The Elite Archer's Return and the Spark of War
Mu-hyuk read the joy and confidence etched on Doran's approaching face.
"You've finally arrived, my lord."
"Yeah."
"I'm truly sorry for leaving training without a word!"
"It's fine. More importantly, what were your results?"
"Not quite to a satisfying level, but I think it's sufficient for now."
It was a confident demeanor.
Hmm, let's take a look.
He immediately checked Doran's status.
His level was a whopping 180.
Whoa?
When they had parted, it had barely exceeded 130, yet in this short time, he'd raised it by 50.
His job had changed from Archer to Elite Archer, and his specialties now included accuracy and rapid fire.
Of course, Mu-hyuk had also leveled up significantly since parting with Doran. His current level was 221.
Even accounting for that, Doran's leveling speed was beyond imagination.
"No deficiencies, huh."
"Yes."
"How'd you manage that?"
Doran smiled.
"I got lucky. I left for training and ran into an amazing group of mercenaries. We clicked, so I traveled with them. Their skills were incredible, so I got a ton of help. Thanks to them, I could grow fast in a short time."
"I see."
"Yeah, I told them to stop by here whenever they have time."
Mu-hyuk nodded.
Outstanding mercenaries, huh.
If possible, it'd be great to have them under him.
"Let me know if they show up."
"Of course."
"Good. Now, let's see just how strong you've gotten."
"Pardon?"
"Come at me."
"Ah...!"
Doran's eyes gleamed as he created distance.
"I'll go all out, my lord!"
"Obviously. Don't hold back."
The moment Mu-hyuk finished speaking, Doran's hand moved.
The time to nock three arrows on the bowstring was a split second, and the arrows shooting from left, right, and center followed just as swiftly.
By the time he snapped to, the tiny arrowheads had ballooned massively in an instant. Mu-hyuk swallowed hard.
White Tiger Footwork.
He urgently used the footwork technique, slipping his body through the gap it revealed.
Time to counterattack now?
No time for that.
Pang! Pang! Pababang!
He fully grasped what the rapid fire specialty entailed.
Hoo...!
The arrows were too fast.
Too fast to do anything but dodge. Inevitably, he had to take one hit.
He wouldn't have used it normally, but he had no desire to suffer the humiliation of being struck by a subordinate.
Armor of Frost!
Mu-hyuk's entire body turned icy blue.
Kang! Kkang!
The arrow clashed against the barrier and ricocheted away.
It lasted 2 seconds.
During that time, it blocked all attacks—save one—with 100% effectiveness. An incredible skill, practically invincibility.
But it wasn't flawless. It offered no defense against frost-based attacks, and the duration was a mere 2 seconds.
Plenty useful on its own, but compared to the hidden powers he'd acquired so far, it felt lacking.
Pouring Sword.
Wind Step.
Clearing his mind, Mu-hyuk used both skills to close the distance with Doran.
Kang, Kkang!
By the time the 2 seconds ended, he was close enough. The three swords were already striking at Doran.
At that instant, Doran used his bow to parry the swords while circling to the side. Dodging, blocking, and moving, he unleashed endless arrows.
What was astonishing was that his speed and accuracy didn't falter even in that chaos.
Teoreung!
Blocking with his shield, the damage was substantial. But at this range, defeat was impossible. He had two skills to forcibly close gaps.
Destroyer's Charge.
He became a ray of light hurtling toward Doran.
"Hup...!"
Doran's eyes widened.
Kwang!
Struck by Mu-hyuk's shoulder, Doran flew back far.
Frowning at the impact, he didn't stop his hands.
Pang, Pabang!
Five arrows fired in succession. Mu-hyuk, pursuing, had to veer off. But he had one more.
Power Dash.
He activated the skill immediately, charging at Doran again.
An unnatural angle.
An impossible trajectory.
"This...!"
The distance closed once more.
Kwang!
This time, Doran tumbled after being hit by the shield.
Swish.
Only then did Mu-hyuk draw his sword, aiming it at Doran.
"How's that? More?"
"Hoo, I lost, my lord."
Mu-hyuk smiled, sheathed his sword, and extended a hand.
"Good work."
"Thank you."
As he thought how embarrassing it might've been without Armor of Frost, he gazed fondly at Doran.
He's grown tremendously.
This level of strength would be a huge help.
"Heading to the Hemil Empire this afternoon. Get ready."
"Ah, yes. Understood!"
Mu-hyuk toured the territory afterward, checking for shortcomings.
Whew, impressive.
It was perfection itself, flawless.
Once the new academy and soldier training center were complete, military power would upgrade further.
After confirming everything, he headed to the central inn where his companions waited.
Kkiiik.
Opening the door, he saw three people eating.
"Oppa, over here."
"Whassup?"
"Eat first, talk later."
"Ung!"
Mu-hyuk sat at the table and ordered food.
"Your food's here."
A home-cooked meal after so long.
"Tastes great, as expected."
"Right?"
After a satisfying meal, the four took time for personal preparations.
A short while later.
The four reunited, now five with Doran, and headed to the Hemil Empire.
"Duke Amur knows?"
"Yeah, I picked up a quest from him before."
"Nice, killer."
"If the quest's still there, probably no one's taken it."
"Please...!"
After an hour's ride, the five reached Abenso Village and used the warp gate to enter the Hemil Empire.
"Let's go straight there."
"Okay."
Two entrances to the castle: a grand central gate and a smaller, elegant one on the left.
Mu-hyuk headed for the smaller left gate. Two guards crossed spears to block him.
"Show your emblem."
Presenting the noble-proof emblem, the guards parted.
Entering, he went straight to Duke Amur's mansion and met him without delay.
"It's been too long."
"Yes, longer than expected."
"Sorry to hit you with this right away, but will you fulfill my request now?"
"You mean..."
"Haven't found a suitable candidate yet."
Mu-hyuk smiled triumphantly.
"Of course."
"Thank you!"
You have cleared the quest 'Duke Amur's Wait'.
Proceeds to linked quest 'Hidden Power of the Forma Continent'.
Duke Amur handed over documents.
"Rough location."
"This is..."
"A village at the northernmost tip. Quiet, but be cautious."
"Of what?"
"The continent above, Kaion."
"Pardon...?"
Caution against the Kaion Continent out of nowhere?
It didn't make sense.
"War isn't far off."
"Ah...!"
"To put it bluntly, even if Kaion attacked today, it wouldn't be strange. Of course, we could strike first too. Being at the northernmost point means extra vigilance."
"Hm, that serious, huh."
"You'll feel it soon enough."
No intention of backing out, though.
What an opportunity this was.
"I'll hurry."
"I'd appreciate that. Find the power and bring it to me."
"Yes, Duke."
Sorry, but no can do.
The hidden power injected directly into the finder.
No need to mention that.
"I'll be off."
Leaving the duke's mansion, they rushed northward.
Swish.
He pulled a magic crystal ball from his inventory.
> -Lord!
> "Busy, so keep it short."
> -Please speak.
> "War's brewing. Use all spare funds to speed up construction. Prioritize the soldier training center over the academy—max out soldier levels."
> -W-War?
> "Yes."
> -U-Understood. I'll hurry as much as possible.
> "Contacting again later."
> -Yes, Lord!
He ended the call and turned.
"You heard?"
"Y-Yeah."
"War with Kaion Continent incoming."
"For real?"
Mu-hyuk nodded.
"Whoa, what do I even say...?"
"Kinda shocking."
"But also kinda exciting?"
The mood wasn't as grave as expected. Sorry for the NPCs, but experiencing a massive war would be novel.
"Let's hurry."
"Okay!"
To claim what might be the final hidden power, they picked up speed.
*
The homepage was ablaze.
Sign of war or not—users debated fiercely.
War quests rained down on all users starting from the Forma Continent.
Meanwhile.
Using the map from Duke Amur, Mu-hyuk and his party found the secret spot. After 15 days of hunting there, they finally awakened the statue.
"It's you all."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
The reward was the Summon Absorption skill.
Summon Absorption
Designate summons to absorb some of their stats.
Duration: 10 minutes
Cooldown: 180 minutes
MP Cost: 50 per absorbed entity
Absorb summons' stats into the character to become a one-man army.
That was the skill's core.
Truly valuable—he was very satisfied.
"Any other sealed spots on Forma?"
"No more."
He heard the same from all continents.
The end.
Having gained the final hidden power, satisfaction outweighed regret.
"Last one, everyone get something good?"
"Yeah, best ever, oppa!"
"Me too."
"Got a proper one. Ugh!"
"Then let's head out."
They exited through the dimensional door.
"Hup...!"
At that moment, they faced Kaion Continent soldiers.
"Enemy!"
Their shout spread, and...
Pababat.
Soldiers gathered in an instant, surrounding Mu-hyuk and his party.