I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 250

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250. Reunion

After Mithrael fell, the power from the Flame Dragon’s talisman disappeared.

It could have been a coincidence that the activation time ended right then, or that a person could not hold more than one dragon’s power in their body and vanished.

However, Min-Cheol had now grown strong enough to not need the power of the Flame Dragon’s talisman anymore.

Mithrael. He had absorbed every ounce of power from the dragon’s true form after all.

And like that, Min-Cheol and his clones were able to overcome this difficult trial, obtaining a great reward worthy of that challenge.

Min-Cheol took out the watch he had been cradling.

“Many things have changed, but… Seems only this is stuck pointing at Earth’s time.”

Only an hour remained before returning back to the celestial plane.

One hundred days had passed in a flash.

No one in that frozen time back on Earth would be able to guess what Min-Cheol had to go through.

And there were no plans to tell anyone.

Even if he did speak up about it, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to believe in it.

Every day in Hell was a chain of nonstop battles, bathed in blood.

It was time to finish things and return back.

“Good work.”

“Is it over?”

“No. It seems that I’ll have to ask all of your help once more in a bit.”

“As much as you need. Sure.”

“Sure!”

“Whew… Seems there’s another idiot now. One is an idiot without thought, and the other is an idiot with just a loud voice. I wonder who they resemble to be so equally lacking?”

“If you’re going to stare at me so obviously and barely pretend, then just say it to my face. I’m sorry.”

“Well, despite being a little bit tiresome, it’s not too bad.”

“Make sure to call us after.”

“Yeah. It’ll be brief, but rest for now.”

“Shall I begin preparations to wrap up everything here?”

****

“Whew…”

“Master! Why are you going back and forth as if you’ve left something behind?”

“The last time was to flee, and this time is just me returning after succeeding.”

“Well, that means… The castellan. No, have you really defeated Mithrael?”

“Is it really over now, master?”

“Yep. It’s over.”

“Huh…”

Hearing that Mithrael had been defeated, Dan and Count Audu immediately sat on the ground due their legs giving out.

While Dan had some faith, it was true that Audu was half sure and half doubtful.

Achieving more than what Audu had hoped for. Audu looked towards Min-Cheol with respect in his eyes, for he had realized his dreams.

Min-Cheol hurried up Dan, who sat on the ground, dazed.

It was because he did not have much time left to stay.

“We don’t have time for you to stay dazed like that.”

“How long do you have left?”

“At the longest, an hour.”

“…”

“Shouldn’t I at least wrap everything up before I leave?”

“Yes. I shall come with you.”

“Count Audu.”

“Yes. Please speak your mind.”

“The world that you wanted is about to start, Sir Count.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Sir Count, you are the only remaining count left in Larkenta. That would mean that there is no one left here that could overpower you.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“That’s why you are also someone who needs to disappear. After all, you are the only person left with rank and political authority. However, I’ve decided to try trusting in you once. Please change this place.”

“How would I dare…”

“I’m sure that you will be able to. When we meet again, please create a world where you wouldn’t be embarrassed boasting about it to me.”

“I understand. Absolutely. I will absolutely make sure to do so.”

“I am counting on you. And while it was short, thank you.”

“Likewise, I am unsure how I can show you how thankful I am. You’ve been through much. Thank you so much.”

“Then… Let’s go to Mr. Dump’s place first.”

“Yes! Master!”

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you pulling out a scroll?”

“It’s going to be the last time, so I’ll go into your storage to travel. It’s a place that I’ve grown somewhat attached to…”

“Ah. Do as you like.”

Min-Cheol prepared to wrap up things up in Larkenta, in this world called Hell.

Even if he hurried due to his preparations to return to the celestial plane being finished, there was a set time for when the summoning would take place.

That’s why he did not want to waste the short amount of time he was allotted.

After finishing his greeting with Audu, Min-Cheol headed to Dump’s residence with Dan.

As expected, the sound of powerful hammering could be heard from Dump’s home.

As if to cast any doubts that he wasn’t a blacksmith, it seemed that he was repeatedly hammering iron.

It may be grating for the ears to others, but after meeting Dump, Min-Cheol could only hear it as a rhythm carrying excitement and energy.

Probably more so because it was the sound his greatest ally Dump was creating through his passion.

Min-Cheol immediately headed into the workplace.

“Huh? S-Sir Guardian!”

“Have you been well?”

“Ah! Why haven’t you contacted me in so long?”

“I’ve been a bit busy.”

“I’ve heard that things have gone bad in the castle for the past couple days and was so worried because of it!”

“Hehe. Sorry about that.”

“Has things wrapped up nicely?”

“Of course. Thanks to you, it has ended the way we wanted to. However…”

Even as Min-Cheol and Dump shook hands and spoke to each other, the hammering sounds did not stop.

And on top of that, Dump’s hands and work outfit that should’ve been covered in dust were too clean.

Did he hire a new worker?

Surprisingly, the person who had taken Dump’s position was his daughter, Berlette.

Min-Cheol was surprised and found this change interesting.

Additionally, she seemed more charming.

Dump scratched his head and spoke.

“She’s learned how to steal. It seems she’s going to walk the same path I have.”

“Haha. Seems it suits her better than I thought?”

“Of course. Looks like it won’t be long before she takes my job, you know? She’ll become a much better blacksmith than me.”

“Seems like the blood of a craftsman runs through the family.”

“When she focuses on something, I swear she will stay oblivious even if a mountain explodes behind her. Berlette! Berlette!”

“Yes?”

“Sir Guardian has come. Hurry and greet him.”

Meeting for the first time in awhile, they exchanged a hearty greeting.

While there wasn’t much time left, they all sat together and had a meal.

This was the first person that Min-Cheol met after crossing over to the dimension known as Hell.

He was the first person Min-Cheol received help from, and they were the first to offer him help.

Like his own mother, Jong Ho, the commander Yoon Jong-sun, Ho Jin, and the Puppet Goblin Karin, they were like family to him.

When the meal was nearly over, and the spoon was set on the table, Dump and Berlette spoke.

“Will you be leaving now?”

“Is today the day?”

“Yes. I am planning to return back to where I came from.”

“It’s unfortunate that you’re leaving after I’ve only received and haven’t really returned anything proper.”

“That’s not true. It feels as though I am leaving with far more than what I have done for you.”

“Ha…”

Dump let out a sigh filled with sincere regret.

It was the same with Berlette.

It was a short 100 days, but an unspoken bond had formed between them.

“Must you leave now? You should stay for a cup of tea, or at least dinner before you go.” 1

“Less than an hour remains. It’s unfortunate, but it seems we’ll have to push it for later.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll make sure to visit again.”

“You’ve promised. You have to visit us again.”

“Yes, of course. Berlette. Seems your work attire and hammer suits you?”

“…”

“I’m sure that you’ll become an amazing smith. And one with compassion and leadership.”

“Sir Guardian…”

“I’ll even make a reservation for an armor set I’d like to wear. An armor set that Ms. Berlette can create with her own skill.”

“Yes! I’ll make it as soon as possible and wait for you. So you have to come back.”

“Yes.”

“Master. Not even 10 minutes remain.”

“I worry if we’ve taken too much time from you…”

“No. This is what I wanted most with my time. Then I’ll be on my way.”

“I won’t say goodbye. Then please take care and come back soon.”

“I think that would be for the best. Yes, I’ll be back.”

Min-Cheol and Dan left Dump’s residence with mixed emotions.

The only thing remaining now was the old lady from the scroll store.

She had treated the Dragon’s Scar and even gave him the Cursed Scroll.

Without her help, Min-Cheol would’ve been defeated for certain in the final fight between him and Mithrael.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that she was the one to lay the groundwork for Min-Cheol’s comeback and turning the tables.

She was someone that Min-Cheol could not forget to give thanks to.

Min-Cheol and Dan headed for the Larkenta castle.

Due to the chaos caused by Min-Cheol and Mithrael a moment ago, the local residents were in disarray.

However, Min-Cheol wasn’t really worried about it.

The unrest would settle quickly and Count Audu would definitely create a world better than the current one.

The stalls of the craftsmen that stretched nearly without end were still doing business despite the chaos.

And the two of them continued walking to arrive in front of the scroll store.

“Hm? You’re sure that this is the place?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it. Are they not open today?”

“Hm… I really wanted to give her my thanks.”

“Have you come here to find the old woman who sells scrolls?”

“Yes. Where did she go?”

“If you’re looking for the old woman, you won’t be able to find her anymore. She closed the shop two days ago and left.”

“Is that so. Thank you.”

“Master. What should we do?”

“It’s unfortunate, but not much we can do. But I’d like to at least remember the name of the person I’m indebted to.”

“Ah! Gera. She said her name was Gera.”

“Gera?”

“Yes. But your expression… Is she someone you know of?”

“No. Probably not.”

“It seemed that she had a daughter as well… I don’t quite remember…”

“Her name is Karupedan. Karupedan. A very smart and affectionate princess. I already miss her smile.”

“Pfft!”

Min-Cheol couldn’t help but laugh.

This was probably more than just coincidence.

Gera and Karupedan. He was sure that it was far more than just their names overlapping.

“Master, why are you laughing?”

“Because it seems that I will be able to repay my debt.”

“Even though not much time is left, will you be like this till the end? I have no idea what you’re saying…”

“Dan, thank you for all your hard work until now.”

“Hey. Why are you being like this. I’m getting goosebumps.”

“It’s something that I was barely able to say out loud. But I’m being sincere.”

“Master…”

“Please help Count Audu out. I think that if you help him, this world will really be a better place.”

“…”

“I’m off. See you again.”

And like that, Min-Cheol said his farewells to those he formed connections with in Larkenta.

Min-Cheol’s body became a single pillar of light and disappeared into the sky.

It had become the preset time for him to be summoned back to the celestial plane.

A brief moment after making the final bit of greeting, Min-Cheol’s eyes now saw the celestial plane before he knew it.

He saw the clear eyed Karupedan, as well as Barub, who would be having the final match with him.

Karupedan looked towards Min-Cheol with an anxious expression.

Desperately wishing for his victory again and again.

However, wasn’t Min-Cheol at a disadvantage from the start?

It was to be expected that she would be expressing her anxiety.

Unlike her worried look, it seemed that Barub, who always looked down upon humans and was filled with arrogance, was filled with fear.

There was no way that Barub did not know what had happened in Larkenta.

Powerful forces that Barub could not even dare approach had clashed.

One was Min-Cheol, and Barub also knew that he was also the winner in that fight.

Min-Cheol looked towards his hand and then touched his face, speaking with utmost confidence.

“And I was just getting used to that new face. 100 days really is long and short at the same time. Right?”

“Ugh…”

“The duration of time we had agreed to in our bet has passed. You haven’t forgotten our rule, right?”

“Yes, of course. After 100 days have passed, which is now, the winner of the fight gets the power of an absolute being, right?”

“Yep. Barub, you don’t look good.”

“…”

“Let’s change the subject and get started. I really want to eat the doenjang-jjigae my mother makes.”

“Good. A bet is a bet.”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 251

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251. Reunion (2) – Finale

Karupedan snapped her fingers.

Just like the time that Min-Cheol was tested, the surrounding area changed with the sound.

The beautiful scenery of the celestial plane no longer existed.

The space had been replaced into one specifically designed for combat.

Flat ground as far as the eye could see.

The only two that stood on that dried up ground were Min-Cheol and Barub.

In contrast to the confident Min-Cheol, Barub seemed to be shrinking in the corner.

Both sides already knew who the winner would be in this battle.

That’s why they were showing such contrasting expressions from one another.

As expected, the person to open his mouth first was Min-Cheol.

“Why? Feeling not so confident now?”

“…”

“Aren’t you going to give your speech that always starts with ‘pathetic human’?”

“How does someone like you… How did you defeat Mithrael… Even the power of a dragon!”

“Do you really still not understand? It’s something really simple.”

“Shut up! There’s no way. No way it can be like this!”

“You were alone. But, that wasn’t the case for me.”

“Huh? So you’ve used some kind of trickery! You and Karupedan set me up! As expected… Of course. Without such trickery, there’s no way a pathetic human like yourself could overcome an absolute god like me!”

“Huh?”

“This bet was unfair from the start. Hurry and call Karupedan…”

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? The reason for your loss is simple. It’s because you, who call yourself an absolute god, are far more lacking that the human you looked down on. I, and humans in general, have something important that you lack.”

“…”

“Since the moment you’ve fallen into Hell, I’m sure that you were completely alone. Well, maybe the person you served as your master? Or to be more accurate, excluding the one you used, Millions.”

“Kuhu…”

“However, I’m different. Humans are an existence that definitely cannot live alone. As you have said, it’s because they’re a weak existence. Because of that, I’ve received the help of many people. And I’ve also given back help. That’s the reason why I was able to grow stronger than you. Because I was an existence far weaker than you, I was able to grow tens more stronger. Do you understand?”

“To speak without knowing your place! You’re foolishly arrogant! Oraa!”

“Hm?”

Barub charged towards Min-Cheol, unable to hold back the boiling anger.

However, Min-Cheol showed no signs of summoning his clones or any movements indicating that he was preparing to fight.

To put it simply, it meant that he was confident.

Charging like an angry bull, Barub threw a fist forward with Vacuum.

However.

“Hey now. You have to point vacuum cleaners towards dust or trash.”

“Ugh…”

“Like this.”

“Argh!”

Min-Cheol grabbed Barub’s attack with his bare hand.

With an overwhelming difference in strength, he had almost mockingly disarmed Barub with ease.

Following that, he broke Barub’s wrist as if snapping a sugar cane.

Due to Barub’s broken wrist, the Vacuum skill fell towards the ground of the battlefield.

A thick cloud of dust continued to be sucked into his hand without rest.

It really showed just how powerless Barub was.

Min-Cheol threw Barub’s limp wrist aside and spoke as if annoyed.

“I’m tired of such a dull show of power. I’ll face you with all the strength I have now.”

“W-Wait!”

“Yep. Don’t wanna hear it.”

“I’m an absolute god! The one who created all things…”

“You were. But that’s no longer the case. Just an inconsiderate old god. I’m sure that not many will even remember you. Probably just me and Karupedan?”

“Karupedan!”

Barub yelled as if screaming.

It was a shout loud enough to deafeningly ring throughout the wild battlefield.

“Give me the power that is sealed within you! I shall turn you into a god again. A real god!”

“…”

“Hurry! Return my power!”

“Have you forgotten already? Until one of us dies, no one can touch the sealed power of Karupedan. Not even Karupedan herself. You made it like this, remember?”

“Argh!”

“Thus, it means this game will only end when someone dies. Sorry to say, but it seems the one who will be killed is you.”

“P-Please!”

“It really was a dangerous bet. If both of us died in Hell… You and me. And Karupedan as well. No one would have been able to rise to the seat of godhood.”

“…”

“I wonder if it would be better if a god didn’t exist?”

“C-Calm down! I’m sure that we’ll be able to find a mutual ground through negotiation that will satisfy both of you!”

Min-Cheol decided to give up on replying.

And then he thought to himself.

That even a god becomes cowardly and pathetic with their life on the line.

And he also thought that if Barub had ruled the dimensions with the current sense of desperation, then maybe the world be at least a little bit better than now.

Min-Cheol had already hardened his heart to kill Barub.

As if answering that resolve, five clones were standing guard behind him.

“This place has quite the scenery, but I’m only showing you guys again another desolate battlefield. Sorry.”

“Finish then we go scenery watching. Is that it? Our last opponent?”

“Definitely, no matter how you look at it.”

“That’s right. The target is Barub. No need to go easy. Butcher without mercy until the target breathes no longer.”

“N-No! Argh!”

****

Unlike the past of being the absolute god, Barub met a miserable end.

After Barub’s perishing, the battlefield fell away and disappeared, returning back to how the celestial plane originally looked.

All of the clones were busy enjoying the amazing scenery.

While they were appreciating the sights, Min-Cheol moved towards Karupedan.

“I did say that I will win.”

“Really… You really are the craziest without equal.”

“Is that something you should say to someone who has gone through such hardship with his life on the line for 100 days?”

“Whew… Good work, human.”

“Hey. I remember teaching you my name though?”

“Yeah. Good work, Min-Cheol.”

“If you and Gera did not help me, I don’t think I could’ve won.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You and Gera were in the world that you created. As grandma and granddaughter.”

“…”

“Seems you wanted to live a happy life amongst people. Even when you hated Gera and lost your memories, being completely unaware.”

“Is that so…”

“Now there’s no need to have such a sad expression. Who knows? Maybe you’ll have a chance to apologize to her? Enough about that and let’s put an end to this bet.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Min-Cheol put his hand on Karupedan’s shoulder.

And the power that Barub sealed within her naturally flowed into Min-Cheol.

It was honestly a massive amount of power.

Min-Cheol couldn’t help but give an empty laugh at how crazy he was for challenging someone this powerful to a bet.

“Is this the power of an absolute being?”

“It’s too early to be surprised. I’ve only transferred less than a 10th of the power.”

“Ha… You’re right.”

“Hm? What?”

“I really am crazy without comparison. Really. To think that I’ve challenged someone like this. Whew.”

“You’re finally admitting it.”

And it happened as roughly half of the absolute god’s power had transferred.

Min-Cheol pulled away his hand from her should and spoke.

“So we’re about a bit over halfway?”

“Yep. About 52%?”

“You’re accurate like moving a computer file.”

“There’s still a lot left. Put your hand back so we can hurry this up.”

“I think this is enough for me though?”

“What are you saying all of a sudden.”

“I said that I don’t think I need anymore power.”

“…”

“You can keep the rest of the power. It’s a lot more than what you had as Barub’s puppet, right?”

“What are you saying…”

“You’ll become a god. Not a god that hates humans, but a god that gives love equally and fairly to all creations.”

Min-Cheol had no desires to become a god and rule over the dimensions from the celestial plane from the start.

After the countless battles, all Min-Cheol wanted was a normal life.

A life that wasn’t dyed in the blood of monsters or people, but just a normal life.

Karupedan nodded without a word.

It wasn’t as if she could avoid it even if she did deny it.

After all, it was the same as the command from an absolute god.

And it was also a way for her to atone for her mistakes.

Min-Cheol stood in front of the dimensional door that he first encountered when setting foot in the celestial plane.

While he could have opened a gate that connects to Earth at will, Min-Cheol decided to pick this path instead.

With the door half opened, Min-Cheol spoke with the door handle in his hand.

“Karupedan. Don’t forget the 4% difference. There’s always at least one human that can stand up against you.”

“Pff. Really, till the very end.”

“Ah! And I think there is someone who has been waiting for you. In that corner over there. I wonder what her name was… Geri? Geru? Gera?”

“…”

“Think of it as an apology in the form of an apology from a god who is using you for his own benefit. I’m off. See you.”

With that, Min-Cheol headed into the dimensional door, his form disappearing.

****

The existence of a god was something else.

With just a simple snap of a finger, they could stop or continue the flow of time.

When Min-Cheol returned back to Earth, everything had been frozen still.

Jong Ho and Karin were gathered in the living room, waiting for dinner, along with Ho Jin and Jong-sun.

Mother and So-Hyeon were in the kitchen.

It was exactly as before leaving for the celestial plane.

While it’s been a long trip back, right now he wanted to be with them.

Min-Cheol looked at the ceiling while laying in bed.

He could hear the sounds of lively chatter from outside his room.

He could not put into words just how desperately he had wanted to hear the voices of the people who he considered family and allies that partook in battles with their lives on the line.

And like that, he enjoyed that short moment of perfect peace.

And it did not take long for Jong Ho to open the door and come in.

“Are you asleep?”

“Yep. Sleeping.”

“Right. Then you can hear me as you sleep. I dunno where you’ve gone this time, but please stop working so hard now.”

“…”

“You thought I wouldn’t notice? I don’t know what you’ve done this time, but you’re outputting such scary amounts of power after a couple seconds from entering your room that I think even the kids around the block would notice it.”

“Pfft!”

“Is it all over now?”

“Yes. It’s completely over now.”

“You aren’t hurt anywhere?”

“As you can see, I’m completely fine and can even fall into a deep slumber.”

“Yeah. Tidy yourself and come out to eat. Good work.”

Coming out to the living room, Awakened Ho Jin and Jong-sun were putting on an awkward smile, as if noticing the change within me.

However, they did not question.

As if to say that my peaceful expression and relaxed movement was enough.

Turning my head around to look at the kitchen, my eyes met with my mother’s.

Her smile was something that I could not put into words just how much I wanted to see and longed for.

I could feel that affectionate sound go through my ears and reach my heart.

“Son, you’re up?”

****

It had been 10 years since Min-Cheol returned back to Earth.

Time had gone by quickly.

It had been a long time since monsters, portals, and dungeons had disappeared.

The power of the Awakened had also begun to slowly decline around the same time.

To be more precise, Min-Cheol had sealed them because of his worry that it’d be used for evil.

As if monsters had never invaded in the first place, people became used to the peace that had returned.

It was the same with Min-Cheol.

On the hill in his backyard, Min-Cheol was greeted with a pleasant voice while looking at the sky on his back.

“Why are you here and where is the third oldest?”

“You’ve arrived, hyung-nim? I’m sure that the clone is feeding the powdered milk now.”

“Parenting with ease. I’m jealous. Jealous.”

“Should I lend you one?”

“That’s fine. My children are past that age.”

“Pfft. Is that so?”

“But I heard that your child used a Meteor?”

“You’ve heard? I think I’m going crazy because of that too. To think that a 5 year old would use a Meteor… How can this be? Thankfully it turned out well because someone like me was there. Whew…”

“Dunno about others, but I’m sure it’s more than possible if the child is yours.”

“I was really frightened. I immediately sealed the power of my children, all the way to my third oldest. Think about it, hyung-nim. If my child uses a flame breath attack while breastfeeding someday… Ah, I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Hahaha! How are you doing nowadays? Are you satisfied with the way things are now? Don’t miss the past?”

“I do miss it from time to time. I do feel a little bit bored, and my daily life feels like I’m having soup that isn’t seasoned with salt?”

“What a metaphor. So do you want to return?”

“No. That’s not the case. There’s a saying that bland food is good for your body. I like the current way things are. The current way, which is a normal and boring life.”

Jong Ho could tell from just looking at Min-Cheol’s face that he was telling the truth.

Lying next to him, he looked up into the same sky without a word.

Reminiscing through memories of the times not long ago.

And like that, they became part of a peaceful world.

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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 248

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248. All Out Attack (3)

The clones that Mithrael stepped on perished on the spot.

They had been helplessly done in by Mithrael’s attack before being able to recover from his breath attack.

Because they had been annihilated by an outside forced instead of being retrieved, Min-Cheol could not summon them again right away.

And it wasn’t as if Min-Cheol and his clones could wait until the youngest clone’s special ability of resurrection would activate.

The resurrection skill had a 5 minute cooldown and a 5 minute casting time.

That meant that a total of 10 minutes was required.

The only ones that had recovered were Min-Cheol and the second oldest clone in charge of healing.

It was obvious that the two of them alone could not stop this massive dragon.

It was possible that they could flee using the Return Scroll if the situation wasn’t favorable.

However, the reason why Min-Cheol could not do so was that he believed that the Flame Dragon’s talisman had a time limit.

This talisman obtained through hunting an elite monster was very inconvenient to use.

While the Awakened Min-Cheol could not tell the stats a talisman provided, a Protector could see all of it.

However, that wasn’t the case with the Flame Dragon’s talisman.

No one could tell what its stats were, the conditions required to activate it, and how long it lasted.

The dragon before them was the size of a house.

He couldn’t use his breath attack for some time.

However, taking out the gravely injured clones with just his massive front legs would be a piece of cake.

It was nowhere enough with six, but what could two do?

His head became further jumbled with thoughts in a short amount of time.

Min-Cheol couldn’t help but be surprised with how calm the second oldest was, continuing to channel his healing abilities.

Having come to a decision, Min-Cheol opened his storage.

In a brief moment later.

As commanded by Min-Cheol, the Mobile Storage pushed something out.

In his hand was a scroll.

While most would guess that he had chosen to escape, it was not a Return Scroll.

It was the Cursed Scroll that the old woman, who had played a huge part in healing the Dragon’s Scar, gave to him.

It was an item that could be considered as a last resort that Min-Cheol believed in.

It was only a last resort in name, as Min-Cheol planned to avoid using it if possible.

He wasn’t sure about its effects, and the old woman’s identity remained a mystery.

However, he had to use it now.

It wasn’t as if there were any other options, and he had gained a little bit of faith in the old woman who had greatly helped in his recovery.

If what the old woman said was true, then he would obtain twice the amount of power he currently had after using the scroll.

Not only would the body become stronger, but the skills used would also be empowered.

And while it was possible to do so right now, it was possible to use the scroll to focus the empowerment on possessions or a certain part of the body.

To put it simply, it was possible to perform an enhancement.

With the scroll in his hand, Min-Cheol spoke towards the second oldest.

“After you finish healing the first and the youngest, we resurrect those who have fallen.”

“Yep. Got it. But can we hold that long?”

“We just have to hold for 5 minutes. Since the cooldown time is over, we just have to buy time for the casting duration. We resurrect one using the youngest’s resurrection skill, and I just have to summon the remaining one again.”

“Almost done healing this idiot as well.”

“Good. Proceed as fast as you can.”

“Yep!”

Min-Cheol looked towards the scroll with a determined expression.

The scroll shook with the groaning sounds of a rusted machinery rumbling to life, as if implying that it had existed long before monsters had appeared.

And like the other skill scrolls, the Cursed Scroll disappeared into a thick mist.

The mist was absorbed by Min-Cheol, and the scroll took affect.

The red smoke that came off of Min-Cheol and his clone became larger, stronger and burning with greater intensity that could not be compared to before.

It wasn’t just the visual effects that became grander.

Min-Cheol and the second oldest clone felt something incredible.

They felt that the amount of power flowing into their bodies became that much stronger, and that the amount of healing they were outputting became far greater.

And because the clones who were injured also became stronger, their recovery seemed to hasten as well.

With a shocked look on his face, Min-Cheol spoke.

“That old woman wasn’t spouting nonsense…”

“With this much power, we can hold out. And if we hold out while bringing back those who have fallen…”

“Yeah. We can win. We can completely destroy a dragon like that.”

“Hurry and focus on the youngest.”

Min-Cheol saw hope through using the scroll.

No, this wasn’t just hope.

If all the clones got back on their feet and the six of them charged together, then he knew that they would have enough power to destroy Mithrael and have power leftover.

With his skills empowered through the Cursed Scroll, the second oldest healed the firstborn clone with great speed.

Following that, he completely finished healing the youngest as well.

“Kururu… So you have something still left to show me? That’s fine. I have only finished warming up.”

“Thank you then. For giving us time to heal ourselves and all.”

“Do you need time to heal the little ants I’ve squashed as well? Kururu…”

“No. I don’t think you need to go that far. If you give us that much leniency and we win, then I won’t feel satisfied.”

“Kururu. Now, let’s continue. This is nowhere enough to satisfy me of all that I’ve been holding back!”

“As you wish.”

Min-Cheol, the firstborn, and the second oldest clone prepared an all out attack on the dragon, Mithrael.

Min-Cheol then gave a look towards the recovered youngest clone to have him start casting the resurrection spell.

While the corpse had disappeared without a trace, it seemed that resurrection was possible but not healing.

With a nod, the youngest clone ran to the corner of the battlefield and started muttering something.

It was the incantation for the revival spell.

He had to stay that way without receiving any interruptions for 5 minutes.

Thankfully it seemed that Mithrael was focused for now on enjoying this battle where he was overwhelmingly stronger, and thus not likely to interrupt the youngest’s resurrection spell.

However, that wouldn’t last long.

If he received an attack that was very different from before, then he could change his mind.

There was more than 5 minutes remaining before Mithrael would use his breath attack again.

While Min-Cheol and his clones had obtained double the power, the ones that could participate in the attack had been cut in half.

This meant that they were at the same fighting capabilities as when all 6 of them charged together.

While their combat capabilities were the same, the amount of power output each individual brought out were twofold.

That meant that each strike of the sword and each hit from magic would affect him that much more.

And if they were able to hold out for 5 minutes and succeeded in the resurrection, and if Min-Cheol succeeded in summoning his clone again?

Then the fight would shift towards their favor without exception.

“Let’s go!”

Min-Cheol dealt with him from the front, while the first and second oldest clones dealt with each of his wings.

While the plan to divert his attention did not change, Min-Cheol would not make a risky attack on his core.

The plan was to buy 5 minutes of time until the resurrection spell finished.

And the clones by each of his wings had to prevent him from flapping his wings.

While it was a simple movement of moving air, the destructive force behind the shock waves generated were beyond the imagination.

While it wasn’t enough to damage Min-Cheol and his clones, if it managed to interrupt the youngest clone’s resurrection spell, then the breath attack’s cooldown would be over before the resurrection could be finished, resulting in the same wipeout from before.

Knowing full well of what would happen, the first and the second oldest used all the strength they had to sink their blades into his wings.

Because Min-Cheol had to get Mithrael’s attention focused on him, he proceeded with drastic attacks.

He had dropped a Meteor Call right on his head.

With the Flame Dragon’s talisman and the Cursed Scroll empowering it, the meteor was far bigger and stronger.

Landing right on his head that glowed blue, the Meteor exploded nonstop and ate away at his skin.

It seemed that Mithrael was a bit shocked that Min-Cheol’s attack had changed.

Quickly dealing with the flames, he attacked Min-Cheol with much greater speeds than before.

While his front legs flew towards Min-Cheol with great speeds, but it was pointless.

The situation had changed from when he was dodging with a paper thin margin.

To Min-Cheol, his attacks felt more like he was slowly waving his hand through thin air.

On the other hand, with the noticeably increased combat capabilities, the amount of damage that Mithrael took multiplied.

The firstborn and second oldest clones that were in charge of the wings were not only tearing through the hide, but were leaving wounds deep enough to cut into the bone.

As if trying to swat at a swarm of bees charging at him, Mithrael stumbled around.

Only one minute remained before the resurrection spell would be complete.

Mithrael began to flap his wings like before.

At the same time, Min-Cheol and his two clones suddenly got a lot more busier.

It was because they had to prevent the youngest’s resurrection spell from being interrupted.

“Barriers! Put up barriers around the youngest clone!”

“…”

The clones that relentlessly stabbed their swords put their blades away and headed for where the youngest was.

It was only 1 minute. Only 60 seconds remained.

If they could hold out for that long, then they would be able to deal a much more destructive attack. They would be able to land a much more lethal attack.

They would be able to execute an attack that would end in victory.

Mithrael realized that something was wrong, and instead of flapping his wings to fly into the air, charged forwards.

His target was the youngest who was muttering the resurrection incantation.

“We have to stop him! Do whatever it takes to stop him!”

“Crazy lizard!”

“He’s a dragon, you idiot!”

Mithrael charged towards their barrier.

With a massive body, weight, and speed, he was charging forwards.

Putting up as many shields and barriers they could summon, they stood in his path.

“We’re giving everything we got. Please take care of the healing!”

“Idiot. That’s obvious! Don’t say that and act.”

“Complaining no matter what I do…”

“What?”

“No. Nothing. Oraaa!”

The firstborn put every ounce of strength he had into the barrier.

While he was able to enhance his own body before, being able to empower anything outside his body became possible after consuming the Cursed Scroll.

It was extraordinary how quickly he determined his new abilities and acted.

Thanks to that, the barrier became that much more strengthened.

Not paying attention the firstborn clone that was stumbling due to having expended all his energy, Mithrael smashed into the barrier with his head.

“Ugh! It hasn’t been fully broken! Repair the barrier!”

“He’s coming again. He’s preparing to charge again.”

Similar to a bullet proof glass with bullets in it, the barrier had cracks.

However, as Min-Cheol had said, it wasn’t completely broken.

Mithrael was preparing for a follow up attack immediately.

They weren’t sure if they could endure this attack.

He leaped back and flapped his wings.

Mithrael did not give any time for respite and charged with all the strength he could muster.

And right before the second attack was about to connect with the barrier.

The youngest who had been completely silent yelled very loudly with great force.

“Done!”

Turning around in response to his loud roar, Min-Cheol could see the youngest who had finished his resurrection spell and the third oldest who was proudly defending the barrier.

The firstborn, second oldest, and Min-Cheol were all smiles.

The second oldest healed the firstborn, who had expended all his strength, and the third oldest and youngest helped Min-Cheol stop Mithrael’s attack.

“Youngest.”

“Yep!”

“Did you practice breathing with your stomach? Your voice is really loud and strong.”

“Kuhaha!”

“Let’s go and finish this!”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 249

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249. All Out Attack (4)

With the successful resurrection from the youngest’s skill, the total members gathered became five, including Min-Cheol.

The increased number of clones made it easy to block Mithrael’s charge, whereas it was difficult for just the three of them before.

The barrier that had many cracks and was tattered regained its original shape, and did not show even the tiniest of cracks even after the second impact.

Mithrael was rather shocked at the change in momentum.

He had realized how quickly the situation had changed far too late.

The clones did not wait for the fourth oldest clone to be summoned and charged at Mithrael.

It was because they had enough combat capabilities to deal a great amount of damage with just the current members.

The power of the Flame Dragon’s talisman and the Cursed Scroll.

While the power gained from the Cursed Scroll was permanent, there was no way to know what would happen with the Flame Dragon’s talisman.

If they didn’t push with this momentum to take down Mithrael quickly, the tables could turn at any given moment.

That’s why Min-Cheol did not want to lose the chance at victory he had obtained with great difficulty.

He could not afford to lose it.

Even the time spent waiting for the last clone to revive felt wasteful.

The clones charged at the massive body of the dragon, but Min-Cheol stayed at his position.

And he opened his Mobile Storage to open two Return Scrolls.

Tearing the scrolls to the point where it would rip in half with the slightest amount of additional force, Min-Cheol grasped one in his hand and charged.

He shoved the remaining scroll at the waist of his armor.

He had given up on freeing one of his hands that could’ve been used as a weapon to focus on attacking and held the scroll for safety instead.

With the momentum rising as much as it could, their attacks were ferocious.

It went beyond making Mithrael panic, making his life feel threatened.

Each of the clones created swords in each of their hands and enhanced them.

The dragon’s limbs that seemed impossible to sever were now being cut through by them like how an axe struck a tree.

This situation was drastically different before, where they were having trouble just cutting through the tough and thick hide.

The black blood from the dragon sprayed everywhere, and the sound of chipping and cutting bone could be heard.

At the same, an ear splitting Dragon’s Fear rang out.

“Kuwuhuhuh!”

“A lizard’s tail grows when it is cut. But not with you.”

“Yeah, go ahead and channel your stupid personality on to him.”

“Kuhuhu!”

As the firstborn had said, his wounds did not heal.

Wounds that he could not recover from were continuing to pile on.

Mithrael’s current form was absolutely destroyed.

Starting with the thin and weak points, like the ends of his wings or tail, his injuries were spreading bit by bit to the thicker parts of his body.

His body that had let out a bright blue glow was slowly being dyed in his black blood.

It was then.

Mithrael shook his limbs with great force to shake off all the clones attached to him like leeches.

Min-Cheol and his clones stabbed their blades into his body and tried to hold on, but because of how strong the resistance he put up was, they couldn’t help but sprawl onto the floor.

Anyone could see that it was a violent movement in preparation for either a defensive maneuver or an attack.

He had only used his breath attack and his front legs to attack so far.

Min-Cheol was very suspicious of his simple and repetitive attack pattern.

As long as he remained careful of the breath attack, it was true that Mithrael wasn’t that dangerous currently.

And it wasn’t as if he could continuously use his breath attack either.

Min-Cheol shouted to his clones, who had formed an enclosed circle with the dragon in the center.

“It’s not time yet for the breath attack. Do not be afraid.”

“I’m aware as well. I think the lizard-dragon is upset.”

“There’s no use!”

“Damn. Have you eaten a boiled train piece? You can ease down breathing with your stomach. I recognize how loud your voice is.” 1

“Ha! Ha!”

“Everyone is strange without exception…”

“Kururung!”

After the second breath attack, Min-Cheol was able to keep track roughly of the cooldown between each breath attack.

After the first breath attack, the dragon took off into the sky and breathed flames after 9 to 10 minutes.

A little bit of error can be present, but Mithrael couldn’t use his breath attack for now.

However, he had folded his wings to cover his body, even tucking his head in to completely protect the core on his forehead, making it impossible to determine what he would do next.

Keeping on eye on Mithrael, they prepared to defend themselves.

It didn’t take long to sate the curiosity of what Mithrael would do next.

It wasn’t an attempt at defending.

The talons at the end of his wings covering his body.

Those sharp blue talons started to grow unevenly, like rakes.

With how sharp and pointy these talons were, it seemed that anything that came into contact with them would be sliced apart with ease.

Following that, he started to spin, picking up speed.

“Whirlwind?”

It seemed threatening as if the blades of a mixer were sticking out.

There was a skill even amongst Awakeneds that had this kind of motion and effect.

It was Whirlwind.

The only difference was that the skill used weapons such as swords to deal the attack instead of talons.

However, Min-Cheol knew the weakness of such an attack clearly.

He had seen many instances of it back on Earth, and it was obvious because he had faced off against many enemies that used it.

And on top of that, it was one of the skills that he had obtained.

Whirlwind was a skill that was truly effective only at extreme close range.

The power behind it was through its quick spins, and while it was capable of both offense and defense, it was pointless if it could not make contact with the enemy.

Even if the talons that acted as the weapons of the Whirlwind skill grew long, it was still far too short to reach where Min-Cheol and his clones were.

It seemed as though he did not have any ranged attacks other than his breath attack.

Min-Cheol felt relieved and spoke.

“We’ll attack him from range. As long as we don’t give him the distance…”

“W-We’re behind sucked in!”

“Hang on! If we get sucked in, it’s over!”

This situation was something that no one had expected.

Due to the pull from his spin, everything nearby was being sucked in.

And it didn’t take long for anything sucked in to become thoroughly ground to dust.

The shock didn’t last long though.

They shared a look with one another and then jumped suddenly into the air.

It would’ve been difficult enough to keep their positions with their feet on the ground, but they had tossed themselves in the air.

Losing their balance in the air as expected, the Whirlwind sucked them in with great force.

It was then.

A horrific sound of flesh being torn was heard.

However, this wasn’t the sound of Min-Cheol and his clones being ripped apart by the Whirlwind.

It was the sound made from 9 blades piercing through the dragon’s neck, excluding Min-Cheol’s one hand that clutched a Return Scroll.

Right before being torn apart by Mithrael’s spinning talons, they had used Blink to teleport above his head.

And using the area that wasn’t affected by the spin, which could be described as the eye of the storm, they attacked.

You could say that they changed a crisis into an opportunity.

“Kuweheheh!”

The dragon’s roar that was nearly a scream covered the entire Larkenta area.

Not only did they sank their swords into the back of his neck, but they blasted lightning magic through it on top of that.

No matter how strong he was and how much endurance he had, it was obvious that receiving this attack completely with his body would be too much.

It seemed as though their attack wouldn’t end until Mithrael would kneel and lose his life.

And during this attack, Min-Cheol used his cloning skill that was finally off cooldown to summon the fourth oldest clone again.

Confirming his vastly increased strength, the fourth oldest clone followed his fellow brothers and partook in the attack.

“Kuweheheck!”

“Do not stop! We continue until he’s dead!”

“Today’s lunch is roasted lizard-dragon!”

“Die!”

Even though the youngest’s loud roar and the magic attacks continued, he did not seem close to kneeling at all.

Min-Cheol thought to himself.

He believed that the only way to defeat him was to destroy the core embedded in his forehead.

This was true.

The dragon’s power came fully from that core.

No matter how many times his body was cut and blown off, if he was able to protect the core, he would be able to continue gathering his energy again.

Min-Cheol’s thought was transmitted to his clones before long.

Pulling out their swords from his body at the same time, the clones used Blink once more to head towards his head.

Since he couldn’t put up a fight already, they had expected him to not put up a resistance.

However, unlike what they had predicted, he put up a last bit of struggle.

He was trying to use his Hell Breath attack that was ready to use due to the cooldown being over at the same time that Min-Cheol’s clone skill was ready to be used again.

Currently, they were all gathered close in a single spot.

And they were positioned right in front of the dragon’s jaw where the breath attack came from.

Before they could even think, his mouth opened and a fierce Hell Breath came forth.

Right as each of them turned their bodies to leave their current location…

Min-Cheol recalled all of his clones and tore the scroll in his hand.

“M-Master!”

“10… 9… 8…”

“Have you succeeded?”

“7… No, it’s still in progress. And I’ll be successful soon. 5…”

“Huh? What do you… And why are you continuing to mutter numbers?”

“There’s a reason for this. 2… 1… Ding. It’s done. I’ll come back after finishing this.”

“Huh? Sure…”

The reason why Min-Cheol had kept one of his hands free instead of using it to attack and kept holding onto the scroll was this.

He had experienced how difficult it was to avoid the dragon’s Hell Breath attack.

Even being in the general range of his breath attack would deal damage nearly beyond description.

Even though they had obtained power through the Cursed Scroll, they would not be able to endure the breath attack.

That’s why Min-Cheol tore the scroll to return back home right when he used his breath attack.

He had even recalled his clones so that they were all able to avoid it.

Due to how simple Mithrael’s attack pattern was, Min-Cheol had been able to read into his next move.

Tearing another scroll to return back to the battlefield, Min-Cheol arrived after the Hell Breath finished.

The area around was burning away from the intense heat, but this level of flames did not pose a problem for them.

On the other hand, the dragon had expanded everything he had.

However, leaving him alone for even a little bit would allow him to gather power through his core again, so they could not allow him the time to do so.

Min-Cheol summoned his clones again.

Because they hadn’t been killed by an outside force, they immediately appeared at Min-Cheol’s call.

Mithrael could only breathe out smoke through his nostrils with great strain, head on the floor.

“It’s time to return home. You. And me.”

“Kururu…”

“Then…”

Min-Cheol and his clones rushed forward in a blink of an eye, plunging their swords into the gem embedded in his forehead.

The core that seemed impenetrable shattered from their swords and disintegrated while letting off the brightest of light.

At the same time, Mithrael’s massive form disappeared into light as well.

And just like that, Min-Cheol and his clones absorbed the dragon’s power with all of their bodies.

“I can see the end.”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 246

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246. All Out Attack

Noticing the change in Min-Cheol, Mithrael said that the dragon’s energy were of six.

That meant that the not only Min-Cheol, but the clones all have obtained the power of a dragon.

Mithrael was able to accurately determine so only because he was able to sense the power of his kin.

The clones perfectly copied the power of the original, Min-Cheol.

While they did not take damage when the original body was injured, the power was copied perfectly.

And so, they had all grown stronger as much as the Flame Dragon’s Talisman allowed them to.

A blue haze came off Mithrael’s body, while a red energy emanated from Min-Cheol and his clones’ bodies.

Right now, Min-Cheol and his clones hadn’t realized the amount of power they had obtained through the Flame Dragon’s Talisman.

However, if it is Min-Cheol, he should be able to utilize 100% of that power during battle.

After all, the ability to use all owned abilities freely was part of the Fragment of Space and Time.

Min-Cheol wasn’t the only case that this applied to.

There was a likelihood that his clones, who were very sensible, would use the power of the Flame Dragon properly first.

Mithrael stared at Min-Cheol with great excitement in his expression.

From his point of view, Min-Cheol and his clones were definitely his kin.

After all, they were radiating energy that could be summed up as the manifestation of a dragon’s combat capability.

Mithrael wanted to enjoy this moment that he did not know if it would come again.

It was true that because Min-Cheol and his clones had the numbers advantage, Mithrael was at a disadvantage.

However, perhaps unconcerned by such things, he had a lively smile going for him.

“Kaha! Now, let’s enjoy this.”

“I think it’ll be over quickly, so what’s the rush?”

“Yes. Good. Go ahead and use everything you got behind your attack. Use that power to its limits and try taking me down.”

“I was going to do that even if you didn’t tell me to. You see, this power really seems strong to the point of surprise.”

“Now… Come. Sink your sword into my body and bombard me with your magic!”

Min-Cheol and his clones prepared to battle.

Nothing changed on the surface for them.

That is, other than how a red aura began to pour out from their bodies.

However, this would mean that each sword aura and each skill fired would be empowered by the Flame Dragon’s power.

Before charging at Mithrael, Min-Cheol spoke to the clones.

“This will be the most difficult fight yet. Even still, do not flinch. Well, I don’t think you guys are the type to.”

“Do not worry. That lizard. I kill.”

“Good. Do not forget each of your tasks I delegated to each of you before. The firstborn will handle debuffs and attacks.”

“Yep!”

“The second oldest needs to prioritize healing.”

“I know. Do you think I would forget something as simple as that?”

“Grumpy as always. The third and fourth oldest are in charge of buffs and attacking.”

“…”

“Lastly, when the worst comes to worst. The youngest will flee as out of the way as possible and focus on resurrecting. And the rest of you will protect him until he is done casting his skill. Alright?”

“…”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Min-Cheol and his clones charged at Mithrael at the same time.

It was quite the sight.

From just looking at each of their combat capabilities alone, they had enough strength to be undefeated even if every Awakened back on Earth charged at the same time.

Not only would the attacks of an Awakened fail to chip at their shields, but it would dissipate before even reaching the shields.

It wouldn’t matter if their skills involved throwing projectiles or using their sword aura.

Even if the demonic realm got involved, it wouldn’t change.

If Min-Cheol went to the celestial plane with the power he held right now, he had enough strength to beat all the gods at the same time excluding Karupedan and Barub.

The growth he achieved in hell was vast, and the Flame Dragon’s power was great as well.

Mithrael also prepared for battle.

He did not hold a weapon.

All he did was to pull back his cape and was desperately waiting for Min-Cheol and his clones to charge.

With his arms wide open, he seemed as though he was feeling the energy of his kin with his entire body.

His relaxed and arrogant expression was also a way of taunting Min-Cheol and his clones, giving them the opportunity to attack first and to try whatever they want.

And in that completely white space where it was impossible to tell where the walls, floor, and ceiling was, the battle began.

Human and dragon. The battle between dragon and god.

Charging at their target in an instant, Min-Cheol and his clones swung their swords.

The sword aura that was bathed in a red glow was fast enough to surprise them and had become a more powerful attack.

The firstborn’s debuff was already on Mithrael, and Min-Cheol and his clones were covered in several buffs.

The blades accurately plunged into Mithrael’s body and they felt the force behind landing a solid blow.

Wounds appeared all over his body and it was enough to turn his clothes into tatters.

Following up on the momentum, they stabbed at his body from various angles.

During that entire time, Mithrael did not lose his smile and didn’t try to stop any attacks.

Almost as if he couldn’t fight against an overwhelming power and could only accept the onslaught of attacks.

Or perhaps it was that he was simply playing along with a feeble attempt that was more akin to playing house.

And just like that, their swords sunk into Mithrael’s body with great speed.

“Kuhaha!”

“Good. Take him down in an instant!”

“Right… This is the feeling. This is the power of a dragon!”

“What?”

“Kuhahaha! How long have I waited. How much have I yearned.”

The blades of Min-Cheol and his clones had pierced through Mithrael’s form and ended up the other side of his body.

It was an attack that accurately aimed at his vitals, and it went beyond a fatal wound that wouldn’t be strange if it caused him to die immediately.

The sensation they felt through the sword as they cut him only confirmed that.

However, he simply raised his voice and continued to laugh.

Almost as if he had lost his mind.

While this spectacle was unnerving, they twisted the blades embedded in his body to leave deep wounds that would be impossible to recover.

Then they made distance and prepared to pour down a torrent of skills.

Mithrael was still laughing, but Min-Cheol and his clones believed that he had taken a massive amount of damage.

Enclosing him in a circle formation, each of them prepared their own attack skill.

It was to pour down the maximum amount of attacks possible in order to grasp victory.

Like when Min-Cheol had coughed up black blood, black liquid poured out from all over Mithrael’s body.

A pitch black darkness was pouring out from all the locations where he had been attacked.

To be fair, it would be strange if he was fine after receiving all those attacks.

Confirming the damage that Mithrael had taken, Min-Cheol signaled to his clones with his eyes.

While each of them had different skills being prepared to cast, each of them kept out any type of skills that would cancel each other out if they met.

After all, they were able to communicate with each other as if their thoughts were connected on an unidentifiable signal.

And then.

Focused fire rained down on Mithrael.

It was an all out attack that could be considered merciless and cruel.

However, he did not dodge and accepted the attack with his whole body.

Was it because he didn’t have time to avoid it?

The completely white space had become a mess in an instant.

It was obvious, since Min-Cheol and his clones had executed their attacks with every bit of offensive capability they could muster.

It wasn’t long before the flames and thick dust cleared.

Unaware that they were frowning, Min-Cheol and his clones focused their sights on where Mithrael was before.

“Has the lizard died?”

“…”

“You idiot. We haven’t felt his power being absorbed.”

“Ah? The lizard is gone.”

“He’s still alive. It really is frustrating that I can’t use the Eye of Insight in a situation like this.”

“O-Over there! He’s still there!”

“Has our attack worked?”

The firstborn pointed at the location where all the attacks were focused towards, and there was Mithrael.

No, would it be more accurate to say his remains were?

His form as a human had been completely annihilated.

Torn and burnt by the destructive force of fierce skills, he had disappeared without a trace.

Up to here, this result was normal and an obvious outcome after receiving the combined attack of Min-Cheol and his clones.

However, there was something else remaining that had taken his place.

It was darkness.

Whatever that had flowed out of his body from his wounds had remained.

In the first meeting with Mithrael before, Min-Cheol had seen his body.

His body of burning darkness that seemed capable of swallowing anything up, that is.

That’s why Min-Cheol was not unfamiliar to this darkness.

And it wasn’t difficult to see that this darkness was the enemy they had to face.

Reflexively crouching, they took a defensive stance.

“Prepare yourselves. The real battle starts now.”

“Lizard!”

Following Min-Cheol’s command, they clones focused on defense.

It was then.

The dark liquid that was squirming around as if burning suddenly vaporized and dyed the pure white battlefield black.

The black smoke instantly spread out as if from burning a tire and began to take shape.

It was as if it was foretelling that the real battle would be starting soon.

As expected, it wasn’t long before what appeared before them was a dragon.

It was a massive dragon, big enough to make this large space feel claustrophobic.

From that darkness came Mithrael’s voice.

“How long has it been? How long since I’ve been freed from this cramped body…”

“L-Lizard… Has gotten big!”

“You’re still calling him a lizard, idiot? That’s a dragon. Stop making a stupid expression and get ready!”

“Lizard-dragon…?”

“Whew.”

“How pleasing. Is this the power of a Flame Dragon? Kuuha! With six, it would be more than enough to free me. Wonderful.”

“…”

“However, this isn’t your full combat capabilities, right? Do not disappoint me, human.”

Min-Cheol did predict that he would turn into a dragon, but he was shocked that the attack from him and his clones did not work at all.

Their attacks were impossible to recover from.

That was the power that he had obtained from the Fragment of Time and Space.

It was quite the powerful attack.

However, he did not care about such a thing and had changed his form as he had planned.

Since the inability to heal was a rule that the absolute god had decided on, even a dragon shouldn’t be able to break it.

Min-Cheol could only come to the conclusion that they had only dealt enough damage to chip a tiny bit of ice from a massive iceberg.

It was a moment of fear for Mithrael’s latent potential.

Mithrael turned his massive body.

Because his appearance was quite overwhelming, Min-Cheol and his clones could not attack recklessly.

Appearing as if he was shaking his head with great force, he let out a great breath of flame towards the ceiling.

His mouth the size of a house let out a stream of blue flames, completely melting the entire castle.

It was because he felt frustrated from the small battlefield that got in his way.

The rubble from the structure fell down like rain, and a blue sky and scorching sun shined down upon them.

“Now it’ll be the real deal. Try amusing me more.”

“Lizard-dragon… Really big.”

“The only thing that has changed is his size. Let’s go!”

Each of the clones let out a battle cry and rousted themselves into a frenzy.

And like that, they charged at Mithrael’s massive form, towards his overwhelming power like moths to a flame.


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 247

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247. All Out Attack (2)

Min-Cheol and his clones charged at great speeds towards Mithrael, who had transformed into a dragon.

It was true that all of them were discouraged.

Their attacks were powerful enough to kill marquises.

Despite succeeding in such a powerful attack, it seemed as though Mithrael had not taken any damage.

However, there was a reason why did not hesitate and charged like moths to a flame.

It was because they had faith in the debuff that prevented healing.

Their attacks could not be healed from.

So if they continued to land attacks, whether a dragon or a monster from the deep would eventually be forced to kneel.

However, this would be the case only if Mithrael did not retaliate.

The firstborn clone’s debuff covered the massive dragon’s form.

The debuff increased damage taken and since it was focused on a single target, it would be quite powerful.

Following that, the buff skill of the third and fourth oldest clones were applied on everyone.

It was a buff that increased everyone’s attack and defensive power, did not overwrite the skills Min-Cheol possessed, and it was more powerful than Min-Cheol’s skills.

While the clones did not share much battle experience together, they worked in sync better than any other.

It almost looked as though between the clones and the original, and between each clone, they were sharing each other’s thoughts.

Their organizational ability, unity, and the ability to make split second decisions in combat were incomparably powerful to that of any squad.

Mithrael, who had let out a flame breath towards his own castle, looked out towards the sky through the massive gaping hole.

It was a feeling of freedom he had not felt in hundreds of years.

He had spent all those years hidden away in the cramped form of a human.

One could ask why he didn’t just reveal his true form of a dragon and take over all of Hell.

However, the only reason that he was able to escape his small human form was due to Min-Cheol and his clones.

He had been freed only because of their immensely powerful attacks that could not even be compared to the Protectors of this realm.

The conditions for releasing him from his seal was exactly this.

Reclaiming his power and his original form that had been sealed away, it seemed as though Mithrael had forgotten that he was in the middle of a battle.

The blue sky that ruined his mood and the bright sun that made him squint seemed beautiful today.

However, his feeling of satisfaction and tranquility did not last long.

After all, Min-Cheol and his clones were charging right in front of him.

While each of them had expressions filled with determination and were moving with all the strength they had, it did not seem particularly threatening to Mithrael.

To him, they were just annoying flies.

“Uraaaa!”

“Oraaa!”

“Hm. Any more tricks up your sleeve left?”

“Kuraaa!”

Each of them attempted to attack Mithrael from different angles.

Even though he was a powerful dragon, it would be difficult to defend against all of the attacks that came at incredible speeds if they came from various directions.

In a fight against many, a massive body the size of a house could be disadvantageous.

Min-Cheol and his clones did not aim for his vitals to kill him in a single strike.

They knew that it wasn’t possible from the get-go.

Instead, they planned to use their ability that prevents healing to slowly bleed him out dry.

As if aware, Mithrael tried to make as much as distance between Min-Cheol and his clones using his tail and wings, attempting to attack.

Their attacks hit him all over, and the result was a success.

The dragon’s steel like skin that did not show any signs of being penetrated were torn, leaking black blood.

This would’ve been impossible without the debuff that increased damage taken and the buffs the clones casted.

The more welcoming news was that the wounds on the dragon’s hide weren’t healing.

While it could be summarized as leaving a small dent in a huge rock, it would become a critical wound if the damage kept piling up.

Like how droplets of water can break through a rock.

Even as they attacked, their focus was completely on Mithrael’s gaze and his movements.

Because they knew that they could not end the fight in a short amount of time, they were being cautious.

They knew well that instead of trying to land as many hits as possible, it was more important for them to not get done in by their opponent’s attacks.

Mithrael wasn’t just sitting by idly as he was attacked though.

While he did move his body to retaliate, it was an attack that aimed for one out of the six.

Meanwhile, they continued to attack him while giving him a wide berth.

There was no way that he could react to all the attacks being thrown his way in such a large area.

Keeping that in mind, Min-Cheol decided to become the target of Mithrael’s attacks, attacking his belly and chest.

As expected, Mithrael’s focus shifted to Min-Cheol.

Incredibly fast attacks that did not match his size came towards Min-Cheol’s way.

His kicks were sharp enough that Min-Cheol felt as though his limbs would shatter from contact alone.

His extremely sharp weapon-like talons kept posing as a threat for Min-Cheol.

However, Min-Cheol kept barely dodging with his agile movements, allowing his clones to comfortably attack from outside Mithrael’s attacking range.

While Mithrael’s main attack was to swing his front legs, Min-Cheol’s focus was on his mouth.

It was because he could not ignore his powerful breath attack that was powerful enough to melt the castle.

Out of the many magics Min-Cheol had casted, there wasn’t a time that an entire building had been destroyed in this world.

While it was true that he had controlled the output to prevent drawing unnecessary attention nearby, it would be difficult for him to destroy a building to this level even if he was throwing everything he had.

Similar to Earth, this place’s processing capabilities were quite developed.

They used the materials obtained through Protectors killing monsters as construction materials to build structures.

Their durability was more than enough to block most spells.

If the estates of marquises and counts were that sturdy, then how much sturdier was Castellan Mithrael’s castle?

At the least, his castle would be made from the highest quality materials several times better.

If that breath attack was powerful enough to destroy such a building in a single hit, then it was obvious that it would be devastating against Min-Cheol and his clones.

Avoiding his attacks left and right, Min-Cheol kept his eyes on him.

However, even though a considerable amount of time had passed, Mithrael was not using his breath attack.

LIke how the skills of an Awakened or a Protector have cooldowns, it seemed as though his attacks also had a delay.

Min-Cheol took a bit of time to consider his attack patterns.

And came to the conclusion that his theory wasn’t incorrect.

Even though he made enough distance for Mithrael to use his breath attack, he only charged forwards to keep up the close quarters combat.

“Seems you haven’t heated up quite yet?”

“Kururu…”

“If that’s the case… That pimple on your forehead. It’s been bothering me this entire time. Oraa!”

Avoiding Mithrael’s frontal kick that came straight at him by a paper thin margin, Min-Cheol shot forward as if he had kicked the air beneath him.

Condensing a massive amount of power into his sword, he had charged towards Mithrael’s head.

His target was the dragon’s head.

To be precise, it was something that looked like a gem, embedded in the center and giving off a brilliant blue light.

After seeing many dragons in pictures and videos, Min-Cheol did not feel anything was off.

However, that brilliantly glowing gem that stood out from the plain form of a dragon was really getting on Min-Cheol’s nerves.

The focal core of power. It was obvious that this was a weak point that’s often talked about.

It happened the moment that the sword traveling towards the light was about to pierce.

“Damn it!”

“Kurururuk…”

His massive wings began to move.

As his half folded wings unfolded, it caused the clones to stagger as they lost their balance.

On top of that, the angle that Min-Cheol charged from the air towards Mithrael became twisted.

The sword aura barely missed his head, cutting through thin air.

With their attacks halted for that brief moment, Mithrael flapped his wings even harder.

Each flap of his wings were powerful enough to cause the ground to cave inwards.

A thick cloud of dust was kicked up, and the rubble of the building flew around like bullets.

Losing their field of view, Min-Cheol and his clones defended themselves and scattered.

With the loud noise stopping and the dust cleared, they could see that Mithrael was flying up in the air.

At the same time, Min-Cheol and his clones felt an unknown uneasiness.

It was difficult to believe that Mithrael, with his overwhelming power of a dragon, would flee to avoid such weak attacks.

And he was too far away to swing his frontal legs that was his main method of attack.

They all knew what he would be doing next.

Min-Cheol shouted towards his clones, and they all responded as if they had already predicted this would happen.

“It’s a breath attack! Hurry up and run!”

“Damn it!”

“Lizard-dragon bastard!”

“…”

“Dragon. Experience the power of a superior existence.”

In a split second, intense flames poured out from his mouth continuously in a stream.

It was a breath attack powerful enough to swallow his castle located on a mountain slope and then some.

Letting out his breath attack for several seconds, he was leisurely flapping his wings in the sky.

Magma dripped from his mouth.

“Ugh…”

The situation below was horrible.

They were incredibly fast, beyond imagination.

Additionally, with their vast amount of combat experience, they had made the best decision possible and would have attempted to escape from the attack radius.

However, Min-Cheol and his clones were collapsed on the melted battlefield with flames that did not cease burning.

Not only were they burnt black all over, but parts of their body were lost, having melted from the dragon’s breath.

Terrible screams rang throughout the battlefield, but the second oldest and Min-Cheol did not lose their composure even in that situation.

The second oldest grabbed his arm that had been cut off and yelled.

“Everyone, focus your healing on me!”

“Urgh!”

“I can’t invoke 100% of my healing capabilities with my current condition. Hurry!”

“Follow the second oldest’s words. We don’t have time to be in shock and stay down! Hurry!”

“Ugh…”

The clones and Min-Cheol focused on healing the second oldest.

Surprisingly, the Status Denial skill did not work on the wounds received from the dragon.

On top of that, the King’s Marbles did not work either.

This meant that Min-Cheol’s best healing skill and survival skill were useless in this fight.

However, after obtaining the power of a dragon, their healing capabilities were different from when Min-Cheol had collapsed before.

As the 5 of them focused all their healing on one, the wounded body began recovering at a rapid pace, showing a great progress in healing.

Standing back up, the second oldest then used his healing that was boosted by his special trait on Min-Cheol.

However, their healing stopped there.

“Ugh…”

“Damn it!”

Falling down from above, Mithrael crushed the third and fourth oldest clones with his massive body.

His hind legs were many times thicker and stronger than his frontal legs.

His talons pierced the two clones, brutally tearing them apart.

“Ah… I did not see there were ants below. Kururu…”

“You bastard…”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 245

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245. Mithrael

Min-Cheol traveled to a location not far from Mithrael’s castle.

Only 24 hours remained.

For the past few days, Barub did not make a single move, staying quiet as a mouse.

There was a bit of a change since Min-Cheol properly slotted in the Flame Dragon’s Talisman into the armor that Dump had made.

Min-Cheol was now able to sense an energy signature that he wasn’t able to before.

No Awakened, demonic beasts, Protectors, or even the gods of the celestial plane emanated energy like this.

The source of where the energy was coming from was Mithrael’s castle.

A great amount of power was emanating from there.

Min-Cheol was positive that the talisman slotted in the armor was reacting to a dragon’s energy signature.

Min-Cheol hadn’t changed at all in the last few days.

The amount of power he has, the skills he possessed, and even the artifacts he owned.

If there was one thing that did change, it was that he had put the Flame Drake’s Talisman on correctly.

There was no way to know what that small change would bring in the future.

Min-Cheol was more desperate than anyone right now, but he was also more confident than anyone else.

Covering the distance in a single leap to Mithrael’s castle that was far off, Min-Cheol was met with a giant castle door.

Opening this door, the castellan would be inside.

However, wasn’t it strange?

Even if the counts and marquises were killed, the soldiers guarding the castellan would’ve survived.

Barub also did not bother with those without much power.

Because Barub could be done in from loitering near the castellan, the obvious choice was avoidance.

This was the residence of the strongest person in the entire country, a person that could be considered a king.

However, Min-Cheol could not sense a single living being near the castle.

With suspicion in his heart, Min-Cheol opened the door to the castle.

The lobby that came first into Min-Cheol’s view was quite dirty.

And as if time had stopped, there were signs of people being here some time ago.

There had been a commotion in the middle of the banquet before.

It had been caused by Barub going wild and butchering both slaves and the knights.

The castle’s banquet hall looked exactly the same since then.

Except now, not a single person remained, leaving only stillness and silence behind.

Passing the lobby, Min-Cheol stood before another door.

The energy signature that Min-Cheol had sensed was flowing out with greater intensity from beyond that door.

Like a predator that senses the smell of blood from afar, Min-Cheol continued walking forward to follow that energy signature.

With the door opened, Min-Cheol’s expression turned into that of a frown.

“…”

A completely white space.

The white expanse continued so far that it was hard to tell how far it went on.

And it was difficult to tell where the pillars and walls were.

Min-Cheol’s eyes rested on the bright blue glowing at the far end.

It was because he was sure that it was the light that he had seen back when he had lost consciousness.

There was no reason for Min-Cheol to move closer to the light, as the light was slowly approaching him.

And the person to arrive close to him was Mithrael.

“Looks like you’ve recovered far less than I thought. Did I overestimate you?”

“You’ve really left an amusing wound. I almost wasn’t able to stand back up.”

“But why are you alone?”

“Hm? If you’re talking about my clones, then they will come out in a bit.”

“I was referring to Demon. I expected you two to come together.”

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m not on Demon’s side. Is that the reason why you didn’t kill me and let me live instead?”

“It seems that my excitement has been extinguished in an instant.”

“I’ll amuse you aplenty, so don’t worry about it.”

“Did you forget already? I could kill you without lifting a finger.”

“…”

“I had thought that you would amuse me together with Demon, but I cannot put into words my disappointment.”

It seemed that Mithrael did not feel anything for the nobles that made up a large portion of his kingdom.

He was only focused on the amount of force that could be mustered up through a joint attack with Barub and Min-Cheol.

Not killing him and letting him live, and the castellan’s real identity being a dragon as well.

It was true that Min-Cheol could not figure out why the castellan was here and what his aim was.

Min-Cheol threw a question towards the unshaken castellan, Mithrael.

“Why is that no one else is around? I thought that because you’re the castellan, you’d be living in extensive security.”

“They were here until a few days ago. However, all of them were used to sate my hunger.”

“That’s quite the nasty hobby.”

“While it wasn’t the cleanest of blood, what can you do? In a situation like this, I have to be content with what I can get.”

“Is that why you took the maidens and Protectors…”

“Cease now. I am already hungry again. Kuhaha!”

“…”

Mithrael rudely continued on with a smug expression.

The maidens and young that had been kidnapped by Swesi and sold to the nobles to die in a cruel fashion.

All because of Castellan Mithrael.

If Min-Cheol hadn’t been able to destroy Swesi and rescue Berlette, then she would’ve been murdered to sate the hunger of the castellan as well.

Min-Cheol felt shivers run down his spine looking at his face as Mithrael spoke about such a horrific deed as if it wasn’t anything significant.

While Min-Cheol wanted to swing his sword and and cut Mithrael’s head off that instant, he held back and calmly continued his questions.

“Why is a dragon breaking down order in the society of humans?”

“Kuhu. You knew of my identity? Well, it would be strange if you didn’t know after getting rid of the Dragon’s Scar and appearing before me.”

“It doesn’t seem as though you want to create your own kingdom. I just don’t understand your reasoning.”

“Yeah. As you said, I’m a dragon. In a far away memory, I can still recall when I used to live together with my kin.”

“…”

“However, while I do not recall when, I ended up in human society. I now had to live with these lower lifeforms. Me, a great dragon.”

“But you still wanted to be king among them?”

“Haha! It’s a given that a superior lifeform like I outshine the rabble.”

“So you had no reason to come here and have no goals? So you’re saying that you didn’t come here of your own will?”

“That’s right.”

“How funny. I just cannot understand or get used to this shitty world that Karupedan has created.”

“In such a dull life, an interesting situation has finally come. You two’s appearance only affects me that much. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Seems you’re not much different from those from the celestial plane.”

“I am not interested in such a pitiful fight. And it hasn’t been long since I finished my meal. Hurry and disappear from my sight.”

Mithrael turned his body around to go back further into his residence.

It was as if he wasn’t interested in Min-Cheol’s life at all.

However, Min-Cheol had no plans to let him go in one piece.

Grabbing onto his sword, he summoned his clones that he could not do without.

Sensing that, Mithrael stopped his steps and sighed as if he had to play along with an annoying foe.

“Whew… Don’t you have any desire to return without causing a fuss?”

“I already told you. I wouldn’t disappoint you.”

“It seems that there are humans that do not value their own life.”

“Ugh!”

“With this, it’s over. You won’t be recovering from the Dragon’s Scar by chance again, and you will not be able to stand once more.”

“Argh!”

The situation hadn’t changed at all from before.

Mithrael was able to make Min-Cheol kneel without moving in the slightest.

A massive amount of blood poured out between his armor, soaking the white space in dark red.

Almost as if trying to bleed out every drop from his body, the bleeding continued like a raging waterfall.

A weak scream was the only sound heard, and Min-Cheol shuddered uncontrollably while holding onto his chest and stomach.

However, the clones stood still without any movement.

Perhaps amused at the sight, Mithrael spoke with a snicker.

“Pff. Seems that even the clones that follow you refuse to help a weak master. It seems that I was foolish for expecting something from a lesser being such as a human.”

“Ugh…”

Turning his back on the collapsed Min-Cheol, Mithrael’s steps went further and further away.

The way that Min-Cheol’s clones were acting was different from before and strange.

It would be normal for them to drag Min-Cheol towards them to heal him or retaliate against Mithrael.

However, the clones were completely laid back.

As if Min-Cheol’s situation had nothing to do with them, they acted as if they had abandoned their owner, Min-Cheol, like Mithrael had said.

However, they hadn’t rescinded their loyalty to Min-Cheol.

Their reaction was only possible because they completely saw through Min-Cheol’s plan and knew that the power of the Flame Dragon’s Talisman would activate.

Mithrael, who was walking his own way, suddenly shuddered and stopped in his tracks.

His body shook slightly due to being excited uncontrollably.

His stiff facial muscles tightened, and he regained his energy.

And as if finding hope in a bleak situation, he muttered with overwhelming joy.

“This energy…”

“Pain is quite interesting. No matter how many times that I experience it, I cannot get used to it. Even if it was the same pain I’ve already experienced.”

“How can you…”

“How about it? Is it somewhat amusing now?”

“This cannot be. However. However…”

Mithrael looked at Min-Cheol with disbelief.

In his view stood a perfectly healthy Min-Cheol.

He was no longer letting out groans as if he was going to die at any minute.

Not only did his wounds heal and his bleeding stop, but Min-Cheol was now letting out a completely different and vast amounts of energy.

The energy emanating was exactly the same as his.

And just like that, the power of the Flame Dragon’s Talisman that Min-Cheol owned activated.

It was true that Min-Cheol did not exactly know the conditions for the talisman to activate.

He had visited Mithrael without any plan, and had tried to find the solution through him.

However, the way to activate that he discovered accidentally was far simpler than he had thought.

“Seems I have to completely become a husk first. To use this overhyped power of the dragons.”

“D-Dragon… This is definitely the energy of the dragon!”

Only after Min-Cheol lose all the power he had that the power of the dragon was able to flow through him.

He had to become a complete husk first to accept the power.

However, he did not permanently lose all the power he had obtained so far after obtaining the dragon’s power.

He had recovered and evolved from the power of a dragon, which increased even his original strength.

Mithrael had become extremely excited after facing the power of his own kind after hundreds of years.

This wasn’t an excitement that comes from meeting a familiar face in a long time.

This was joy from being able to trade blows in a fight against an opponent equal in strength.

Mithrael walked towards Min-Cheol, step by step.

Walking but refraining from moving quickly, he came close and spoke quietly.

“The power of my kin. An overwhelming amount of power. And not only one, but six…”

“It won’t be long, but it’ll be fun.”

“Yes. It definitely will be.”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 244

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244. Getting Back on One’s Feet (2)

“M-Master…”

“Feels like it’s forever since I slept so well. I forget how long it has been since I’ve actually gotten any…”

“Oh! Are you well again?”

“Master!”

“You’ve been through a lot. You’ve also worried a lot, Count Audu?”

“Sniffle…”

“It’s a relief to see that you’ve recovered. It really is most fortunate!”

Min-Cheol stood up, just like that.

He had recovered after eating the food given by that old woman, Gera.

The scroll merchant Gera and her granddaughter Karupedan…

While he wasn’t sure that if this only amounted up to a coincidence, they did provide assistance to Min-Cheol.

Hoping for his swift recovery, Dan and Audu were elated when their hopes came true.

The 5 clones that had continued to cast their healing spells now lined up with satisfied looks, as if waiting for Min-Cheol’s orders.

Min-Cheol patted the shoulder of Dan, who cried with his head lowered, and asked him a question.

“You’ve really been through a lot. It’s alright now.”

“I really thought that you wouldn’t be able to stand up ever again.”

“Thank you for your hard work. But let me ask, how many days since I’ve been out for the count?”

“Three days. But many things have changed since.”

“What of the remaining marquises…”

“Yes. Demon. No, the one that master calls Barub has taken all of them out.”

“So what I have worried about has come. Then the only one left is the castellan, Mithrael?”

“Yes… However…”

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t lose to someone I’ve lost to already.”

“Have you really recovered fully?”

“Yes. Both my body and mind have returned to normal.”

“I felt like I was grasping at straws. It’s really fortunate.”

While Min-Cheol had completely recovered and dusted himself off, the situation wasn’t that good.

Barub had already grown stronger than Min-Cheol by far, and the only way to overcome the gap was to defeat Mithrael after all.

However, Mithrael wasn’t an easy adversary.

He had slammed Min-Cheol in a single hit without moving at all.

And on top of that, he had caused Min-Cheol to be bed ridden for days in a row like a NEET.

But Min-Cheol spoke calmly, as if he had predicted all of this ahead of time.

“So what did you do? I really thought this was the end.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’m asking how you’ve treated me. I don’t think I’ve gotten back up from the healing skills my clones were using.”

“Ah… Well. I just brought some food and fed you.”

“Hm?”

“Soup and bread.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes. Do you remember the old woman who we met at the skill scroll shop before?”

“I remember. The elder who gave me the cursed scroll, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. All I did was to feed you the food she made.”

“Hm…”

“I don’t think she’s a regular person. She knew you were defeated the moment that she saw me, and I feel as though she has some mysterious power.”

“Is that so. Seems I must give her thanks before returning.”

“More importantly, what will you do now?”

“What do you think? I need to close the gap and need to overcome Barub.”

“Then you’ll need a way to grow stronger. I’m asking who will be the target.”

“He’s right here.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you a Protector yourself?”

“Eh?”

“No need to be shocked. It’s a joke. As I said, everything ends if I can defeat Mithrael. Then there is no way that Barub can overcome me.”

“…”

It was to be expected that Dan could not say anything but squirm.

Min-Cheol raised his body off the bed.

His body was the same state as before being defeated by Mithrael, and it wasn’t as if he had grown stronger since.

Since Min-Cheol, who had been defeated by the castellan in such a complete fashion, was so confident at facing him, Dan couldn’t help but wonder.

He had thought that Min-Cheol might be repeating the mistake he had made before.

However, Min-Cheol had always surprised Dan so far.

He did have faith that his confidence wasn’t just false hopes.

Fully standing up, Min-Cheol gave orders to his clones.

“Bring my armor and sword.”

“I shall go.”

“Yeah idiot, you go do it.”

The firstborn clone seemed so pleased with Min-Cheol waking back up that he brought the armor and sword with all smiles.

The clones had cleaned the bloodied, dirty equipment ahead of time.

Min-Cheol had received a massive amount of damage, but the armor looked new, without a single dent.

Receiving the armor, Min-Cheol stared at the where the Protector talisman was socketed.

And with his sword, pulled out the talisman.

“Master. Why are you suddenly removing the Protector talisman?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“What is it?”

“Remember that I’ve received something nice before? I didn’t expect that I’d have to use it though.”

“No way! The Flame Dragon’s Talisman?”

“Correct. Gotta catch a dragon with a dragon.”

Min-Cheol removed the talisman that protected the armor from destruction.

The reason why this armor was left unscathed without as much as a dent was because of this talisman.

Revealed was the Flame Dragon’s Talisman that he had received from defeating an elite monster, socketed backwards.

The armor that Dump crafted had two spots to socket talismans.

He had asked it to be prepared in advance just in case, but Dump had already crafted the armor that way before Min-Cheol had requested it.

Min-Cheol then pulled out the Flame Dragon’s talisman that had been socketed backwards as well.

Then he flipped it to the correct side and slotted it in.

-click.

In an instant, the armor glowed bright.

Only a single Protector’s talisman attached to the armor could be in effect at any given moment.

Even though you could make any socketable areas to put in talismans in the armor, it was pointless.

There was a reason why Min-Cheol had put the Flame Dragon’s Talisman backwards.

It was because he wanted the talisman that protected the armor from destruction to be in effect over any others.

However, the situation had changed.

Seeing that Mithrael’s real form was a dragon, he realized that he needed more power.

“That’s right… The old woman said that.”

“What did she say?”

“That the reason why master could not wake up was because of the ‘Dragon’s Scar.’”

“Dragon’s Scar? That old woman truly has quite the mysterious ability. Wonder how she knows that I’ve been defeated by a dragon.”

“Huh? Then the words you’ve been saying that sounded more like sleeptalking were…”

“I’m sure of it. Mithrael isn’t a human being. After I lost my consciousness from his strike, what I saw right after was a dragon.”

“A dragon…”

“A dragon that glowed bright blue. That is his true form and identity.”

“So you’re telling me that you’re going to use the power of the Flame Dragon’s talisman to defeat Mithrael?”

“That’s right. If the talisman had been socketed correctly, then I wouldn’t have lost so thoroughly to him a couple days ago in our fight.”

“So you’re sure of it?”

“Of course. With this, I will turn the tables again.”

“But you don’t know the conditions required to activate the Flame Dragon’s talisman.”

“It’s not clearly stated. But, don’t you get a sense of it?”

“What feeling are you talking about?”

“Mithrael’s true identity is that of a dragon. He did not receive the power of a dragon through a Protector’s talisman and is instead a real dragon.”

“So what are you saying?”

“It means that the answer will be made clear once I meet him. The catalyst that will activate the power of the talisman will be him after all.”

“Isn’t this too risky? Master?”

“Risky? I don’t have anywhere to back-peddle. Dying while resisting the castellan, or dying a week later after traveling to another dimension is the same thing.”

“True…”

Min-Cheol put on the armor that he socketed the new talisman into, and then twisted around to stretch his rigid body.

And then he laid on the bed again.

Flabbergasted by his behavior, Dan asked while sighing.

“Didn’t you say that you’re going to overtake Barub?”

“I did say that.”

“But is continuing to lay on the bed going to allow you to overtake Barub?”

“Yep.”

“Are you sure that you’re better now? Does your head hurt or…”

“Yep.”

“Whew… Take it easy with the jokes. Should someone who just came back after a near death experience act like this?”

“Dan. Right now, we have to hide and stay low.”

“Why?”

“Barub probably expects his victory and has hid somewhere, or probably consumed with trying to kill a strong Protector, right? Barub is already stronger than me, so there is no reason to try fighting against Mithrael after all.”

“That’s true…”

“But think about what would happen if I try to move to fight against Mithrael when there are still days left and I get discovered by Barub. Maybe it would be possible if I could activate the Flame Dragon’s talisman at will. If that’s not the case, then things would end before I could even get to the castellan.”

“So you plan to strike right before returning back?”

“That’s correct. Why didn’t you feed me the soup a couple days later? So I could sleep for a couple more days.”

“Hey now. That’s a really dark joke.”

“You must’ve been through a lot over the past few days because of me, so you should take a break as well. You don’t have to worry and can rest as well, Count Audu.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“And the rest of you, return back to me.”

With Min-Cheol’s command, the clones followed his command and disappeared.

While Min-Cheol did suggest rest, Dan, whose face wasn’t revealed to Barub, left to gather information once more.

And with that, Min-Cheol was able to take a brief respite after 90 days of arriving in Hell.

3 days ago, at dawn.

Barub had defeated all the remaining marquises in Larkenta.

On top of that, Barub took caution against the castellan’s movements while killing all the Protectors within the castle before going into hiding.

As Min-Cheol had expected, Barub had gone into hiding.

While Barub had no idea what happened to their enemy, Min-Cheol, they realized that Min-Cheol had stopped taking action at some point.

The remaining 3 marquises was what determined the victor from the defeated, but Barub had been able to absorb their strength without contest after all.

They had guessed that Min-Cheol had been done in by Castellan Mithrael.

Barub thought to themself that they had already taken an incontestable lead in their bet.

Min-Cheol, who had tried to grow stronger had disappeared.

Even if he was still alive, Barub now had more power than Min-Cheol did.

The only biggest threat to their assured victory was Mithrael.

That’s why after obtaining all that power, Barub was hidden as far as possible from the castle.

They had hid themself far away from the unexplored hunting grounds as well.

After all, if they just hold out until the time to be summoned back the celestial plane came, then this long yet amusing bet would come to an end.

****

And with that, 6 days had passed.

During that time, Min-Cheol lived a life of a complete shut-in.

Because he had no need to even eat, he did not leave the inn for a total of 6 days.

All he did was to silently guard his spot on the inn’s bed the entire time.

Now, exactly 24 hours remained before the promised 100 days would pass.

Both Min-Cheol and Barub would be summoned back to the celestial plane.

And with both of them summoned, their final battle would unfold.

The loser would obviously lose their life, and the winner would receive unfathomable power.

After all, this was a bet with the seat of an absolute god as the reward.

Min-Cheol currently was at the most important part of the bet right now.

No. You could say that he was at a lifetime’s crossroad that would never come again.

This single fight would determine everything, and it would also greatly affect the future face off as well.

With a determined expression, he put on the armor and gripped onto his sword.

He planned to go to Mithrael’s castle.

Dan and Audu did not come along.

This would be Min-Cheol’s last fight, and there wasn’t any guarantees that he would win.

And he had already seen the face of Castellan Mithrael.

There was no way that Min-Cheol could forget the one that had completely stomped him.

“So we can see you again after the fight?”

“Of course. You and Count Audu. And I cannot forget to say goodbye Mr. Dump and Berlette as well. Ah! And I also need to do so for the elder at the scroll store.”

“Please come back safe. I won’t worry. I’ll just patiently wait for you.”

“Yeah. I’ll be back.”

With that, Min-Cheol shook hands with the two of them before tearing the scroll to head for the castle.


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 242

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242. Screenplay

Min-Cheol, who lept into the air towards the castellan, fell onto the ground.

Mithrael had only turned around to leave.

He didn’t do anything other than that, and it wasn’t as if the remaining nobles had attempted to attack either.

Even if they did attack, Min-Cheol wouldn’t have been done in by them.

However, Min-Cheol groaned in a massive amount of pain and collapsed.

It was a situation that demonstrated the huge power gap between Castellan Mithrael and Min-Cheol.

A massive amount of blood spilled out from Min-Cheol’s armor.

Only the whites of his eyes remained, and even those eyes were soaked red.

Min-Cheol, who had never lost to anyone, had been taken down.

Min-Cheol groaned in pain loudly enough to pop a vessel on his neck and forehead.

“Urgh!”

“Was I unsuccessful at holding back my strength? I apologize.”

“Ugh…”

With that, the castellan left the estate.

The second oldest clone hurriedly ran towards Min-Cheol and began to heal him.

Like foxes trying to take charge after the tiger left, the nobles were all riled up to charge.

While Min-Cheol did not have a bounty like Barub did, the nobles still wanted to nip the bud so to speak because Barub still had told the nobles about him.

After all, they had no idea when Min-Cheol, who was stronger than them, would attack.

However, those who prevented such a thing occurring were the clones with the exception of the second oldest one.

While Min-Cheol did not explicitly command them to do so, they knew that they could get rid of the nobles.

Min-Cheol groaned in pain as if he would breathe his last at any moment.

Putting him behind, the clones charged at the counts and marquis.

It was to protect their main body and to grow both themselves and Min-Cheol stronger.

If they were just any old regular summons, they would not be able to think of such a thing.

The situation was taken care of in an instant.

The nobles stood no chance against the clones.

Butchering the nobles in a single strike, the clones returned and stood around Min-Cheol.

While the amount they could heal were far lower than the second oldest clone, they still had the same skills that Min-Cheol had.

Standing in a circle around Min-Cheol, they all used their own healing skills.

Since there was only a single target, it seemed as though Min-Cheol would heal at a rapid pace.

“Ugh…”

“Strange. Min-Cheol is not healing.”

“Idiots. Focus on healing!”

“What do you expect when it’s not working? Even Status Denial doesn’t work.”

“Damn it. It is strange. So much that it’s hard to believe that he was done in by a person or a monster.”

“Should we kill him and resurrect him?”

“You shouldn’t try to think, idiot.”

“…”

The one to nod in the middle of that, the youngest clone, slowly closed his eyes.

The healing from the clones continued.

To think that it was a wound that couldn’t be healed with Status Denial.

The clones couldn’t help but be puzzled.

All that they had managed to do was to heal Min-Cheol to the point where he wasn’t groaning out in pain anymore.

He still remained unconscious and his breath was shallow, as if nearly dead.

At this speed, they did not know how long it would take before Min-Cheol would fully recover.

The healing process was slow enough to raise suspicion.

It seemed as if Mithrael’s attack had the same ability as the Piece of Space and Time that Min-Cheol had obtained.

Specifically referring to the inability to heal debuff.

That was when the oldest clone spoke.

“With this, it’ll work.”

“I told you not to speak, remember?”

“…”

The oldest clone deflated at the second oldest’s remark, closed his mouth, and started to search through Min-Cheol’s pockets.

The item that he was looking for the King’s Marbles.

While there were only 3 left, when would be a better time to use this than now?

Realizing how serious that situation was, the oldest clone had remembered when Min-Cheol had swallowed a marble.

He had noticed Min-Cheol swallow those marbles each time that Min-Cheol had obtained a massive amount of power and felt his body go out of balance.

Finally finding the marble from the inside pocket of the armor, the oldest clone spoke with a bright smile.

“This. If Min-Cheol eats this, he heals.”

“Right… I saw it too. Hurry up and feed him.”

“As expected of the oldest. I am smart. Are you all stupid? Think for once.”

“I’m going to only let this slide once. Hurry up and feed him.”

“Eh… Feeding him now.”

The oldest clone opened Min-Cheol’s mouth and dropped the marble in.

Min-Cheol swallowed on reflex and it didn’t take long before he was able to recover at an astounding rate.

Normally, King’s Marbles would be able to heal 100% of the damage taken by the enemy.

However, it was not the case this time around.

It was only enough for Min-Cheol to regain consciousness and to stop the bleeding.

Barely able to raise his body back up, Min-Cheol leaned on a pillar.

With a deep sigh, Min-Cheol spoke in a whisper.

“He’s not human… He’s a monster.”

“Are you okay, Min-Cheol?”

“Are you alright?”

“Have to run…”

Min-Cheol did not reply to the clones inquiries.

While in the brief period of unconsciousness, Min-Cheol had seen something horrific.

And with that, he had developed a fear for Castellan Mithrael.

When he had lost his consciousness, he was wading in a deep darkness.

No matter how many times he closed his eyes and opened them again, or rubbed his eyes, there was nothing he could see.

It was a darkness so profound that it was hard to believe even with one’s eyes closed.

It was then. Seeing a blue light in the distance, he moved towards it without much thought.

While it hadn’t been that long since he was knocked out, it felt like a long time for Min-Cheol to walk towards the light.

Even though he should’ve been getting closer to the light with each step, it felt as though the distance refused to close.

A long time had passed in Min-Cheol’s mind and then the light in the distance disappeared.

Suddenly, the same light flew up into the sky and spun many times before crashing down towards him.

Min-Cheol was blinded for a brief moment due to the sudden bright light, and it was quite a while before he was able to open his eyes again.

What appeared before him was a dragon letting out hot steam through their nose.

It was a type of dragon you could easily find in fantasy movies.

The dragon was half translucent and glowed bright blue all over.

Min-Cheol was able to tell without much difficult that the dragon was Mithrael.

Due the overwhelming size and power, Min-Cheol lowered his head as if surrendering.

It was obvious because he had defeated Min-Cheol in a single hit without moving in the slightest.

It was similar to how Barub had tasted a humiliating defeat before to Millions.

Before Min-Cheol regained his consciousness, the dragon’s Hell Breath covered Min-Cheol.

An extreme amount of pain embraced him all over, but he was able to snap back to reality with the King’s Marble the oldest clone fed him before long.

The mental shock was far greater than anticipated.

Not only had he lost his will to fight, but he had been swallowed by fear after all.

Min-Cheol moved his hands with great difficulty to tear the Return Scroll, heading back to the inn where no one would be present.

****

Refusing to eat or drink, Min-Cheol laid in bed for 3 days.

Dan and Audu were standing next to him, guarding him from possible threats, but they were unable to speak to him at all.

He shuddered like someone who had lost their sanity and seemed to have nightmares every day.

His body and face became noticeably skinnier with each passing day.

The clones that he did not dismiss also guarded him as well.

The clones also did not have a need for food or water as well.

They did not leave even once and kept focusing on healing him.

They had used all of the remaining King’s Marbles on Min-Cheol, but they had been unable to heal him fully.

During that time, Barub had defeated all of the remaining marquises.

Starting from the day Barub had started causing trouble, the situation had been concluded before the sun had risen back up.

The only one remaining was Castellan Mithrael.

It seemed that the castellan was allowing Barub to roam freely.

It was almost as if Min-Cheol’s inability to fight and Barub’s growth were part of script that Mithrael had created.

Comparing the amount of power both had obtained so far, Barub was overwhelming stronger now.

To be precise, Barub had become far stronger by defeating the remaining marquises.

However, Min-Cheol would probably hold out for a bit by using his clones.

Still, the clones could not be summoned back for a certain period of time if killed, so if Barub targeted the clones and took them out to have a 1v1 with Min-Cheol, it was obvious that Barub would win.

Min-Cheol had no time to understand the situation he was in with the mental shock he had received though.

No longer were the thoughts of Barub, the celestial plane, and the bet between the two of them in Min-Cheol’s head.

However, Dan was aware.

He knew that Barub’s was stronger than Min-Cheol at this point.

Min-Cheol had been always full of spirit and boldness.

In Dan’s eyes, his actions embodied justice and were without hesitation.

He always won and was without indecision to the point where it could be mistaken that Min-Cheol enjoyed battle.

Dan had only seen such a side of Min-Cheol so far.

However, Min-Cheol was broken to the point where you could call consider him useless.

The person he had trusted and followed had fallen from grace.

Filled with frustration and regret, Dan yelled with anger at Min-Cheol.

“Master. Are you going to keep this up? You have to do something!”

“…”

“Barub already have defeated all the marquises and are way ahead of you. It’s a real possibility that Barub will challenge Mithrael soon!”

“Mi-Mithrael… That’s not a person.”

“What are you saying over and over again? Ugh… I think I’m about to lose it. Really. Please get up already. Please!”

“…”

“Are you going to lose to Barub and stay still after being defeated by Mithrael? Are you planning to give up everything?”

“Dan. Please stop. Don’t you think that the shock he received must be immense if he’s acting like that?”

“I’m aware too. That’s why I’m even more frustrated! Master is not that type of person. He’s the type of person to shake off the dust and stand back up to prepare for a counterattack!”

“I know how you feel. However, let us wait a couple more days before seeing how it’ll go. I also have nowhere to go without him. I had turned my back on the nobles in the hopes for a new world, betraying them in the process.”

“…”

“I have also become as frustrated as you. So please be patient a bit longer and wait. Don’t you know better that he’s not the type to fall here?”

“Ugh… Damn it!”

Min-Cheol’s two compatriots were now in quite the difficult situation.

Following him, they had turned their backs on everything to try changing the world.

That meant that they had nowhere to return now.

However, Min-Cheol, the person who was the heart of the plan, had completely given up.

The two of them believed in Min-Cheol and only wished for him to get back up on his feet.

After all, it wasn’t as if there was anything else they could do.

Dan traveled towards the castle with frustration in his heart.

It was to find out about the atmosphere and information on the castle.

It was also to see if Barub had done anything rash and to see if Castellan Mithrael had done something in response.

The energetic crowd at the castle’s entrance and the lively markets within the castle had lost their enthusiasm.

It seemed that they were struggling to get used to the world that changed so rapidly overnight.

Sparse were people on the castle’s streets, with everyone hiding inside the stores and homes to peek out and observe what was going on.

It seemed true that the castellan and Barub hadn’t done anything new as of yet.

It happened as Dan was passing by the stores.

“Seems you’ve lost your owner.”

“…”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 243

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243. Getting Back on One’s Feet

“Back then… About the grasshopper that dried out from the sun! Right?”

The person addressing Dan was the the elderly owner of the skill scroll shop.

She was the same elderly woman who nicknamed Dan as dried out dead grasshopper and handed the cursed scroll over to Min-Cheol.

Dan was taken aback by her sudden appearance, but went into the store to ask about the current going-ons inside the castle.

It was difficult to find anyone to talk to because everyone was busy hiding away.

There was a bowl of recently boiled hot soup and well baked bread on a table inside the store.

The elderly woman nodded towards that table, and Dan quickly understood, sat near the table, and look towards her.

“Kuhuhu. Are you still holding onto that?”

“Well, not really…”

“You are as timid as you look. Kuhuhu.”

“Right now isn’t the time for small talk. More importantly, has anything changed?”

“What do you mean?”

“All the counts and marquises of Larkenta have been murdered overnight. It all happened in that short amount of time while everyone was in sweet dreamland.”

“Of course. That’s right. Something similar to the level of chaos when the first monsters appeared has happened.”

“Yes… I’m asking if anything has changed or anything suspicious going on.”

“Many days have passed since its occurrence, but nothing has changed.”

‘“…”

“It must be even scarier because of that. Isn’t it far more suspicious that the usual calm remains in a situation like this? For people like us without any power, we can only try to read the mood.”

“Hm… “

“You must’ve seen it yourself too. The people who’ve lost their usual liveliness, locking the marketplace and doors before going into hiding. They’re all afraid… Afraid of what is to come.”

“Nothing has changed…”

“However, for an old woman like me who could drop dead at any given moment and no one would bat an eye, there is no need to be afraid. Listen before the food cools. I’ve prepped it to pass it onto you.”

The old woman pointed towards the foodstuffs on the table.

Fresh and a perfect amount. She had foreseen Dan’s visit.

Dan laughed over her groundless words, but thought that it was possible.

After all, she had identified him in a single glance.

While there was no way for Dan to be sure, he could still tell that what Min-Cheol and the old woman had claimed back then wasn’t a joke.

Unable to do anything but picking at the food without much care, Dan looked towards the old woman and asked.

“When you saw me just a bit ago, you said that I’ve lost my owner. What did you mean by that?”

“I’ve said it because the person who came with you last time hasn’t shown up. Has he died?”

“No. But the situation is bleak to the point where he is as good as dead.”

“Must’ve been caught in a trap that another demigod has prepared. Poor thing.”

“Grandma, what are you talking about? And how do you know so well what has happened to my master?”

“Hm? Do you still not believe me? That this grandma has a very special talent. Perhaps it’s because I’m near death’s door? Kuhuhu.”

“So there’s a way, right? And you know of it, right grandma?”

“Hurry up and eat the soup before it cools. You must have been through a lot, seeing that you were next to him…”

Dan slammed down on the desk and stood up.

It seemed that she knew something, but because the old woman spoke in riddles he could not understand, Dan had expressed his anger.

The old woman wasn’t shocked in the slightest, looking at Danwith a smile.

Lumbering next to the old woman, Dan asked with a rough voice.

“Please tell me what to do.”

“Kuhuhu. What do you mean?”

“My master, the one you talked about! A way to revive my master.”

“He’s not destined to die here. Isn’t he recovering slowly as we speak?”

“You already know! Please, I beg of you. Please!”

“You’re quite blessed with good company, young one. However, will you really believe in the words of a crazy bat?”

“Yes. Time is of the essence. Hurry!”

“Kuhuhu. His illness isn’t from the heart. It’s probably true that he had lost his determination due to the overwhelming power that had subjugated him. However, there is a far bigger issue left.”

“…”

“Dragon’s Scar.”

“Dragon’s Scar?”

“You could call it a parasite that eats away at his body and heart. His body should’ve recovered already ages ago. However, his recovery is constantly being sapped away by Dragon’s Scar.”

“What’s the solution? How do we get rid of it!”

“Kuhuhu. Seems you are quite the impatient grasshopper. I shall package the bread and soup I’ve given to you, so go and feed it to your master.”

“Is that going to get rid of Dragon’s Scar? But the reason why my master collapsed isn’t because of hunger!”

“Please trust in this old woman. Or do you have another way?”

“…”

Finishing her words, the old woman stood up and headed for the kitchen, located in the corner of the store.

Each of her steps were weak enough to make anyone watching worry.

However, Dan could only trust in her right now.

From science to myths. He wanted to hold onto any hope he could.

If he could get Min-Cheol to stand up on his feet again, he would feed Min-Cheol anything at this point.

Putting Dan behind her, the old lady muttered to herself while packaging the food that would be delivered to Min-Cheol.

“I do not know if this is the correct choice. However, it seems I must have faith. It’s the last bit of help I will be giving them.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Now! Here it is. Feed it to him before it cools. There’s nothing as difficult to swallow than cold soup.”

“…”

“Why are you standing idly? Why don’t you hurry and go?”

“You’re really saying that my master will get better with these packaged foodstuffs?”

“Hurry and go. Isn’t the soup cooling already?”

“If nothing else, please tell me your name. If the master does get better, then I want to come back and repay the debt.”

“Kuhuhu. What’s the point of learning the name of a dying old woman… Gera. My name is Gera.”

“Thank you, and I sincerely hope to meet you again…”

Dan bowed and then left the store.

There was only one thing on his mind.

It was that he had to revive Min-Cheol. It was to make sure that he would create the world he wanted and planned for with his own hands.

In his arms were the foodstuffs the old woman had handed over.

Running as fast as he could, he sprinted right past the gates of the castle.

The old woman stood and watched him go from afar.

A little child ran up next to her and hugged her, then spoke.

“Grandma. Who is he? Is he a customer?”

“Of course. He is a very important customer.”

“Seems he’s very busy. He can’t run like that. He’s going to get hurt if he falls. Right?”

“Kuhuhu. Of course. Of course.”

“Grandma, I’m hungry…”

“Fortunately for you, I’ve already boiled the soup you love so much.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now let us go back inside, Karupedan…”

****

“Huff… Huff…”

“Dan. Has something happened? Why have you run back here as if you were being chased by someone?”

“Huff… Hurry, the soup.”

“Hm? Soup? Take a breather and speak slowly.”

“Before that, the soup… Huff.”

Dan did not stop and ran all the way to the inn that Min-Cheol and Audu were at.

While he was a Protector, he wasn’t interested in brute force and combat.

When he worked for Swesi, he had taken on the role of a manager for the guards after all.

Even though he had far greater stamina and stronger physique than the average person who hasn’t Awakened, he was still just an average Protector.

Because he had run all the way to their residence, which was located quite far away from the castle, he was panting too much to even continue speaking.

The inn’s room that Dan returned to hadn’t changed at all.

The clones kept casting healing on Min-Cheol, and Audu looked at the window from the corner of the room, lost in worry about the future.

As Dan steadied his shaky legs with his hand and continued to walk, the firstborn that saw him spoke.

“He’ll die before Min-Cheol. Keep him alive.”

“Do as you’d like. Even cursing you out is tiring now.”

“Thank you. You didn’t call me an idiot.”

“Whew… Idiot.”

“Huh? Still keeping him alive.”

The firstborn clone treated Dan.

He must’ve thought that Dan was in a far critical state than Min-Cheol, who laid ill.

Dan’s breathing steadied in an instant.

Because he wasn’t that strong to begin with, the massive amount of power the clone had easily healed him to full in an instant.

Patting the firstborn clone’s shoulder, Dan stood in front of Min-Cheol.

“Thank you.”

“No worries.”

Following that, he was unpackaging the soup and was preparing to feed him.

Audu could not understand Dan’s behavior.

Min-Cheol was refusing to eat and laying ill.

And what he had brought all out of breath was just soup.

And he was also trying to feed him a tough dried out piece of bread as well.

“Hey. Are you really trying to feed him that?”

“Yes. With this, he can get better!”

“Hey now…”

Dan moved his body with diligence.

It happened as he was about to push a spoonful of soup into Min-Cheol’s mouth.

“Urk!”

“You can’t. Min-Cheol cannot eat right now.”

“Please let me go. I have to feed him this! That’s the only way my master can get back up!”

“He’s not hungry.”

“I am aware. However this…”

Dan’s hand that moved to feed Min-Cheol his soup had been stopped by the second oldest clone.

While he had simply grabbed onto Dan’s wrist, it was enough of an overwhelming force to make Dan scream out in pain.

There was enough force to prevent Dan from escaping no matter what he did all being concentrated on his wrist.

It seemed that the adamant second oldest would not allow Dan to go on.

It was then.

“Let go. It’s fine.”

“Idiot, stay out of this.”

“This is for Min-Cheol. Let him go.”

“…”
“It’s alright. Min-Cheol will get back up. And Min-Cheol is hungry right now. Let go of his hand.”

“…”

The firstborn nodded at Dan, and Dan immediately brought the soup to Min-Cheol’s mouth.

As the old women had hoped for, and because of Dan’s efforts, the soup hadn’t cooled yet.

While it wasn’t as hot as when it was freshly scooped out of the pot, it was at a temperature perfect to eat.

He poured some into Min-Cheol’s mouth, and Min-Cheol swallowed reflexively.

Perhaps because Min-Cheol was quite hungry, he ate the soup without any resistance.

Encouraged by Min-Cheol’s reaction, Dan dipped the bread into the soup and brought it before Min-Cheol’s mouth.

The firstborn clone had a pleased expression, watching Min-Cheol eat until the bottom of the bowl was visible.

It wasn’t long before Dan spoonfed the last bit of soup into Min-Cheol’s mouth.

With a defeated expression, he stood by Min-Cheol’s side.

While he didn’t 100% believe in the old woman’s words, it was true that he did have some hope that it would work.

However, it seemed that Min-Cheol had no plans to get back up.

Disappointment apparent on his face, Dan muttered to himself.

“To think that I hoped my master would get back up with something as simple as soup… Even for me, this is…”

The disappointment didn’t last long, however.

His head that was lowered straightened up with a single sentence, and his expression brightened.

The hand that came out from under the blanket stopped right on top of Dan’s shoulder.

And everyone, including Dan in the room, could hear it clearly.

“Good work.”


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