead. It was plain that he, as he stood now, was overwhelmingly stronger than players at level 600. There was no need, he decided, to fret or to rush.

Yujun glanced at his status window and drew a Skill Gem (Medium) from his inventory.

I'll use it now. What mattered was becoming as strong as he could, while he still could. There was nothing left to gain by hoarding it. The skill he would spend the gem on had already been decided.

Absolute Presence (SSS). A skill that pressed an opponent with sheer oppression merely by one's standing still. Not simple intimidation, either. Properly understood, it was a skill that laid down a severe debuff. And as he had noted before, it was no curse. Once someone was exposed to Absolute Presence, there was no way out of it. The method of blocking or avoiding the skill was simple enough: possess martial power greater than that of the player who held it.

Hardly a skill I'd regret spending a Skill Gem on. He did not hesitate. He affixed the Skill Gem to Absolute Presence. The change would not be vast, but it was fair to treat the skill as having climbed at least one grade.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I'd like to see the effect for myself. No suitable opponent was at hand, so he walked on, hoping rather fervently that even a single monster would show itself.

"......"

The wish was granted before long. What emerged was a monster called a Sharun, some three meters tall, its body gaunt to the bone. The Sharun was one of the few apex predators in Sourtul Forest. The moment Jo Su-a faced it, her expression hardened. Seeing her face, Yujun asked.

"What's wrong?"

"...That thing is dangerous."

"I know. One look and it's clearly an apex predator. So?"

"That monster is on another level entirely."

"How can you tell?"

"Last time, I watched another apex predator go down without managing a single thing. It happened right in front of me, and I still couldn't tell how that monster was killed."

Tension had taken hold of her; strength was coiled through her whole body.

"So, in short, it's fast?"

"Yes."

"Understood, for now."

Yujun stepped forward, sword held out before him.

"No, we have to run—"

"You said that thing is fast. How are we supposed to run from here?"

"......"

"We have no choice but to fight."

In truth, escape was possible if he used an item from his inventory. But Yujun itched for a fight. Above all else, he needed to raise his level as soon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as he could, and fleeing was not an option he entertained. Unaware of that, Jo Su-a bit her lip as if she had no choice and lifted her sword.

The Sharun wore an easy smile, the look of a thing that had found its meal. Take these down, and perhaps its level would rise again. Its tongue flicked, and it was just about to move when Yujun released his mana. He cast no magic and triggered no skill. He only let mana spill outward, and the Sharun felt the strength run clean out of its legs.

"Krrgh..."

The skill had taken hold in full.

It seems more effective because I'm conscious of Absolute Presence. Yujun stood where he was and turned the thought over. He only watched the Sharun's condition, and took no other action.

"...What are you doing? This is your chance."

Manuela called from behind, unable to bear the wait.

"Just wait."

He wanted to see how far the power of Absolute Presence reached. Opening his inventory, he drew out a Status Check Scroll and tore it at once. Yujun confirmed the Sharun's level.

630. The Sharun's level had climbed past 600 and stood at 630. For Yujun, it was a height so far off it hardly felt real. And yet Absolute Presence had worked on it all the same, which meant he was strong enough to outstrip that gap in level by a wide margin. A satisfied smile touched his face as he fed mana into his sword.

One strike. That ends it. The opponent was level 630, but he judged it well within reach.

Yujun became light. At a speed past the reach of sight, he was before the Sharun, and he simply swung.

Shhk!

As cleanly as a blade through soft tofu, the Sharun's head came away.

"Done."

Overwhelming attack power. The sword he carried was of the Transcendent grade, and more than that, it was an upgrade of the blade once called the strongest weapon in War of the Gods. He caught himself wondering whether anything could take a cut from it and remain intact.

Killing the thing in a single blow had been worth it. A thoroughly useful title had come through as the achievement reward, and he had crossed level 450. The time had come to replace his accessories and armor. A deep smile settled at the corner of Yujun's mouth.

"...Ah."

Jo Su-a, by contrast, stared blankly at the Sharun's corpse, already gone cold. She could not believe it. She had known from prior experience that this Shin Yujun was strong. But to cleave in a single stroke the very monster she had feared so deeply, and with the air of a man who had merely stepped out for a stroll around the neighborhood. He had not been tense in the slightest.

How does someone like that even exist? Yujun was stronger than she had imagined. Unlike her, Manuela and Paranet showed no great stir, as if they had watched scenes like this more times than they could count.

It was then that Yujun, as if spellbound, approached the dead Sharun.

"Item."

The Sharun had dropped an item. Monsters dropping items was a common enough thing. But Yujun's eyes lit for a different reason. It was a kind of item he had never once seen.

If I don't recognize it... The odds were high that it carried an equip restriction of level 500 or above. And that expectation proved exactly right.

An effect that fell well short of even a level-400 restricted Mythic-grade item. The meaning, though, lay in the level-550 requirement bound to it.

So items really didn't end at level 500. Should he take that as welcome news? What mattered was how he moved from here.

Item collection. That will be the goal. Setting equipment aside, even the consumables in his inventory alone were enough to say he held an overwhelming advantage. Having settled his thoughts, Yujun spoke.

"There's something I need to do before we set out again."

"What is it?" Jo Su-a asked.

"Maintenance."

"You mean your items?"

"Yes."

"I'm already all set, though."

"I'm going to swap some equipment."

"...Ah. You were still under level 500, weren't you."

"Yes. It won't take long."

Jo Su-a looked at Yujun anew. Someone that strong, and he was only level 451. Every time she opened the party window, she still startled. She was not given to large shifts of feeling, and it had been a truly long while since anything had surprised her this much.

Changing his equipment again means the items were already prepared. And that they're better than the Mythic gear he's wearing now? Now that she thought of it, something was strange. The items he had worn before reaching level 450 had been level-450 restricted Mythic-grade items. How had he been wearing them at all? Only the weapon had carried a Rainbow Sticker. She had long known he wore the sword famed as the strongest weapon back in the days of War of the Gods. But to think he had been ignoring equip restrictions on his armor as well, every last piece of it. Indifferent to others as she was, she had not caught on right away.

How? Did he possess some special ability she knew nothing of? The chances of that were high.

In the middle of this dangerous forest, Yujun began to change his equipment. Fortunately he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a light cotton shirt on beneath the armor, so the scene never turned indecent.

Ten Demon God Worshippers entered Sourtul Forest.

"This is kind of annoying."

The one with the long red hair spoke.

"What is?"

"Did we really need to gather a whole ten people? Just to get rid of one player?"

"He's not an ordinary one."

"And if he isn't, then what? Think about our levels. They said he isn't even level 500. That's a gap of two whole tiers. You think he can stand against us? Honestly, this is the kind of job two of us could step up and settle without any trouble."

"You're not wrong. But there's nothing to be gained from letting our guard down, Komalan."

"Siren. You're always like this. The moment anything comes up, it's don't get careless."

"Because that's efficient. Carelessness and arrogance are the greatest of enemies. You ought to know that."

"I know. I'm saying ten is too many."

"It's an order from above. We can't go against it."

"Inefficient, though, right? Even you think so. Yeah?"

"Enough."

"No. Admit it. Do you, or don't you?"

"Don't be a nuisance."

"Admit it. Yes or no?"

"No. So drop it."

Komalan was persistent. The moment Siren drew a dagger from inside his robes, Komalan's mouth snapped shut.

"I—I'm sorry."

"......"

"Where did they say he is right now?"

"I heard he already cleaned out one of the laboratories."

"I heard that part. They still can't track where he is?"

"Barion would know that."

"Barion. What's the status?"

At Siren's question, Barion, who had been walking with his eyes on the ground, jerked his head up.

"Rapid movement was detected. I'm pinpointing the destination."

"Where's he headed?"

"Where the first laboratory is."

"...So they know the location, and they're going there?"

"The direction is that way, at least."

"This is bad."

"Which is why we have to hurry. We don't have time to stand around making small talk."

"Was the force guarding that laboratory on the thin side?"

"There are about three superiors there."

"Ah, what. Whew..."

At Siren's words, Komalan let out a sigh of relief.

"Then the people at the lab will handle it themselves, won't they?"

"Don't take him lightly. Close to ten have already gone down."

"Those were ones weaker than us. The ones at that laboratory are on a completely different level."

Komalan said it with a face full of confidence. Siren looked at him with open displeasure.