Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Most Exceptional One
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'What in the world is this? A trainee... no, is he really human?'
The shock was so intense it made his eyes tremble and his heart pound like a double-headed mallet.
He felt bad saying it, but his gaze was completely stolen from Jin Chang-hyeok and Baek Yi-yeon, who were locked in fierce combat.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was entranced.
'This is driving me mad. A human I want to take back to Elvenheim...
I never imagined I'd harbor such desires while serving as an instructor on Earth. Everyone would be stunned. That none other than Shar Cal Eluriate, the foremost finger of the honorable Kal Eluriate, could entertain such irreverent thoughts.'
Yang Su-hyeok could clearly feel Shar's gaze upon him.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Level up! The voice echoing in his mind the instant he felled the final Naro rang crystal clear.
But he instinctively ignored it all.
"Hoo..."
Instead, he let out a long breath and swiftly checked his condition.
'Easy.'
It was utterly different from when he first learned martial arts.
His body clumsily followed the movements etched in his mind.
Sensations honed through countless wars and battles sharply guided him now.
A superb intuition washed over him.
'I can get even stronger.'
The benchmark for "getting stronger" that Su-hyeok envisioned wasn't the present moment.
To be precise, it harkened back to his days on the Huan Continent, when he was known as the Martial Emperor.
And to the future, the realm he would one day reclaim.
He could surpass it all and grow even stronger.
In essence, Su-hyeok had bought experience and time beyond this world in exchange for his youth.
This was a "fact" he hadn't realized until the first battle unfolded.
That exhilarating truth brought a smile to Su-hyeok's lips.
Thump, thump.
His heart raced fiercely.
His eyes sought the next Naro, like a predator hunting fresh prey for pleasure.
"Kraaa-!"
Jin Chang-hyeok screamed, offering one arm as bait while a blade erupted from his opposite fist, piercing the Naro's skull.
As the limp Naro crumpled to the ground and Jin kicked it aside, his pale face heaving with ragged breaths—
"Recovery!"
Baek Yi-yeon's voice rang out.
Astonishingly, Jin Chang-hyeok's arm—mauled beyond recognition by the Naro's fangs—regained its original form.
Even his pallid complexion slowly regained its color.
Now only one Naro remained.
With its comrades fallen, it was little more than a wary straggler.
Yet as a monster, the Naro couldn't overcome its primal hostility toward humans, its killing intent still blazing.
"Grrr."
Jin Chang-hyeok slowly approached the growling Naro.
His steps staggered, but his resolve shone through.
Watching his back, Su-hyeok quelled the fire in his chest.
'That's enough.'
Su-hyeok had already confirmed in real combat just how strong he'd become in this world.
Stepping in now would merely be indulgence in his joy.
For the sake of training and gaining experience through battle, it was right to withdraw here.
The last Naro belonged to Jin Chang-hyeok and Baek Yi-yeon.
And the two sensed it too, making no plea for Su-hyeok's aid.
Moments later, Jin roared as he plunged blades from both fists into the final Naro's chest.
"Raaargh-!"
Their first battle. Their first victory.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
Having adapted to the Naro monsters, the trio swept through the portal interior like outlaws.
Shar needed neither to offer advice nor intervene.
Not just Su-hyeok—the other two adapted to combat in a flash, as if awakening to something they already knew.
'Indeed, this is what they mean by Earth's Awakeners being a bit special.'
Shar inwardly admired the sight.
A one-month training period.
No short span of time.
But far too brief to prepare for actual combat.
After two weeks of theory classes, they were thrown straight into the fray.
Provided only with their weapon of choice. No separate martial arts or combat training.
Yet they instinctively wielded their abilities and learned to fight. It was as if they moved on pure instinct.
No such beings existed in Elvenheim or any other dimension Shar knew.
Thus, Earth's Awakeners were deemed special.
Though their growth ceiling remained low, earning them the "just a bit" qualifier.
"Fascinating."
Shar murmured to herself, inaudible to the trio wrapping up yet another fight.
'But the most special one is undoubtedly that man.'
Yang Su-hyeok.
Shar's gaze upon him was complex.
If Jin Chang-hyeok and Baek Yi-yeon fought like beasts driven by instinct, Su-hyeok was distinctly different.
Far more refined. Far more technical.
He judged each moment's situation and struck precisely when needed to subdue the monsters.
It even felt like he no longer needed training at all.
'Moreover, his abilities feel different from other Awakeners. Like he's employing well-honed martial arts...
And when he uses them, some kind of energy greatly bolsters his body.'
Could that be his ability?
It was unclear.
An Awakener's power manifested somewhat within their job title.
Su-hyeok's read "Martial Artist."
Far too broad for an Awakener job.
For example, Jin Chang-hyeok was "Blade Warrior," Baek Yi-yeon "Healing Sorcerer"—names matching their powers perfectly.
Yet Su-hyeok's fit while remaining enigmatic.
'The result of innate talent fused with the Martial Artist job?'
Talent.
The unfair gift gods bestowed on creatures to remind the world of inequality.
Could Su-hyeok's prowess be explained by nothing else?
His memories sifted through Su-hyeok's records once more.
'He was bedridden until recently after the Portal Impact, right?'
A rare recovery from a vegetative state.
Too quiet a life for someone hiding secrets.
"A genius, perhaps."
Abandoning deeper speculation, Shar shook her head.
It wasn't something requiring overthought anyway.
The Su-hyeok before her eyes was proof enough.
He was strong. And honorable to boot.
Just his subtle consideration for teammates Jin Chang-hyeok and Baek Yi-yeon mid-battle told her that.
He tried to hide it, but he couldn't fool Shar's eyes.
Thus, Shar concluded:
"What a fine man."
The smile playing on her lips deepened.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In three days total, Su-hyeok's Group 8, alongside Shar, conquered numerous unclosed Grade 2 dungeons.
They sold the byproducts for profit.
Monster corpses fetched surprisingly good money.
Nails, claws, fangs, even hides—all had value akin to earthly beasts.
Thanks to that, Su-hyeok netted about 1.5 million won from sales over those three days alone.
A simple calculation meant over ten million a month from byproducts.
And luck struck with a magic stone too.
These rare drops from monsters could supplant all modern energy sources, commanding immense value. Even from a mere Grade 2 portal, it exceeded ten million won. Shar, as with the byproducts, waived her share for the trio to split. She hadn't participated in combat anyway.
Other groups occasionally needed instructor intervention in crises, but not Group 8.
By then, Su-hyeok handled it himself.
Shar couldn't brazenly claim the stone even if she wanted.
Not that Earth's money mattered much to her.
Su-hyeok banked it all.
Handing it to his family now would demand explanations, so he hid it for the time being.
'Once training ends and I've set up a convincing scenario for them, I'll hold out until then.'
There'd be hurdles in setting that benchmark, but he was confident.
Even during practical training, Su-hyeok kept growing stronger.
No—far stronger than expected.
At the core was his Awakener ability: leveling up.
'Never imagined this.'
To Su-hyeok, the Force Interface was merely an objective gauge.
A chart to judge his strength and abilities.
Nothing more.
Complete misconception.
The third time since practical training began.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Level up! Hearing the alert, he felt power surging through his flesh and knew for certain.
'Just leveling up alone makes me stronger.'
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 23 💨 Agility: 25 ✨ Wisdom: 22 💪 Vitality: 29 🍀 Will: 42 Name: Yang Su-hyeok | Age: 27 | Gender: Male Level: 6 | Job: Martial Artist | Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Karma: Excess * Karma value extremely high relative to age and racial norms.
* Body Purification: 40%. Efficiency rises when using qi-based techniques.
* Conception and Governing Meridians opened. Real-time internal energy recovery and usage efficiency doubled relative to baseline.
Su-hyeok's eyes scanned the Force Status window's details.
Not through any training, but simply by leveling up, his stats rose.
And they applied instantly to his body, techniques, or internal energy.
Awakeners could grow without training or cultivation.
The fastest path? Monster hunting.
Experiencing it in this practical training confirmed that slaying monsters outpaced any intense regimen.
The realization struck Su-hyeok's mind like lightning.
Buying time and experience was gain enough.
But a far greater hidden effect lurked.
'Cultivate martial arts to grow strong, then level up for more strength?'
Layer on Earth's meds mimicking Tempered Rejuvenation Pills for a healthy body, and the gains multiplied exponentially.
'What is this... If I was the Martial Emperor on the Huan Continent, does this mean I'll become a god here?'
"Heh heh heh..."
Su-hyeok chuckled to himself in disbelief.