Chapter 229
Chapter 229
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Ace Chapter: 229 Chapter Title: Making Clouds ----------------------------------------------------------------- To create clouds, Lee Soo-hyuk learned formations from Jin-un. The formation for making clouds. Before creating it, Jin-un asked.
"What you want... is it fog? Or clouds?"
Of course, it was clouds. Fog doesn't produce lightning, but clouds bring down bolts. Upon that answer, Jin-un shook his head.
"With thinking like that, you'll never make it, not even in a lifetime."
Lightning is born from clouds. There are no bolts from a clear sky, nor rain without them. It's the natural order, plain and simple. Skills were powers that defied that natural order. Powers that could make lightning strike from a cloudless sky and thunder rumble.
"Don't defy it. Think along the natural flow. That's where it begins... and ends."
In other words, producing results without the process was defiance, not the natural way. There was only one way to turn that defiance back into the natural flow. 'Reverse it, from the start.' The very idea of creating clouds was wrong. The Azure Dragon had said it: he already possessed the power to make clouds. Right. He already had the power to wield lightning and thunder. Creating clouds from scratch, though? Impossible. So, reverse the process. Crackle—. The lightning roiling inside him scattered, losing its path. Until now, Soo-hyuk had always used lightning with a clear goal: to fell enemies, shatter or destroy something. But using it for this purpose? A first. 'Back to the beginning.'Rumble—. Thunder echoed across the dry sky. The wayward lightning trembled. As if asking where to go. In his hand, Mjolnir—no, just an ordinary hammer—caught his eye. This hammer, devoid of thunder, was merely a conduit. A focus for thunder's power. Rum-rum-rumble—. The thunder grew faint. As the sound faded, Soo-hyuk slowly opened his eyes. And in that moment. 'Got it.' Not far off. A tiny speck of cloud he'd created drifted into view.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
You have cleared the 'Hidden Stage – Clouds'. Your level has increased. x3 Strength increased by 2.Agility increased by 1.Stamina increased by 1.Magic Power increased by 2. You have acquired the 'Skill - Thundercloud'.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ For the next few days, Soo-hyuk focused solely on making clouds. Thor was incredulous. The clouds Soo-hyuk conjured grew larger by the day. "Th-this fast?!" The viewers burst into laughter at his reaction.
💬 Comments
— Viewer
This is what a system does.
— Viewer
Hehehe, look at Thor's face.
— Viewer
What? Can't hear the noob without a system. Oblivious to the mockery, Thor chuckled in bewilderment.
"This can't be happening?"
He'd accomplished in days what had taken Thor years. After sweating it out for a while, Soo-hyuk flopped down onto the spot. 'Exhausting, this.' It might look like he was doing nothing, but it drained his mental and spiritual energy immensely. Doing things the usual way was easy enough. But achieving the same result backward? Never simple. Like telling someone who's always run forward to run in reverse—no way it'd feel comfortable.
"How'd you do it?"
Thor finally couldn't hold back and asked.
"Do what?"
"How does this even work?!"
"What about it?"
"It took me years!"
His tone dripped with injustice. Thinking the prince of Asgard couldn't be this petty, Soo-hyuk replied incredulously.
"Took you long enough."
"Urk...!"
Thor clutched at his chest. Soo-hyuk's words had stabbed deep.
💬 Comments
— Viewer
We're Team Lee Soo-hyuk, what're you gonna do lol
— Viewer
Same old, same old?
— Viewer
Safe Asset's skipping missions today
— Viewer
Scared?? Unlike Thor, the viewers reacted as if it was nothing special. Truth be told, it made sense it'd take long. If things had been normal, anyway. 'The old man's and Azure Dragon's words were the hints.' Making formations and making clouds shared similarities. Without Jin-un and the Azure Dragon, he'd have floundered far longer. Thor was here as a teacher, sure, but... well.
"Did it... really take me that long...?"
This guy seemed muscle-headed, not the most trustworthy type. Still lying down, Soo-hyuk turned his head and said.
"So, how long did you think it'd take?"
A snarky tone. Thor was puzzled by Soo-hyuk's lack of joy despite the astonishing result.
"What's wrong, friend?"
"Look at that."
"That? The cloud?"
Soo-hyuk had been staring at the small cloud he'd made.
"What's with it? You made it perfectly."
"How's that perfect?"
"You made it, didn't you?"
"That tiny thing?"
"Well, it's small, but a cloud's a cloud."
True. He'd made one. But the problem was its size. Still far too small. 'Not a cloud, more like a cloud scrap.' Clouds come in all sizes and shapes. Some hold more water than lakes, while scattered specks are still called clouds. Right. A cloud was a cloud. But the one before him was woefully inadequate for Soo-hyuk's ambitions. In contrast.
📜 NEW MISSION 📜
'Safe Asset' has registered a mission.
⏰ Time Limit: Three days 🎁 Reward: 10,000 points for making one bigger than the current cloud Don't wuss out ㅡㅡ
💬 Comments
— Viewer
Yeah, it's mouse-ball sized lololol
— Viewer
Thor, you're done for~
— Viewer
He made it... but... hmm
— Viewer
Time." "Hm?" That very fact made him the most impatient. "That's why. I don't have time."
💬 Comments
— Viewer
Lololololol
— Viewer
King Safe Asset lol
— Viewer
More like 'no time left' precisely lol The viewers mistook Soo-hyuk's words for mission-related impatience. Whatever. He knew he should stay calm. Impatience wouldn't make his body cooperate. But he couldn't. Not once, but twice, he'd watched friends die before his eyes.
"I'm worried."
"Worried?"
"You seem to be walking the same path as me."
Standing over Soo-hyuk, Thor sat beside him.
"I... saw the true nature of thunder."
His voice was thick, like blood pooling in his mouth.
"It's no noble power fit for Asgard. Might suit demons better."
"That dream you mentioned?"
"Dream? Not sure I'd call it that."
Bad comparison, apparently. Thor sneered.
"I confronted thunder there."
Fear laced his voice. Just thinking of it made him shudder, yet he spoke it aloud.
"It showed me what I fear most."
"What was that?"
"Slaughtering Asgard's people... with my own hands." Crunch—. Flesh tore from his clenched fist. Veins bulged, throat reddening with strain.
"I remember it vividly. Even if later was a dream, the start was real. Devoured by thunder, I... truly killed my people."
Devoured by thunder, Thor had gone mad. Odin subdued him later, but at the onset? No one left around, probably.
"Still feel it. The sensation of smashing their skulls. Their cries for mercy."
"Regret it?"
"Regret? Is that the word?"
Thor scoffed.
"If I hadn't been so sure I could wield thunder, they might live. I'm no great king... not even a great warrior."
His broad shoulders slumped. Soo-hyuk saw himself in him. The confident self charging at the Hydra, the confident Thor mastering thunder. 'Just alike.' He kept thinking. Maybe I caused their deaths. If they hadn't met me, they'd live. Su-hun. Min-jae. Ji-young. ...
Even Gyu-seong. Their deaths weighed heavy on his shoulders. Add Si-woo and Ye-ryeong, and he might crumble. Then perhaps. He'd end up like mad Thor. "Impatience led me there. Fear I couldn't master thunder. Might fail Father's expectations. Might not become a worthy king." Thor’s voice rang hollow. "So don't be so sure you can wield it. Don't rush for it." "...
Afraid I'll regret like you?" "Yes." Soo-hyuk knew Thor's regrets. He'd heard it before. Thor wouldn't want to revisit it. Yet he shared for Soo-hyuk's sake. Fearing the same mistake. But. "...
You're right." Lying back, staring at the sky, Soo-hyuk bolted upright. "Huh?" "That bastard." What Soo-hyuk realized from Thor's words wasn't that. He'd forgotten. Lost in Thor's tale, overlaying past selves, he'd overlooked it. Blackout forgot. The key to resolving this impatience. "That bastard? What?" Ignoring the demand for explanation, Soo-hyuk closed his eyes. Thor's voice faded into the distance. "Huh? Who... Hey, fri... end......" Gradually, the world fell silent. Thor shook his shoulder, but neither the rough grip nor the shaking registered anymore. Cut off from everything around him. When he opened his eyes again— "Back again." Grin—. Thunder smiled before Soo-hyuk's eyes. Thor had warned against being devoured by thunder, but Soo-hyuk stepped right in.