Author: Xerenity

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200. Self Copying and Mobile Storage

“Hm. If it’s a golden scroll, then this should be the right encyclopedia for it…”

“I think I’ve gone through roughly half of it, and it feels like my eyes are burning.”

“Hoho. It’s quite a lot, right? But you cannot be surprised with just this. This encyclopedia only contains skills for the magician class Protectors after all.”

“Huh? Isn’t it this one?”

In the encyclopedia roughly the size of a regular A sheet paper pack, countless pictograms the size of a thumb filled the paper to the brim.

After a long time of searching through the encyclopedia, I found a pictogram that I had seen written on the scroll before.

The pictogram looked like two people that were holding hands.

Dump and I brought the scroll closer and began to check if it was the right one.

“Oh! That’s it. Looking at the name… It’s the Cloning Jutsu!”

“Cloning Jutsu…”

“Confirming the skill name with my own eyes heightens my surprise even more. You really are amazing. The elite monsters the scroll drops from have to at least be rank 8 or 9. These are elite monsters that most Protectors do not dare face.”

“Guess I got lucky. Thankfully it wasn’t an elite monster from the unexplored territories.”

“You’re right. But Sir Guardian, aren’t you a warrior class? Unfortunately, seeing your sword and armor, it seems you won’t be able to use this scroll. Only a Protector with the class of mage can use this skill after all.”

“Is the ability to obtain skills also locked to the different classes here as well?”

“Huh? Here? Well, yes. You can learn the skill, but you can’t use it. It’s because the resource needed to use the skill is different.” ¹

“Can I tell what and how much of this resource I have numerically?”

“No. That’s not the case. However, any Protector can sense the resource they possess. After all, it’s important due to its uses in using skills and taking care of one’s health. You can say that it’s tied to one’s survival.”

“I see. If it’s an issue of having the wrong class, it doesn’t matter.”

“Huh?”

“Ah… What I meant to say was that since I can exchange this with a warrior class skill of the same rank, it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course you can. Since a Cloning Jutsu is quite the high ranking skill, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll get a warrior class skill of similar ranking. Should I bring you the warrior skill encyclopedia as well?”

“No. Let’s first learn about the skill. We can sort out the trading afterwards.”

“I understand. I knew you would say that, so I brought it ahead of time. Let’s see… It’s number 466, so…”

Dump unfurled the scroll that he had brought with the encyclopedia.

The detailed information of the skill that wasn’t included in the encyclopedia filled to the brim with pictograms were written in there.

“Here it is. Number 466, Cloning Jutsu.”

“…”

I was quite surprised at the method of finding the skill scroll’s name and information about it.

The technological skill was far lacking compared to how it was back on Earth, but the systematic, well organized, and detailed encyclopedias and manuals for skills were quite something else.

Only the method of digital and analogue information recording was different, and I felt that nothing was lacking.

While it would take a bit longer to pull up the information, there were no other downsides.

The explanation Dump found about the Cloning Jutsu was as follows.

-Cloning Jutsu-

*For mage class Protectors.

*Makes a clone equivalent to 50% of the resource of the caster. (Depending on the proficiency, possible up to ??%)

*Per clone per minute, 1% of the mage’s maximum resource is used up.

*Depending on the proficiency, the maximum number created can be increased by ??, and a unique ability is given.

“It’s good.”

“Of course. However, the drawback is that it’s hard to use unless you’re in a dire situation. It’s obvious that this skill expends a lot of resources.”

“Is that so? Well, it doesn’t matter to me…”

“Hoho. Of course. You’re going to trade it after all.”

“Then let’s search for the remaining one as well.”

“Yes.”

Cloning Jutsu.

This type of skill did not exist back on Earth.

Mana and mastery of one’s power affected the skill like before, but this type of skill did not exist.

The closest thing to this was calling forth a summoned creature.

The world that Karupedan made. The skills and abilities that came from her mind.

It made me wonder who she planned on tormenting or saving by making things like these.

However, it didn’t take long for my entire focus to be on the Cloning Jutsu.

It’s kind of arrogant to say this, but this Cloning Jutsu was a skill perfect for me.

The limitation on both class and the drain of resources does not affect me at all.

With the Fragment of Time and Space, I had been able to handle any power.

It didn’t matter if the world I was in was Earth, the celestial plane, or even Hell.

Not only that, but I did not have such a thing called resources bestowed upon Protectors.

Thus, this meant that I was able to use all the skills obtained here with mana.

Since there was no way infinite mana could be divided into a percentage, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the clone made would have the same strength as I.

I did not know the maximum number of clones I could make.

Since it hasn’t been that long since monsters and Protectors have appeared, no one knew just how many clones could be made.

And what would happen when one had obtained the maximum level of mastery of this skill, then used to skill with 100% power of the caster?

It wouldn’t be a 1v1 fight, but a ganging up made possible by this skill.

It would be long before I would get this skills’ proficiency to the maximum by constantly using it, then test to see what additional benefits there are.

I was curious about the last part that was written regarding the special ability.

Did it mean that the clone would have the same strength as the caster while obtaining another new ability?

If it goes as I hope for and my clone gets 100% of my strength, and then even obtains a unique ability, then one could consider this skill as an insane one.

After all, it would mean that I would be able to control clones stronger than I.

It was obvious that I had to put great effort into raising my mastery of this skill.

“Here it is!”

Before I could calm down my excitement from obtaining the Cloning Jutsu, Dump had found the other remaining scrolls’ pattern as well.

It hadn’t been that wrong, but Dump really was a helping hand that was worth far more than jewels by the truckload.

I even considered that this relationship could progress into one similar to a family, like Jong Ho and Ho Jin back on Earth.

There was no way to see through a person completely, but his thoughts and character were similar to the people around me after all.

“Have you found it already?”

“Hoho. Compared to the last one, this one was further up in the front.”

“Number 121. Mobile Storage.”

“Even the name alone sounds fancy. Reminds me of Karin’s pocket…”

“Hm… Sir Guadian seems to say things that make me wonder if you’re someone from another world. Well, it’s probably because you’ve lost your memory though, hoho.”

“Is that so? Let’s see what the detailed explanation says.”

“Yes, we should.”

-Mobile Storage-

*At the caster’s will, summons a storage that can store goods.

*The storage and complete obliteration of items follows the will of the caster.

*The size of the storage increases depending on the mastery.

*Living creatures can also enter, but cannot leave the storage without the permission of the caster.

*When the caster dies, the storage also ceases to exist. (Everything both object and living stored also perishes.)

“I’ve heard about Mobile Storage before. This is one of the skills that a Protector must obtain. However, the cost of the skill scroll goes beyond one’s imagination. After all, you cannot obtain this from a regular monster.”

“Yes. It was quite troublesome to store jewels and artifacts, so I’m glad.”

“If this is a skill you haven’t learned yet, then I think you avoid trading it and learn it instead.”

“Yes, I think I should. However…”

“Ah. Is it that you do not know how to use the skill scroll?”

“Yes… It seems that my memories…”

“Hoho. It’s quite simple. All you have to do is twist and tear the scroll apart with a bit of force.”

“It’s a lot more simple than I thought.”

“Yes. Since the method of obtaining the skill is quite easy, I heard that there are fights that break out during party hunting due to those who lose themselves to greed and try taking the scroll for their own. Then will you try it now?”

“Yes. Let’s do so.”

“Whew… I can say for sure that it’s not a good feeling.”

“Hoho. Is that so? This is something that a civilian like me would never get the chance to experience… Huh? Sir Guardian!”

“Yes?”

“My goodness… The skill you’ve just obtained isn’t Mobile Storage, but Cloning Jutsu!”

“Ah… Is that so?”

“Oh no. Such a waste, what should we do…”

“Guess I’ll have to think of it as a costly lesson.”

“Since it already happened, it can’t be helped, but… Ha… Do not worry too much. Both bad luck and fortune coexist, so thinking about it in a positive light like Sir Guardian has said is probably the right thing to do.”

Dump regretted me learning the Cloning Jutsu as if it was his own problem.

His words tried to console me, but it almost seemed as though he was the one who needed consoling instead.

Letting out what seemed like an endless sigh, he even stomped on the ground.

It was to be expected, since he must think that this skill was useless to a warrior class Protector he thought I was.

From his point of view, it must’ve been the same as discarding the scroll on the ground.

Seeing as this was not an act, but a genuine response from him, it was very reassuring for me.

This was the same feeling I was getting when I first met Jong Ho.

I felt a bit remorseful that I was fooling someone like this, but I knew it wouldn’t have to for long.

This was an acquaintance that I would part ways with in a 100 days, but I didn’t approach him with the goal of using him or causing him harm.

And if the situation did call for it, then I did have the intention to reveal my identity.

Of course, I hoped that such a worst case scenario would not come to pass.

After self rationalizing, I obtained the Mobile Storage skill.

“Oho…”

“So this is the storage spell.”

I called forth the storage using the Mobile Storage skill I had obtained.

The air blew violently as if being sucked into a single point, then a space both dark and deep blue appeared.

It seemed Dump, who was someone other than the caster, was able to see it.

As seeing it for the first time, he mouth was agape and it seemed that he couldn’t hold back his excitement.

I threw a small handful of jewels into the tear in space.

Almost as if someone had received them and started to organize them right away, the jewels were sorted immediately.

Not only that, but it was accurately being sorted by size and ranking, filling the corner of the storage.

Looking at me with wonder in his eyes, Dump spoke to me.

“The way to raise the proficiency of the Mobile Storage skill is different from other skills.”

“What’s different?”

“What I mean is that the skill’s proficiency won’t increase by constantly using it. Hm… To put it simply, it’s like renting a room of an inn.”

“A room of an inn?”

“Yes. You can think of the skill Mobile Storage as the owner of the inn. It grows up by eating. It doesn’t care for the jewels you tossed in for storage, but if you toss any items for destruction or as feed, it’ll eat it all. And then it’ll give you space worth the items fed.”

“Such an amusing thing. It’s almost as if it’s alive.”

“Yes. You can feel as though the artifacts you sacrifice to it is a waste, but since Mobile Storage will always play a crucial role, it would be best that you do not hold back investing into it.”

“I see.”

Handing over half the jewels I brought back to Dump, I poured the rest into the storage and spoke.

“Here. Eat. This is your meal.”

-Crunch. Crunch.

---

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199. Opening Act. Festival of Blood.

“Demon. Go forth. Go and announce the start of a new Festival of Blood.”

“…”

“Come! The king of this battlefield is I!”

At Millions’ command, Barub walked towards the battlefield.

Where the corpses rolled about and the stench of blood was heavy, a giant man excitedly wait for Barub’s arrival.

Holding the seat of the king amongst regular civilians in the Festival of Blood for so long, he had become extremely arrogant.

He had the confidence that no matter who the opponent was, he would just pull their heads off and bathe in their blood.

However, the opponent was Barub.

Barub wasn’t a budding greenhorn who just started walking on the path of a Protector, but someone who could kill the average Protectors in the blink of an eye.

Millions and the crowd watched what Barub was doing with complete silence.

Barub, who approached close to the huge man, was without any equipment.

Not only did Barub not have any weapons, but had headed into the battlefield without any armor.

Contrasting that, the huge man was equipped with pretty decent defensive equipment and a weapon, perhaps due to being recognized by all that he had achieved so far.

The first attack was done by the huge man.

“Ugh! Augh!”

“….”

The sword swung accurately at Barub’s neck.

It was a perfect attack that wouldn’t surprise anyone if it cleanly cut off Barub’s head.

For a regular human, it was obvious that this man was very talented in the art of the sword.

However, the moment that the sword touched Barub’s neck, instead of their head being cut off, the huge man’s arm were ripped into shreds before popping like a balloon.

The arm that held onto the sword had evaporated into a steam of red.

Wide eyed from the pain and shock, the man flailed around wildly while backstepping.

See his reaction, Barub quietly muttered.

“You claimed to be a king…”

“AAAAH! M… Monster. Ugh!”

“I shall pull out that insolent tongue for you. I am the king of this world. I cannot tolerate using that term so lightly.”

“Mphh!”

“…”

“How pathetic. Now it really begins.”

Barub’s coarse hand covered the man’s mouth and increase the pressure of the grip on the man’s face.

Without even being able to mutter a whimper, his head popped and blood rained down like a waterfall.

Tossing the limp corpse of the man far aside, Barub stood in the center of the battlefield.

It was obvious that there would be no more challengers.

After all, it was obvious that anyone who wasn’t at least a Protector would have a chance now.

The crowd cheered and Millions gave off a satisfied smile.

“Now! With this, the new festival has started. The rules are the same as before, with the exception that the Protectors can join as well. I look forward to an opponent who can face off against the wild beast Demon. Demon!”

“….”

At Millions’ call, Barub followed him back inside.

It was obvious that the marquis was vile and disgusting, but Barub followed him without much concern.

Barub knew that the marquis was peculiarly similar to with how they were.

Someone who enjoyed a cruel game within the confines of the rules they set for themselves.

No remorse or regret were felt in the slightest for it either.

Barub returned to Millions’ estate and laid down in the large room specifically picked out for them by the marquis.

It had been four days since Barub had arrived in Hell, but other than killing the guard, they had not really obtained any growth.

However, Barub did not feel any pressure to hurry up.

After all, Barub managed to get through the issue with Millions’ ambitions and how it affected the Blood Festival.

They believed that it wouldn’t be long before they were able to obtain vast amounts of strength that could not be obtained even through great effort.

They were positive that this was a wise decision.

Just like how lead or mercury poisoning works in the food chain, killing the Protectors who are apex predators to obtain their strength would be the fastest and most effective way for growing stronger.

However, if there was one thing to worry about, it was the difference between the celestial plane and Hell in terms of strength.

Min-Cheol’s strength was that of killing all the gods other than Karupedan’s. Millions’ strength was far beyond that.

There was a chance that a Protector far stronger than Barub would appear.

However, those who participated in the tournament weren’t swordsmen, but had to be either slaves or criminals to partake in the festival, and that meant that the number of people insane enough to throw away their good life and honorable position to participate would be few.

There was the possibility of enticing potential candidates with rewards, but it would take some time before any fish would take the bait.

If Min-Cheol’s appearance was that of a rugged man in his early 30s with a scar on his face, then Barub had received a body that left a far greater impression.

Barub’s body looked like an elderly in their 50s or 60s, but the body was radiating such a strong energy that no one could even think of trying anything.

A trained body that would make age irrelevant and calm emotionless eyes painted a picture of what an expert would be like in a cultivation manhwa.

Laying on a bed made of stacked straw, Barub looked at the ceiling and sank into deep thought.

“How amusing. To think that I would be acting the role of someone’s lackey… Kuha! After meeting that human, I’m experiencing all sorts of new experiences.”

Barub had finally become fully acclimated to their human body.

Not only that, but they, Barub, were capable of hosting any amount of strength within themselves, because they had enough capacity to do so.

Barub sorted through their future plans as they thought about all the delicious prey that would come their way before long.

However, that didn’t last long.

They could hear sounds from outside.

“Demon. Marquis Millions seeks you.”

“Such an annoyance…”

****

I could hunt up to the 10th tier without any risks.

To be more clear, I decided to be a bit more greedy and headed into the unexplored territories.

However, the monsters there were so strong that I couldn’t even face them.

Taking them one or two at a time was somewhat possible, but due to the sheer number of monsters, to try making a chance to do so was extremely difficult.

It felt as though each regular monster was an elite one.

I arrived at the conclusion that going any further would be difficult and decided to remain at the 10 tier for now.

This actually could be a good outcome.

As I had said before, one’s growth could not be checked with numbers.

It was because stats or levels didn’t increase here.

That was why the only place I could find my limit and confirm my growth was the unexplored territories.

The moment that I am able to kill the monsters in the unexplored territories with ease, or I am able to slowly increase my number of monsters I can handle from one or two, that is when I would know. What better way was there than this to confirm with absolute confidence in my growth.

I finished my hunt along with my needlessly positive self rationalization.

“Aha. Have you returned, Sir Protector?”

“Yes. Nothing happened while I was gone?”

“Of course. Not only did I keep the rooms on the floor you are residing empty, but I had the entire building emptied. Not a single outsider has come on.”

“You didn’t need to go that far… Regardless, I am thankful. Here you go.”

“Oh! I didn’t tell you this because I wanted additional jewels…”

“Please take them. I look forward to your continued cooperation.”

“Yes! Of course! I should do so. You must be tired, so please head in.”

“Yes.”

Finishing my short chat with the innkeep, I went into my room with haste.

It was because I wanted to check on the loot that I had obtained by defeating the elite monster as soon as possible.

The first thing to do in my room was to take off my armor and change into clothing that was commonly worn around here.

I did hurriedly pick up the artifacts, but these items did not have the appearance of something commonplace at all.

Even if I undid the sack right here and now, it was obvious that no one would know what these items were for or how to use them.

The place I planned to head for was Dump’s smithy.

****

“I apologize for coming in almost every single day.”

“No need to worry about that. I thought you’d come so I was waiting for you. For what reason have you come here today?”

“It’s just that I was in the middle of hunting when I met an elite monster that you mentioned before.”

“Oh my! That could’ve been a disaster! How are you in one piece?”

“Yes, thankfully I am…”

“I was quite worried. After all, there is nothing written about elite monsters in the encyclopedia.”

“I noticed. Due to how rare their appearance is, I guess there is no information on them?”

“That’s part of the reason, but all elite monsters have different appearances. No elite monster is identical to another in this world.”

“Are you telling me that an elite monster has a different appearance each time they show?”

“Yes. That’s right. That’s why not even the ranked Protectors can fight them recklessly. Even if they formed a party, they’d be busy running for their lives. It’s to be expected, since there is no information on the elite monster they’re facing. After all, even in the tier 1 zone, an elite monster with the strength befitting of the monsters from the unexplored territories could appear.” ²

“They appear… at random? And they do not carry strength matching that of the tier of the hunting ground they’re in…”

“Yes. Most of the elite monsters are taken care of by the unit serving directly under the castellan, the ‘Knights.’ Sometimes there are some elite monster hunters who try to strike it rich in one go, but this attempt shouldn’t be done unless you have two lives. Why would anyone try fighting an elite monster unless they’re crazy? Well, it is extremely fortunate that you were able to escape without any issues.”

“Hmm… I’m not insane, but I fought against one and won. That’s why I have come here.”

“Huh? You defeated an elite monster? Oho… How fortunate this turned out to be. It must’ve been an elite monster that wasn’t very strong. The Heavens have helped you.”

“Yes… Well, those in the celestial plane aren’t that compassionate, but I guess I’ll have to think of it that way.”

“Huh?”

“Ah. It’s nothing.”

“Hoho. Will you have some tea at least?”

“I’m alright. Due to artifacts spilling out as loot, I hastily picked them up and made my way over here, but since I do not know how these items should be used, I came here to ask for assistance.”

“If that’s the case, then do not worry. I’m not a Protector, but I have seen and learned a lot while being involved in this market for some time.

“Then…”

“Oho!”

“What is the matter?”

“As expected… I did think that you slayed a monster in a high tier zone after seeing the size and quality ranking of the jewels you’ve given to me before, but to think that you were this strong…”

“…”

“You should get your memory back as soon as possible. You must’ve been someone with a high ranking position within the castle…”

“Are these items worth that much?”

“These items are so precious that they cannot be obtained with money or jewels.”

Dump pointed at the scroll that gave off a golden light that was pulled out from the sack while speaking.

Perhaps too uncomfortable to even hold the item with his hands, his hands hovered around thin air, as if an invisible barrier was blocking his way.

Pictographs similar to the ones written on the skill books that exist back on Earth were on the surface of the scroll.

I asked Dump.

“What is this?”

“It’s a skill scroll.”

“As expected…”

The thought of if I had the Eye of Insight, I could find out the use and the effects of the skill in one go really filled me with regret.

It was at the moment that I was going to chastise myself for getting tricked by complacency and forgetting how precious it was.

“Could you find out what skill this is?”

“Please wait a moment.”

“…”

Dump didn’t even look back as he ran out of the store.

Did about 3 minutes pass just like that?

With rough breathing, Dump returned.

In his hand was a parchment similar to the size of the monster encyclopedia.

“Whew… This is the skill encyclopedia. Most information on skills are in here, so I shall give a look over to it to try finding it.”

“Yes. Let us search together. I shall search for this.”

“Understood. Then I shall do this one.”

There were two scrolls that I had obtained after defeating the elite monster.

The pictographs were different from each other, and even the thickness of the scrolls were different as well.

With a great amount of hope, I focused my all on searching for the skills by figuratively staring holes into the encyclopedia.

---

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198. The Real Hunting Begins at the 11th Rank (2)

The number of Frost Queens that had gathered was reduced in an instant.

On top of that, the nearby area became an inhospitable environment unfit for life, covered in both intense heat and cold.

At least for a couple hours, it will be difficult for anyone to get close to said area.

I could see a couple of jewels shining through their broken half transparent forms, and I could see that both the size and ranks of these jewels were nothing like what I had seen so far.

I was positive that the increase in rank was the reason behind such a huge difference.

Not only would this be true for the quality of the loot, but it would also be the case for the amount of strength completely absorbed by me.

I could not check with my eyes due to a lack of indicators, but I was sure that if I kept on absorbing the strength of my enemies, the end result would be amazing.

“Even picking up these jewels poses a problem. I guess I’ll just pick up some of the big ones and throw out the rest.”

Jewels dropped at a 100% rate.

Because of that and how the Frost Queens gathered in a group, the amount of jewels they had collectively dropped was quite a lot.

If I could grow stronger by buying some artifacts with currency, I would be gathering these jewels like no tomorrow, but I had not received any information of such so far, so I couldn’t help but look at these jewels like stones on the roadside.

Due to the sheer amount, I had even dug holes between hunts to not get spotted as I casted Warp, returning to my residence to drop them off.

The 1 pyeong ³ shabby inn room had already been filled to the brim with jewels, and I even had to consider using the next room over.

The presence of the Frost Queen horde that I thought would stream in endlessly had all but disappeared.

At the rate I was going, I felt confident enough to not only take down the 9th tier, but the 10th tier as well without breaking a sweat.

It even made me hope that I would be able to go all the way into unexplored areas.

Shoving some jewels in the sack without much thought, I went onwards.

“Just like Pied Piper of Hamelin.”

Going forwards without being stealthed caused a massive amount of monsters to aggro on me.

Looking behind after running for a while, I saw countless monsters forming a mob group in the shape of a big triangle.

However, there were no issues with this situation.

This was just a part of hunting hordes.

Not only that, but I was sure that the stampede of monsters would have already frightened any nearby Protectors into fleeing.

Also, my form was completely covered by my armor, and I could always change the appearance of my outerwear as needed.

With the castle as the center, no matter which direction in 360 degrees you left outwards to, you could always arrive at each tier without issue, so even if someone did see my appearance now, the chances of meeting again was slim.

Even if someone did see my horde hunting strategy right now, I was sure that nothing would be out of the ordinary.

Wouldn’t there be someone in this world with strength on par with me already?

Others would just see me as a ranker Protector seeking to get to higher tier hunting grounds.

The most important thing here was to not use skills that of an Awakened, but skills that the Protectors here use.

What I was scared of was Barub, not the Protectors of this place.

“The way they’re grouped reminds me of bowling pins. Feels like I should try for a strike?”

The electricity in the air gathered, and dark clouds appeared in the sky.

The entire sky was a clear blue except for the area where the monsters and I were present, with darkness descending swiftly at our location.

The attacks that would follow this odd phenomenon would be far stranger and something grandiose.

After all, this skill was one of the most fantastical skill effects that I had observed so far, and the damage dealt was also among one of the most powerful.

This horde gathering method was also the same method of hunting the Protector who had casted this spell had used.

Isn’t there a saying that copying is the mother of all inventions?

It’s a rule of thumb to copy what looks good and figure things out from then on.

Finally.

The pitch black sky poured down an insane amount of electricity.

Even the range of this skill was vast, and was so vast that it was enough to cover me and all the massive number of monsters that had gathered.

Other than the sound of lightning splitting across the sky and the sound destruction in its wake, I could only hear the sounds of the demonic monsters crying out.

The lightning bolts that dug into the monsters searched for a way out, raviging their bodies in the process and hopped from victim to victim, eroding their lifeforce.

Due to the constant stream of lightning continuing on for quite some time, the monsters began to fall one by one, and eventually, only the jewels remained where the monsters once stood.

For a brief moment, I wondered if I should pick up the jewels in this decimated hunting ground.

“Is this enough to qualify as a strike? But how long will it take to pick up all these… Hm? Seems a single arrogant pin is still alive?”

There was one demonic monster that was leisurely pulling themselves out of the pile of corpses.

The location I was in was probably somewhere at the border between the tier 8 and 9 areas.

Even if this estimation wasn’t accurate, I had not seen this monster anywhere in the encyclopedia.

The encyclopedia was so well made that it exceeded my expectations, serving as an excellent guide.

It was a perfect manual that allowed me to see up to the 10th tier of Hell’s hunting grounds, and was made well enough for me to consider it like a textbook.

To think that such a great encyclopedia was incorrect was hard to believe.

Not only that, but this monster had survived what all the other monsters perished from.

“An elite mob? Looks like today is that day I will update the encyclopedia.”

The monster let out a common monster skill, Fear, which was a sharp howl that now dug into my ears.

The monster’s appearance was like that of half human and half monster.

The top half was that of a feline animal, similar to a leopard or cheetah, while the lower half was that of a human, standing up with their two feet.

Since I had already faced quite a lot of hidden bosses back on Earth, I did not feel any worry for this new development.

On the contrary, I was quite happy with the encounter. I was quite excited for what this monster might drop as loot.

As I heard from Dump yesterday, elite demonic monsters drop talismans that completely outperform craftable ones.

I was also positive that there would be additional benefits to defeating them.

In the blink of an eye, the monster had closed the distance and was attacking me.

“A nameless kitty like you pushes their claws at me the moment we meet?”

I used both the lightning attack I had used just before and Normal Breath at the monster.

I wasn’t limited by cooldowns or mana deficiencies.

I could produce any effect of magic freely to my imaginations.

The monster that had been allowing attacks to go through without any barriers suddenly jumped back to make distance between them and me.

They must’ve realized that they had no chance of winning.

While the breath attack didn’t reach, the electric attack kept chasing after them.

“Oh? You’ve made distance? Against a mage? Looks like the intelligence level of the monsters here are not much different from all the monsters back on Earth.”

It looked like Normal Breath would not reach them anymore.

That meant that I would need to use magics with greater range.

Since I had traveled through the higher tier hunting grounds while hidden, I was able to see some decent spells that were proving very useful.

If I have the time, I was planning on asking Dump for an encyclopedia that explains the skills of a magician.

Accompanied by a chilling sound, thousands of arrows surrounded the area.

It was a skill called Celestial Arrow.

“Shall I begin the hunt?”

I pointed at them.

Similar to how bullets are loaded into a gun before being fired, tens of arrows gathered to each of my sides, readying to fire.

I casted the attack at them right away, and razor sharp arrows flew towards them without hesitation.

“Kyaru!”

With swift movements, they had avoided roughly 90% of the attacks, but due to the sheer number of Celestial Arrows, even being hit by 10% of the remaining attacks dealt a massive amount of damage.

As time passed, they slowed further, and the arrows that penetrated all over their body began to release all sorts of powers like magical energies, torturing them.

The monster that had pushed their claws at me to attack at the start was now fully occupied trying to flee.

However, even their attempt at fleeing didn’t last long.

“Keheh…”

As the monster stopped moving, all the arrows pierced their body, and they perished on the spot.

The scene reminded me that of a hedgehog or a cactus.

On top of the dense pile of arrows that had successfully penetrated, I could see a pretty huge jewel and a few artifacts floating above.

Looking around, I quickly went towards the items and took them, then quickly fled the scene.

It was because I had concluded that it was a bad idea to stay here long at a spot where such a ruckus had occurred.

If this was back on Earth, I would’ve immediately checked what I had obtained, but I pushed down my anticipation and headed for higher tiers.

****

The Festival of Blood was taking place on this battlefield.

A large man was bashing his sword and shield together, trying to get the crowd riled up.

However, the nobles at the stadium seats only talked amongst each other or something other trivials.

So far it was too insignificant to warrant any excitement.

The large man was a slave that held the title of champion for over 2 months.

Besides the Protectors, you could say that this was the strongest amongst the regular civilians.

The nobles had long lost interest in such boring fights.

Since they had no other way than to go see the Festival of Blood to sate their boredom, they had come here, but it had become a place to have talks in order to form connections for the nobility.

It was true that the current situation was far from the original purpose behind the creation of the festival.

A malnourished thin slave went towards the yelling man, almost as if being shoved towards him.

Anyone could tell what would happen afterwards.

As expected by everyone, the slave’s head was lobbed off in a single cut, and the huge man held the malnourished slave’s head that was twisted in a horrific expression in his hand.

From the neck of the body that was sprawled out on the floor, blood spurted out as if it was being pumped out.

Despite the scene being very simulating and cruel, the crowd did not react.

It was then.

“Everyone, please give me your attention!”

“Hm?”

“What is this?”

“It is Marquis Millions!”

Due to his appearance, the crowd’s focus shifted on to him.

Despite holding both position and power only granted to a few, he did not use his power without reason.

He was the subject of respect for those below him, and even those equal or stronger than him could not deal with him as they pleased.

The appearance of a person like him caused a greater stir in the crowd than the bloodletting at the festival.

“Greetings to all the nobility gathered here. I am Marquis Millions.”

“Oho!”

“…”

“There is a reason why I have so rudely interrupted the festivities and appeared before everyone here.”

“…”

“…”

“The fight between regular civilians. I grow so bored that I cannot watch any longer. Isn’t that the same for everyone gathered here?”

“That’s right!”

“You’re correct!”

“A couple days ago, I was able to meet a wild beast that was not tamed. I can see a few of you who were there to witness the moment back there.”

“Is he perhaps talking about the one who smashed the guard’s head?”

“I think so.”

“To revive the Festival of Blood that is slowing losing its meaning, I, Millions… For the amusement of the nobility gathered here! I plan to enter the wild beast into this festival.”

“Huh?”

“No way…”

“Offering up a Protector as tribute for the festival?”

“What do you think, everyone! Do you agree with me? Greater brutality! Do you not want to see more blood?”

“Yeah!”

“Millions! Millions!”

The crowd erupted in applause and cheered Millions.

The roar of the crowd swelled further when Barub appeared at his gesture.

Just like that, the curtain of the Protectors Festival of Blood that Millions and Barub wanted was rising.

“I shall take that as your approval. Firstly, we shall remove the old and announce the start of a new beginning! Demon!”

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196. An Absolutely Different Start

“From now on, your name will be Demon.”

“…”

“How dare you! Show your respects towards Marquis Millions right now! Hurry up and answer him!”

“No. How could taming a beast like this be so easy to do so.”

“But…”

“I said enough. Leave us be.”

“Yes, Marquis Millions!”

“Now… Let us have a private conversation between only the two of us, wild beast… No, Demon.”

“…”

Barub was having difficulty accepting this current situation.

To think that they had been subjugated by someone else.

The feeling of humiliation they had never felt before, they were positive that what they were feeling now was embarrassment.

They had never even considered the thought that another existence stronger than them would exist in this world.

However, in this place where the demonic monsters have recently appeared at, it wasn’t that surprising to find someone as strong as Millions.

The demonic monsters and the Protectors. It was because when these two types of beings were defeated, one would perfectly absorb all their strength.

Just like how it was in the demonic realm.

“What did you want?”

“Kuhahah! You’ve finally spoken, Demon.”

“My name is not Demon!”

“No. From here on out, your name is Demon. I, Millions, has decreed it so.”

“…”

“I shall answer your question. What you want isn’t that amazing.”

“…”

“On the stage that everyone is waiting for, a position without equal… You will become the main character.”

“Main character?”

“That’s right. Warriors constantly fight bloody battles on the daily. It’s true that only the trash like that barely deserves the title of a warrior are everywhere. However, it won’t be like that anymore. Only those with true strength will gather now.”

“Are you talking about how everyone killed each other yesterday?”

“That’s right. We call that the Festival of Blood. It is a very important entertainment and betting event for the nobles, so if I stand in the center of it all… The glory that follows will be guaranteed.”

“I do not need glory. I only want strength…”

“Yep. That’s how it should be! You will become strong. Far more than anyone waiting for their deaths!”

“So that means that I have to take down my opponents?”

“That’s right. The matches will continue. If they are the nobles of Larkenta, then any of the dogs they raise can participate. You must become the strongest wild beast of them all. Obtain the power you want. I shall become the owner of the strongest wild best then.”

“Good. I shall do as you say.”

“If you stay patient for just a couple of days, those with strength will appear. Look forward to it.”

“…”

Barub decided to accept Millions’ suggestion.

To be exact, they had decided to follow his command.

It was because they knew that they would not be able to leave this place alive.

In 100 days, they would be summoned to the celestial realm.

The deal had been made while thinking that they would defeat Min-Cheol, and then rip apart both this world that Karupedan has created and Millions, who wore a fishy smile in front of them.

Obviously the nobles, as well as some within the Larkenta castle’s walls, were able to obtain the power of the Protectors.

Ironically, higher ranking nobles such as Millions obtained even greater power.

However, they hid within the thick walls of the castle and enjoyed a lavish life.

The reason was simple.

There were no separating boundaries between the demonic monsters and their residence, but not once did a powerful demonic monster cross over to Larkenta before.

That was why after setting up the first 10 ranks, the nobles held zero interest towards eradicating monsters beyond that rank.

Barub had been coerced into the Festival of Blood, which was an event that had been garnering popularity amongst the nobles as of late.

However, as Millions had said before, only dull easy fights would continue for awhile.

Nobles that specialized in growing strong warriors were extremely rare, and there were definitely no slaves or criminals that would surpass Barub as of now.

However, that wouldn’t last for long.

The plan was to bring in stronger talents who would want to catch the eyes of the marquis, even if a bit more.

The intense political battle between the nobles had already started.

“What will you do? Even if you join the Festival of Blood right now, it will be filled with regular civilians rather than Protectors. Your body will be soaked only in blood, and you won’t be able to obtain any strength. Will you wait?”

“No. I will still go out there.”

“Good. This will excite the other nobles greatly. This will benefit you greatly as well!”

“….”

“Let’s go, Demon.”

****

“Is anyone here?”

“Yes. On my way out.”

On the fourth day of arriving in Hell, I visited Dump’s smithy.

I looked far more raggedy than the first day, but the pouch over my shoulder was filled with jewels.

The reason I had come to this place was to change the appearance of my weapon and defensive gear.

It was also to repay my helper in Hell.

Since it was quite late into the evening, most of the shopkeeps of the market were busy closing down.

Normally, they would be busy coming out to the entrance to try selling me something.

I waited but a brief moment in front of the store.

“Is there an item you’re looking for, Sir Protector?”

“I’m someone who received help from you before. Do you remember?”

“Ah! Of course! How could I forget. Your name is… Right. Sir Guardian, right?” ⁴

“Yes. That’s correct. So you remember. I came here because I needed to tell you something. Is it okay if I come inside the store to speak further?”

“Ah.. That’s…”

Dump turned around while making a troubled expression and peaked inside the store.

I could hear sounds coming from where he had taken a peek at.

Since I could hear the sound of tupperware being shuffled around, I assumed that he was having a meal with someone.

I was positive that it was Dump’s child that I had heard only the voice of from before.

Remember that he had stressed that the child was a son, I carefully asked.

“It seems that you have a customer inside.”

“Yes… I apologize, but could you please tell me what you wanted to say here?”

“Please finish your meal with your daughter first. I shall wait.”

“Ah, no. I already told my daughter to eat fir… No! He’s my son. My son!”

“Hm…”

A gentle hum filled the air.

“Now, the conversation between us will absolutely not be overheard by anyone else.”

“…”

“The voice that I heard from before was definitely the sound of a woman. And back then, you also had stressed that he was your son back then as you have now, right?”

“That’s…”

“Is it something that I cannot know? As you know already, I had lost all my memories. And since you have given me a great amount of help, I do not hold any ill will towards you, Mr. Dump.”

“I know… I am aware that Mr. Guardian is different from the other Protectors. However…”

“If it is something so difficult to answer, then it is okay. I shall come back tomorrow at daybreak.”

“No. Please come in.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Even if you leave, you already know everything. I am aware that continuing to try hiding it even after realizing that you already know everything would be too rude.”

“Alright.”

As if giving up, Dump, who was slouching in resignation, led the way in.

I followed while wondering ‘Is he afraid that because his daughter is too beautiful, I’d be tempted?’

As expected, a lady that seemed to be his daughter was seated in the corner of the store, having dinner.

Dropping the spoon that was in her hand, she had a very shocked expression.

Seeing her reaction, Dump spoke up.

“It’s okay. It’s the Protector that visited us before. Greet him.”

“Ah… Hello. My name is Berlette…”

“Yes. Nice to meet you. My name is Guardian.”

“Just as you said, Sir Guardian, this is my daughter.”

“Yes. She is beautiful.”

Despite having short hair, she had a beautifully feminine face that anyone could recognize as a female after seeing.

As if dyed, her hair was jet black, and that only highlighted her pale face.

Her emerald eyes and freckles here and there were quite charming.

Next to her was a helmet.

And seeing as she was wearing armor, she seemed to be a Protector.

I asked Dump.

“Why did you hide her so desperately?”

“I am very sorry to tell you this, but… Starting from a couple years ago, the castle started taking young ladies in.”

“….”

“Ladies from 16 to 19, one taken from each household. And if the child is a Protector, regardless of age or gender, they are all being taken away.”

“What’s the reason?”

“I do not know. However, no one from outside the castle has been able to see the Protectors and young ladies ever again after being taken into the castle. That is why I dared to lie, doing such a thing to you, Sir Guardian…”

“So that is why you hid her.”

“Yes. I committed a sin worthy of death.”

“No. It’s fine with me. However, seeing as how she is dressed, it seems she is a Protector as well…”

“N… No. She is wearing that in order to hide her appearance.”

“I see.”

“If it is money or weapons, I shall give as many as you want. So please…”

The sound of pouches dropping onto the floor rang throughout the room.

“Regarding money, I have more than enough to spill over. And I do not even have the slightest intentions of sending your daughter to the castle.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

“I will do my best to help your daughter so that nothing bad will happen to her.”

“Just hearing you say that already makes me feel reassured. Thank you.”

“Moving on from that topic, what I wanted to talk to you away from the eyes of others was something else entirely.”

“Ah, I see. Give me just a moment…”

Putting up the sign that informed that the store was closed for the day, he quickly closed the entryway of the store.

Returning back after that, he waited for me to speak.

“Yes, please continue.”

“Could you perhaps alter the appearances of equipment?”

“Of course. As long as I have the materials, I could change them as many times as you wish.”

“Will this do?”

I pointed at the two big pouches that I had plopped down on the floor.

Opening them, Dump was slack jawed from shock and looked at me while speaking.

“To get this much in only 3 days…”

“I managed to do so along the way somehow. So is it possible?”

“It’s plenty. No. Even with just one of the pouches, I should have more than enough.”

“That’s good. How long will it take? I want my helmet, shoes, armor, gauntlets, wrist guards, and weapons all changed in appearance.”

“I do not know how much extravagance you would want your armor to show off, but I only need but one hour for each piece.”

“The appearance should be similar to the armor your daughter is wearing. Something that doesn’t catch the eyes and plain as possible.”

“Then starting as soon as daybreak falls, I should be able to finish by lunchtime…”

“I know this is asking a lot, but I ask if you could start right away. You can use as much materials as you need, and the rest will be payment for your work. Is it possible?”

“Huh? You will be giving me this much as processing fees?”

“Yes. Also consider this as payment for the encyclopedia as well.”

“Ahh… I do not deserve such grace. How could I dare…”

“I will be asking a couple questions while you work. The answers you will be giving me will be far more valuable than any of these jewels are to me, so please do not feel troubled and receive them.”

Taking off the weapon and defensive equipments, I handed them over to Dump.

These were artifacts that could not be moved around, much less equipped, unless you met the minimum stat requirements, but Dump took them without any concern and started on his work.

I concluded that this was only possible because the concept of stats did not exist in this world.

With the sound of his hammer, I began to ask my questions.

“I’d like to know what is happening within the walls of that castle.”

---

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197. The Real Hunting Begins at the 11th Rank

“It’s all finished.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It was nothing. Well… I do not know if you’ll like the finished products.”

“As I had thought, your skills are amazing. This is beyond what I had expected.”

“Hoho. You’re praising me too much.”

Dump changed the outer appearance of the artifact in a flash.

His hands moved so swiftly that it would’ve shocked the smith class Awakened back on Earth.

The speed and even the elegance. There were no flaws I could even try nitpicking.

The mix of defensive equipment that each showed off their splendor were now changed into a uniform silver glow.

Even the shapes were so plain that it seemed there wouldn’t be any instances drawing the attention of others.

Also the shape of the weapon had changed as well, changing from the original sword form into a new sword form with the appearance similar to being dipped in ink.

Since the Butcher’s Sword was originally a two handed sword, this new look was better suited.

“Well… I know I’m nowhere good enough, but I tried creating it with my poor skills.”

“What is this?”

“This is an Indomitable Talisman.”

“Huh? An talisman? I do not believe in superstition, but…”

Dump handed me his finished product the size of a thumb.

This piece had many engravings, similar to that of a stamp or a scepter.

Even the glow it gave off was that of a soft golden light, so while I did not understand what purpose this talisman served, I thought it was a decent decorative item.

Seeing that I was looking all over that item, Dump spoke to me.

“Can you show me the right chest portion of your armor?”

“Yes. Huh?”

“There should be a hole there. You just need to slot this in there.”

“What a wonderful decoration.”

“Hoho. It’s not just a decoration, but it should be a big help with your hunting.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The Indomitable Talisman is a type of guarding charm that increases the stats of a Protector when held by them. This is a charm that increases your stamina. I made it while wishing you safety.”

“Oho… There’s probably a reason behind why you only gave me one, right?”

“Of course. You can only have one charm active at a time. Even if you have multiple talismans on hand, only one of their abilities stay active at a time.

“It seems that I now have a reason to get even higher ranking jewels.”

“This was made from the highest ranking jewel you’ve given me. Since it was crafted by my crude smithy’s hands, the shape is less pleasing than what an alchemist could create, but I can vouch for its functionality. It’s nothing compared to what drops from elite demonic monsters… Think of it as a sign of good faith.”

“Both the shape and its capability are more than satisfactory for me. Thank you.”

“Compared to what you’ve done for me, it is far from enough…”

“I shall tell you straight. Until I regain my memories, I think will be needing your help, Mr. Dump. It means that I’ll be relying solely on you for methods to survive and information regarding hunting. And of course, I’m not asking for all this without payment.”

“As much as you want. I should be the one thankful for this.”

“Sorry for troubling you so far late into the night.”

“No worries. Will you like to at least have a meal…”

“Ah, no thank you. I’m fine. I shall head back for now.”

“If that’s the case… Please take care on the way back.”

“…”

“Yes, then I shall be off…”

Equipping the artifacts that Dump finished his work on, I began to slowly prep for my return.

Fumbling with the talisman in the slot of my chestplate, I realized that I needed to get higher ranking jewels.

The Indomitable Talisman only had the function of raising my stamina, but I had come to realize that there had to be talismans with much greater abilities out there.

Until I meet the elite demonic monsters that he had spoken before, this will be very useful to me.

Other than the first greeting, I wasn’t able to have any form of a conversation with Dump’s daughter Berlette.

Unlike Dump, I felt that she was extremely wary of me.

It was to be expected, as he had informed me that all the Protectors here followed the commands of the castellan.

Just like how the Awakened association administered the Awakened back on Earth, the power to move to the Protectors was held by the owner of the castle, the duke that held a massive amount of power.

Unlike the Awakened back on Earth that worked together with the association to obtain skill books beyond ranking, the Protectors here followed the ruler of the castle due to the duke’s brute strength.

It seemed certain that this was a strong dictatorship under the duke.

She probably thinks that I, the Protector, will have a change of heart and drag her to the castle with the flip of a coin, and was staying wary of me.

Of course, that would never happen.

At least for now, her existence wasn’t that important to me.

All I thought of this outcome was how Dump revealed his daughter and the situation he was in, which has strengthened the bond between us as collaborators.

Leaving the store, I did not head for the inn, but headed for the hunting grounds immediately instead.

For me, the need to eat or sleep didn’t exist after all.

****

“Whew…”

Using the Mass Stealth Jutsu, I was able to hide my form and rush to the 7th tier.

It would be convenient to use Warp, which no longer had a cooldown, but I had chosen the other method instead due to how Barub might find me if I used Warp.

Like a dart board, the hunting grounds were spread out with the castle being the center point.

Since the circumference of the hunting grounds grew exponentially larger with each rank, it was true that there was little chance I’d run into Barub.

However, the power Barub held was twice mine.

Since I didn’t know I’d be attacked the moment my Warp was found, it couldn’t be helped that I had to waste one hour each day to travel.

The time would only increase with each rise in rank.

Resting for a brief moment to catch my breath, I used Mega Cure to recover my health.

After that, I did not hunt at the 7th stage, but headed further outwards.

Just like how the dungeons of Earth was, the difference between each level and stage were huge when it came for the strength levels of demonic monsters.

On Earth, it would be the difference between experience points and artifacts that made the distinction, but here, the difference in one’s growth was much more personal.

I had completely hidden my outer appearance. There was no longer a reason for me to stay at the 7th stage, which had grown boring for me.

“Is it around here?”

“Keehik!”

“Keeaaa!”

“Seems like it, since the 8th stage monster Frost Queen is here.”

For the last 3 days, I read the encyclopedia to the point of getting sick of it.

It was obvious, since this was all I had regarding information on hunting.

There were roughly 5 to 6 different types of monsters per tier, and as the tier rose, I could see that the number increased due to the mixed presence of both the current tier’s monsters and the monsters from the lower tiers.

Not only that, but despite not having a clear boundary, I could tell the hunting ground’s scenery was changing as I continued to progress forwards.

This was especially true for the 8th tier, where the air became frigid unlike all the previous tiers.

The monster that let out a laughter that seemed to rip apart the very air itself while appearing before me was the demonic monster representative of the 8th tier, Frost Queen.

It was explained in the encyclopedia that these half transparent ice statue-like figures poured out extremely frigid blasts of air to attack.

They did not act alone, instead choosing to move in a group of 3 or even up to 5, and when their aggro was pulled to start the battle, they would immediately form up ranks and drag in nearby monsters into the battle as well, making them incredibly difficult to hunt without a party.

One amusing fact was that the other demonic monsters did not not even get close to the group of Frost Queens.

As I mentioned before, these monsters did not use physical attacks, but instead blasted out frigid air, so I imagine that they can deal collateral damage to nearby demonic monsters when they attack.

Covering my body with a barrier, I looked around my surroundings.

As expected, as the tiers rose, so did the rate at which I stumbled upon other Protectors.

Not only that, but after the 5th tier, people who traveled solo like me were rare.

While stealthed, I had come to a place where there was the least amount of human presence, so I thought to myself that the chance of meeting Barub here was nearly impossible.

“Since it’s frost, it’s obvious I should take them down with flames, right? No… Even if it makes sense to use this, it’s still too dangerous to do so.”

Did I get too comfortable?

I was mid cast Meteor Call without much thought before hastily canceling it.

It was frustrating that I couldn’t even hunt as I pleased.

I had fallen into the habit of checking for the presence of others, almost to the point of making me wonder if I was putting on a show for someone.

But what choice did I have? If a complete foreigner who casts spells that others cannot and displays destructive force so strong that it would be hard to believe, it was obvious that I would draw a ton of attention.

If any of those eyes that were drawn to me were that of Barub, then there was no denying that it would be a huge issue.

“I should be satisfied with this.”

The Frost Queens that gathered near me with haste blasted frigid air towards me.

Their attacks weren’t visible to the naked eye, but the area around me froze at a rapid pace.

It was almost as if my surroundings were covered with liquid nitrogen.

At the same time, monsters like the Yeti and Ice Gargoyles were falling far back.

Their movements suggested that they did not want to get involved in this fight.

If I started my attack towards them, all the nearby Ice Queens would gather towards me.

Even without bunching up all the monsters by kiting them all to a single spot, I was able to hunt them en mass.

I wasn’t sure if others realized this, but this was quite an easy and simple way to hunt.

Just like that, I blew forth Normal Breath towards the demonic monsters in front of me.

Almost as if I was using a flamethrower, flames burst forth towards them.

Normal Breath was one of the flame magics used by the Protectors here.

The effect was dull, but the skill did quite a decent amount of damage.

It was an area of effect attack that was designed against many targets, and I had already seen in person the skill spewing forth flames without limit.

However, the flames that I was shooting out was an attack tens of hundreds of times more powerful then what the other Protectors used.

I had only copied the appearance of the attack, because this attack was obviously not only infused with mana and magical energies, but also with the powers of the six gods.

“Did I mess up on my control of the flames? I burnt them all into a crisp.”

It was enough to make me wonder if I had stopped at the 8th tier because of fear didn’t have any reason to be fearful.

The representative of the 8th tier, the Frost Queen.

An elite demonic monster, according to Dump. This meant that, if put Earth terms, unless a hidden boss didn’t appear, there weren’t any monsters stronger than the Frost Queen on this tier.

However, when the flames made contact with their forms, not only did their bodies melt, but their entire form had evaporated into thin air.

It was as if I had thrown some straw into a boiling hot blast furnace.

To hide my strength and appearance, I had conducted a small scale hunt, so I didn’t even use half my strength.

However, since that restriction I had placed on myself had been lifted, I could easily defeat the demonic monsters of the 8th tier with such ease.

I came to the conclusion that I would easily be able to get past the 10th tier that the Protectors had founded.

After they had perished like that…

What sounded like boulders rolling down, I could hear around me.

That must be the sound of the Frost Queens in the area gathering towards me.

Since the fight was quite easy, I had planned to hide my form and skip to the 9th tier, but after seeing the sheer number that showed, the desire to do so completely vanished.

“I can now understand why this fight would be difficult without a party.”

It was enough to make me wonder if this encyclopedia really was made for beginner Protectors.

No matter where I looked around me, I could see them.

The entire field had been completely filled with Frost Queens.

Even for a hunting party, these numbers would make it challenging.

All the other monsters, as if gone extinct, had completely disappeared from view.

“Shall I become the reason behind climate change?”

---

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195. The Way They Live

-crack!

The head of the guard that was in Barub’s grasp was crushed in an instant.

The body of the guard that didn’t even have the chance to even scream before dying went limp.

The crowd’s gaze that was focused on the competition inside the metal cage all shifted to Barub at once.

Instead of the boring match, they had noticed something far more interesting.

This was the same for the Marquis Millions, who had sponsored this mediocre fight between swordsmen.

Barub had not expected this in the slightest.

They did not expect the mess that this imprudent act done without thinking things through would bring.

“Oho….. Quite the interesting fellow has come. Even their size and how savage they are…”

“We shall call in the bodyguards and capture them at once!”

“No. I want to tame them. That fellow who is completely mine.”

“Huh? Then…”

“Convey this to the slaves and criminals gathered behind them. I shall grant freedom to the one who who kills them.”

“Yes! As Marquis Millions commands!”

“Hohoho. It seems that an interesting entertainment has appeared amidst the repetitive boredom that was beginning to settle down, Sir Marquis. However, since this is a fight of one versus many… For some reason I cannot pinpoint, it feels as though you’re predicting that this savage will obtain victory?”

“Would you like to make a bet? Let’s not do that and enjoy another glass instead. You can’t leave out the alcohol when we’re enjoying entertainment, right?”

“Yes, of course. Hoho.”

Marquis Millions and all the nobility gathered there filled their glasses with spirit and observed the spectacle unfold.

Barub, who was being treated like a plaything of the nobles, let out a strong killing intent with a displeased look on their face.

Because of that, the tens of people behind Barub that were waiting for their deaths pissed themselves.

Instead of meeting Barub’s gaze, they were almost at the point of fighting each other to get to the corner of the area furthest away from Barub.

To the group that couldn’t do anything but be frozen in fear, the guard shouted at them.

“Marquis Millions has given all you incompetents a chance!”

“Ah…”

“L… Let me live! I’m innocent!”

“If anyone amongst you is able to take that person’s life, the marquis said he will pardon all your crimes.”

The bodyguard kicked a box of weapons, spilling its contents in front of the group.

After seeing how each other would react, each of them began to pick up swords befitting them.

“Now! This is a chance that will never come again! Prove your bravery so that you may repay the marquis’ heavenly grace!”

“Damn it. I’m going to die anyway! Let’s at least try gambling with it!”

“If we all attack together, maybe we’ll have a chance to win.”

“Let’s all go for it!”

“Ugh…”

“Hah! The weak always try to group.”

There was a reason as to why Barub responded to such a boring fight.

When they had first smashed the guard’s head, they had felt something within them physically change.

After the guard had died, they had completely absorbed all of the strength of that guard.

It was similar to what happened when Min-Cheol had used the Butcher’s Sword to take down the radical faction.

For Barub, the way to grow stronger was not through hunting, but by murder.

To steal something that someone had worked long and hard to achieve in a single moment.

This was an idea and a method that definitely matched how Barub was.

Barub looked towards the marquis that had given the command.

They thought to themselves, ‘It won’t be long until your strength will also become mine.’

It was then. While Barub was distracted, their attacks began.

“Hiyaaa!”

“D… Die!”

Tens of people armed with weapons all charged Barub at once.

However, these people were just regular humans, not Protectors.

There was no way that their slashing attacks could deal any damage to Barub.

The moment that the weapons reached Barub’s body, the weapons shook and shattered into pieces.

Barub did not let the vanguard that were now backpedaling to escape freely.

“This doesn’t feel too bad. It’s not that bad of a smell. Amusing!”

“Agh!”

“My… My arm! Ugh!”

The battlefield was completely engulfed in chaos.

Even though Barub had only swung their hand once, there wasn’t a single person out of those who attacked that managed to escape unscathed.

One of them put their hands on their stomach that had been cut clean open, screaming as they tried to forcefully put back their organs that were spilling out.

Another tried to hobble away, clutching onto their arm and leg that had been cut off.

Realizing that this fate would befall upon them soon, the expressions of the members in the rear grew cold and frozen in fear.

Contrasting that were the nobles in their seats, laughing with mirth and enjoying the show.

“Oho! As expected, the marquis’ eye for these things are spectacular!”

“This has become a lot more amusing. If you had made a bet here, it could’ve been very bad, you know?”

“Hohohoho! I wholeheartedly agree.”

“That…”

The situation on Barub’s end had concluded in an instant.

Their robe wasn’t just colored in red, but drenched in blood.

Behind them were corpses. No. There were piles of meat that had been cut apart to the point where one could not recognize what they were before.

Barub, dripping in blood, walked towards the crowd.

Despite seeing that young child’s smile filled with insanity, the nobility did not even blink and continued to laugh.

It happened as Barub tried to jump towards the marquis.

“Urk!”

“Seems it’d be a waste to kill you now.”

“Ugh…”

“I cannot see the desperation in your eyes. Filled with leisure and calmness, I see nothing but arrogance.”

“…”

“Was murdering them enjoyable? So you’ve learned the taste of blood, wild beast. However, you cannot grow by consuming the weak.”

“…”

Barub had been pinned down by Marquis Millions.

Having grabbed by the neck mid air, Barub had been pinned down onto the ground just like that.

This situation was hard to believe.

Barub currently had all the powers of the gods of the heavenly realm, endless mana and the same level of growth Min-Cheol had achieved as an Awakened, and even had all the powers of the demon king.

However, they had been defeated in a single blow from not even the duke, but by Marquis Millions.

It was enough to make Barub wonder why Karupedan had made such a crazy world.

As for what Millions had said, there was no way for Barub to obtain power from butchering tens of those without any strength.

Killing at least those at the strength of guards or those walking in the path of Protectors were the only way to obtain more power.

Millions looked down at Barub, who was struggling from just his arm, and continued to speak.

“The butchering you want to partake in, I shall let you soak in blood to your heart’s content. There will be joyous days to come. You and I… And we shall send out to the world what everyone wants.”

“Damn you…”

“Become my servant.”

“Ugh!”

“What will you do… Will you die here? Or will you stand at the peak?”

Barub was filled with rage that they had never felt before.

They immediately wanted to rip apart Millions, who was talking as if he was something worthwhile.

They never had imagined that they would have to kneel and obey someone else, because they were the peerless absolute existence.

They had believed that kneeling and obeying was exclusive for the weak, and these actions did not suit someone like them.

However, it wasn’t as if there were any other options.

It was obvious that if they refused the commands of Millions right now, they would die a dog’s death right here.

Forget a hundred days, they couldn’t be sure if they’d make it to tomorrow.

Their world that would be taken by that human. Their power and abilities.

Just thinking about it made Barub grind their teeth.

Not even an hour after crossing over to Hell, they had to make such a decision out of desperation.

‘100 days… I just have to endure this for 100 days. This disgusting dimension and world will also be completely destroyed in 100 days anyways.’

Deciding to follow the marquis’ demand, Barub weakly shook their head.

After that, Millionsgave a bright smile to the crowd and raised Barub up.

From the stands came a loud cheer and many applause, with Millions’ name being chanted.

“Wow! Millions! Millions!”

“Millions!”

All the nobles gathered here knew.

They knew how Barub would be used, and what would be Barub’s fate.

*    *    *

“How much to rest here a night?”

“3 Berk, Sir Protector.”

“Because I’m on my way back from hunting, I only have jewels, no currency, but is it possible that I can still stay?”

“Ah, Sir Protector. We do not have enough money to return you the change after receiving a jewel.”

“Hmm…”

Out of all the gems I had, I put the one that was right in the middle of all the sizes on top of the receptionist desk.

I had been able to hunt to the 7th rank.

If I tried my hardest, I could’ve definitely gone past that, but because I was wary of how others may perceive me, I stopped.

The growth I gained from hunting here was definitely different from the way back on Earth.

Unlike Earth, where you would raise your level by gaining experience from killing monsters, you directly absorbed the strength of the monsters slain here.

This meant that you could grow stronger much faster and by far more so than on Earth.

With the leveling up system, despite filling up the exponentially growing experience bar, you would only get 5 points of stats.

Here, however, you would become stronger as you hunted.

Addicted to this growth I could feel from hunting, I had hunted countless monsters, and now the amount of jewels I had were enough to fill up an entire truck.

I did gather them because I was worried that I’d need the money at some point, but to me, these were worth nothing more than rocks to me.

Seeing the jewel placed on the countertop, the eyes of the innkeep went wide as saucers, then lifted their head to look at my face.

“How many days can I stay with this?”

“Isn’t this a C ranking jewel? And with a size like this… You should be able to stay for over 100 days.”

“Is that so? Then please give me a room.”

“Ah, understood, Sir Protector!”

“Also…”

I put a jewel twice the size of the one that I had handed over.

The owner’s vision shook and swallowed down spit as if they were thirsty.

Lookin at them, I spoke.

“The fact that I will be residing here is a secret to all. Understood? If you can keep mum about this, then I shall reward you with far more.”

“Yes… Absolutely! There won’t be a single instance of me speaking out. Please believe me!”

“Good. The amount of time I’d need to stay will be less than 2 hours a day. You don’t need to worry about serving me food or cleaning the rooms, so all you have to do is give me an environment where I can stay as if I’m not here. Ah, and if possible, could you keep the rooms on the floor I’ll be residing in empty as well.”

“Yes! Yes! Sir Protector. Understood. I shall guide you up.”

“Okay.”

The owner dropped everything they were doing and used a lantern to lead the way.

This inn was so old that each step would cause a creak from the boards underneath.

That was part of the reason I had chosen this location to reside in.

This was a place that no one would suspect a Protector would live in.

After obtaining the abilities of gods, I did not feel hunger or drowsiness, so a place of rest could be considered useless.

And to some degree, that would be correct.

I did not sleep or eat.

A place of rest here meant nothing more than a storage space to hold my items.

I could’ve used a mana pouch to carry everything with me, but I needed to make sure to avoid any suspicious activities.

Completing the packing procedure, I left the inn in garments befitting of a bum.

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