Chapter 402
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 402
Chapter Title: The Archangel's Test
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After Jeong Hoon left, Argael also rose to his feet to return to the chapel for the extraction.
Maint grabbed him.
"Priest, wait a moment."
"Hah, what else is there?"
Maint hesitated briefly at Argael's prickly attitude but soon delivered his prepared words.
"Do you have the key?"
The key.
He was referring to the key for the lock on the box he had just handed to the outsider.
"You're quick on the uptake. How did you know?"
Argael had the key for the lock, and even though Jeong Hoon had been curious about its whereabouts, he had kept his mouth shut.
"Could you hand that key over to me?"
"Why should I?"
"So I can give it to my benefactor."
"Hmph, I'll handle that myself, so mind your own business. More importantly, don't you have the Primordial Fragments?"
"Primordial Fragments...? What are those?"
"The three fragments you obtained while getting that box."
"Ah, I was planning to hand these over to my benefactor when he returned successfully."
Maint had no greed.
Handing over the box had repaid the favor he received, and he had been saving the fragments afterward to give them once he returned from hunting monsters.
But how did this priest know he had the fragments?
Suspicion flickered in his eyes.
"Tsk, I'm the one who told you how to set up the barrier. It was information from the Holy Lord God. You think it's strange that I was told to give the fragments you have to that outsider?"
"...But why are you so rude about it?"
"Got a problem with that? If it bothers you, hit me."
"Let's not say that... Anyway, I'll let my benefactor know you have the key."
"Oh? Getting mouthy now?"
"Weren't you the one who started talking short first?"
"Hah, fuck. This is why you can't give NPCs freedom."
"NPC...?"
Maint looked puzzled for a moment, as if he didn't understand.
"Tsk, it's a thing. Anyway, send him to me when he comes. And don't forget to hand over the fragments."
At that moment.
Jeong Hoon's sword sliced open the belly of a Mutant Giant Tiger.
"Keh-heeek!"
The level 540 Mutant Giant Tiger collapsed helplessly.
"Kill the human!"
"Attack all at once!"
When their comrade was slain, the Mutant Giant Tigers swarmed and surrounded Jeong Hoon.
Modeled after tigers, they lived independently.
But with an enemy on another level like Jeong Hoon appearing, they judged they needed to join forces.
Of course, even united, they were no match for him.
Slaaaash!
Every time Jeong Hoon swung his sword, corpses piled up, and it took only 10 minutes for them to be wiped out.
"Michael."
It was the first time calling him since his regression.
"Yes, Master."
Though annoyed at being summoned after so long, now wasn't the time to quibble.
"Extract the blood from the monsters I've killed."
"Blood?"
"Yeah. Fill it up without leaving a drop behind."
"Uh... where should I store it?"
"This glass bottle."
Jeong Hoon tossed him a glass bottle.
Not just any bottleit was an artifact capable of holding up to 100,000,000L.
And true to its artifact nature, even filled to the brim with 100,000,000L, its weight wouldn't change.
"Out after so long, and you give me this...?"
"With your current strength, you couldn't hunt these anyway."
Michael had grown tremendously after materialization.
So the current Michael could hunt...
Michael
-Level: 2,200
Why was this guy's level like this?
"Master, I'm your familiar. Of course I regressed with you."
"Ah, I see."
Mukho and Anima had retained their pre-regression grades fully, so Michael and Fenrir were likely the same.
But his level was nearly halved.
Pre-regression, Michael's level had been close to 4,000.
"My level will recover once you fully recover yours, Master."
"Okay. That's good then."
At level 2,200, he could easily handle Arandis's monsters.
Jeong Hoon summoned Fenrir as well.
Fenrir
-Level: 2,312
Fenrir's level was also in the 2,300s.
"Master, it's been a while since you called."
"Yeah. Anyway, I have a job for you."
"What is it?"
"Hunt the mutant monsters here and collect their blood."
"Ah, hunting? That's simple."
"Yeah. At your levels, it's more than doable."
"...You were ignoring us just now."
Michael grumbled softly, but Jeong Hoon brushed it off lightly.
"Michael, collecting the blood is entirely your responsibility."
"Me?!"
"Yeah. Only one artifact bottle."
"Then have Fenrir..."
"You're faster doing it yourself."
Fenrir was a divine beast.
His body structure made it hard to handle a glass bottle small enough for human hands.
"Ahem, true."
"I'm counting on you."
"Should I fill all 100,000,000L?"
"Yeah."
100,000,000L.
An artifact so massive in capacity it had been hard to obtain.
Alone, it would have taken ages, but with Fenrir and the necromancer Michael working together, the time would be drastically reduced.
"Got it!"
"Yes!"
Fenrir and Michael shouted spiritedly and began the hunt.
Three days.
Jeong Hoon hunted relentlessly day and night for three days, filling the 100,000,000L to the brim.
He stopped counting midway, but this amount could protect an entire village with plenty to spare.
"Good work, everyone."
Jeong Hoon used Divine Healing on Michael and Fenrir to erase their fatigue.
"Master, may we hunt a few more monsters before returning?"
"Hunt?"
"Yes. If we go back now, we'll just be idle... We want to expend a bit more energy before heading back."
"Hmm, sure. After three days of hard work, you deserve that much."
"Thank you!"
"But you'll auto-return when I log out, so keep that in mind."
"Yes!"
After sending off Michael and Fenrir, Jeong Hoon headed straight to Maint's house.
"Oh, back already."
"Yes. Hunting hard made it go quick."
"Huh... You subjugated 100,000 in three days?"
"Not sure about exactly 100,000, but it's more than enough."
Maint was stunned by Jeong Hoon's words.
Three days.
Far too short for 100,000 kills.
And he claimed around that number?
'Is he really human?'
To Maint, Jeong Hoon seemed to transcend humanity.
"...Take this."
Maint handed over the three Primordial Fragments from his bosom.
"These are Primordial Fragments?"
"You recognize them?"
"Yes. I already have a few."
"Huh, I see."
"Still, thank you. The more I have, the better for me."
Jeong Hoon smiled brightly.
"Thanks. By the way, about that priest... He's way too rude."
"Is he?"
"Yeah. After you left, this is what happened..."
Having heard everything from Maint, Jeong Hoon headed straight to the chapel.
There, Argael was with a middle-aged man in robes.
NPC Info
-Nickname: Fram
-Level: 350
-Job: Alchemist (Manufacturing)
He was a level 350 alchemist.
"You... you were bluffing, weren't you?"
In front of Maint, he had claimed he could extract and mix it into paint himself.
"Ahem, an angel has pride. Couldn't say I couldn't do it there."
"Fine, take this and hand over the key."
"The key?"
Argael tilted his head innocently, as if clueless.
The pure expression made Jeong Hoon's fist clench, but he held back for now.
"Yeah. Maint told me everything."
"That damn guy..."
"Hand it over if you don't want to die."
Jeong Hoon beckoned with his finger.
"Uh... If you grant me one request..."
"Okay. But you die after."
The alchemist shuddered, clutching the glass bottle, at the voice thick with killing intent.
"A-ah, got it! Just take it!"
Only then did Argael hand over the key.
Thwack!
Jeong Hoon snatched the key and punched Argael in the face.
"Argh!"
Argael's head snapped back, his balance shattered, and he crumpled to the floor.
"Would've been easier if you'd just handed it over nicely."
Hate this bastard.
'Master, why not just kill him?'
'Can't just kill an angel carelessly.'
Mukho and Anima's opinions differed.
"Should ask the Archangel first whether to kill him or not."
Argael flinched at Jeong Hoon's mutter.
"S-sorry! Truth is, I was instructed to hand over this key when the Arandis quest reaches 50 completion."
Argael quickly straightened up and slammed his forehead to the floor.
"An order from the Archangel?"
"Yes..."
"Watch yourself."
"I'll keep it in mind."
Jeong Hoon turned and left the chapel.
Now, only opening the box to obtain the next Sequence Box remained.
A key is required to unlock the ??? Lock.
You possess the key.
Unlock the lock?
"Unlock."
The lock has been unlocked.
The lock unlocked, and as Jeong Hoon opened the box, glowing powder erupted like a fountain, forming a portal just like with the pendant.
???
A portal whose info couldn't be read, same as before.
Jeong Hoon stepped into the portal.
Moving.
You have entered ????.
No info, but a familiar place.
Pure white pillars supporting the ceiling, walls and floor of pure golda beautiful space.
The very place where he had faced Michael before.
'Whos waiting for me this time.'
Curious, he walked forward.
An angel awaited him there.
NPC Info
-Nickname: Gabriel
-Level: X
-Job: Archangel
"You've come."
An angel holding the rank of Archangel, like Michael.
Gabriel welcomed Jeong Hoon with a benevolent voice.
"Yes. Here for the next Sequence Box."
"Is that so? I hear you received an Elixir from Michael but didn't consume it."
"I gained the Sequence's approval without eating it."
"Bold. I can see why you were chosen by the Lord God."
"Chosen?"
As Jeong Hoon tilted his head, Gabriel covered her mouth and laughed, as if she had misspoke.
"My apologies. Not something to reveal yet."
"...You doing this on purpose to make me curious?"
"Well, maybe or maybe not."
"So, where's the next Sequence Box?"
"Was going to just give it to you... but forcing the key out is unacceptable."
Gabriel stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Jeong Hoon laughed in disbelief.
"Wasn't it urgent?"
"Hm?"
"You wanted the Demon Realm Gate opened ASAP, right?"
"If so, I'd have focused on you recovering and growing stronger quickly."
Gabriel smiled brightly.
"So, take a test?"
"Correct."
With those words, six pure white boxes appeared before Gabriel.
Not one, but six in total.
"Six?"
"Yes. Collected them all from the others."
No idea how, but she had gotten the boxes from the other five Archangels.
"...What, it is urgent then."
"Hehe, think freely. Your answer?"
No need to think.
"What's the test?"