ã€ŠI Reincarnated For Nothingã€‹


 Chapter 0 Prologue

    Chapter 0 - Prologue.

    He was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, and he was the leader of the Rebirth Demon King¡¯s Enforcement army. His name was Artpe Hirtana Kelduke.

    His name was spread across the human world as being one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    If one mentioned the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King¡¯s army, the humans would think about the monsters that could cause the mountains to fall. They were seen as beings that could cause earthquakes and the seas to dry. However, Artpe was different.

    He was someone, who had been recognized by the Demon King, through polishing his strange ability. He was named to the prestigious title of being one of the Four Heavenly Kings thanks to his strange ability

    However, he was weak.

    He would make an entrance with an awesome aura wrapped around him, but in the end, he would die by the hands of the hero¡¯s party. Then a being with a more awesome aura would show up and say, ¡¯Hoo hoo hoo. In truth, he was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!¡¯ In this story, he was casted as being the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    ¡°The hero is reallying,mander. Don¡¯t we have to run away before that happens?¡±

    As expected of the subordinates under the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, all the demons under his directmand werecking in firepower. On top of it all, their temperament wascking too.

    ¡°If you want to run away, you should try running away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    His subordinate was thinking about running away even before the fight. He hit his subordinate in the back of the head, and he climbed to the top of the Demon King¡¯s castle. When he did, he could clearly see the hero¡¯s partying through a doghole created to bypass the castle wall. It seemed this was their attempt at secretly infiltrating the castle.

    Whenever a Demon King was born to conquer the world, a hero always appeared to put a spoke in the wheel. The hero was the Demon King army¡¯s ultimate enemy.

    ¡°She really is here. The Demon King on borrowed time now.¡±

    The hero had appeared around three years ago, yet she was already here. Who would have expected that?

    Artpe couldn¡¯t smack himself in the back of the head for having such a thought.

    Still, he was a bit relieved. She was here much earlier than expected. There was no way the hero would be able to win against the Demon king.

    ¡°The problem is my troops will be the first to face them.¡±

    Maybe a Demon King¡¯s mind was reshaped when the sessor puts on the crown. The crazy Demon King had a terrible personality, and he always sent the weakest amongst the Demon race to fight the hero first.

    This strong-willed hero was able to rapidly grow for the past 3 years, because the weakest demons were sent first. Then the degree of difficulty was slowly increased as the troops failed. If the Demon King wasn¡¯t a lord, Artpe would have smacked him in the back of the head.

    Currently, Artpe was moving, and the reason behind his action was obvious. The weakest force in the Demon King¡¯s castle was his force, and he was theirmander. No one from the Demon King¡¯s castle would lift a finger until every single one of them were killed.

    Artpe decided to look on the bright side. He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Would he really be killed by a new hero? Thest time he checked on her level was about an year ago, and the hero had been level 200. She might have grown a little bit, but she wouldn¡¯t even be able to scratch the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check her out first.¡±

    This was the ability that allowed Artpe to reach hismand post. He activated the Read All Creation¡¯. It was as the words implied. It was an ability that allowed him to find out information about anything that exists in this world. His innate ability was one of the reason why the Demon King kept Artpe by his side.

    He had trained his ability through the years, so he was able to sessfully activate his ability from a long distance.

    Several lines appeared in front of his eyes. It was written in thenguage of the Demon n.

    [Name - Maetel]

    [Race : Human Female]

    [Title : Hero]

    Artpe was at a loss for words. He had known the female hero was amoner, and her name was Maetel. However, he lost the ability to speak when he read thest line.

    [Level : 374]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What should we do,mander?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t even hear the question asked by his subordinate, who stood by his side. Artpe¡¯s mind was in a confused state.

    What? 374?

    When he checked up on her only a year ago, he was sure she was only level 200! The Demon King had just reached level 400!

    ¡°Hey. Did we do something to the humans recently?¡±

    What caused the worm to be a dragon?

    ¡°The Demon King wanted spice things up a little bit, so he personally dispatched several armies to where the hero lived. Now that I think about it, I heard no news of their return.¡±

    ¡°Ah-ha. He wanted to spice things up a little bit? Kyah. I didn¡¯t know about that!¡±

    He marinated her so perfectly that a hero appeared as a full course meal! That son of a bitch! I should just call him a chef instead of a Demon King!

    Artpe¡¯s subordinate looked at Artpe¡¯s stormy expression, and he immediately grasped the situation. His subordinate made a sour face as he asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Should we run away,mander?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Now I want to run away too.¡±

    This was beating a dead horse, but Artpe was the weak. However, in the end, he was still one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He was level 350, and he had considerable amount of skills. However, this was also why he knew what the disparity between him and the hero meant.

    Even a single level difference meant one¡¯s soul was outssed. It was impossible to beat the other unless one had a really good Skill.

    What would happen if there was a difference of 24 levels? Even if he gathered all his soul to oppose the hero, he would be destroyed by a single move.

    Artpe really wanted to run away. He wanted to crawl through the doghole made by the hero. How great would it be if he could run away to a ce where a being from the Demon race wouldn¡¯t be recognized? He wanted to go to a peaceful ce where fighting and war didn¡¯t exist. How great would it be if he could just live as he raised some cows!

    ¡°Koo-ooh-ooh.¡±

    When he had that thought, a red choker appeared on his smooth neck, and it ruthlessly tightened around his neck. It put pressure on his body and mind. He was owned by another. The Demon King¡¯s Innate Ability called Absolute Control was activated.

    When one was defeated by the Demon King, the Demon King¡¯s Innate Ability activated to control his opponent. Once his innate ability took hold, it was impossible to escape from it. One had to follow all his orders, and if one held thoughts that ran contrary to his orders, one¡¯s neck would be choked.

    When that happens, death was the final oue. One had to turn back into a docile sheep to follow his order, or one could just choose to die. Artpe had to select one of the two choices right now.

    Artpe wanted to live a little bit more, so he chose the former option. The choking sensation around his neck quickly disappeared.

    ¡°Commander.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t say anything.¡±

    There were several times in the past when he felt the sensation of being choked to death. It was akin to what happened a moment ago. On such asions, Artpe struggled to live by not resisting against the orders of the Demon King. This was why he was able to stay alive until now.

    He had experienced scenes of violence until he was fed of with it. He wouldn¡¯t be broken by a mere hero.

    However, it was also clear that he would lose for sure if events continued along down this path. Artpe thought hard on how he¡¯ll be able to survive this. In the end, he chose thest resort. He hadn¡¯t wanted to choose this option.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤please go contact Etna-nim.¡±

    She was the only woman amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. She was the leader of the Army of Thieves. Her name was Etna Carlyfate Mirecard. She was ranked second in Four Heavenly King¡¯s ranking. However, the most important part was that she was in love with Artpe.

    ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll agree to the Soul Pact if she helps me. She¡¯lle here after she gets permission from the Demon King.¡±

    The Soul Pact was the absolute contract of amity that could be made amongst two Demons. Basically, it signified marriage.

    ¡°....do you really want to marry her? You still won¡¯t be able to die a natural death.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m about to die right now? You really want to argue about this right now? Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Do you want to die before me?¡±

    When Artpe browbeat him, his underling quickly ran into the castle. He let out a sigh at this sight.

    Etna was a beautiful and powerful woman. Even amongst the Demon race, who was famous for being ill tempered, she clearly possessed a pure nature. This was why she was popr amongst her subordinates. A woman of such caliber liked him. This was a big blessing for him even if she wasn¡¯t his type.

    So why did Artpe turn down her proposal until now? The man, who was ranked 1st amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, was in love with Etna. Artpe didn¡¯t want to make enemy of this man, so he had turned down her offer.

    However, he couldn¡¯t worry about making a future enemy right now. The hero¡¯s party wasing towards him, and they were too scary for him to worry about the implications of his action.

    Ah, they were already running amuck.

    His two eyes clearly saw the sight of his Enforcement army being crushed in a distressing manner. It was true. He was really afraid.

    Pleasee before it is toote!

    Please allow Etna to participate in the battle, Demon King! If you leave them be like this, you will also be in danger! Please allow her to participate in this, Sheff!

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cause any trouble, and surrender to us, Four Heavenly King Artpe Hirtana Kelduke. There is no need for us to fight each other any longer.¡±

    It was all toote.

    Fuck this demonic life of his...

    Artpe looked at the innocent looking girl, who was the hero. She had her sword pointed towards his neck, and she had a slightly sorrowful expression on her face. He let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°You make it sound as the Demon King¡¯s army isn¡¯t on a campaign to bring about world peace.¡±

    She probably didn¡¯t know about the existence of the shackles that bound all demons under the Demon King¡¯s service. Even if he didn¡¯t want to fight, he had to force himself to fight. He didn¡¯t like killing humans, yet he had to force himself to kill them. She probably didn¡¯t even know such a demon existed within the Demon race.

    If she found out about the truth, this kind girl would probably be unable to swing her sword against them. However, Artpe decided not to tell her anything. Since things had progressed this far, he thought it might be better if she was able to kill the Demon King once and for all.

    ¡°Still, the others around you seems better equipped for this.¡±

    There was a magician, a warrior equipped with a shield and a sharp-eyed thief with a dagger. If Artpe said or did anything funny, they would kill him without giving him any quarter.

    They knew the truth behind the Demon race, yet they still decided to walk the road of carnage. They were true heroes, and Artpe admired them. They were qualified to be by the side of this heroine.

    ¡°Hero. I¡¯m pretty sure a very good looking noonim will being here soon, and she¡¯ll be very angry when she sees my corpse. I want you to give her this message.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s weird and offbeat words were taken as being a start of some kind of ploy by the thief. The thief moved immediately. He was incredibly fast. He might be faster than the hero.

    It was understandable. There was no burning animosity shown towards the hero by Artpe, and it seemed she would need a good amount of time before she could bring herself to apply the final blow to him. Her impatientrade had stepped forward to try to kill him in her stead. Artpe had expected such a move.

    ¡°In truth, I.... Kuh-huhk!¡±

    The thief¡¯s dagger pierced through Artpe¡¯s heart. The de was sharper and deadlier than the ugly past of his childhood. It had shredded his heart, but Artpe didn¡¯t die immediately.

    ¡°In truth, I¡¯m not too fond of older women... Kahk. Please tell her...!¡±

    ¡°W...what the hell are you talking about? Why are you saying such strange words! This makes you... It makes you seem like a normal person....!¡±

    The hero had a sad expression on her face. It was as if she was about to cry. When Artpe faced her pure sadness, he felt better. He grinned.

    In the end, he would die, but his tedious life woulde to an end.

    If he was born again, he wanted to be born in a ce where he was free of that damn Demon King.

    Artpe gave a heartfelt prayer as he closed his eyes.

    Before he died, he heard the angry shout of a woman, but he didn¡¯t care. He was about to die, so it was none of his business.

    This was how Artpe Hirtana Kelduke died.

    He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the Demon King army, but his death was miserable. It held no weight.

    In hisst moments, he could see two lines of words etched into his retina. However, his consciousness was already fading into death.

    [Innate Ability Read All Creation has evolved.]

    [Secret Option Rewrite is Activated.]

    When he opened his eyes again, he was in the form of a small male child.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Didn¡¯t a thief ruthlessly stab a dagger into his heart a moment ago? Artpe was having a hard time getting used to his rapidly changed situation. He looked around his surrounding.

    It was a very small and worn down hut. The window up top was letting in sunlight, and the light illuminated a cloud of dust. This looked like a ce where humans would live. Now that he thought about it, it seemed he had taken the form of a male human child!

    ¡®Is this Illusion Magic?¡¯

    However, this thoughtsted only for a brief moment. His soul held his Innate Ability called Read All Creation. It allowed him to pierce through all lies. It showed him only the truth. This was why he was sure he wasn¡¯t under any Illusion magic.

    ¡®Mirror. I have to find a mirror. I have to assess what kind of situation I am in.¡¯

    His ability, Read All Creation, was an incredible power. However, if he wanted to Read himself, he needed a reflective surface to see himself. It didn¡¯t matter if the reflection came in form of a puddle, mirror or even a person¡¯s eyes.

    He searched the small and dirty hut, but he couldn¡¯t find a mirror. In the end, he was sessfully in finding a bowl on top of the kitchen table.

    He poured enough water into the bowl, and he could see a blurred image of himself.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it is me.¡±

    He had ck hair and purple colored eyes. He had white enough skin to be called pale. It had been a long time ago, but his face was identical to the face he had when he was a very young Demon. It was indisputable. Artpe was himself, but at the same time, it was indisputable that he was a human.

    Artpe was still in the midst of despairing when his Innate Ability Read All Creation delivered the final blow.

    [Name - Artpe]

    [Race : Human Male]

    [Level : 1]

    [Strength : 3, Agility : 2, Stamina : 2, Magic Energy : 19]

    [Innate Ability : Read All Creation(Step 2)]

    His name, race and level were all too shocking! If there was a god, he wanted to kill the bastard! He¡¯ll kill the god alongside the Demon King!

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    Soon, Artpe realized the most shocking part was still left for him to be discovered.

    [Innate Ability : Read All Creation(Step 2)]

    His Read All Creation was now on Step 2?

    ¡®When did the Innate Ability develop stages?

    It happened when Artpe was thinking over this question.

    The door to the hut opened, and a human ran in from outside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y, Artpe!¡±

    The one, who spoke, was a beautiful human girl.

    She had such beautiful golden hair that it was almost unbelievable that amoner had such hair.

    Her emerald colored eyes were bright and passionate.

    Instead of the rag she was wearing, a silk dress would have gone better with her white skin and well-formed feature.

    ¡°Hero?¡±

    Artpe was so taken aback that he mumbled to himself.

    Somehow, the hero heard his words. Maetel let out a brightugh as she replied.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go y being heroes!¡±

    This was the day when Artpe died as a demon.

    He was reborn as a 12 year old male human, who was the childhood friend of the hero.

 Chapter 1 - Im a Hero!?

    Chapter 1 - I¡¯m a Hero!?

    It had been two days, since he was reincarnated as a human male child, This was when Artpe came to a decision.

    ¡°I have to kill the Demon King.¡±

    It was a really fucked up situation, but he had to kill the Demon King.

    Why?

    The reason was obvious. A Demon King¡¯s 1st priority was to kill all of humanity.

    Artpe was a human now!

    Would he have been better being reborn into the Demon race? No way.

    The reason why the bastard was trying to kill all the humans was the fact that the Demon King¡¯s Innate Ability didn¡¯t allow him to dominate over humans. His Innate Ability only worked on the Demon race, and the Demon King had been thorough in catching all the demons. He had put all the Demons under his rule.

    Since the Demon King existed in the same era as him, there was no way he¡¯ll be free unless he killed the Demon King.

    Artpe hadmented when he was confronted with this decision. He wanted to be alive to see the hopes and dreams of the future.

    ¡®Why in the hell did I have to be sent back to the past! If I was born 3 years after the hero or the Demon King was killed, I could have lived in the countryside without any ambitions. I could have just lived, while I tended cows!¡¯

    He could somewhat guess at the mechanism behind his reincarnation. His Read All Creation had evolved into its second stage. He didn¡¯t know the exact cause, but he knew this was all rted to his ability.

    He always knew his ability was unusual, but he never expected it to be able to bend time and space. No, the fact that there even was a Step 2 to his Innate Ability was a surprise for him!

    However, the problem he now faced was the fact that his Innate Ability had distorted not only time, but the cause-and-effect rtionship of events.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    The door opened in the same fashion as two days ago. A bright light entered into the hut, and Artpe already knew the name of the girl entering the hut.

    ¡°I knew you woulde, ¡®Maetel¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You were waiting for me! I¡¯m so happy!¡±

    The girl let out a bright smile in front of Artpe. She looked very young, but he was sure that she was one of the heroes in his memories, who had invaded the Demon King¡¯s castle. He had also verified this fact through his Read All Creation ability, so it was irrefutable.

    ¡°Why would I wait for you? Just looking at you make me feel anxious.¡±

    ¡°Anxious? .....Ah, jeez~ Artpe~ ¡±

    The 12 year old hero was under a false impression when she heard Artpe¡¯s words. She squirmed and twisted her body in embarrassment. Artpe groaned when he saw the young hero fall into a delusion.

    During his past role as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King¡¯s army, the Demon King had ordered Artpe to gather information about the hero. In truth, it was a task beneath even the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, but that fact wasn¡¯t important right now.

    The important part was the fact that the past hero didn¡¯t have a childhood friend.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go y being heroes, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m sick of both the heroes and the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Then you can be one of the Demon King army¡¯s Four Heavenly Kings!¡±

    ¡°That is one thing I¡¯ll never do!¡±

    Artpe pushed aside the hero, who came at him in a yful manner. He kept letting out a sigh. He had wished for a life where he wasn¡¯t entangled with the Demon King, so this time around he was entangled with the hero. If he had the opportunity to meet the goddess of fate, he would most definitely flip her off!

    Instead of being entangled with the hero, he would have preferred to live life as the normal Viger A. Then he would be able to focus on his profession, while leaving all the problems of this world to the hero. He could just put his trust in the hero, since her unlimited growth potential would let her ovee everything.

    If he was unlucky enough to chance upon the hero¡¯s party, he would just say, ¡®If you follow down this road, you wille upon the Demon King¡¯s Castle!¡¯ Or he would tell them, ¡®Our town¡¯s poption of wildcats have gotten out of control. Could you help us catch them?¡¯

    He would just tell them some half assed excuse to get rid of them!

    ¡®This world is already different from the past I knew¡¯

    To be precise, Artpe had reincarnated as the hero¡¯s childhood friend. From this point on, the future would be in flux. Even if he ran away from the hero right now, the changed timeline wouldn¡¯t revert back. It wasn¡¯t a realistic possibility.

    ¡°Eh-whew. Artpe is trying to y by himself again. Then I have no choice. I¡¯ll stick by your side.¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t need you right now. Could you leave me alone?¡±

    ¡°But I need Artpe.¡±

    Artpe despaired. What the hell did he do before he became aware of his previous life¡¯s memories? Why was he in such a good rtionship with the hero! It was so bad that even if he managed to run away, he worried the hero would track him down!

    ¡°You....¡±

    ¡°Eh-heh-heh.¡±

    The hero let out a simple and honestugh as she sat next to Artpe. It seemed events weren¡¯t going to proceed in ordance to Artpe¡¯s wishes.

    This was a problem. Artpe¡¯s biggest worry was the rtionship he had with the hero.

    A hero was literally a walking box of storm and cmity. Even the most peaceful town would be put in danger when the hero became involved. Moreover, anyone who encounters the hero bes embroiled in the hero¡¯s business.

    In the past, there was a very famous story about the hero taking every valuable item when passing through each town. The most insidious part about this story was the fact the townspeople had an irresistible urge to give whatever they possessed to the hero. If the hero fulfilled a request, one would have to give up a treasure as rpense!

    So what would his life be like as the childhood friend of the hero!

    ¡®No. I don¡¯t know how the future will unfold. This girl might not awaken to be a hero.¡¯

    If a Demon King existed, a hero always appeared. However, Artpe had reincarnated as a human, so the future had changed. It wasn¡¯t a certainty that Maetel would awaken as a hero.

    ¡°Still, I wouldn¡¯t bet on it.¡±

    Maetel would be a hero, and as her childhood friend, he would get swept up in her business.

    In truth, that scenario was the most likely one toe true. In this world, the most talented person was chosen to be the hero. Artpe had used his Read All Creation to verify the talent possessed by the 12 year old Maetel. She was so outstanding that it made one wonder if the gods made a mistake in creating her.

    He followed this thread of logic toe to his previous conclusion.

    He had to kill the Demon King.

    ¡°My life as a demon... No. My life as a human is really....¡±

    Artpe wrapped his head with his hands as he despaired. Maetel consoled him.

    ¡°Hang in there, Artpe! We have to endure, and we have to live five times the life we have already lived!¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn such a phrase?¡±

    ¡°I learned it from Artpe.¡±

    It seemed he wasn¡¯t a normal guy even before he recovered his memories! Artpe¡¯s head started to hurt more. Maetel, who didn¡¯t know his inner thoughts, kept smiling.

    ¡°I only want to live a quiet life.¡±

    ¡°You always say those words, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°However, the world won¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°That is also one of your favorite phrases you like to speak.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t really important how I got here. How should I proceed from now on.... Mmmm?¡±

    He grumbled as he started responding to Maetel when a sh of light illuminated the inside of his mind.

    Until now, he had assumed that the future was distorted, because he had reincarnated as the hero¡¯s childhood friend. However, was that actually true?

    In the past, Artpe had used his Read All Creation to track the hero¡¯s whereabouts. Of course, he also had aplete grasp of what developed in the human world.

    Would everything he remembered change just because of Artpe¡¯s presence? He was only a single person.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way that would happen.¡¯

    Yes. At best, an additional male child was born in a mountain vige. There was no way such an event would cause the war to be canceled or a king to be poisoned!

    However, how could that be the only implication? He knew the location of legendary thief¡¯s grave. The grave held riches. He also knew the locations of the Archmage¡¯s ruin, Balrok¡¯s Nest, and Archmage Rain of Louin¡¯s Magic Tome. They would be in the same ce as the locations in his memories!

    ¡°My god.¡±

    He finally realized the whole truth, and a shiver ran up his body. His Read All Creation ability allowed him to remember what had happened in the human world and the demon world. It didn¡¯t matter if a lot of event in his future would change. He still had many information that he could use to his advantage!

    There were many riches, many magic, many skills and many hidden hunting grounds!

    ¡°If I can acquire all of this with her....¡±

    ¡°Ah, Artpe.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s cheeks turned red. Artpe had mumbled his words, and it seemed another big misunderstanding had urred. However, Artpe was too excited to worry about it.

    ¡°If that happens, maybe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He¡¯ll be able topress the development process of the hero, and she would be able to gain items that were never in the possession of her previous self. If he could let her gain everything he figured out with his Read All Creation ability, the killing of the Demon King might not be a problem!

    If he could make that happen, he would be free! Moreover, he could use the position of being the hero¡¯s childhood friend to lead a peaceful life!

    The future he could foresee was letting out a radiant golden light. Artpe suddenly stood up from his seat. Maetel also stood up.

    ¡°All right. Leave everything to me, hero.¡±

    ¡°Hero? As expected, you do want to y hero!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about ying house with you. I¡¯ve never been as serious as this moment in my life.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah, all right.¡±

    The hero¡¯s face had turned red, and she kept nodding her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to Artpe.¡±

    ¡°You just nodded your head. You can¡¯t take it back.¡±

    ¡°This is true for Artpe too! You can¡¯t back out of this!¡±

    Artpe was satisfied with Maetel¡¯s answer. At this point in time, the two of thempletely misunderstood what each of them were promising. Artpe was dreaming about a peaceful future, so he hadn¡¯t realized this fact.

    ¡°All right. Then you should head back for now. I¡¯ll have to be thorough in making a n for us.¡±

    ¡°A n... You are being very earnest about this. All right! I¡¯ll go wait patiently for you!¡±

    Maetel turned around, and she opened the door to the hut. She was about to exit when she said, ¡°Oh¡±, as if she had just remembered something. She called out towards Artpe.

    ¡°You do know what is happening in the afternoon, right? Baptism Ritual!¡±

    ¡°Baptism Ritual? Ah!¡±

    When one was born into the Demon race, one possessed all of one¡¯s abilities from the start. Demons had to be ready to fight as soon as they were born. However, humans were different. Humans had to contact the gods through the priests, and a ss was given to each human. The sses ranged from carpenter, farmer, adventurer, warrior, etc. A human¡¯s station in life was determined at that point. The humans call it the Baptism Ritual.

    ¡°What ss will I receive? I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to it, but I could already guess what my ss is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Artpe!¡±

    There was limit on what ss one could acquire, and it depended on one¡¯s station in life, and one¡¯s ability. One cannot be a knight unless one was a noble. One cannot be the heir to the throne unless one was the son of a king. If one didn¡¯t have the ability to manipte Mana, one couldn¡¯t be a magician.

    Still, it didn¡¯t mean one couldn¡¯t escape an already chosen ss.....

    Artpe smiled as he felt the unrefined Mana circte around his body.

    Was it because he was a Demon in the past? Currently, he was only a 12 year old child, yet he had arge reserve of Mana. Moreover, he could wield the Mana freely. Unless something went wrong, he would probably be a magician.

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably be a hero.¡±

    ¡°Hero? Of course, I do like to pretend and y at being a hero, but.....¡±

    Maetel let out a timidugh.

    ¡°Truthfully, there is one thing I want more than me being a hero.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Is that so?¡±

    ¡°I would love it if Artpe was able to be a hero!¡±

    ¡°Pffft.¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter when he heard those words.

    ¡°Yes. It would be hrious if that happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh god. Please give guidance to this child¡¯s path!¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. I beg of you. ¡±

    [You¡¯ve earned the ¡¯Hero¡¯ ss.]

    ¡°....uh?¡±

    When he really became a hero, Artpe could no longerugh.

 Chapter 2 - Im a Hero!? (2)

    Chapter 2 - I¡¯m a Hero!? (2)

    ¡°Hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had mapped out a golden n to bring about a tranquil future for himself, but his n went awry from the start. All the fault lie in the fact that Artpe was chosen to be a hero. The future in front of him was a confusing and chaotic mess.

    ¡°Why me!¡±

    ¡°This is all very splendid, Artpe! Isn¡¯t it!¡±

    Maetel stuck close to him, and she was all smiles. On top of her head, Artpe could see words that could be only seen with his eyes.

    [Name : Maetel]

    [Race : Human Female]

    [Title : Hero]

    [Level : 1]

    [Strength : 8, Agility : 12, Stamina : 11, Magic Energy : 10]

    ¡°No matter how I think about this, this doesn¡¯t make any sense...¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    This time around two heroes were chosen.

    ¡°I had faith that Artpe would be a hero. Artpe is smart!¡±

    ¡°I believed ¡®you¡¯ would be the only one to be a hero.¡±

    This was what happened in his previous life!

    Maybe this was the 1,000 year anniversary of creation of this world, and this was some kind of a massive event where two heroes were given instead of one!

    Yes. The fact that there were two heroes meant that the probability of sess in killing the Demon King had gone up. That was a good thing.

    Still, why did he have to one of the heroes! The fact that he was the hero¡¯s childhood friend was already dangerous enoght, yet now his situation had worsened!

    ¡°Please wait a moment. We¡¯ll contact the pce, and we¡¯ll take both of you to the capital¡±

    ¡°Pce! Are we really going to a pce!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤uh?¡±

    Why were there two heroes? Why did he be a hero!

    He wrapped his hands around his head as he faced the nightmare-like reality in front of him. When he raised his head, he discovered the priest in charge of the Baptism Ritual moving quickly towards the exit. The sight evoked an ominous feeling within him. Artpe narrowed his eyes as he asked Maetel a question.

    ¡°What did he just say?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll contact the pce, and we¡¯ll be taken to the capital!¡±

    ¡°The capital!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the capital! It is a shiny city!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s voice was filled with happiness and delight. She sounded super sweet. Artpe heard her overly sweet words, and it caused his expression to sour in real time!

    In his previous life, he clearly remembered what happened to the hero when she went to the capital. He shouldn¡¯t be wallowing in despair as he stood by doing nothing! If they didn¡¯t get out of this situation, they will be ruined!

    Artpe decided not to ruminate over his situation right now. He could dwell on his own misfortune at ater time. The important thing right now....

    They had to run away!

    ¡°Capital! Pce! Being a hero is really great!¡±

    ¡°You arepletely mistaken. The pce isn¡¯t as grand a ce to be as you think.¡±

    Why did humans treat heroes well? They wanted to trot out the heroes to face the Demon King. It didn¡¯t matter if other humans gave them nice clothes and food. When the time came, they would push the two of them out into the streets. They would expect the heroes to kill the Demon King. Basically, the two of them were akin to domesticated pigs that would be fattened and eatenter.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about the problem we face right now. ¡±

    ¡°Pork is too expensive to eat!¡±

    ¡°The quality of the fodder they are trying to feed us stinks! It is pathetic!¡±

    Did she understand what Artpe was trying to convey? When she heard his words, her pupils shook for the first time. It was as if the world was about to fall on her head. She asked in a serious manner.

    ¡°Wa. The food at the pce isn¡¯t tasty?¡±

    ¡°It is the worst.¡±

    Artpe was firm with his words. It had already been several hundred years since the fight between a hero and a Demon King. Of course, the pce had a manual in regards to how to develop a hero. However, it was very outdated! It was trash! Even themon soldiers of the Demon Army would ridicule the manual if they saw it!

    ¡®In truth, the hero¡¯s development was dyed, because she followed their manual.¡¯

    Maetel¡¯s potential was remarkable. In only a year, her level had increased from level 200 to level 374. Even if the Demon King continued to provide a constant stream of fodder, her growth rate was unbelievable.

    Such an amazing hero had lived in the pce for several years, yet her growth rate had been absurdly low. If the Demon King hadn¡¯t paid attention to her, she would have never reached the Demon King¡¯s castle!

    Therefore, if the two heroes were dragged into the pce, the only thing waiting for them was a terrible loss! It would be game over for them!

    ¡°Humans are the biggest enemies of other humans. I want you to remember this, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Ah, all right. Humans are the biggest enemies of other humans... The food at the pce tastes bad....¡±

    This was the moment when the hero realized humanity was her enemy.

    ¡°So what should we do, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I thought of a way to nurture... I know how we¡¯ll develop ourselves. I know things are a bit messed up right now, but... Tsk. It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s do this my way.¡±

    His original n was to gather all the skills and magic in this world. He nned on giving it all to Maetel. However, he had also be a hero now. Their enemy didn¡¯t have a single target anymore. The target had split into two, and Artpe didn¡¯t want to die. This was why Artpe had no choice, but toe to this conclusion.

    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll learn about weapons. I¡¯ll learn magic. The rest... We¡¯ll appropriately split it up between the two of us, and learn it.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    A hero was able to learn skills and magic from all sses. This special characteristic made the Hero ss a cheat ss. Moreover, there were a good number of unique skills and special skills hidden around the world, and they could only be mastered by the hero ss.

    Normally, it was foolish to learn magic and weapons at the same time. It slowed one¡¯s development in both fields. However, the hero had to swallow the bitter pill of learning both fields, since the hero was pushed to learn all the skills and special moves that could only be learned by the hero...

    ¡®However, there are two heroes now.¡¯

    The most fundamental problem had been solved. The two of them could choose one¡¯s specialty field ahead of time. Each skill they gained could be maxed out. This would simplify their n on how they would dispose the Demon King!

    ¡°....this is hogwash! Ooh-ahhhhh! Why am I a hero!¡±

    ¡°Artpe. A hog doesn¡¯t wash itself!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t undercut me so coldly at a time like this!¡±

    This wasn¡¯t his original n! He nned on developing Maetel into a great hero, and he nned on eating the crumbs off the table from the back! He would have to fight the bone chillingly strong Demon King! Shit!

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhh. Please tell me this is all a dream!¡±

    ¡°This is really like a dream, Artpe. Artpe and I are heroes.... Together....¡±

    Maetel¡¯s idiotic reaction didn¡¯t allow Artpe to escape from reality. If he dropped the ball, the Private A of the Demon King¡¯s army might be able to kill them! Artpe let out a big sigh as he flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    ¡°You have to get ahold of yourself from now on. A hero bes the center of attention for the humans, but at the same time, the hero bes the target of every demon within the Demon race.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll protect Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Yes. I like that you are courageous.¡±

    He was a little bitte in realizing this, but.... This girl was a bit of an idiot.

    How was she able to learn magic and healing spells? After much consideration, he realized Maetel had only used her sword in his previous life. He hadn¡¯t seen her use anything else.

    Even as he lost, he had thought the hero was acting cool when she held back from using any magic. However, Artpe was mistaken. The hero had been an idiot, and she hadn¡¯t been able to handle any difficult magic!

    ¡°Eh-whew. Maybe this is for the best. It seems the gods are pretty smart.¡±

    It was said a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond. Artpe had the experience of living as a Demon, so he was more adept at manipting magicpared to most humans. He was made into being a hero, and at the very least, he was better at using magic than Maetel. This meant their chances of beating the Demon King had gone up.

    If he didn¡¯t have this idea to cling onto, his stomach would be churning from pain.

    ¡°I reincarnated for nothing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Reincarnated?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s get ready to escape.¡±

    ¡°Escape?¡±

    When Maetel made a retort, Artpe didn¡¯t say anything. He just pointed out the window.

    ¡°Artpe! Let¡¯s talk for a little bit!¡±

    ¡°We gave you bread yesterday!¡±

    ¡°I have an item left behind by your father, Maetel! Why don¡¯t youe out here for a brief moment.?¡±

    This was a hut where Artpe lived by himself. This was no where near the center of the vige, yet the people of the vige were all gathered in front of his hut. It was a scary sight.

    ¡°Ah. He said my father left an item behind! I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°They are liars. Stay by my side.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe stopped Maetel from getting up. She almost fell for the most basic trick. He let out a sigh. He would have to turn away the people, and he would have to escape the vige with Maetel. His immediate future looked bleak. At that moment, Maetel¡¯s naive voice asked a question.

    ¡°So why are so many people gathered outside? Normally, they are very chilly towards Artpe and I.¡±

    ¡°Since we are heroes, they probably want to create a tie with us at all cost. Still, they are only level 1 starter vige people ABCD.¡±

    Artpe was an orphan of unknown origin. Maetel had lost her mother when she was young, and her father was a traveling merchant.

    The vigers weren¡¯t heartless enough to let the two die. They helped the children get by, but they were considered to be a drain on their resources. This was why the vigers had treated them as if they were undesirables.

    However, the two of them had suddenly be heroes!

    Until now, the people of this vige had treated them poorly, and those memories were shing through their minds. This was why they had all gathered here to leave a positive memory behind in the two children¡¯s minds.

    ¡°If they had something useful, I would take it, but....¡±

    There was no hidden treasure or skill in this vige. He had checked with his Read All Creation ability.

    Basically, he had nothing to gain from the vigers. This tow had no special characteristics aside the fact that the heroes were born her. This was basically a quintessential starter¡¯s vige!

    ¡°Nothing good wille from getting involved with them. Even if we received andpleted a request, they probably would give us some grass as a reward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at eating grass. When I was young, father taught me which grass I could eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat grass. I¡¯m not a cow. Are you a cow?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t eat it from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He didn¡¯t care about the worries of the vigers. They didn¡¯t interest Artpe. The fact that he was a hero now was annoying, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to get involved in other people¡¯s business! The only things he needed was money, level, skills and spells!

    ¡°This is why we have to run away. If we stay put, we might be dragged away to the castle.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t want food that tastes bad!¡±

    Maetel let out an energetic shout as if she agreed with Artpe. However, she soon asked a question in low spirits.

    ¡°If fatheres back to find me missing, he¡¯ll be sad. If I go stay at the castle, I can contact him. I can¡¯t do that if I go with you.¡±

    ¡°You are sharp in regards to some topics.... Well... Mmmm.¡±

    At this point in time, Maetel¡¯s father had died in a remote part of the continent. Artpe had been in charge of investigating her, so he was sure of it.

    However, he couldn¡¯t just tell her that her father was dead, because it was so in his previous life! Artpe¡¯s existence might have changed Maetel¡¯s father¡¯s fate, but that possibility was very low. However, he didn¡¯t feel the need to attack Maetel mentally at this point in time.

    This was why he made up a reasonable-sounding excuse.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave behind a letter. Your father knows that you are close with me. He¡¯ll probablye looking for you at this hut.¡±

    ¡°Artpe. I know how to read letters, but I don¡¯t know how to write....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I know human...I know how to read and write the Kingdom Language.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    When Artpe raised his right hand, a blue light appeared at the end of his index finger. This couldn¡¯t be called magic. It was the most basic mana technique called Mana Manifestation. It was possible to engrave letters into the wood using the hot mana. Maetel¡¯s eyes became brighter. Artpe grinned as he confirmed something with her.

    ¡°Does your father know the Kingdom Language?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°All right, hero. Do you have anything you want to tell your father?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do! So....¡±

    Artpae transcribed all of Maetel¡¯s words on the wall of the hut. He let out a sigh as he stepped back. He thought this was pointless, but if he could keep her morale up, it was worth it.

    ¡®I¡¯ve gone through the trouble of doing this. You shoulde back alive, and search this hut out.¡¯

    He grumbled as he gave his wish, and he grabbed Maetel¡¯s hand.

    Kyahh!

    Maetel let out a bashful sound, but he ignored it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run away.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes!¡±

    ¡°Aht, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    The two of them charged out of the hut¡¯s door in an energetic manner. The vigers rushed forward. Artpe didn¡¯t know when the priest would being back, so he didn¡¯t have the time to deal with the vigers. Artpe chose the weakest looking viger. He red at the Viger D as he spoke.

    ¡°We have to go to the restroom.¡±

    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Vige person D backed off. Viger A, B, C and E followed D¡¯s example as they also backed off!

    This was the moment he had been waiting for. He ran as he pulled Maetel behind him. Viger D looked at the children¡¯s back. It seemed the two of them really had to go to the restroom.

    However, the two children was never seen again. They didn¡¯t return to the vige.

    The heroes seeded in running away.

 Chapter 3 - Im a Hero!? (3)

    Chapter 3 - I¡¯m a Hero!? (3)

    ¡°The human body is weak.¡±

    Artpe had a new revtion. The price of this new revtion was a scrape on his knee.

    ¡°Artpe was always bad at running. Eh-whew. I knew you were running too hard.¡±

    The priest was probably back after contacting the pce. The priest would immediately try to find them, so they had to be far away as possible. However, Artpe couldn¡¯t run properly, since he suffered an injury. This was why Maetel was helping him walk. He was slowing down the hero. If he was still one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he would have considered his own actions to be a meritorious deed!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to.....¡±

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    Artpe had extended threads of Mana from his body, and his face crumpled when he felt a vibration through the threads. There were beings born from a spring of evil nearby. Basically, monsters were nearby..

    There were three of them. These monsters were living in a forest near humans, who weren¡¯t very vignt. As expected of monsters living in such a region, they were naturally urring level 3 goblins. These were monsters that always showed up in stories that had heroes, knights or magicians as main characters. The main characters always defeat these monsters in the most miserable way possible for the monsters. They were the monsters of misfortune, who bowed out early from the story.

    Of course, even if the goblins were very weak, Artpe and Maetel had just left their town. They were mere level 1s, so the goblins were stronger than them. If Artpe and Maetel had moved through the normal route, they would have faced slimes or creatures weaker than squirrels. They could have raised their levels by hunting them instead of facing goblins!

    ¡®Fortunately, I dispersed my threads of Mana. Of course, it would have been better if I possessed Search or Barrier type magic!¡¯

    Level was everything in this world. If one had low level, one was low on Mana. There were restrictions ced on Skills and Spells, because one¡¯s soul was of low quality. One could attack an enemy¡¯s weak spot using a Sliding Tackle skill, which was sharper than an attack with a knife, yet one would have a hard time delivering a critical hit. On top of that, one wouldn¡¯t be able to equip oneself with good equipments!

    ¡°Maetel. You should stop helping me, and....¡±

    ¡°Huh? I can feel a strange energy.¡±

    Artpe had been about to warn Maetel, but she mumbled to herself before he could. Her pretty face frowned.

    Artpe could see Maetel¡¯s ability change in real time.

    [Maetel]

    [Level 1]

    [Detection Lv1]

    ¡°I can feel it more clearly now, Artpe. I¡¯m pretty sure there are beingsing towards us.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah, yes. I was about to tell you the same thing. ¡±

    Of course, there were also geniuses, who learned high quality Skills, irrespective of their levels. This was what had happened to the blonde haired girl in front of him! She was a damned genius!

    He let out a string of curses in a low voice, and he decided to look at this in a positive light. His only ally was a genius.

    ¡°They are goblins. They are all level 3. If it¡¯s a one on one battle, it might be a fair fight. However, there are three of them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect Artpe.¡±

    Her words were very heroic!

    However, she was wearing shabby clothes. It probably had a Defense of 0. It might even have a negative defense by the look of it. She had no other equipments. The girl spoke such words, while she clenched her dirty hands into a fist. It amplified the worry he felt.

    ¡°Still, you can¡¯t fight them with empty hands. It is unreasonable, so please be patient.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe let go of Maetel¡¯s helping hands. He limped around as he quickly searched his surrounding. He could see theposition of the world, and the information was pouring in through his eyes. He concentrated his efforts in finding the most sharp or hard item he could find. Fortunately, his efforts were immediately rewarded.

    ¡°Hoo. This should be fine.¡±

    [Burning Branch]

    [A trace amount of naturally urring Mana has hardened the fibers and bark of the branch. It has the potential to be used as a burning weapon. It¡¯ll break after several swings.]

    Sometimes there were artifacts that were naturally formed in nature. It was ungainlypared to a crafted weapon, but it was good enough to be used as a stopgap weapon. He put the item into Maetel¡¯s hands as he spoke.

    ¡°Two ising diagonally from the left, so you should guard that side.¡±

    ¡°Huh? This branch feels a bit strange. I can feel a hot, yetfortable feeling from it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Artpe observed Maetel. Sure enough, he saw the newly updated information.

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 1]

    [Mana Sensitivity Lv1]

    ¡°...yes. I see.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what just happened, but was it something good?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is the attainment of a warrior.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t something a normal warrior could gain. This was the attainment of a high rank warrior! Artpe didn¡¯t know how many skills she could awaken by herself. He decided not to be surprised from now on. He picked up an ordinary rock, and he turned around.

    His knee was aching, but he ignored the pain. He focused on imbuing Mana into the rock. The only thing he could do right now was to manipte his Mana.

    Mana was basically pure energy. When he imbued his Mana into this very in rock, it would be a useful weapon that he could throw once.

    Fortunately, Artpe had a ridiculous amount of Mana considering he was level 1.... There was so much that he wondered if his status as a hero had a causal effect. He had put in enough Mana to fill the rock, yet he still had plenty left.

    The rock was filled with magic, and it started to emit a blue light. If he left it be, the Mana would slowly bleed out. However, if he threw it, it would cause a weak explosion. It was enough to kill a level 3 goblin.

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I told you there were three, right? Don¡¯t worry about the oneing towards us from our rear. You just focus on the onesing from the front.¡±

    ¡°You even know where the monsters areing from. Artpe is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Look towards the front.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    If one of the bastards had a long distance weapon, they would have to run away. However, this was a forest in the boondocks. This was a novice zone where goblins weren¡¯t allowed to hold any advanced weapons.

    As expected, it didn¡¯t take too long for aughing goblin to push through the brush. The goblins weren¡¯t equipped better than them. They just had sturdy looking clubs.

    [Goo-heh-heh. You guys look tasty! Guehk!]

    ¡°Die!¡±

    There was no way he would allow a level 3 small fish pontificate in front of him! When the goblin assigned to Artpe came into range, he quickly threw the rock. The rock flew true, and the goblin¡¯s head exploded. The goblin fell over backwards. It was a one shot kill.

    [Kee...kee-eek!?]

    [Weak humans!?]

    ¡°Hyahhhhhp!¡±

    When theirrade in charge of the ambush died in such a preposterous manner, the goblins were taken aback! At that moment, the hero charged. Unlike her title as a hero, she had used a cowardly tactic by waiting for an opening!

    ¡°I feel as if everything will work out if I swing this!¡±

    ¡°Countless gamblers ruined themselves by trusting their instincts!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhp!¡±

    [Ggoo-ehhhhhhk!]

    However, unlike Artpe worries, the wooden branch swung by Maetel fell with exquisite strength and speed. It impacted on the goblin¡¯s arm. The goblin dropped it club, and it fell over as it screamed in pain.

    A level 3 monster was defeated by a level 1 hero! This was shameful; event for the entire race of goblins.

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 1]

    [Swordsmanship Lv1]

    ¡°Artpe. Somehow I feel stronger!¡±

    ¡°Ah. I know. ¡±

    Until now, Maetel had only swung a branch during her roley as a hero. She didn¡¯t have any real battle experience, yet she learned swordsmanship so easily.

    Still, Swordsmanship wasn¡¯t as impressive as the Mana Sensitivity!

    Artpe gave an apathetic reply as he picked up another rock.

    From just one swing of the branch, Maetel had earned courage and skill. She bravely attacked the remaining goblin.

    ¡°Scary monsters! Don¡¯t torment Artpe!¡±

    [Kwahhhhk. It is a scary human! Ggoo-ehhhhk!]

    This strike was much stronger than before. She was only a level 1, yet she possessed Mana Sensitivity. Maetel instinctively brought out the heat from within the wooden branch. She burned the goblin¡¯s club, and she hit the goblin¡¯s head square in the head!

    The goblin couldn¡¯t resist against the terrible pain, and it died.

    It was hard to tell which one was the scary monster!

    [Maetel]

    [Level 2]

    [Mana Control Lv1]

    ¡°Ooh. Oooh.¡±

    When the fire was brought out from the wooden branch, it consumed all the mana contained within the branch. It turned into ash in Maetel¡¯s hand, and the ash was dispersed by the wind. Somehow, it was a sad sight for her.

    ¡°I really killed them.¡±

    It was as if Maetel had poured out all her energy. She sat in ce as she looked down at her hands.

    It was a very short fight, but she had never experienced something so powerful. She had went back and forth between the boundaries of life and death. She had ended lives with her hands! She wouldn¡¯t be able to forget this shock easily.

    Artpe also knew what she was going through. He understood it.

    However...

    ¡°Artpe. I.... I won?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Artpe gave a cold reply, and he threw the rock he had pick up a moment ago. In a short amount of time, the rock had taken in a lot of Artpe¡¯s Mana. The rock brushed near Maetel as it flew by like the wind. Before it could swing its club towards Maetel, the goblin¡¯s head exploded.

    Maetel saw the goblin¡¯s body stumble to the ground. She finally became aware of its presence.

    ¡°Kyahhhhk!¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t won until all your enemies are killed. You should keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°....I forgot.¡±

    The goblin she attacked first had only suffered a broken arm from her first strike. It had dropped its club, yet it had remained alive. Maetel had forgotten about the first goblin when she faced the other goblin. On top of that, she had been intoxicated by the fact that she had killed a goblin. The battle hadn¡¯t ended, yet she had been out of it!

    Maetel was looking at Artpe nkly. He spoke icily towards her.

    ¡°Wake up, Maetel. We are no longer children, who live within the fences of a vige.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Other 12 year old girls could act like this right now, but a hero didn¡¯t have that luxury. Even if Maetel¡¯s goodwill towards him decreased, he wanted her to have a mean streak.

    The hero in his previous life was too soft.

    She had been softer than a cheese matured for half a year! Instead of giving her a curriculum for the gifted, he needed to make a hero, who was cold and spiteful!

    ¡°....is too cool.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    However, his intentions was off by a little bit. Maetel¡¯s cheeks were flushed as she ran towards Artpe. She grabbed both his hands, and she started yelling excitedly as she jumped around.

    ¡°Artpe is too cool! You really are like a hero!¡±

    ¡°You are the hero! Ah, I guess I¡¯m also a hero now.!¡±

    Even as he said it, his words gave him goosebumps. Artpe couldn¡¯t think of anyone else in this world, who was as unsuitable for the role of hero as him! On the other hand, it seemed Maetel viewed Artpe as a cool hero.

    ¡°I want to be like Artpe!¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡±

    Artpe spoke with a serious face. Maetel¡¯s spirit was finally dampened a little bit.

    ¡°Anyways, you should never put down your guard until all your enemies are dead. Even fallen enemies should be checked. I want you to double check even if the enemy¡¯s throat was cut. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll bear it in mind!.... So the enemy doesn¡¯t die even if its throat is cut?¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue at Maetel¡¯s naive question. It wouldn¡¯t be called a monster if it died so easily!

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about these small fishes, butter on, there are bastards, who survive, even after being cut into 17 pieces. The criteria for finding out if a monster is dead is to use Mana.¡±

    ¡°Mana?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve handled Mana not too long ago, and you¡¯ve also acquired skills... I¡¯ll teach it to you slowly.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°However, there is something else I have to teach you first.¡±

    Artpe approached a dead goblin, and he tapped the corpse. Suddenly, a yellow coin fell from its body. When she saw this, Maetel¡¯s eyes turned round.

    ¡°Why do monsters have money!?¡±

    ¡°That is a very good question.¡±

    Artpe kicked the remaining two goblins, and he picked up the coins. He let out a fresh smile as he spoke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer either!¡±

    This was the moment when the hero learned of Looting.

 Chapter 4 - Im a Hero!? (4)

    Chapter 4 - I¡¯m a Hero!? (4)

    ¡°Stay still, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Stop right there. Don¡¯te over here. Hey, hey!¡±

    Artpe was facing the biggest threat of his lifetime. The identity of this threat was a paste made from a handful of grass. She held it in her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get better soon if I can put this on you.¡±

    ¡°Stop lying! There is no way I¡¯ll get better by applying such a dirty.... Ah.¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 2]

    [Medicine Lv4]

    [Care Grass]

    [The grass works against all types of wounds, but its effects are weak. If the grass is made into a paste bybining liquid, its recuperative power is increased slightly.]

    Maybe it could really heal his wound.

    When that thought ran through his mind, Artpe immediately calmed down. This was his mistake. Unlike the previous incarnation of herself, the current hero had learned how to attack an opening. In a sh, she darted in, and she put the grass paste on his knee!

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Just be still and get treated by me!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhh... It really is getting better!¡±

    She hadn¡¯t put much effort into searching through the thicket. After she pulled out the grass, she spat on it before mushing it.

    The pain disappeared in a sh after the paste was applied!

    Artpe was taken aback by this unexpected aptitude the hero possessed. She preened as she stuck out her still t chest.

    ¡°My dad taught me about the different types of grasses. There are grasses you can eat, and of course, there are the ones that can treat wounds. There are even a grass that can recover your energy. He also taught me about which grasses are dangerous to eat.¡±

    ¡°I ignored you when you said you ate grass before, but now it sounds as if your words were predictive....¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a little bit until the medicine soaks in. Ah. Before we do that....¡±

    Maetel found a patch of grass nearby, and she pulled out the wide leaved grasses. She wiped it off on her sleeve. Then she wrapped the wide leaves around the wound administered with the paste. She tied it loosely.

    She had looked fiendish when fighting the goblins, but in this light, she showed her feminine side. If he was a normal boy, he would have fallen for her at this point in time. Of course, Artpe was able to sidestep this issue. The number one cause of death for the Four Heavenly Kings had been honey traps. He was well-informed regarding this issue, so his heart didn¡¯t beat faster at all.

    ¡°Oopsy daisy. It¡¯s all done.¡±

    ¡°......thank you.¡±

    ¡°This is nothingpared to what Artpe has done for me!¡±

    Maetel had a big smile on her face as she sat next to Artpe. After the battle with the goblins had ended, they had decided to recover from the fatigue caused by their first battle. They rested on top of a big boulder that was nearby.

    ¡°What I did for you.....¡±

    Artpe felt guilty at Maetel¡¯s words, so he let out a bitterugh.

    Truthfully, he had mixed feelings about all of this. Was he really the same person as the version of himself, who had grown up with Maetel? Why did Artpe have no memory of the time before he regained his memories?

    ¡°Are you tired, Artpe? I¡¯ll let you use myp as a pillow. Why don¡¯t you sleep even if it is for a brief time?¡±

    ¡°...no.¡±

    Artpe faced the angelic and kind face of Maetel. He felt awkward facing her, so he surreptitiously turned his gaze towards the sky. The glow of the setting sun was slowly spreading across the sky.

    They didn¡¯t have any time to waste.

    ¡°My wound is fine. Let¡¯s get up now. It¡¯ll be extremely cold and dark once the nightes.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    The two heroes were still too young and weak. It was risky for them to spend the whole night within the forest. Be that as it may, they couldn¡¯t just blindly go back to the town.

    What would be their best option right now?

    Artpe let out a gentleugh as he revealed the answer.

    ¡°We can go into a Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°...what?¡±

    Maetel answered back with a question.

    For the first time, since he was reincarnated, Artpe spoke words worthy of a hero.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying we should go clear a Dungeon!¡±

    Dungeons were a scary ce where it was teeming with monsters and traps. However, at the end of the Dungeons, there was always the prospect of acquiring sweet rewards. This was why adventurers were lured into the Dungeons. Some called the Dungeons as being a gift from the gods. Others called it the temptation from the devil. There were even some, who called it was a prank pulled off by the Demon King.

    ¡°I like to refer to Dungeons as being rich mines.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is amazing!¡±

    It was unbelievably hard to find rewards within the Dungeons.

    There were cases where one was able to avoid all the traps, but when one reached thest room, it was revealed that the treasure was hidden in one of the traps one had already passed. There were times when thest boss was killed, but it was revealed that thest boss was the treasure. Then there were cases where thest boss didn¡¯t turn out to be the actual boss. The adventurer was awakened, in the course of fight monster, to be thest boss by being inflicted by poisons and curses. The world was overflowing with such stories!

    At this point, it was clear that a god¡¯s nature could be as twisted as the Demon King.

    Or were they the two sides of the same coin?

    On the other hand, Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability. He could pierce through all lies to see the truths. Nothing could deceive Artpe¡¯s eyes. Artpe¡¯s possessed an ability that would allow him to find all the hidden Dungeons, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to acquire the hidden treasures within the Dungeons!

    ¡®Of course, in my previous life, I used this amazing ability for the benefit of the Demon King....¡¯

    Just the thought of that point made Artpe grind his teeth. If he had been able to take just a 20 percent cut of what he earned from those countless Dungeons, he would have been able to take care of 30 generations of his descendants!

    ¡°It¡¯ll be different this time around. All right. I¡¯m going to work a little bit harder, so I can enjoy a peaceful life as a dairy farmer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about, but let¡¯s both work harder!¡±

    Artpe knew about a Dungeon near the vige where the hero was born. To be precise, there was exactly one Dungeon inside the forest near the country vige. It was fitting, since that vige had nothing.

    From the start, he had thought about visiting this Dungeon, while they were running away. This was why they had been heading in this direction from the moment they came out of the vige. It was going as nned. The Dungeon appeared not muchter.

    ¡°...is it here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    When Maetel saw the entrance to the Dungeon, she had an odd expression on her face.

    ¡°Do we have to go into such a strange ce? Isn¡¯t this a burial ground?¡±

    ¡°All Dungeon entrances are like this. It was as if all the makers of Dungeons made a friendly agreement by losing their collective minds.¡±

    Aside from burial grounds, there were several thousand year old trees, naturalkes formed within a cave and a ruined house inside a town. These were the popr spots for Dungeons.

    These were very obvious and suspicious locations. However, these spots weren¡¯t investigated unless the hero or Artpe discovered it. He had always wondered why it was like that. However, that issue didn¡¯t matter now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in there.... My dad said we shouldn¡¯t disturb the rest of the dead.¡±

    ¡°Your father did a very good job in educating you.¡±

    Up until now, Maetel had meekly followed Artpe¡¯s words. This was the first time she had pushed back. Well, it was true that the hero from his past life never visited this Dungeon either.

    After being chosen as a hero, she had been dragged immediately into the pce. She might have always had an aversion to burial grounds, but that didn¡¯t matter any more. There was only one important fact right now. She ¡®must¡¯ go into this Dungeon.

    This was why Artpe spoke with a stern voice.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t go in here, we¡¯ll be dragged back into the pce.¡±

    ¡°I like tasteless food even less! I also don¡¯t like the cold. Woo, woo....¡±

    ¡°Well, are you going to go in?¡±

    ¡°¡¤...yes.¡±

    The sun had set all the way, and their surrounding was getting colder. They didn¡¯t have the time to dawdle. Maetel looked as if she was about to cry, but she followed Arpte. She had no choice, but to enter the Dungeon.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    However, when he actually entered the Dungeon, Maetel tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a grave?¡±

    Maetel had expected to see a coffin with a dead body within. She had expected cold brick walls with hidden bats and long spiderwebs. The sight that greeted them was a square room, and the floor was covered with brown soil.

    When she turned around, she saw the stairway heading outside. Maetel was sure she had descended stone steps, yet unbeknownst to her, it had changed into stairs made out of dirt!

    ¡°Artpe, Artpe!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes turned round, and she grabbed Artpe¡¯s dirty sleeve. He had somewhat expected such a reaction from Maetel. Artpe smirked.

    ¡°Dungeons are all like this. So what do you think? Are you still cold?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold at all.... Huh? Why is that?¡±

    When the hero realized the abnormal condition around her, she became slightly confused!

    Artpe gave a short exnation to her.

    ¡°Dungeons are a form of pocket dimensions. You should think of it as a space disengaged from the outside world.¡±

    ¡°What is a pocket dimension?¡±

    ¡°The concept of a pocket dimension was first introduced in the year 728 ording to the Continent Calendar. A demon named ¡®Nanarai Bodra¡¯ set up an experiment where the density of Mana within a limited space was pushed past the maximum permissible amount....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over my head!¡±

    Maetel raised one hand, and she yelled out in a spirited manner. Artpe had already expected such a reaction from her. He let out a benevolent smile as he asked her a question.

    ¡°Which part don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too much... You should exin what the Continent Calendar is first.¡±

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯sy that aside for now.¡±

    Artpe gave up on giving her an exnation. He was the one at fault for trying to exin a concept of magic to an idiot.

    ¡°Just ept that such ces exists, and the Dungeons upies that space.¡±

    ¡°Yes. All right!¡±

    If she was going to gloss over everything, she shouldn¡¯t have asked for an exnation!

    ¡°We¡¯ll sleep here today. Since we are at the Dungeon entrance, the monsters won¡¯te near here. Moreover, no one will able to find and enter this Dungeon. We can rx and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes. All right.¡±

    He had said those words, but he prepared for the unexpected. He used his fingers to spread several threads of Mana over the Dungeon¡¯s entrance, stairway and the doorway located on the other side of the room. It would allow him to be aware of external threats beforehand, and it would give him some time to prepare for it. This was supposed to be an impossible task for a normal level 2 hero, but Artpe was able to pull it off.

    Maetel watched Artpe work. Her eyes were shining relentlessly.

    ¡°Artpe is really incredible. There isn¡¯t a thing you don¡¯t know. You are great at everything except exercise. You are kind.... Moreover, you are a hero!¡±

    ¡°You are a hero too.¡±

    ¡°I... I like being a hero, but in truth, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if I hadn¡¯t be a hero.¡±

    Artpe finally remembered the words spoken by Maetel in the morning. She most definitely said there was something she wanted to be more than being a hero.

    She had role yed at being a hero everyday. He knew she loved being a hero. So what was she referring to when she said there was something she wanted more than being a hero?

    Artpe mused over it when he turned to look at Maetel in rm.

    ¡°Did you perhaps want to be the Demon King instead of a hero!?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    ¡°You should most definitely not be one of the Four Heavenly Kings. It isn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s face had turned red as she fumed. Her anger pretty much wiped away the fear she felt for the Dungeon and the future. Artpe smiled for the first time, and he gently patted her head.

    ¡°I already know, you dummy. Whatever you want to be, you should keep it safe within your heart. When the Demon King is dead, you¡¯ll be free.¡±

    ¡°Free....?¡±

    A hero only existed, because there was a Demon King in existence. When the Demon King disappears, the Hero ss would vanish too.

    Then the hero would be able to acquire a new ss.

    ¡°That day wille, so you should safeguard your dream. You shouldn¡¯t forget about it. I will help you achieve it.¡±

    ¡°Dream... Do you really think I¡¯ll be able to fulfil my dream?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what her dreams was. However, the dream was probably something she can realize after the death of the Demon King. Artpe nodded his head vigorously, and Maetel¡¯s face visibly brightened.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try harder from now on! I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Anyways, it is time for us to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Sleep well, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°You sleep well too.¡±

    He had seeded in motivating the hero.

    Now she would be an active participant in moving forward!

    Artpe let out a pleased smile. He was able to turn the tide of Maetel reluctance, and his n was on track now.

    His expression was akin to a farmer waiting for his harvest.

    If he knew what Maetel was dreaming about, Artpe wouldn¡¯t have been able to make such a contented expression. He had always been the lowest ranked of the Four Heavenly Kings, because he had a habit of not catching the important developments.

    This was how the two heroes slept safely within the Dungeon on their first night out.

 Chapter 5 - Dungeon with Death (1)

    Chapter 5 - Dungeon with Death (1)

    On the next day, the two of them were able to safely open their eyes. Artpe had been inwardly worried about a highly skilled adventurer or a thief, who could neutralize his perception, catching them by surprise. However, a refreshing morning arrived without the need for Artpe to use his contingency n 1, 2, 3 and 4. Of course, they were in a Dungeon, so they couldn¡¯t check whether it was light outside!

    ¡°Good morning, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is is morning yet, and I also don¡¯t know if it is a good one, but hello.¡±

    When Maetel opened her eyes, she had confirmed that Artpe was sleeping safely next to her. She let out a bright smile before she took stock of herself. Her eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°Wow. We slept on floor, yet my body feels really great.¡±

    ¡°The Mana inside a Dungeon is extremely active. It has a positive effect on one¡¯s vitals. However, we aren¡¯t the only living being in this ce, and that is a problem.¡±

    Most monster, who entered a Dungeon, became much stronger. Of course, this increased the EXP one could gain. Still, it was scary to face these fortified monsters. This was why most adventurers and mercenaries was reluctant to enter a Dungeon. In truth, if one wanted to live a long life, it was best not to enter a Dungeon.

    ¡°Is this why you insisted on entering the Dungeon? Since we¡¯ve slept and refreshed ourselves, can¡¯t we just head out?¡±

    ¡°We could. However, the soldiers dispatched from the pce would have expanded their search radius by now. If we go out right now, we¡¯ll be caught. We¡¯ll be dragged back into the pce.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like tasteless food!¡±

    She could deal with wearing shoddy clothes, and not being able to sleep. However, she wanted to avoid not being able eat good food at all cost. There were tears in Maetel¡¯s eyes as she shouted those words. Artpe nodded his head in satisfactions, and he handed her the leather waterskin.

    ¡°All right. After we drink some water, let¡¯s work hard to catch the monsters in here. By the time we are able to go out again, we¡¯ll be stronger. When we exit the Dungeon, we¡¯ll be able to easily evade the soldiers pursuing us.¡±

    This was the cheapest part about being a hero. Maetel had been a normal child only a day ago. Before she became a hero, she had merely been the leader of a group of children, who she yed with. If things continued as they were progressing right now, she would be more skillful than the soldiers that were being killed like flies in the current war. She would be able to look down upon them!

    There was amon saying within the Demon world. Yesterday¡¯s defeated hero will kill you tomorrow. Of course, the idiots within the Demon world ignored this saying, and they were killed and looted by the hero like clock-work. The biggest problem was the chef...

    The Demon King was the biggest idiot amongst them!

    ¡°Do we have to fight those weird goblins again, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be fighting something much weirder. They are also stronger.¡±

    ¡°Heeek!¡±

    When she thought about the fight against the goblins yesterday, she shrank into herself.

    However, Artpe had seen her remarkably learn four skills at once in yesterday¡¯s battle. He thought about how she looked yesterday, and he gravely nodded his head.

    ¡°You are capable of fighting opponents that are 10 levels above you. If you aren¡¯t careless, you¡¯ll be able to win easily, so don¡¯t worry too much about it. I¡¯m also capable to a certain extent.¡±

    He most definitely felt the difference in yesterday¡¯s battle with the goblins. When Artpe was part of the Demon race, it didn¡¯t matter how great an ability he had possessed. He had a hard time distinguishing himself with his limited talent. Now he was born as a human, and he had acquired the Hero ss. His situation had changed drastically.

    ¡°In the Demon world, there are no weak monsters like this.....¡±

    ¡°You even know about the Demon world. Artpe is amazing.!¡±

    ¡°I read about it from a book...a book.¡±

    The monsters from the Demon world were inherently outstanding at Mana detection, and they possessed a high Mana resistance. If one manifested Mana to attack those types of monsters, it wouldn¡¯t work. Yesterday, Artpe had infused a portion of his Mana into a rock, and he had thrown it. He also used threads of Mana to detect the approach of his enemies. These methods would have never work against the monsters from the Demon world.

    However, he was in the realm of the humans now. There were countless monsters here that could be killed using such simple methods. He didn¡¯t have to level up, and acquire proper magic spells. Any magic spells that dealt with direct maniption of magic could be mimicked with his control over Mana. He would be able to create a simr effect!

    ¡°Wow. Can all magicians do that?¡±

    ¡°They can, but they don¡¯t bother using it.¡±

    The reason being it looked cooler to chant a spell, and the destructive power one could inflict was higher with a spell. Of course, these weren¡¯t the only reasons why Mana maniption wasn¡¯t used by others. If Artpe didn¡¯t have his Innate Ability, Read All Creation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out his opponent¡¯s tendencies ahead of time. He wouldn¡¯t be able to properly respond with his Mana.

    Artpe hadn¡¯t really given a detailed exnation about his Innate Ability to Maetel. Despite that fact, she passively epted everything he said by saying, ¡®Artpe is amazing!¡¯ This was why there was no need to give a more thorough exnation. If he said it, she believed it!

    ¡°It is scary, but I¡¯ll do my best, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Before we do anything...¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    While Maetel was tilting her head in confusion, Artpe unhesitatingly strode towards the bottom step of the stairway connected to the entrance to the Dungeon. He gathered Mana into his hand.

    ¡°Is there a monster there, Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s hand knocked on the riser of the bottom step. The stair reacted to the Mana, and it opened up like a drawer. Arge wooden box appeared. Maetel¡¯s eyes turned round. Artpe had a delighted expression on his face. Heughed as he turned to look at Maetel.

    ¡°However, there is a treasure box here.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is really amazing!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m amazing.¡±

    As always, Artpe didn¡¯t stop Maetel from giving him praise.

    In the past, this single ability allowed him to rise to the seat of the Four Heavenly Kings! Artpe was feeling good, so he decided to be a little bit more kind in his exnation.

    ¡°Most Dungeons have something called a Starter Set. These are for the fugitives, who were chased into the Dungeons, without knowing anything about the Dungeons. However, these people are being chased. They don¡¯t have the luxury to search for secret locations.¡±

    ¡°Still, if they are lucky, they might be able to find it. So who made these preparations? I¡¯m sure it was a kind person, who doesn¡¯t want unsuspecting people to die within the Dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Kind person?¡±

    Artpe grinned. The hero¡¯s way of thinking was still too soft. She was soft like a warm pudding that was freshly made!

    ¡°The beginner¡¯s equipment isn¡¯t called beginner¡¯s equipment for nothing. It¡¯ll break after couple swings. There is nothing here that can be used for the duration of couple days. On top of that, it is very difficult to acquire additional equipments in the Dungeon unless one is experienced in traversing such Dungeons. Usually, the people, who were lucky enough to find the beginner¡¯s equipment, are more likely to enter the Dungeon in high spirits. It gives them a false sense of confidence. This is the reason why most of them die.¡±

    ¡°D...does that apply to us!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, because we are heroes.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    Artpe gave another exnation, and Maetel once again epted that exnation.

    This is why it is easy to have a dummy by one¡¯s side!

    ¡°First, let¡¯s equip you with all of this. This rusted steel sword will break after swing it exactly 186 times. Ah, that number decreases by half if you imbue it with mana, hit a monster with a level difference of five or hit a monster¡¯s bone. You have to be careful. Moreover, this leather armor is useless if you take a hit from a monster with a level difference of 3. Otherwise, it can survive 20 cuts from the monsters before it bes useless.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be careful.!¡±

    Artpe had given a pretty detailed instruction, yet she readily nodded her head. Of course, there was no way she was able to remember all the details. However, she simplified it in her head as ¡®I have to avoid being hit, and I have to kill them with the least number of swings as possible!¡¯

    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t there any weapons here that Artpe can use?¡±

    ¡°There is no god in this world that would think a magician woulde into a beginner¡¯s Dungeon like this one.¡±

    Artpe used Mana so naturally that it was easy to forget that there were very few number of magicians in the human world. First, one had to be born with the constitution for magic. Secondly, one had to be smart. Thirdly, one needed an environment where there¡¯s a specialized school, who helped a young magician in dealing with Mana. A very small number of people possessed all three requirements.

    ¡°Artpe is really really amazing.....¡±

    ¡°I know. I know.¡±

    In the box, there were two daggers, three emergency potions and a little bit of ration. Artpe put the potions and ration into a bag. Then he equipped the daggers on his waist.

    ¡°Artpe knows how to use daggers?¡±

    ¡°I know how to throw them.¡±

    Artpe had an exceptional talent of being able to find hidden stuff. He was also very talented at hitting targets with whatever he threw. In the past, he had grown up in the Demon world with nothing to his name. He didn¡¯t have the money to buy proper weapons or magic scrolls.

    Before he caught the eyes of the Demon King, he had to manipte Mana directly or he had to infuse Mana into objects to fight. He had used these tactics to defeat threats to himself.

    He had already mentioned this before, but his tactics didn¡¯t work well against monsters in the Demon world. This was why Artpe¡¯s childhood had been very difficult. Even now his eyes teared up just from thinking about that period in his life.

    ¡°The only thing left now.... All weapons differ in weight and bnce. If you swing the sword thinking it is the same as the wooden branch you swung yesterday, you might be killed before you can say ¡®ah¡¯. You should swing it about couple times to get a feel for it....¡±

    Artpe was going through his ¡®Fifty reasons why beginner adventurers die¡¯ speech. He talked about information that was so obvious that people overlooked it. At that moment, Maetel swung the sword through the air, and she let out a bright smile as she let out a shout.

    ¡°Mmm, mmm. This will do! Weapons with edges are very scary!¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 2]

    [Swordsmanship Lv3]

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    He had been trying to give advice to a hero. It was basically akin to a little kid trying to lecture a court magician after reading a single tome of magic. After Artpe had this epiphany, he stepped forward. The hero grabbed him in surprise.

    ¡°You said there are monsters here!?¡±

    ¡°There should be none in front of us. I¡¯ll be able to perceive everything.¡±

    Normal monsters appeared in the beginner¡¯s Dungeon, and the monsters couldn¡¯t avoid his detection when he used the Mana threads. He was about to take another step with a leisurely smile on his face. However, he took a step backwards as his expression stiffened.

    ¡°....I guess not.¡±

    In the first room of the Dungeon, an Elite Monster was waiting near the exit. The Elite Monster was positioned perfectly. It was poised to take off the head of the adventurer trying to exit the first room. If Artpe didn¡¯t have his Read All Creation ability, he would have suffered the same fate as a regr adventurer!

    ¡°Why¡¯s there a monster of that caliber inside the 1st room on the 1st floor of a beginner¡¯s Dungeon!¡±

    ¡°There are strong monsters in there?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a level 10 Elite Zombie inside. It possesses a Stealth ability, and the Critical Hit Skill. It is the ideal monster to kill low level adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Level 10?¡±

    It was seven levels highers than the goblins they faced yesterday. However, the concept of levels was foreign to Maetel. She didn¡¯t have a point of reference for levels, so she had no idea how much stronger the monster was than her. She tilted her head in puzzlement.

    ¡°It is hard to feel the difference at the low levels, but the difference in levels represents the absolute power gap. Normally, one shouldn¡¯t attack an opponent if there is a level gap of 5 levels.¡±

    ¡°Then we should run away immediately!¡±

    ¡°There was a king, who thought simrly. That bastard waged a war, but he failed spectacrly.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°The Demon world¡¯s greatest chef.¡±

    Heroes always developed, while ignoring the level gap. This would be true this time around. Still, the Elite monster be too hard for a level 2. The hill was too steep, so Artpe formted a n to decrease the gradient.

    ¡°First, we have to kill all the monsters inside the room to increase our level. If we consider your Stats, even a single level increase will allow you to pierce through the Elite Monster¡¯s defense.¡±

    ¡°What do I do after that?¡±

    ¡°If you walk forward as if nothing is wrong, the Elite Zombie will try to attack you. At that moment, I¡¯ll attack to create an opportunity for you. You¡¯ll attack afterwards for good measure, and you¡¯ll retreat. Your attack won¡¯t be too effective, but I¡¯ll follow it up with an additional attack. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°All right! What do I do afterwards?¡±

    ¡°Afterwards, you retreat and return to this entrance.¡±

    ¡°....huh?¡±

    ¡°Just be familiar with the n I exined right now. All right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!..... Yes?¡±

    Matel didn¡¯t see the need to retreat mid fight, so she still had questions about the n. However, Artpe didn¡¯t give any further exnations. Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as she entered the Dungeon¡¯s first room with Artpe.

    ¡°I... Wa... Wa.....¡±

    ¡°Humans.... Killed me....¡±

    ¡°Daughter¡¯s face..... Want to see......¡±

    It was a prettyrge room and there were a total of six zombies there! Unlike the Elite Zombie, these zombies were around level 5. When they entered the room, the zombies became aware of them. They slowly got up.

    The zombies were letting out a rotting stench, and their nails were poisonous. They were a very annoying opponent to face, but they were easy to kill. The zombies were slow. It was the ideal candidate for a beginner hero to face.

    ¡°What shall we do, Artpe? He wants to see his daughter¡¯s face....¡±

    Their enemies were getting up slowly, and this was the ideal time to attack them. However, Maetel wasn¡¯t moving at all! Tears gathered in her eyes when she heard their words.

    He had expected her to snap under the pressure. He had expected her to get angry.

    Artpe nodded his head as if he understood her feelings. He spoke to her.

    ¡°asionally, there are some adventurers, who hesitate from attacking, when they hear the words spoken by the zombies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! How can we attack such pitiful people! We can¡¯t kill them twice!¡±

    ¡°However, there¡¯s something unusual here to be discovered.¡±

    Artpe turned to look at Maetel with sharp eyes.

    ¡°If we wait a little bit longer, all the zombies will speak in a uniform pattern. This fact can be observed.¡±

    ¡°My daughter¡¯s....¡¤ I want to see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like that.¡±

    ¡°Wow. I think that zombie also has a daughter.¡±

    ¡°There is more to it than that.¡±

    Maetel and Artpe had responded to their words, and the zombies felt their advance slow. Several zombie hesitated before they started talking about the same subject!

    ¡°Daughter.... My daughter.....¡±

    ¡°My daughter¡¯s face¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ See¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Its seems they were all blessed with daughters!¡±

    ¡°If we gathered 100 zombies here, they would all have said the same thing. They don¡¯t have daughters. They are just trying to make you hesitate.¡±

    ¡°Mmm...?¡±

    This was when Maetel¡¯s reaction changed.

    ¡°Are they... Are they perhaps lying?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it shocking? However, all monsters lie in order to kill humans. The brains of these zombies are all rotted away. Monsters lie on instinct.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t respond to Artpe¡¯s words. The hero just bit her lips. Then sheshed out towards the nearest zombie. She severed its legs.

    The strike was so strong and sharp that Artpe wanted to question if she really was a level 2! It was as if the thread holding up the zombie had been severed. It fell to the floor as it writhed.

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 2]

    [Critical Hit Lv1]

    ¡°Lying is bad......¡±

    Matel raised her gaze.

    Artpe let out a gasp as he took a step backwards.

    There was a towering rage within Maetel¡¯s eyes!

    ¡°Lying is bad!¡±

    ¡°Daughter¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Stop lying!¡±

    ¡°Daughhhhhhhter!¡±

    The hero¡¯s fight was incredible. No one had taught her this tactic, yet she severed the legs of zombies slowlying towards her. The zombies were all writhing on the ground!

    The hero yelled with fire raging in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never believe a monster¡¯s words from now on!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the stance to take!¡±

    An ex-Four Heavenly King had seeded in making the hero abandon her good character!

    ¡°Goo-wuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Of course, the zombies had fallen to the floor, but they continued moving by dragging their bodies forward. Their speed of advance was incredibly slow. Maetel approached the closest zombie, and she cut off the head of the zombie. She went down the line. After she cut three heads, she turned around to look at Artpe as if she had just remembered something she had forgotten.

    ¡°If I kill them all, I¡¯m the only one that¡¯ll grow. Artpe has to increase his level!¡±

    ¡°No, you can kill the rest. You are the one fighting from the front. You are more important than me right now.¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    When Artpe said his words, Maetel unhesitatingly finished off the zombies. It seemed she was still enraged by the fact that the zombies had lied to her. Of course, even in her angered state, she was careful in preserving the sword¡¯s durability. Her actions were praiseworthy.

    When she killed the six zombies, Artpe stepped forward to tap on the zombies.

    ¡°Let¡¯s loot first....¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times I see it, it is fascinating.¡±

    Of course, the loot that came out from the lousy zombies weren¡¯t much better than what the goblins had dropped. The only thing that dropped with greater probability was their long nails, which was seeped with poison. It was a very good weapon for the current Artpe.

    ¡°There are three poisoned nails and five copper coins. That should be it. Now you should walk....¡±

    Artpe was instructing Maetel on what to do next, but he shut his mouth. He had naturally activated his Read All Creation, and he had shut his mouth when he saw the information in front of him.

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 4]

    ¡°What?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement. However, Artpe let out a bitterugh as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    The six zombies were level 5 monsters, but this didn¡¯t mean her level should have grown from level 2 to 4 in one sitting. However, this was normal for her.

    ¡®Heroes are an abnormality. This was especially true for this one in particr if her Innate ability was taken into ount... I¡¯m pretty sure that this iteration of the hero will awaken to the same ability.¡¯

    A spike of jealousy towards the hero was felt by him, but it disappeared quickly. This hero was on his side now. He spoke once again to the pure and simple girl, who was looking at him with worried eyes.

    ¡°Just walk forward.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t hesitate. She walked forward. When she reached the exit, the hidden Elite Zombie appeared, and it tried to bite her neck. Artpe threw a Mana-infused dagger. The Elite Zombie stiffened!

    ¡°Goo-wuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    Its Stealth ability was down, so Maetel was able to see the bastard. She unhesitatingly swung her sword towards its leg! Of course, this zombie wasn¡¯t called Elite for nothing. There was no way its leg would be cut off with a single blow like the other zombies.....

    ¡°Goo-wuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°It fell off!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really angry right now!¡±

    ¡°Kee-ahhhhhh!¡±

    The next attack severed both legs, and the Elite Zombie fell to the floor!

    A level 10 Elite monster usually needed a 3 member party of simr level to take it down. Maetel had been able to neutralize it with just three hits.

    ¡°So we have to return to the entrance now, Artpe?¡±

    Maetel took two steps away from the Elite Zombie. She gantly yelled towards Artpe. Artpe looked at the fierce girl. He scratched his head as he gave a reply.

    ¡°No, you can just kill it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I said you can just kill it.¡±

    ¡°Huh...?¡±

    The hero was much stronger than he had estimated, so his n had went up in smoke. Artpe tilted his head, and he watched the girl¡¯s sword find the Elite Zombie¡¯s weak spot in an instant. As he watched her repeatedly bring down the sword....

    He just decided tough it off.

 Chapter 6 - Dungeon with Death (2)

    Chapter 6 - Dungeon with Death (2)

    Many adventures entered the dungeons with dreams of bing rich overnight. However, most of them were wiped out before they were able to get past the 1st floor. The reasons varied. They might becking inbat capability, or they might not have caught sight of a trap. They might have mismanaged their equipments or they might have ran out of food.

    ¡°Wow, Look! Look at this stairway! Does this stairway perhaps lead to the second floor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right..¡±

    Of course, their team¡¯s battle capability was taken care of by the human hero Maetel. Everything else was taken care of by the ex-Four Heavenly King Artpe. There was no way this two man team would face any difficulties here. After defeating the Elite Zombie, Maetel had advanced into being a level 6. The momentum created by Maetel allowed them to clear the 1st floor in just 6 hours. They had cleared it at superspeed. At the end of the 1st floor, Maetel was level 8, and Artpe somehow managed to advance into being level 5.

    ¡°Mmmmmmm. Why am I progressing so fast? Artpe is more amazing than me.¡±

    ¡°It is usually like that. Each person has a different area of expertise.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s growth speed was much faster than his. He should be upset at this reality, but Artpe already knew about the growth speed disyed by the hero in his previous life. In Artpe¡¯s eyes, the current Maetel was progressing very slowly. She¡¯ll probably level up much faster when she awakens to her Innate ability.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Unlike Artpe, who had just epted this fact, Maetel thought long and hard in front of the stairway Afterwards, she resolutely nodded her head as she turned to look at Artpe.

    ¡°We have to match our levels.¡±

    ¡°No, we really don¡¯t need to do that. As I said before, it¡¯ll be safer for us if you leveled up, since you are in the front....¡±

    ¡°We have to match our levels.¡±

    The light in Maetel¡¯s eyes was very serious. Artpe couldn¡¯t help help but ask the question.

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason behind this?¡±

    ¡°If our level difference is too high, I¡¯m afraid we will grow apart.¡±

    ¡°You are using some pretty poetic figure of speech.....?¡±

    However, the point brought up by Maetel unexpectedly touched on the core of a problem faced by all parties. This was one of the main reasons why most parties broke up over time. If one member of the party increased his level too quickly, it meant the other party member would fall behind. As the difference in level bes more severe, the difference in ability also widened. At that point, it was mutually harmful for that party to remain together. It was to be expected, since a monster¡¯s level wasn¡¯t fluid. It didn¡¯t adjusted to the level of its opponent.

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure this dummy didn¡¯t think that far ahead... She simply doesn¡¯t want a gap to form between the two of us.¡¯

    Artpe let out a bitterugh. He had wanted to overwhelmingly develop Maetel¡¯s ability. This would allow him simply stand in the back. He had nned on eating the crumbs off her table. However, he had no choice now, since the hero wouldn¡¯t let go of this issue. He had to keep step with her to a certain extent.

    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll do that, but my growth rate is much slower than yours. It¡¯ll be impossible to match our levels. How about we split the monsters evenly?¡±

    ¡°I really would like it to be the same....¡±

    Maetel grumbled as if she didn¡¯t like the idea, but in the end, she epted it.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head up then.¡±

    ¡°Why are you going up? You should stand still.¡±

    After Artpe browbeat Maetel, he extended his Mana infused hand. He grabbed and pulled at something in the empty air. Suddenly, the stairway in front of them copsed as a fairlyrge wooden chest rose up. Maetel shouted in joy. Artpe winked at her as he gave her an exnation.

    ¡°This is a trap. If you went up without discovering this box, poisoned needles would have shot out from the floor to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Heeeeek!¡±

    ¡°Of course, even if someone was lucky enough to find this box, they wouldn¡¯t have known that this is a monster called Mimic. It is pretending to be a treasure chest, and most adventurers usually die from its attack.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh.¡±

    ¡°The worst part happens when one identifies and kills the Mimic. It shoots out poisoned needles when it is killed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this anymore!¡±

    In truth, the level 5 zombies were to be expected inside a Dungeon near a beginner¡¯s town. However, they had encountered a pretty borate trap within the Dungeon, and that fact did surprise him. He was also surprised at finding an Elite monster within the first room of the Dungeon!

    ¡®The past hero didn¡¯t explore this Dungeon. There were only shitty zombies out at the entrance, so she hadn¡¯t even bothered toe into this Dungeon. Since this is supposed to be a beginner¡¯s Dungeon, I might have underestimated it.... Maybe this Dungeon is....¡¯

    This might be a hidden treasure trove. Artpe swallowed back the words he had almost blurted out. A beautiful flower had its thorns. Currently, they needed an opportunity to safely level up. They shouldn¡¯t be putting their life on the line to earn treasures. This couldn¡¯t be seen as being all good news.

    ¡°What should I do, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Get back.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe was holding four long nails between his fingers. Of course, these were the nails gathered by diligently killing the zombies. As expected, it was a lousy weapon. It could inflict a very weak poison effect when thrown towards an opponent.

    On the other hand, it was an entirely different story if it was used by someone, who could infuse his Mana. He could strengthen the items. Its toxicity and sharpness was strengthened, but the nails would cease to exist once the Mana was exhausted. It was a single use weapon, but it would be able to cause significant amount of damage!

    Of course, if one was skilled enough to infuse and strengthen an item, one wouldn¡¯t usually use it on nails acquired from zombies. It would be much better to use it on throwing weapons. Still, this method of Mana infusion was only known to those, who suffered from cold and hunger, like Artpe in the past. It was a very sad actuality.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    When Artpe confirmed that Maetel had retreated behind his back, he quickly and urately threw four nails towards the box. The Mimic had passively stood still like a wooden box, but when the nails were about to hit, it let out a weird sound. Then it jumped to avoid the nails....

    ¡°It¡¯s a fake, you retard!¡±

    [Geeeeeeeeeee!]

    In a sh, the nails changed direction to pierce the wooden box. The Mimic hung in the air, and the trap located below its original position activated. Several dozen poison needles shot out of the ground to riddle the Mimic¡¯s body with holes!

    [Gee-geek!]

    It let a short cry before it became silent. It had bitten its tongue in its death.

    Maetel, who had stayed silent, carefully asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Is it over....?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is over..¡±

    The Mimic was one of the rare and special monsters. Therefore, the ¡®reward¡¯ it dropped was overwhelmingly better whenpared to its difficulty. As proof, Artpe¡¯s EXP exploded upwards after defeating it. He had leveled up twice, and he felt the energy within his body surge forward. Even if he hadn¡¯t checked it with his Read All Creation ability, the Mimic was most definitely dead.

    ¡°Artpe is really amazing.... I never expected you to kill it in such a way!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get sick of hearing that soon.¡±

    Artpe replied tly, and he moved towards the dead Mimic. The dead Mimic, which had its tongue out, was flipped over by Artpe. When he shook it, coins and small daggers fell onto the floor. When she saw this, Maetel yelled out in surprise.

    ¡°I thought this monster wasn¡¯t a treasure box. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It swallowed humans, who mistook it for a treasure chest. It digested everything it could, and the rest are leftovers kept inside its body. This is also another reason why it is easy to confuse a Mimic with a treasure chest.¡±

    ¡°Monsters are really bad....!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really say they are bad....¡±

    The monsters were born this way. Humans ughtered and ate innocent pigs and cows. It was the same with monsters. They ate humans. This couldn¡¯t be simply be exined by the concept of good and evil. Everyone was just struggling to live.

    ¡°However, for us to live, he have to kill all of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are trying to say, but I¡¯ll defeat anything that torments Artpe!¡±

    When she killed the goblins for the first time, she had trembled like a leaf from the shock. This happened only yesterday, yet she was quick to act heroic in front of him now.

    For a moment, the image of the hero from the past superimposed on the current hero, and it gave him the goosebumps. Now that he thought about it, the past hero hadn¡¯t shown any signs of hostility towards him. Instead, she had felt sorry and worry for him. This truth came to him a bitte. He kept a loose smile on his face as he collected the loot from the Mimic.

    They had earned only 26 bronze coins from killing all the zombies on the first floor. The Mimic had barfed out 138 bronze coins. Moreover, there were a whopping three silver coins within the loot. Each silver coin was worth a 100 times more than a bronze coin.

    If one possessed 2 silver coins, one could feed a family of four for a month. Maetel had lived her entire life in the back-country, so of course, the amount made her eyes turn round.

    ¡°Amazing!¡±

    ¡°This is nothingpared to what you¡¯ll experience and earn from now on.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®you¡¯, say ¡®us¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes..¡±

    After he roughly ruffled Maetel¡¯s head, he threw the empty husk of the Mimic to the floor. The dead corpse cleanly vaporized into the air, and in its ce, a book was left behind. It was as absurd a scene as the goblins spitting out the bronze coins.

    ¡°It is a book...?¡±

    ¡°The Mimic is a rare monster that is very hard to encounter. Moreover, it is very troublesome to kill. This is why the ¡®reward¡¯ is overwhelmingly generous. It is generous in terms of EXP and....¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if the content of the book was lousy. A magic book was guaranteed to be worth 30 silver coins no matter what. He grinned as he picked up the ¡®Skill Book¡¯.

    ¡°...items. If one is able to safely kill the Mimic, it is the same as finding a treasure box.¡±

    ¡°Amazing!¡±

    Maetel couldn¡¯t write, but she could read a little bit. She pped her hands as she looked over the book.

    ¡°Amazing. It says Hyper Loving! Love means deep affections. Didn¡¯t Artpe teach me that before? This means this magic is rted to love!¡±

    ¡°Uh.... Mmm. Nope.¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t read the name of the skill...no, he hadn¡¯t read the name of the Spell Book yet. When he heard Maetel¡¯s words, his face crumpled in distress. Why did such an item have toe out! On the other hand, Maetel wasn¡¯t even aware of what Artpe was thinking inside. Her cheeks were bright red as she fidgeted in ce.

    ¡°With this magic, Artpe and I... Our l...love will....¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t love. It is rub.¡±

    ¡°What does rub mean?¡±

    ¡°Rubbing means friction.¡±

    ¡°....huh?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head. However, Artpe¡¯s expression was still crumpled in a harsh manner.

    It was a useless spell for him!

    The Rubbing type spells were divided into Soft Rubbing, Rubbing, Hard Rubbing and Hyper Rubbing. It looked mysterious, because it was subdivided into 4 types. However, its special effect was very simple.

    It basically allowed one to rub Mana against one¡¯s enemies!

    In the off chance that there was some secret meaning hidden behind the spell, Magicians had conducted research on this spell. However, nothing much was gained from the studies. This didn¡¯t mean the research had beenpletely fruitless. Some high ranking aristocrats, who possessed enough wealth to hire mages, found that the Rubbing magic allowed them to feel some peculiar sensations. It opened the door to some awkward possibilities. It was best to omit such details.

    ¡°Basically, Hyper Rubbing is the same as rubbing very hard.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Ooooooh-mmmmm.....?¡±

    If there was one advantage to this spell, the Rubbing Skill didn¡¯t have any level restrictions. Artpe would have no trouble learning it right now.

    At this point, Maetel had another question.

    ¡°So why do you have to learn such a useless magic?¡±

    ¡°All Skill Books and Spell Books allows one to expand one¡¯s limits, It grows one¡¯s abilities. This effect urs just from learning it. This is why all Skill Books and Magic Books are expensive despite its content.¡±

    This was one of the biggest reasons why the hero ss was considered to be a cheat. The hero could learn all Skills and Spells. If there was a supply of Skill Books, the hero could basically learn all of them using just the base ability!

    ¡°Ah. Of course, Skills or Magic can fail if you don¡¯tpletely understand what you learned. This is why it isn¡¯t such an overwhelming advantage to learn these Books. The technical term for this is called Failure effects. You should remember that term.¡±

    ¡°Failure effects.... I memorized it!¡±

    Of course, this term was unrted to Artpe. He had the Read All Creation. He was able to understand all phenomena! Artpe immediately learned the Hyper Rubbing, and the purity of his magical energy increased. It bolstered his body. He felt the overwhelming magical energy fill him, and he let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Hoo-oooooh.¡±

    Even if Rubbing was a useless magic, Hyper Rubbing was the best tier amongst the Rubbing magic. Of course, the level of magical knowledge within was high (the result was lousy), and the amount of Mana reacting to the activation of the magic was also enormous (the result was lousy). Still, Artpe had gained almost 20 magical energy just from learning the spell. The effect was amazing!

    ¡°Maybe, this might be better than learning a mediocre spell like the Fire Needle. The Mana I can throw around will be stronger than most fireballs.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is amazing!¡±

    ¡°I knew you were going to say that. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They had gathered everything that needed to be gathered. If one looked only at the results, one could see that they were growing at ridiculous rate. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this didn¡¯t feel right to him. Still, Artpe had no choice, but to move forward.

    Maetel reaffirmed the fact that Artpe was amazing. She was filled with pride for him, and she followed behind him like a puppy.

    The party of heroes safely entered the second floor. Then they cleared the third floor and the fourth floor. They were moving so fast through the Dungeon that they were bringing in more supply than they were using. They were able to gather weapons and food. The most important resource was water, but they were able to solve the problem of acquiring water in the middle of the second floor. They had found a spring.

    After the Elite Zombie, no Elite monsters had appeared. The monsters didn¡¯t stand a chance against Artpe¡¯s poison nails and Maetel¡¯s sword. The Dungeon exploration was very easy.

    This was how the two heroes reached the 6th floor of the Dungeon.

    ¡°What the hell! How long is this Dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Dungeons are really fun! Let¡¯s keep going forward!¡±

    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a trap over there! Stop!¡±

    At this point, Maetel was level 29, and Artpe had reached level 24.

 Chapter 7 - Dungeon with Death (3)

    Chapter 7 - Dungeon with Death (3)

    As they explored the 6th floor of the Dungeon, Artpe was gradually feeling an odd sensation. No matter how he thought about it this Dungeon was too long.

    ¡°What kind of Dungeon is this?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t all Dungeons like this?¡±

    ¡°Most Dungeons are 3 floors long. This is abnormal.¡±

    Normally, if one looked at the Dungeon entrance, one could generally assess the difficulty of a Dungeon. If a level 5 monster appeared on the first floor, the boss¡¯ level was usually level 10 in the beginner¡¯s Dungeon.

    If there was an extra floor, the boss¡¯ level would be around 15. If the Dungeon was longer than expected, it would usually end on the third floor. The boss¡¯ level would be around level 20. Even if the beginner adventurers were able to break through the Dungeon easily, they would all be killed in the end.

    But this ce...

    [Humans.... I will kill everyone, who dares to intrude.]

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    A level 33 Skeleton was quickly charging towards them. Its eyes were emitting a blue light. Maetel unhesitatingly charged forward to meet the Skeleton. She dodged the Bone Sword way too easily, and she swung a Bone Club acquired from a Skeleton Warrior. It ruthlessly crushed the Skeleton¡¯s skull.

    From the rear, two Skeleton Archers had been trying to let loose Bone Arrows. Artpe had already taken care of them by throwing Mana infused Bone Daggers towards them. The battle within the 3rd room of the 6th floor ended without anyplications.

    ¡°We are already on the 6th floor, yet there are no signs of this Dungeon ending!¡±

    ¡°I won again! Hoo-hee-hee.¡±

    As Maetel kept winning, she realized that there was pleasure in triumph. Artpe was sure she hadn¡¯t acted this way in the past, so he wondered what had happened to ruin the trajectory of her growth. Was Artpe really the one to cause this change? In his past life, if the Demon King had seceded his seat to Artpe, he wondered if he would have been able to bring about a victory for the Demon world against the human world. This was how great his brainwashing was!

    ¡°Why is Artpe so good at throwing weapons?¡±

    ¡°You were able to freely control and wield a blunt weapon when you picked it up. My skills aren¡¯t as great as yours.¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 29]

    [Blunt Weapon Lv4]

    Artpe snorted at Maetel¡¯s words as he looted the fallen Skeletons. Maetel was now used to the concept of looting, so she helped Artpe. A silver coin had dropped from one of the monsters. It felt as if it was eons ago(it had been around 4 days) when they had been surprised by the appearance of silver coins. Now the two of them picked it up without being surprised by its presence.

    ¡°It feels almost magical when my level increases. I know I am the same person, yet I am well aware that that I can do much more now! Something I would consider to be miraculous in the past is now part of my daily life. Things that I considered to be impossible are within my reach. This really is quite enjoyable.¡±

    ¡°Normally, that sensation can be barely achieved only after undergoing countless tribtion. Please keep that in mind.¡±

    Of course, Artpe was going through the same process as her, but Artpe had experienced reaching level 350 in his past life. He was able to keep everything in perspective.

    Maetel¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t simply better than others, because she had superior strength and status. It had to do with her constitution and level. Moreover, she possessed an instinct that allowed her to adapt in battle situations. She had the potential to bring out the best result from within herself.

    ¡°Currently, we are on par with most mercenaries. I¡¯m talking about career mercenaries, who¡¯ve been to war.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, Artpe? We are just 12 years old!¡±

    When he heard those words, Artpe sharply red at her as he spoke to Maetel.

    ¡°You should never judge the strength of others based on their appearance or age. This is the first rule of survival.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes..¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t want you to me our weakness on our age. Our enemies won¡¯t go easy on us, because we are young.¡±

    ¡°Yes, all right.... Artpe is too cool.¡±

    ¡°You alwayse to a weird conclusion.¡±

    Artpe finished his looting. He checked his equipment, ration and water by habit as he extended his Mana Threads. For the past couple days, he had learned to handle Mana inside a human boy¡¯s body. His use of Mana hade a very long waypared to the first time he manifested his Mana. He hadn¡¯t confirmed this yet, but if he checked in own information, his Mana Control skill should have developed nicely.

    ¡°Mmmmm?¡±

    Something was caught on his Mana Thread. He had been thinking everything was going too smoothly after they had encountered the Elite monster on the 1st floor. It was still a long ways off, but at the end of the 6th floor, Artpe could feel the presence of a monster superior to any monster they had faced up to this point. It was a Skeleton, but it was holding a bastard sword that was most definitely not made out of bones....

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    His Mana Thread was severed.

    ¡°Crazy!¡±

    The monster possessed self-awareness, and it could handle Mana!? After Artpe assessed the situation, he once again sent several dozen threads into his surrounding. At the same time, he grabbed Maetel¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Run! Right now!¡±

    ¡°No matter who the enemy is, we should try fighting it first....¡±

    ¡°This ispletely different from the Elite Zombie we met earlier! Run!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    The two started running in a hurry. They had doubled back, but a Skeleton was approaching them at overwhelming speed. Each room of the Dungeon was separated by a steel door, and the Skeleton was simply busting through them as it gathered the other monsters under itsmand. It was the worst type of Elite monster!

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll go down....so easily!¡±

    His Mana Threads had been severed, but he had sent out his Mana Threads once again. This move wasn¡¯t a waste of Mana. Artpe had used the power of his Read All Creation ability, and he used it to activate all the traps with his Mana Threads. The traps got in the way of the Skeletons.

    [Goo-wuhhhhhhhh!]

    The Skeletons were being destroyed at various locations. Even the Elite Skeleton leading the horde was being damaged. Still, the Elite Skeleton hadn¡¯t slowed down much. Instead, it started using the corpses of dead Skeletons to shield itself from the traps.

    ¡°Tsk.....!¡±

    This Dungeon had been annoying in the fact that it had more traps than monsters. However, none of the traps would be able to cause critical damage to the Elite Skeleton. Artpe mainly focused on killing the Skeletons trailing behind the Elite Skeleton with the traps. Artpe and Maetel kept retreating.

    ¡°Where are we running to, Artpe?!?¡±

    ¡°We are going to the Dungeon entrance.¡±

    ¡°The Dungeon entrance? Wait a moment... The Dungeon entrance on the first floor!?¡±

    Maetel asked as if she wished this wasn¡¯t the case, but Artpe nodded with a stiff expression on his face.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t get there in time, we are dead.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t win against it?¡±

    ¡°It is impossible to win against it through a frontal assault.¡±

    Even if Maetel was an extraordinary genius, she was a hero, who had reached level 29 in less than a week. There was no way she would be able to win against it. Of course, she would lose, since the Elite Skeleton was level 60. The important fact was that it had already crossed the level 50 threshold.

    ¡°In exchange for being able to learn all Skills, we will continues to be heroes until we defeat the Demon King. Aside from the Demon race, all the other races gain a high rank ss when they reach certain levels. It allows one to be more powerful and more specialized. The first time one could earn this high rank ss is at level....¡±

    It was at level 50. Monsters were no exception. There was a stark difference between monsters that had or hadn¡¯t crossed the level 50 threshold. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say a level 50 monster was 1.5 times stronger than a level 49 monster. The Elite Skeleton had already passed level 50. It had reached level 60!

    ¡°It is also equipped with a proper sword and a shield. This means it had gained a Warrior type high rank ss. It possesses the ability tomand all the Undeads in this Dungeon. A monster of this caliber could easily dispose any of the normal low rank Dungeon bosses.¡±

    The bastard was breaking through the Dungeon at an incredible speed. There weren¡¯t any traps left that Artpe could activate any more. He had been sessful in destroying a good amount of normal Skeletons. Still, it would be hard for Artpe to do anything against them anymore. The Elite Skeleton was gradually closing the distance. If things progressed in this fashion, they would have to fight it before they could climb to the 5th floor.....

    ¡°....get on, Artpe.¡±

    At that moment, Maetel spoke with a firm voice.

    What did you she want him to do?

    He let out a sound that expressed his confusion. However, Maetel didn¡¯t wait for him to give a concrete answer. She put him on her back!

    ¡°Heeng. I wanted this to be the other way around.... Hmmph..¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talk.... Ooh-ahhhhhhhh!?¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 29]

    [Battle Dash Lv1]

    Again!

    She once again learned a Skill that transcended her level as if it was nothing.... Moreover, it was an exclusive skill for the high rank ss! Artpe didn¡¯t have time to express his dismay. While she gave him a piggyback, Maetel started running through the hallways of the Dungeon at an incredibly fast speed!

    ¡°Hang on tight, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t said anything, I¡¯m already doing that. Shit!¡±

    Artpe was being carried on Maetel¡¯s back. It was unsightly, but he knew this was the most effective method. This was why he gotfortable in this position, and he stretched out a hand backwards. At that moment, they were climbing the stairs connecting the 6th and 5th floor. When they were about to reach the 5th floor, he grabbed Matel¡¯s shoulder. He stopped her.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Art.... Kyahhhk!¡±

    Even if it was pure Mana, one could physically manifest it if one brought out enough Mana. A thick Mana Iron Mace was formed in Artpe¡¯s hand, and he brought it down against the stairway. The stairway let out a horrific sound as it crumbled!

    ¡°Artpe is amazing! It will no longer be able to follow us anymore!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯ll probably destroy its Skeleton underlings to create a pile until it can reach this floor.¡±

    ¡°.....¡±

    ¡°Still, it¡¯ll buy us some time, and at the same time, it¡¯ll lessen the enemy¡¯s numbers. Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    They went from the 6th floor to the 5th, 5th to 4th, and 4th to the 3rd floor. It didn¡¯t matter how fast they ran, and it didn¡¯t matter how many stairways they had destroyed. The Skeleton Warrior kept increasing its speed. When they entered the 2nd floor, the Skeleton Warrior could be seen with the naked eye!

    [Goo-wuhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°You should try saying something else, you bone headed dummy!¡±

    [I¡¯ll kill humans!]

    ¡°It can say other lines!?¡±

    On the second floor, there weren¡¯t any decent traps that could be activated by Artpe. Artpe wondered if should attack the Elite Skeleton by throwing all of his throwing weapons. However, he determined it wasn¡¯t the right moment to use his weapons. Instead, he activated the only magic he could cast.

    ¡°My will within me. Imunicate with the world. Burst on the ground.¡±

    [Goo-wuhhhhhhhh! Magic is useles.....]

    ¡°Hyper Rubbing!¡±

    [Hmmm!?]

    Even if he activated the Hyper Rubbing against his enemies, it would simply make their joints rub against each other. It was a useless attack. However, Artpe had not been aiming for the monsters. He was aiming for the hallway in front of them!

    In a sh, the power of Mana started scrubbing hard against the hallway. The hallway shone from being polished. Maetel was impressed by this sight.

    ¡°Wow. Now that we have this magic, we don¡¯t have to worry about cleaning!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll never have to clean in your life.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no! We have to split the housework in a fair manner. I can¡¯t make Artpe do all the hard work!¡±

    The fact that she was able to spout such nonsense meant that Maetel¡¯s condition was still ok! He was able to check the mental state of Maetel in an odd way. Afterwards, he checked on the monsters, who had been chasing them.

    The very first monster he checked was the Elite Skeleton Warrior. It had been running in front of the mob. It knew that Artpe¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t directly damage its body, so it had unhesitatingly took a step forward. The Skeleton was like a dog on ice. It slid all over the ce before it fell to the floor.!

    [Kill humans, ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    It had used a powerful Shouting skill, but it failed to damage the hero¡¯s party. Instead, the normal Skeletons, who had been running behind the Elite Skeleton, started sliding on the floor towards the Elite Skeleton. The normal Skeletons delivered power body blows to the Elite Skeleton.

    [Gwuhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee]

    [My precious C3 cervical vertebrae.....!]

    Artpe let out a shout of delight. While he was casting his magic, he hadn¡¯t been sure if his n would work. Artpe had used the Hyper Rubbing spell on the earthen floor. The magic worked furiously as it made the ground slicker than an oiled steel te. When the monsters stepped on the floor, the monsters had all fallen to the floor in order.

    Artpe had used magical energy to influence the physical world. He hadpletely changed the terrain. Even if his enemy had the power to resist against the Mana, it couldn¡¯t avoid this debacle.

    Artpe had learned this magic, because he couldn¡¯t throw it away. At this moment, the useless magic had allowed the two heroes to escape danger.

 Chapter 8 - Dungeon with Death (4)

    Chapter 8 - Dungeon with Death (4)

    The fact that the Skeletons were running at incredible speed meant that the effect of the collision was that much more powerful. The Skeletons impacted against each other as they became tangled. The ones that were impacted hard died. Artpe hade up with this idea in the spur of the moment, yet his n had been incredibly effective!

    ¡°Of course, it is much more efficient in terms of Mana and time to use a magic spell that produces the same result.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is amazing.!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I am amazing.¡±

    The two of them had effectively blocked the rush attempt by the Skeletons, and they were able to arrive at the 1st floor. Of course, he had destroyed the stairway leading to the 1st floor in spectacr fashion. The regr Skeletons had to be made into stepping stones for the Skeleton Warrior to reach the 1st floor. In the end, only four Skeleton including the Elite Skeleton Warrior made it up to the 1st floor.

    ¡°The zombies aren¡¯t back yet.¡±

    ¡°We killed them all. Other adventurers have to enter and die here for there to be new zombies.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about such truths.....¡±

    [Gwuhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Hey, hurry. Hurry.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    She carried a boy, who weighed more than her, through the Dungeon. She ran from the 6th floor to the 1st floor. It was as if his weight was negligible to her. Then there was the boy, who kept impeding the progress of the monsters using his Mana Control and magic spells. If others saw this sight, they would have been in disbelief.

    Even if their levels were high, their actual bodies, which used these abilities, were immature. Artpe spoke as if what they had done was nothing special, but he was looking at it through the standard of the Demon race, not humans!

    ¡°We are almost there. We are almost at the entrance!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up! They are just around the corner!¡±

    [I¡¯ll kill humans! I¡¯ll kill humans!]

    It seemed the Hyper Rubbing from before had caused a lot of damage. The Skeleton Warrior¡¯s shield had a fairlyrge crack. He could see small thread-like fissures on its skull. If someone had told him the Skeleton Warrior had been in a battle beforeing here, he would have believed it.

    [Killllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!]

    However, it hadn¡¯t been a true fight. It had been damaged this much by simply slipping and falling hard on the floor. This fact probably probably fueling its anger. There actually was a red energy nketing its body. Artpe was sure it was a Buff type skill that allowed it to temporarily raise its abilities. It was triggered by its heightened emotional state. It was only an Undead, yet it had an Emotion type skill!

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Eeek. I¡¯m falling behind. We aren¡¯t going to make it... Artpe~¡±

    ¡°Tsk. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    He replied in a rxed manner, but his Mana was close to being depleted. It would be impossible for him to once again make the entire length of the hallway slippery to stop the Skeletons. If so.....

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhk!¡±

    Artpe unfurled his hand as he manifested his magic. At that moment, Maetel slid down the hallway with Artpe on her back. To be precise, the path in front of them had turned smooth. It was as if the dirt hallway was pulling them forward!

    Maetel realized Artpe was using his magic in front of them, so she was cautious as she tried her best not to fall over. Then she used the slick floor to propel herself forward. This girl¡¯s talent was really endless.

    [Humaaaaaaaaans!]

    ¡°We are going to die. We are going to d......¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡±

    When he ran out of magic, the two of them were suddenly thrown forward towards the entrance of the Dungeon. Afterwards, the Skeleton Warrior¡¯s bastard sword passed through the location where Artpe¡¯s head used to be. Several strands of his hair was cut as it flew into the air.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°How dare you cut Artpe¡¯s hair! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±

    ¡°Calm down!¡±

    Maetel had taken out her club, and she was about to charge the Skeleton Warrior. Artpe desperately tried to hold her back. Afterwards, Maetel realized something weird had urred.

    ¡°...what is it doing?¡±

    ¡°What does it look like it is doing?¡±

    There was a boundary that separated the Dungeon¡¯s entrance from the 1st room. The Skeleton Warrior grinded its teeth as it swung its sword, but it stood beyond the boundary. Of course, the party had already entered into the Dungeon¡¯s entrance, so the bastard sword couldn¡¯t reach them.

    ¡°We are right in front of them, so why aren¡¯t theying....?¡±

    ¡°The Dungeon¡¯s monsters can¡¯te out to the Dungeon¡¯s entrance.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sure Artpe exined this to me before! So that is why they can¡¯te out even though they are right in front of us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The Skeleton underling had already fallen to the floor in exhaustion. Only the Skeleton Warrior kept swinging its sword as if it held lingering resentment towards them. Still, it looked less spiritedpared to when it first showed up. It looked a bitcking...

    ¡°So what is the reason behind it? I really don¡¯t know, Artpe! Howe? Huh?¡±

    ¡°Those are some very good questions.¡±

    Artpeughed in a kind manner as he answered her question. Of course, as he spoke, he was gathering Mana into his dagger to attack the silly Skeleton Warrior.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡±

    ¡°Ah-ha. I see!¡±

    This was why it was convenient to have a dummy next to you!

    [Kill! Kill! Kill!]

    ¡°Yes. I want you to keep talking like that!¡±

    Artpe replied in a friendly manner towards the Skeleton Warrior, whose words were filled with resentment and anger. He continued to gather his Mana. He had consumed an incredible amount of Mana, but he was recovering a fair amount by standing still.

    This was something to be expected during his time as a Demon, but now he was a human child. This was atypical. He had the body of a human, yet his affinity with Mana was off the chart. Even if he used his Read All Creation ability, he couldn¡¯t figure out why he was like this. He just decided to think of this as a boon.

    [I¡¯ll kill humans! Kill! I¡¯ll kill.... I give up.]

    ¡°Hey hey. Don¡¯t give up now!¡±

    The Skeleton Warrior had swung his bastard sword for a long time, but in the end, it came to a realization that it wouldn¡¯t be able to cross into the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. In front of this reality, it had been about to give up. This was when Artpe threw a Mana infused dagger toward it as he spoke words of encouragement.

    Artpe was able to see the flight path of the dagger, since it was letting out a blue Mana that could only be seen by Artpe. The Mana flooded forward as the dagger embedded itself on top of the Skeleton Warrior¡¯s head. When the Skeleton Warrior had fallen from the Hyper Rubbing spell, the other Skeletons had crashed into it. It caused a thread-like fissure to form on its skull. The dagger had urately burrowed into the fissure.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhh! I¡¯ll kill you!]

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the right idea!¡±

    ¡°Artpe. You are so bad.....¡±

    The fire, which had been dimming, with the Skeleton Warrior started to burn white hot again. It had felt impotent before, but now it renewed its resolve. It diligently swung its sword. Artpe kept nodding his head as if to cheer on the Skeleton Warrior. He continued to recover his Mana. Maetel finally realized Artpe¡¯s tactic, so she asked with a dumbfounded look in her eyes.

    ¡°Artpe. I¡¯m not talented at attacking from a distance. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything here. You should just eat the dry ration.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel busily ate the rations and water. As expected, she had consumed a lot of Stamina by running from the 6th floor to the 1st floor, while carrying Artpe. While she ate, he diligently gathered Mana, and he infused it into another dagger.

    In the process of traversing the 6 floors, they had found articles left behind by the deceased adventurers, who had died over countless years. They had also found the treasure chests. This was why Artpe had an ample supply of throwing weapons. He didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of weapons.

    [Human! Humaaaaaaaaan! I give up!]

    ¡°No, you can do this!¡±

    [I can¡¯t do this!]

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe yourself! I want you to believe in me, who believes in you!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The Skeleton Warrior kept swinging its sword, but it was mired in the feeling of hopelessness. Artpe had to keep attacking it. He had to keep it distracted. Maetel was watching a human and an Undead converse. She decided not to think too deeply about this. The important point right now was the fact that Artpe had brilliantly embedded four daggers into its body..

    ¡°All right. This is going smoothly.¡±

    [Goo-ahhhhhhhh! I give up!]

    ¡°You suffered at the hands of children, who haven¡¯t even reached half your level. Are you really going to run away now?¡±

    [Kooooooooooooooo!]

    If the Skeleton Warrior simply stayed here, Artpe would y around with it until it died. Unfortunately, the Skeleton Warrior¡¯s intelligence wasn¡¯t that high. Above all else, the Skeleton Warrior was in the grip of the Rage Buff.

    The Buff was triggered by an emotion. The pros of a Buff skill was the fact that it didn¡¯t consume a lot of magical energy, yet it increased one¡¯s level significantly. If there was a downside, it was the fact that it was hard to break out of the emotion that had activated the Buff. This was why the Skeleton Warrior was unable to give up on the battle. It kept following the lead of Artpe for no particr reason than that.

    ¡°Take more of this! More! I¡¯m sure you can do this longer, right?¡±

    [Humannnnnnn! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!]

    ¡°Hmm. Its aggro is still fixed on us......¡±

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    There were eight daggers stuck inside the body of the Skeleton Warrior. Artpe still had plenty of throwing weapons left, but he stopped throwing them.

    ¡°If we use this method to kill it, it¡¯ll take us around four days.¡±

    ¡°Then are we going to give up? I think we can go out now! I¡¯m not afraid of the soldiers or the goblins!¡±

    After filling her stomach, she had recovered her energy. Maetel spoke in a valiant manner. In reality, it had only been a week, but their growth could almost be called an evolution. They could evade the soldiers, and it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to fight couple dozen of them and win! However, Artpe shook his head in a decisive manner.

    ¡°The probability of us running into an Elite monster is very low. Of course, this bastard is a strong and difficult opponent. However, when we kill it, the reward will be enormous. We can¡¯t give up. This is too good of an opportunity to miss.¡±

    In his previous life, Artpe would have snorted in disdain towards a reward given by a level 60 Elite monster. However, he was a level 24 beginner hero right now, and the only magic spell he knew was Hyper Rubbing. It was stupid to retreat when they had the chance to kill their enemy.

    ¡®Moreover, this Dungeon itself keeps weighing on my mind....¡¯

    This ce started with level 5 beginner monsters, yet a level 60 Elite monster had appeared on the 6th floor. This beginner¡¯s Dungeon was hard to pin down. What was at the end of this Dungeon? What caused it to be so strange? These thoughts troubled him, so he couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    He possessed the Read All Creation ability, so Artpe had always known most of the answers before he could formte a question The was no end in sight to this Dungeon, and it interested him. Of course, he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that there was danger here. However, if Artpe and Maetel were able to sessfully conquer the Dungeon, they would gain a reward equal to the difficulty of the Dungeon. At the very least, it would be much better than being fattened up like pigs in the castle. It was better than rotting away there.

    ¡°So let¡¯s just change our method.¡±

    ¡°Is it finally my time to step forward!?¡±

    ¡°No, you still can¡¯t do anything against it. Just sit there and cheer for me.¡±

    ¡°Heeng.¡±¡°

    In the end, Artpe¡¯s thoughts led him towards an unexpected destination. It ended at his Hyper Rubbing magic. When he acquired it, he had thought it was a useless magic that could only cause friction. However, the magic had somehow saved them twice in their time of need. He had rubbed to cause changes to the terrain, and he rubbed to increase Maetel¡¯s speed.

    Unlike his initial assessment of this magic, this spell wasn¡¯t simple. The most important aspect to pay attention to was the fact that it was able to cause a veryrge change to the environmentpared to the amount of Mana being consumed.

    ¡°This is why.... Maybe....¡±

    Artpe looked at the eight daggers embedded deeply into the Skeleton Warrior¡¯s skull and other joints. When he checked the Mana within the daggers, his eyes shone.

    He wondered if this this n would really work. Still, they couldn¡¯t keep ying games in front of the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. He went about this with a devil-may-care attitude. He chanted his spell.

    ¡°My will shall manifest focused on the edge of the de! Hyper Rubbing!¡±

 Chapter 9 - Growth of the Heroes (1)

    Chapter 9 - Growth of the Heroes (1)

    [Magic can¡¯t hurt m....... Koohk!?]

    It suffered under his magic before, yet it was replying with the same idiotic answer! Of course, Artpe wouldn¡¯t directly apply his Magic on a Skeleton, who was twice his level!

    The Magic appeared as if it had been pushed out from the confines of Artpe¡¯s body, and he focused on one of the daggers embedded in the Skeleton Warrior. He focused on the de embedded within the elbow joint of the arm holding the shield. The Hyper Rubbing was focused on the de, and it was causing enormous friction! Artpe worried the other des would fall out from the vibration caused by the intense rubbing, so he had to concentrate his power.

    [A mere trick was able to damage.....]

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. That trick broke your wide forehead. Why don¡¯t you speak a little bit louder!¡±

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Skeleton Warrior reacted in a violent manner, and it started to move. Finally, Artpe got the reaction he wanted. The elbow joint had received an incredible amount of stimuli from the rubbing, and when the force of the violent movement was added to the mix, the bones started to let out an ominous sound.

    A crunch was heard, and the arm was bent backwards in an odd angle!

    [I¡¯m a Skeleton! A mere broken bone won¡¯t..... Koohk!?]

    ¡°You keep following the same pattern in bing surprised. Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±

    This was beyond the frictional force that arose from the dagger. The Skeleton Warrior used an enormous amount of power to move its arm. In the end, it exceeded the threshold of abuse that could be taken by the joint. The joint waspletely destroyed as the heavy shield and the arm holding it fell to the Dungeon¡¯s hallway!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°You are amazing, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Give me morepliments!¡±

    ¡°Amazing! You are really incredible!¡±

    He never suspected the Hyper Rubbing could be used to cause damage to a monster! The fact that it could cause incredible amount of friction was no joke. He had manifested the magic by using the weapon as a medium, and the Skeleton Warrior was unable to resist against the attacking using Mana Resistance. Artpe had been able to attack using friction!

    He had learned Hyper Rubbing not too long ago, so he wasn¡¯t proficient at using the spell. This was why it took so long to achieve the desired effect. However, if he became adept at using this Magicter on, he would be able to achieve ludicrous results!

    ¡°Of course, I would achieve better results much faster if I learned other spells during that time!¡±

    Artpe grumbled as he once again focused his Hyper Rubbing on a specific target He got rid of the shield, so it was time to destroy the arm holding the sword! He was running a bit short on Mana, but if he was able to destroy both arms, he was confident they could win against it. Artpe didn¡¯t hold back as he used all his reserve power tomand his magic.

    [Goo-oooooooh......!]

    As expected, the Skeleton Warrior realized what Artpe was trying to do, but it couldn¡¯t retreat. The rage that was nketing its body refused to fade away. What should it do? What will allow it to kill the shitty little brat?

    The Skeleton Warrior thought hard about its situation. After it agonized over its options, it came up with a single answer. It had watched the little brat do it over and over again. The Skeleton Warrior thought it could somewhat replicate what the brat did.

    ¡°Yes, you are doing well. You should move that arm more.... ¡±

    [Die human!]

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    Artpe had been focused on using the Hyper Rubbing spell. The Skeleton Warrior put all its anger into its roar. At the same time, Maetel moved to knock Artpe out of the way.

    ¡°Gg-oooooooooh.¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhh! Damn humans! Damn humaaaaaaans!]

    Kwahng!

    Apanying the explosive sound, arge sword was embedded into the stairway of the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. It was none other than the Skeleton Warrior¡¯s bastard sword.

    ¡°Koo, ah....¡±

    ¡°Maetel?¡±

    Maetel let out a moan. The Skeleton Warrior had thrown the bastard sword with all its might. The sword had grazed her back. Her armor had beenpletely ripped into pieces, and to make matters worse, it left behind a wound on her back.

    ¡°Damn it, Maetel! Maetel!¡±

    He never expected an enemy without the Throw skill to throw its bastard sword towards him! He had put hisplete trust in his Read All Creation ability. His error in judgment had almost cost him his life.

    He had shown a carelessness that was befitting his title as the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings! If Maetel had been a bitte, Artpe would have lost his life.

    ¡°Let me see your wound. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Oohk......¡±

    Artpe med his stupidity as he looked at Maetel¡¯s wound. A well-ced wound on the back could hamper one¡¯s movement. Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. If she leveled up couple times alongside regr rest, her body would be back to a pristine state. It seemed Maetel was also aware of this fact, so her face wasn¡¯t clouded at all. She had a bright smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Artpe.... I¡¯m just d Artpe isn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°You idiot.....¡±

    When Artpe realized Maetel hadn¡¯t been hurt too badly, he truly felt relieved, and he also felt a weird feeling.

    If she died, it would deal a very big blow to his dream of living a peaceful life. However, the feeling he had felt was caused by something else..... He must be mistaken. Artpe shook such dumb thoughts away as he raised his head.

    He saw the Skeleton Warrior in front of him. It had gone berserk from the Rage type Buff. Its white bones had turnedpletely red.

    The arm holding the shield was on the ground, and the other arm had also fallen off when it couldn¡¯t withstand the shock. The bastard raged as it threw its body forward, but there was an invisible wall blocking it. It blocked its forward progress no matter how it tried to charge forward.

    [Gg-oooooooooh! Gg-oooooooooh!]

    ¡°Can you move, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.....¡±

    If Maetel wasn¡¯t injured, he would have finished off the Skeleton Warrior. However, the top priority right now was to level her up, so she could recover. Of course, Artpe had done most of the work, so not much EXP would go to Maetel. However, this EXP was from killing a very strong opponent. A smaller portion of the EXP would still be enough to level her up!

    ¡°Hoo-ooh, hoo-ooh..... All right. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Maetel was breathing roughly as she got up. She was about to pull out her rusted sword, but her gaze headed backwards as she looked towards the bastard sword embedded in the stairway. She hesitated before she approached the bastard sword. She extracted it with both hands.

    It was made out of heavy metal, and magical energy had been used to manufacture the sword. It was a very heavy sword. However, she swung it easily.

    [Human......]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t beat you in a fair fight. However, I¡¯m able to kill you now, so I will kill you.¡±

    She had taken the enemy¡¯s weapon, yet she had takenplete possession of the weapon from just swinging it once or twice. Maetel red at the Skeleton Warrior as she spoke. It was almost as if she was chanting her words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll win and kill anyone to protect Artpe. Because I¡¯m....¡±

    She pulled the hilt of the sword towards her chest. She kept a firm grip as she slightly bent her knees. She leaned her upper body forward.

    The Skeleton Warrior raised its leg slightly to face her. Maetel used the burning pain from her back as the starting signal. She kicked off the ground.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m! I¡¯m the hero!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    As she let out a short shout, the sword split the air. Her sword struck at the exact spot where Artpe¡¯s dagger was embedded in its skull. The sword cut through the skull, and she broke all its ribs.

    If the Skeleton Warrior was in its normal state, it could have resisted against her attack. However, the strike was too much for the current Skeleton Warrior. After its body was broken by the sword, it twitched as if it wanted to fight back. However, the Skeleton Warrior came to aplete stop.

    [Gooh, ah ah.... Ah, ah. I...is...is that so?]

    Surprisingly, the bisected Skeleton started to say something.

    [The will within the unshakable de has awoken me up from my haze.....]

    ¡°Mmm. What.....?¡±

    [That¡¯s right, young heroes. Those who run away and nevere back are called cowards. However, the ones thate back to win in the end are heroes. You win by fair means or foul. You have carried on your conviction to protect. With my demise, I will open the entrance that will lead to the glory of the heroes.]

    ¡°What the hell is the Skeleton saying.....?¡±

    Artpe was flustered as he asked the question, but the Skeleton Warrior no longer opened its mouth. The magical energy from its body drained out as it entered Artpe and Maetel. Their magical energy increased, and the EXP was distributed. The battle was over.

    ¡°Hey, wait a moment. If you have something to say to us then you should talk more..... Shit.¡±

    Artpe urgently stood up, and he tried to look at the Skeleton Warrior with his Read All Creation ability. At that moment, its body eroded away. It left behind the crackedrge steel shield, Red Bone gauntlet, and several bones that refused to erode away. These bones had too much Magical energy to immediately erode away.

    However, the truly surprising event started afterwards. When the Skeleton Warrior waspletely gone, the Dungeon started to shake in a fierce manner. After killing the Skeleton Warrior, Maetel had slowly rxed, but now her eyes were round as she ran towards Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe. The Dungeon is.....!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. It isn¡¯t copsing. There are times when a Dungeon goes through a change when one fulfills a specific condition. So right now it....¡±

    He would just be beating a dead horse by repeating the fact that the Dungeon was hiding something. Maybe, this Dungeon might be beyond Artpe¡¯s expectation. Something enormous might lie inside the Dungeon.

    If so, what should he do? Should they back out? Or should they move forward, while epting the risk? If he hadn¡¯t seen Maetel get injured, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. He would have advanced, but Artpe couldn¡¯t do that any more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Artpe.¡±

    At that moment, Maetel realized he was hesitating, so she spoke to him.

    ¡°I want to be stronger. If therees a time when we have to run away, we¡¯ll run away and winter. However, if possible, I want to win without running away.¡±

    ¡°Maetel......¡±

    ¡°That is why I want to be stronger.¡±

    Was this really words spoken by a 12 year old girl? Artpe shut his mouth from amazement, but he firmed his resolve when he saw the the unshakable light within Maetel¡¯s eyes.

    Currently, she wasn¡¯t repeating words she had heard from someone else. She wasn¡¯t just spouting words in a childish fit. Her experience within the Dungeon had been short, but a lot had happened during that time. It seemed she had found some purpose, and she wanted to put it into practice.

    This was the change that Artpe had wanted to see within her.

    ¡°.....yes, let¡¯s go. No matter what shows up, we¡¯ll defeat it. Let bring out everything we can gain from inside the Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The Read All Creation ability wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was a power that was closest to perfection. If hebined his ability with Maetel¡¯s almost cheat-like talent, they were a perfect pair. They had been perfect a moment ago, and they will be perfect in the future. There was no reason why they shouldn¡¯t go forward.

    His confidence was baseless, but he was aware of this fact. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate. He roughly mussed up Maetel¡¯s hair. She wasn¡¯t showing any signs of feeling pain from her wound. Artpe once again nodded his head then he spoke.

    ¡°Before we do that, let¡¯s collect our loot.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The reward was more important than the battle! The heroes were growing splendidly in terms of materialistic possessions.

 Chapter 10 - Growth of the Heroes (2)

    Chapter 10 - Growth of the Heroes (2)

    Maetel had been the one to finish off the Skeleton Warrior, but in reality, Artpe had basically killed it on his own. Of course, the act of running from the 6th floor to the 1st floor counted towards the Battle Contribution, but there was no doubt that Artpe would be getting the higher portion of the EXP.

    Artpe¡¯s level went up by 6 thanks to the EXP. He climbed to level 30. Maetel¡¯s level rose by 3, so she was now level 32. Therge level gap between them had closed somewhat

    ¡°How¡¯s your wound, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°My wound has gotten better after I leveled up. If we don¡¯t get into a fierce battle, I¡¯m confident it won¡¯t overtax me.¡±

    ¡°What about the grass you used before?¡±

    ¡°I still have some.¡±

    Artpe created an emergency medicine with the help of Maetel. After taking off her armor, he treated her remaining wounds. When Maetel exposed her bare skin, her cheeks had turned red. However, Artpe didn¡¯t say anything as he had a serious light in his eyes.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s put on some bandages then you can put your clothes back on.¡±

    ¡°Those bandages been left inside the wooden chest for a very long time, so why is it new?¡±

    ¡°This is just the way of the universe. Just ept it.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The first aid was done, and the only thing left was the most enjoyable part of a battle. It was time for him to check the loot. Artpe cautiously reached out towards the red bone gauntlet. He read it with his Read All Creation ability, and words started to take shape.

    [Crimson Rage Bone Gauntlet]

    [The Undead had been in existence for numerous years, and a good amount of magical energy had been distilled into the bones of the Undead. A powerful rage felt right before its death formed differentiated an artifact. The item is very hard, and when the wearer is able to control one¡¯s emotions, one¡¯s power will be boosted by 20%. As a price, a fixed portion of one¡¯s magical energy will be consumed.]

    ¡°Mmmmm.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Artpe?¡±

    This drop item pretty much held the essence of the Skeleton Warrior. Artpe let out a sigh of regret as he looked at it. It had the basic requirements of a defensive gear. It had sheer solidity, and while it did consume magical energy, it could increase one¡¯s strength by 20%. It was a hard to acquire artifact of this quality when one considered their level.

    However....

    ¡®I hoped an artifact that would be of help to me would show up. However, this was a warrior type Elite, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Maetel had already acquired the bastard sword used by the Skeleton Warrior. He checked it with his Read All ability, but the bastard sword didn¡¯t have a special option. Still, it was able to absorb magical energy pretty well. It¡¯s strength, durability and energy was that of a unique artifact. At the very least, one wouldn¡¯t need to change this equipment until level 100.

    In this context, the gauntlet would now be in the possession of Maetel. It was hard to do such simplisticparisons, but it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she would be twice as strong with this item equipped.

    It was good news for him that she would be more powerful. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t help, but feel like crap. The curse he had possessed in his previous profession as one of the Four Heavenly King had followed him here! It stubbornly stuck to him!

    ¡°Tsk. It can¡¯t be helped. You should wear this, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°What about Artpe....?¡±

    ¡°If something I need appears, it won¡¯t matter if you beg or cry. I¡¯ll ruthlessly push you away to keep that item. So don¡¯t worry about taking this item.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel equipped the bone gauntlet. It was made out of bones, but it was an artifact infused with power magical energy. It reduced in size to fit her limbs. It wrapped tightly around her wrists and fingers.

    Of course, if Maetel was unable to handle Mana, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to equip this artifact. However, she was a character, who had been able to bring out fire from the wooden branch at level 1. The worries about such a requirement could be omitted.

    ¡°Wow. This feels incredibly sturdy! I can feel it protecting me!¡±

    ¡°In truth, the bones are filled with resentment. However, if you feel such a sentimenting from it, who am I to say otherwise?¡±

    It looked a bit terrifying, but it was something befitting a warrior. Artpe smirked when he saw the animated Maetel, who was excited to have a new equipment. Then he gathered the other red bone fragments. There were a lot of magical energy stored within the bone fragments, so he could probably create something with them.

    ¡°Next is... Ah. It¡¯s the shield.¡±

    When the Skeleton Warrior held it in its hand, it looked like a one handed bastard sword. However, when the 12 year old Maetel held it up, it looked like a ymore. The sword looked enormous in her hands. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t afford to hold the shield alongside the sword.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want a shield!¡±

    ¡°This is an artifact too. If you attack an enemy with the corner edge of the shield, it inflicts a weakening curse....¡±

    The Skeleton Warrior hadn¡¯t had the chance to use its shield, but this artifact was much better than the bastard sword! The Skeleton Warrior probably blew a fuse when it wasn¡¯t able to use the shield. On top of that, a crack had even formed on the shield. Of course, that wasn¡¯t Artpe¡¯s problem.

    Since she couldn¡¯t carry it around with her hands, he proposed an idea where he would strap the shield to her back. However, Maetel hated that idea. It would slow her down if the heavy shield was strapped to her back. It would be better for her to preserve her speed, so she could evade the enemy¡¯s attack. Still, it was a waste to just throw away the shield....

    ¡°Tsk. It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯ll be a worse option than you using it, but.... I¡¯ll use it.¡±

    In the end, Artpe equipped the shield on his back. He had gathered strips of leather as he went through the Dungeon, and he had infused Mana to strengthen them. He created a hole on each side of the shield, and he threaded the strip of leather through the holes. One end of the strap was brought over his left shoulder and the other end was brought underneath his right armpit. He tied it off. Artpe looked like a turtle.

    Maetel gently screwed up her eyes as she looked at Artpe move around.

    ¡°You are usually slow, but now you became much slower.¡±

    ¡°There is a reason why I¡¯m carrying it like this. I¡¯ll move around slowly, but at the most crucial moment, I¡¯ll unravel the straps. Boom! The heavy shield will let out a loud sound as it falls to the floor. It will startle our opponent.¡±

    ¡°Aht! That¡¯s amazing! It¡¯ll look very cool!¡±

    ¡°If I drop it on a surface that breaks into fragments like marble bs, the visual effect would be twice as more effective. You should remember this.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He had gathered everything that needed to be gathered. They had to once again travel from the 1st floor to the 6th floor. On the way down, they had to defeat the losers, who had given up on chasing them. These were the Skeletons, who broke away from the Skeleton Warrior. It would be easy to crush them, and the two of them tried to do just that.

    They tried.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Something has changed, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°You are right. Something has clearly changed.¡±

    Everything was the same until the 5th floor. It was the Dungeon they remembered. The staircases were still broken, and the Skeletons were heaped up in a pile like pieces of trash to bridge the floors. The poor Skeletons were barely alive.

    As an act of mercy and a way to increase the party¡¯s level, they killed all the Skeletons in the pile as they descended each floor. However, when they stood in front of the staircase leading towards the 6th floor, the two heroes finally realized something was wrong.

    ¡°This.... It is made out of marble.¡±

    Artpe mumbled in an agitated manner. Artpe took in the sight of a long and wide staircase. He was sure he had destroyed this staircase before when he went up to the 5th floor. Moreover, the staircase had evolved!? It was now made out of marble. Then there was therge hallway that was absent from his memories!

    ¡°Marble? So Artpe is going to drop your shield here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been carrying this for an hour.¡±

    The Skeleton Warrior, who was basically the ruler of the 6th floor, had been killed. It seemed the Dungeon had gone through a fundamental change. He regretted the fact that he hadn¡¯t been able to use his Read All Creation ability on the Skeleton Warrior before it died.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking at it with my Read All Creation ability, but.... That¡¯s to be expected.¡±

    His Read All Creation ability was able to reveal all secrets, but he was just observing the marbles that made up the Dungeon. He couldn¡¯t gain all information regarding the Dungeon through this method. It might be possible if he went into the deepest part of the Dungeon to observe the Dungeon¡¯s Core. Maetel carefully asked a question as she looked at Artpe¡¯s dismayed expression.

    ¡°What shall we do, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already decided what we¡¯ll do. We are moving forward.¡±

    ¡°......yes!¡±

    ¡°However, you shouldn¡¯t rx too much. The traps are now gone, but that might actually mean....¡±

    He was now afraid of the monsters that¡¯ll appear inside the Dungeon from now on. The traps weren¡¯t being deployed to whittle down the adventurers anymore. It meant that there would be numerous monsters powerful enough to take down the adventurers without the help of traps.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care whates out. I¡¯ll most definitely protect Artpe.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to put on such a grim expression... Whatever.¡±

    They hardened their resolves as they descended down the marble staircase. They entered apletely different 6th floor, and there weren¡¯t any monsters in the front. It was the same in the middle part. They kept checking their surrounding as they nervously went down the hallway. After an indeterminate amount of time, they had reached the location where they had met the Elite Skeleton Warrior.

    Up until now, the marble floor held nothing. However, four white skulled Skeletons popped up from the floor. They were colored the same as the marble floor.

    [Do you want to go forward?]

    [Do you want to retreat?]

    [Do you want to protect?]

    [Do you want to cut?]

    ¡°Step back, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already doing that, so you don¡¯t have to say it!¡±

    They were mere Skeletons, yet they were wearing pretty good leather armor. They also carried gleaming longswords. They moved as if they had coordinated a n beforehand. They approached Maetel from both sides. Artpe used his Read All Creation ability, and he moaned when he realized the monsters were all close to being level 50.

    ¡°The difficulty of the Dungeon rose sharply.....!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right... I can do this now!¡±

    Maetel used her ridiculously fast reflexes and her good eyesight. She was doing it at a very slim margin, but she deflected all four longswords in order. Then she retreated a little bit, and she hardened her expression.

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    In the next moment, the Bone Gauntlet let out a faint red light, and it added strength to Maetel¡¯s slim arms. Artpe had exined to her that a boost in her emotions could bring out the ability of the artifact. However, he had never expected her to be able to control her emotions so freely!

    He was well aware of her talent, yet even he was overwhelmed by this sight.

    ¡°You.....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±

    [You move forward.]

    [You try to protect someone.]

    [Your mental vision is still narrow.]

    [You have enough courage to be recognized.]

    ¡°Shuuuuuuuut upppppppp!¡±

    Maetel bravely swung her bastard sword, and it impacted on the longsword of the Skeleton nearest her. The bastard sword easily broke the longsword in half.

    She used her momentum to nt her right foot into the ground as she spun. She struck the Skeleton¡¯s body with her forearm. When the Skeleton felt the weight of its longsword disappear, it lost its bnce. The strike sent the Skeleton towards itsrades, who was also swinging their longswords. The longswords impacted on the body of the first Skeleton.

    However, unlike the Elite Skeleton Warrior from before, these Skeletons gave praise even as they suffered under her attack.

    [You have the wisdom to use the enemy¡¯s power against them.]

    [Your ability to make quick judgement is admirable.]

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    Artpe wouldn¡¯t just standby as the bastards gave their monologue! When the Skeletons got in each other¡¯s way, Artpe didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. He attacked them.

    He was overflowing with weapons he could throw! He had used all the Mana he had gained when he reached level 30. He had reinforced the daggers and bone fragments. He threw them towards the Skeletons, who were attacking Maetel. He stopped them in their tracks.

    [Kooh-ahk!?]

    [However, you don¡¯t y fair. You hide in safety as you stick out your tongue!]

    ¡°The four of you are attacking her, yet you are talking about fairness? Are you trying to test the hero or are you trying to scout for the Demon King¡¯s army? Huh?¡±

    In his previous life, he had been exceptionally skilled. After entering this Dungeon, he had only done one thing. His ability to throw items were on a whole different level now.

    His thrown weapons all embedded themselves in their weak points. His timing was exquisite. He was able to stop the movements of his enemies. In terms of throwing skills, he was so skilled that a thief might not be needed for this party.

    His main job was supposed to be a magician!

    ¡®When I became a hero, it seems I unnecessarily picked up abilities of other disciplines....¡¯

    It was a good thing, so why was he sighing?

    He was sure of this, but if he checked his Read All Creation ability, his throw skill probably exceeded level 8. It was something very incredible, since Maetel¡¯s Swordsmanship skill remained at level 6!

    [I ept my loss, but before you defeat the others.... Kook]

    ¡°One down!¡±

    While Artpe became confused about his own identity, Maetel had finally taken down a Skeleton. One was defeated, yet the EXP of the two heroes didn¡¯t rise.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s take care of the rest....¡±

    [Your tribtion will start now.]

    ¡°They are speaking some bullshit, Maetel... Huh?¡±

    At that moment, Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability was activated.

    It was as if the fallen Skeleton hadn¡¯t existed in the first ce. The fallen Skeleton melted into the void, and the energy from it was split threeways. It flowed into the three remaining Skeletons. As this urred, Artpe was seeing a live update on what was uring.

    [Experience Record Strength Mana Transfer]

    [Evolution Test Task Status]

    At a nce, the words looked to have nothing to do with each other. It looked to be a list of words. However, it was enough of a clue for Artpe to realize what was going on!

    ¡°Shit....! Step aside for a little bit, Maetel! The stone and nature proceeds to return to stone and nature! It will be beyond one¡¯s reach!¡±

    He desperately chanted his magic spell. The three Skeletons were attacking a bit faster than before when the marble floor turned slippery. They fell to the floor. Artpe didn¡¯t stop there. He started unraveling the leather strap tying the shield to his back.

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you how I¡¯ll use this earlier, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I lied!¡±

    Artpe grabbed the end of the strap and he swung it. High quality Mana was emitted from his heart, and it flowed down through the strap. The Mana flowed into the shield. This task was arduous for him even if he was using both hands. In a sh, he sent the shield flying forward.

    The shield flew in an exquisite trajectory. Artpe¡¯s Mana within the shield was letting out a ominous light. the Skeletons were getting up when the shield hit them.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    [You are cheap! You are a coward!]

    ¡°I¡¯m less cheap than you guys, you assholes!¡±

    Artpe had reinforced the shield with his magical energy, and it had brilliantly caused a curse to be afflicted on the Skeletons. It was a simple curse that slowed down the movement of the enemies, but it was like a blessing that allowed them to turn the table of the battle! This was especially true when one considered Maetel¡¯s quick movements.

    Maetel¡¯s eyes shone as she tried to finish them off. Artpe became frightened as he stopped her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If we kill them, the other monsters will be strengthened. A Record Link was ced on all the monsters within this Dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Huh......?¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t understand Artpe¡¯s words. She didn¡¯tprehend how serious of a situation this was. The ¡®Record Link¡¯ was a sophisticated trap that would unfold from now on. The thought it made him grind his teeth!

    ¡°Anyways, the curse was strengthened, and I was able toy it on them. You should charge in and beat them within an inch of their lives!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    [Kook, cowards. You should attempt this trial in a fair and square....]

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    While Maetel beat them to half death, Artpe turned around to look at the hallway. A steel door had appeared behind them, and the hallway behind them was hidden. When he confirmed the existence of this enormous door, he grinded his teeth.

    It was as he had expected. It was impossible to back out now once they had started this.

    ¡®I did make a resolve to break and steal whatever is in front of us.....¡¯

    Artpe looked forward, and he saw five new Skeletons appear down the hallway. They were all close to being level 50.

    ¡°Son of a bitch! At the very least, give us EXP!¡±

    The heroes had fallen into a trial that was like a swamp. They wouldn¡¯t be able to finish this easily.

 Chapter 11 - Growth of the Heroes (3)

    Chapter 11 - Growth of the Heroes (3)

    Record Link.

    It was ssified as an ancient magic. It was a great magic that was representative of spells that were very troublesome to activate and maintain.

    If one wanted to activate this magic, one needed souls and bodies that had simr mana pattern, skills and special characteristics. The resonance created allowed them to easily identify each other¡¯s intent. Moreover, if one of them died, all the power within its soul and body would be transferred to the others through the link.

    In theory, if one killed the parts linked to the whole, the overall capability of the group would remain the same.

    Up to this point, it sounded as if it was a technique that would allow one to create the strongest organization in this continent. However, the prerequisite of finding beings that were simr in mana pattern, techniques and special characteristics was fiendishly hard. In truth, no one was able to activate such magic throughout history.

    Even if one was sessful in activating it, there would be a horrific penalty if the will of one was slightly out out of sync with the others. It would cancel the magic spell, and the horrible side effects would be shared by all. This was why this spell was designated as a forbidden spell throughout this continent. It was simplybeled as being an insane magic.

    [Goo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Do this fair and square!]

    [I want to be of help to myrade, but I am unable to do that!]

    These mad Skeletons had been linked through the forbidden spell. He never expected to find such a secret technique being used in a Dungeon ced in the countryside. Artpe was extremely shocked.

    ¡°Maetel! They can recover from broken bones, so I want you topletely crush their arms and legs! I want you to avoid killing them at all costs!¡±

    ¡°Understood! Eh-eet! Eh-eeeet!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhh!]

    Of course, he was taken aback by all of this, but he was able to keep his shock separate from what was going on in the battle.

    The most important trait for the Demon King army¡¯s Four wasposure! The second most important trait was alsoposure! The best way to maintainposure was to go through all the scenarios beforehand. One had to think about what had yet to ur, and the consequences of each scenario. Composure was for those who nned ahead!

    First, Artpe and Maetel made it impossible for the three Skeletons to move. After taking care of them, they confronted the five Skeletons running towards them.

    ¡°Bring it on!¡±

    [Damn it! They aren¡¯t doing the trial in a fair manner...]

    ¡°Huh? Five Skeletons gathered here to attack two children. I¡¯m having a hard time taking those words seriously when it ising from you guys.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The Skeletons looked taken aback when they saw theirrades roll around the floor in a pitiful state. However, they couldn¡¯t do anything for them. The Record Link¡¯s biggest restriction was the inability to attack one¡¯srades.

    ¡°If we leave them in a state where they can¡¯t die, we can block them from strengthening themselves. If we hadn¡¯t known Record Link was being used, we would have been screwed. However, all tactical magic is useless in front of my Read All Creation ability!¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is amazing!¡±

    [Cowards!]

    ¡°You guys are almost past level 50, yet you are attacking us as a group! I don¡¯t want to hear such words from you guys!¡±

    The Skeletons had never expected two children under level 30 to have defeated the Elite Skeleton Warrior! Still, how could they start such a test in a ruthless manner! Which country¡¯s customs were they following!

    Artpe followed two cherished rules. First, he strove for tranquility. Secondly, he strove for survival. It was already much toote to follow his first rule. This was why he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cheat for survival!

    ¡°Break!¡±

    ¡°You have to cancel your buff before you run out of Mana! Control your emotions!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    She boosted her emotions to activate the strengthening option provided by the gauntlet. This was why she sounded more strained than usual.

    Of course, it would be impossible for her to fight straight up against the level 50 Skeletons. It was self-evident that the buff from the gauntlet was allowing her to do so.....

    ¡®She¡¯s really amped up. Will she able to terminate the buff when needed? If not.....¡¯

    One had to always keep in mind that Mana was being consumed to maintain the buff. If one wasn¡¯t able to calm one¡¯s heart, the buff would remain active until one¡¯s Mana ran out. When one was out of Mana, it started to consume one¡¯s stamina. This was the reason why emotion type buffs were dangerous and tricky. If one overdid it, the buff could cause the user¡¯s death.

    It wouldn¡¯t even be funny if the heroes died in such a trivial ce. Artpe checked that more Skeletons wereing towards them. He hardened his resolve as he extended his Mana Thread. The only spell he possessed was Hyper Rubbing, and he had to get out of this danger by using what he possessed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken down two of them!¡±

    ¡°You are beating them to the inch of their lives to make them incapable of battle. Let¡¯s coin a name for this action. Let us say we are shagging them. So you shagged two of them.¡±

    ¡°I shagged three! No, I shagged four!¡±

    The struggles of the heroes had reached incredible heights! Artpe grabbed onto the leather strap as he sent the shield flying towards all directions. He inflicted the curse on the new Skeletons, who were trying to join the ongoing battle. Artpe had infused his power of Mana into the strap, so the tensile strength of the strap was high. He was also able to extend the length of the strap, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about losing the shield!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t magic. It feels like I¡¯m in a circus.... Shit.¡±

    Still, the actual number of enemies unable to recklessly attack Maetel had grown to a significant number. The most surprising fact about shield¡¯s curse was the fact that it could be ¡®stacked¡¯. The speed of the Skeleton became noticeably slower when it was hit multiple times with the shield. Their slow speed meant they were being taken down quickly.

    Artpe started to revise his opinion. Maybe the biggest treasure left behind by the Skeleton Warrior wasn¡¯t the gauntlet or the bastard sword. It might be the shield. This was also why the Skeletons refused to acknowledge Artpe as a ¡®challenger¡¯ for their test.

    [You are a coward, who hides behind a woman! We should kill such a male first!]

    [He doesn¡¯t have the right to take this test! Punish him! Punish him!]

    ¡°Noooooooobody willy a finger on Artpe!¡±

    Ah, they were screwed. Maetel was supposed to calm herself down, but their words made her emotions spiral out of control!

    She possessed supreme talent. She possessed a superior bodypared to beings of same level as her. She possessed an overwhelming amount of magical energypared to others. Still, it would be dangerous for her to maintain her buff at this pace.

    Despite this fact, she bravely leapt around as she took down the Skeletons....

    ¡®She won¡¯t be able tost long.... Her ability is great, but she¡¯smitting all themon mistakesmitted by beginner users.¡¯

    Her immature nature right now suited the hero¡¯s personality, but she was with him now. Artpe wouldn¡¯t allow were to act in such naive manner. However, there were too many Skeletons running towards them from the other side of the hallway. He didn¡¯t have the time to lecture her.

    ¡®If so....¡¯

    The next best option was to make sure her Mana didn¡¯t run out. This would prevent the buff¡¯s side effect from manifesting within her.

    So what was his options? Mana potion?

    Unfortunately, this Dungeon didn¡¯t drop expensive potions that would allow her to recover her Mana.

    What about Mana recovery herb? Of course, there were rare cases where Mana herb grew in the corners of a Dungeon. However, this Dungeon hadn¡¯t had any.

    This meant that he had to consider hisst option. It was Mana transfer. Artpe was overflowing with Mana.(He possessed Magical talent that would never be seen again in the human race. His body was ridiculous.) He just had to find a way to transfer it to Maetel.

    This would allow Maetel to maintain her buff, and he wouldn¡¯t have to waste Mana on a spell like Hyper Rubbing. Of course, if this was easily done, he would have done it already.

    ¡®There are magic that allows one to transfer Mana to others, but I haven¡¯t learned those spells yet.¡¯

    In the end, he would have to directly control his Mana to be able to inject it into Maetel. At this rate, Artpe might develop a new Mana Control ss never before seen in history. As he mulled over the new questions about his own identity, he grabbed a Mana Thread with his free hand. His other hand was holding onto the leather strap of the shield.

    ¡°Maetel! I want you to decrease your movement radius!¡±

    ¡°All right! I shagged two!¡±

    Maetel shouted with great vigor. She swung her bastard sword as it impacted three Skeletons. Their bodies were severely damaged. It made one think that they would be better off dead. In a short amount of time, she had quickly gotten used to using the bastard sword. This truth was self evident.

    Artpe shot out his Mana Thread towards Maetel, and it gently touched her shoulder. Artpe had never tried Mana transfer before, so he focused his mind as he tried to inject his Mana into her. Sure enough, the Mana wasn¡¯t easily absorbed by Maetel. It dissipated in the middle of the process.

    He had delivered Mana to Maetel, but it hadn¡¯t bolstered her Mana reserve. His magical energy had basically gave her a shoulder massage!

    ¡°I shagged three again! Eh-hee hee. You are tickling me, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Stop liking it so much. You are annoying me.¡±

    Artpe continuously threw and received his shield with one hand. (He didn¡¯t know the cause behind it, but once the shield returned, it was sent out at a higher speed and strength than the previous throw. He wasing close to taking down as many enemies as Maetel.) He used his other hand to continuously send the Mana Thread towards Maetel.

    Fail, fail and fail.

    If things progressed as is, he wouldn¡¯t be more proficient at Mana transfer. He would be more proficient at giving Maetel a massage!

    ¡°Artpe is really amazing!¡±

    ¡°The fact that your heart is always in the right ce makes this much more annoying!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t waste his Mana like this.

    Would it be more advantageous to take down the Skeletons using Hyper Rubbing?

    Artpe was having such thoughts as he turned his head. The number of broken Skeletons were rising. There were almost 50 of them. It was at this moment when he realized something. The more shocking news was that over 20 Skeletons had appeared once again at the end of the hall!

    ¡°What the heck! You guys should juste at us all at once!¡±

    [I¡¯ming for you.]

    [I¡¯m alsoing for you.]

    [We areing for you.]

    It was as if they had been waiting for Artpe¡¯s words. He watched as the Skeletons surged towards him. When he confirmed this sight, he politely took back his words.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯te here. You don¡¯t have toe toward us.¡±

    [We¡¯ll take up our bows to kill the coward!]

    ¡°Oh shit.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooh.... I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯ll protect Artpe!¡±

    Skeletons, who were able to attack from a distance, had appeared. It was a sufficiently demoralizing sight. To add insult to injury, Maetel¡¯s Mana was starting to show signs of running out! A good amount of red light was starting to emanate in vaporous form from her body. It was evidence that the skill was consuming her stamina instead of her magical energy.

    ¡°You are going to kill yourself, Maetel! You idiot!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll end this soon. I¡¯ll end all of them. I won¡¯t allow any of you to approach Artpe!¡±

    [You cannot differentiate between bravery and foolhardiness. You aren¡¯t qualified to be a hero either.]

    [You are unqualified. An unqualified person cannot leave this test alive.]

    [It has been a long time since anyone had challenged us. It makes us happy, but we have to do our work.]

    ¡°Maetel! Eeek! I told you to stop, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Koo-oohk, Koo-ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe kept yelling at Maetel to cancel her buff, but Maetel wasn¡¯t showing any signs of letting up. In truth, her actions weren¡¯t wrong. Her level hadn¡¯t risen, and the gauntlet¡¯s buff was the only reason why she was able to fight head on with the Skeletons!

    When the buff ended, it would be the end for the the two of them. Instead of retreating, they had chosen to go forward. They had acted with reckless bravado.

    ¡®Shit. This won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t transfer my Mana to her. Moreover, it would be foolhardy to expect her to learn Mana Drain or Stamina Drain as if it was a miracle.... Fuck these inflexible Skeletons. What shall I do.... Uh?¡¯

    This was the moment when he found a clue that would help him solve this situation. He hadn¡¯t discovered anything new, but he caught sight of the Record Link¡¯s Mana stem connecting the Skeletons. It was the cause of their current troubles, and he suddenly saw it in new light.

    ¡®The Record Link is a spell that synchronizes everything. Of course, this spell moves towardspletion as the members of the Record Link is killed. Isn¡¯t the activation method of this spell what I¡¯m trying to aplish?¡¯

    He had a moment of enlightenment. Of course, this was possible only because Artpe had a cheat-like ability called the Read All Creation. Artpe had to get out of this ridiculous situation, and his brain moved in a flexible manner toe up with a solution.

    ¡®If I do this right, I¡¯ll be able to do it.¡¯

    The main idea behind the Record Link was a connection established using a specific resonance frequency. There was a bigmanality between Artpe and Maetel that could be used as a medium. They were the only two people in the world, who had the Hero ss. This was something they shared between the two of them.

    ¡®The Hero ss is an intrinsic characteristic that trumps all others. It¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll be able to do this..¡¯

    Artpe¡¯s eyes were shining brightly. At that moment, he realized he had learned a new magic.

    He had thought acquiring skills, which was incongruent with one¡¯s level, was something only a genius like Maetel was allowed to do. However, he had been wrong. He wasn¡¯t sure if his prior knowledge and observations helped in the process, but Artpe was able to join Maetel¡¯spany as being someone capable of creating new skills!

    ¡°Maetel! Your senses might expand a little bit, and your Mana will be amplified. Stay focused!¡±

    ¡°I understand....!¡±

    As expected, her answer was alway cheerful. She was well aware of the fact that her stamina was being consumed right now, but she refused to end her buff. Maetel was still bravely fighting off dozens of Skeletons.

    Artpe was blocking the long range attacks using his shield, but if the situation remained the same, the two of them would be wiped out. He could guarantee it. He had to use his magic before it was toote.

    ¡°We are connected by traveling the same road. Reveal the line that connects us. Our sights view the same enemies. My rage shall be her rage, and it shall descend.¡±

    [The coward is trying to use a weird trick once again.]

    [We have to stop him. We have to stop him, but....]

    ¡°Artpe.... You can¡¯t touch him.....!¡±

    Her anger kept rising everytime the Skeletons tried to aim for Artpe. Now it just took them mentioning Artpe¡¯s name to set her off. Her eyes were raised sharply, and she was more scarier than an evil spirit as she swung her sword.

    There was a red fog emanating from her entire body now. She wasn¡¯t just consuming her Stamina anymore. She had learned a skill that was deadly and horrifyingpared to all the Skills she had learned up until now.

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 32]

    [Berserk Lv1]

    ¡®Somehow I had a feeling she would... In the end, she learned the Berserk skill.¡¯

    It was an emblematic skill used by the Berserkers. It was the worst type of mental skill one could learn. The Berserk skill would make one kill everyone. It didn¡¯t matter if one was an ally or a foe.

    There was no level restriction in learning it, and it didn¡¯t exist in the form of a Skill Book. The user had to fulfill requirement that were close to being diabolical to be able to learn it. This was why it was very rare to see it in action, yet Maetel had just learned it.

    The Bone Gauntlet boosted the strength of the user as the user¡¯s emotions was raised. The Berserk skill dealt with a single emotion called rage. It increased one¡¯s attack by decreasing one¡¯s defense. It was a very rare self-buff skill. Of course, the side effect was so much worse than the ones given by the bone gauntlet. It was so severe that it made one shudder.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine even with that skill. Link the Mana!¡±

    At that moment, Artpe finallypleted his spell. This particr Mana Thread was very fine. One couldn¡¯t even draw aparison with the Mana Threads he had created before. This thread was letting out the five cardinal colors, and it created a direct line between Artpe¡¯s heart and Maetel¡¯s heart. The Skeletons couldn¡¯t prevent the connection from forming.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    In the next moment, Maetel spoke in a peculiar voice. Artpe smiled when he confirmed that his magic had worked. The Skeletons shook when they saw the change in her spirit. They held an overwhelming number advantage, yet they started to slowly retreat.

    ¡°Artpe....is the best.¡±

    Maetel mumbled her words. Artpe¡¯s overflowing Mana was being poured into Maetel¡¯s body in its entirety.

    The stamina that had already been consumed did not recover, but her body was granted an extreme amount of Mana that her body wasn¡¯t allowed to possess at this stage. Her body temporarily took the next step forward.

    [That person stole our secret technique.]

    [No, that is.... It might be superior than our technique.]

    [My god.... They are true heroes.]

    [They are qualified to be heroes! They are brilliantly proving this fact!]

    ¡°Even if you acknowledge us now, you are toote.¡±

    Maetel raised her head, and her eyes were sparkling. She hunched forward. All the muscles in her body was tense. She looked like a panther about to pounce it prey. The powerful magical energy and the overwhelming power of the Berserk Skill reconciled with each other to surround her entire body.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you all run away!¡±

    It was hard to call what happened next as a battle. It would be more appropriate to say they were hunted down by her.

 Chapter 12 - Growth of the Heroes (4)

    Chapter 12 - Growth of the Heroes (4)

    [I¡¯ve already acknowledged.... Kuhk!]

    [We¡¯ll back off for now, and the others will test....!]

    ¡°I told you I won¡¯t let you guys run awayyyyyyyyy!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s Mana was being shared with Maetel, and she was like a predator that didn¡¯t get tired.

    The Skeletons couldn¡¯t gauge Maetel¡¯s ability using her level. Still, they managed toe to the right decision. They expressed their intent on giving up on the battle. However, it was way toote to do so. Maetel¡¯s rage refused to diminish when she saw their shameless behavior. It actually increased it.

    ¡°You guys originally nned on killing Artpe! Now you want to admit defeat and retreat? You guys are mean. You are all very mean! I almost lost Artpe! You guys want to end this with just a single speech! You guys are really really mean!¡±

    [There¡¯s no point. We told you there is no point in going further than this!]

    [The hero¡¯s rage... Your rage will put you on a path of no return.....]

    ¡°You guys are the one, who will be put on a path of no return! Eeyahhhh!¡±

    When one saw Maetel¡¯s outer appearance, one would assume she¡¯ll have a hard time lifting the huge bastard sword. However, the sword was moving freely in the hands of Maetel.

    The white de didn¡¯t discriminate between vertical and horizontal swings. She was like a salmon wading up a fierce current. She mercilessly sliced and crushed the bodies of the Skeletons.

    Fortunately, she still had enough awareness to realize that she must not kill any of them. She was basically holding onto a single thread of her reason.

    It was something very hard to do even for Berserkers, who lived many years alongside their rage. However, Maetel was doing it.

    ¡°You are running around wildly like an idiot......¡±

    Artpe recovered his Mana, and he focused on sharing it with Maetel. Of course, Artpe¡¯s Mana was on a different sspared to Maetel¡¯s Mana. Even after supplying Mana required to sustain Maetel¡¯s Berserk state, he was still overflowing with Mana.

    After he became somewhat confident in maintaining the link, he gathered the sharp bone fragments in his surrounding. As he maintained the Mana link with her, he strengthened the bone fragments with Mana. Then he started attacking them from distance. Each throw incapacitated a Skeleton.

    The two heroes once again started an airtight attack. They were facing a group of enemies that had increased in size by several dozen magnitude!

    [I have no idea what is going on.]

    [Why are there two heroes? Did these two really show up in the same era?]

    [Our role is to conduct the test. That is it. It is our duty to guide them to the next location then we will back off.]

    [However, at this rate....]

    She dismantled the limbs of the most talkative Skeleton first. Maetel¡¯s bastard sword was swung like a club, and she sent the disabled Skeletons into the corner of the hallway.

    There was a pile consisting of 90 Skeletons.

    Artpe made sure the Skeletons couldn¡¯t recover. He mainly used his shield to dice them up. The shield was connected to Artpe by a strap reinforced by Mana, and it freely sliced through the air. It was like a boomerang.

    [This is like....]

    As the two heroes continued their dominance, a particr Skeleton was hit by Maetel¡¯s sword on its cheek bone. It let out a groan that wasn¡¯t actually a groan.

    [It is as if we are the ones being tested.]

    [This runs contrary to the point of this test.]

    [Thus.]

    [We will make changes.]

    ¡°Oh man. What is it again.... Huh?¡±

    At that moment, the Mana density within the Dungeon suddenly increased.

    The hallway rolled as it widened. It became unfathomablyrge. Then he felt the Undead Mana from the other side increase in an uncontrolled manner. The walls kept contracting than expanding, and the flow of Mana within the Dungeon quickened.

    ¡°Kyahhh!¡±

    An enormous change was urring to the entire Dungeon. Maetel was taken aback. She broke out of the effects of her Berserk skill, and she turned to look at Artpe.

    ¡°What is going on, Artpe.....?¡±

    ¡°...I get it now. I¡¯ve been firmly under a delusion.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t like Maetel. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the unknown. Before one knew it, a smile had appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips.

    If a Demon, who was much more proficient in magic than him was here, this Demon would have realized it much earlier. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped, since he was the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.

    Still, he had realized it before it was toote. That would be enough. He could straighten this out. This was what the power possessed by Artpe was for.

    ¡°The change of the Dungeon is ongoing. No, the Dungeon itself is trapped within a magic spell.¡±

    Whobeled this as a beginner¡¯s Dungeon? This Dungeon had been made to look sloppy on purpose. This was a genuine Dungeon. This couldn¡¯t have been formed naturally, and it wasn¡¯t something a regr person could make.

    [We give the test.]

    [If they are better... If they are more extraordinary... If they are overpowered... If they are geniuses...]

    [We will send out everyone. We just have to test them again.]

    The sound of marching could be heard. Several dozen level 50 Skeletons appeared from down the hallway. There were countless number of Skeletons readied behind them.

    They came from the front, back, left and right. The hallway kept expanding, and it broke down the walls and stairways. The dead sleeping below were all awoken.

    Every one of them were connected through the Record Link.

    This was a very severe ordeal for beginner hero, who barely eclipsed level 30. However, she just fixed the grip on her bastard sword.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, Artpe. I¡¯ll protect you. I¡¯ll crush them all. ¡±

    Her emerald colored eyes didn¡¯t shake at all. She was too brilliant and strong to be seen as a mere 12 year old girl.

    Ah ah. Maybe this was the point where she would open her eyes as a true hero. Artpe grinned when he saw this, and he raised his gaze.

    ¡°Yes. Someone had nned all of this. I don¡¯t know which era this person was from......¡±

    The Skeletons kept bringing up the subject of heroes. At this point, they were acting in a brutal and annoying manner as if they were bullies. Aside from their actions, he was sure they wanted to check the qualification of the heroes. This gave him a good idea, who might have designed this Dungeon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll crush you all so thoroughly that you won¡¯t be able to be recycled. I¡¯ll take everything that is yours.¡±

    His purple eyes contained the power of the Read All Creation ability. His eyes let out a light as he surveyed his surrounding.

    Arge scale ancient magic was protecting the entirety of the Dungeon. Their level of power wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything against it. It was a magic spell that changed depending on the situation. It changed to put the challengers up against a wall.

    This was why it was time for Artpe to step forward. This was why they stood a chance of seeding.

    ¡°Every magic has a structure, and all structures have weaknesses. Of course, it¡¯ll be difficult to instantaneously drive a wedge between the magic spell to break it.....¡±

    This magic continuously acted on arge space, and if even one thing went out of whack, the spell woulde crumbling down.

    Of course, it was known amongst mages that it was impossible to find the structure and the cracks within an ever changing magic spell. This widely epted idea was turned on its head when Artpe Hirtana Kelduke of the Four Heavenly Kings appeared.

    However, Artpe¡¯s name wasn¡¯t known to those in this era.

    This was why no magic had yet been prepared to counteract against Artpe!

    ¡®Huh? Wait a moment. What happened to the me that should exist right now in this era? Am I absent or was I swapped with someone else? If that isn¡¯t the case, then....¡¯

    In a sh, he had a terrifying idea, but this wasn¡¯t the time to mull over those thoughts. He shook his head to expel all thoughts unrted to their survival. Afterwards, he checked up on Maetel.

    ¡°Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhh! I can do this! I can do this!¡±

    [Koo-gah-ahhhhhhhk!]

    Maetel didn¡¯t back down from the Skeletonsing from all sides. She ran wild. Artpe¡¯s reserve of Mana was too vastpared to his level, so her Mana usage didn¡¯t even make a dent in his Mana supply.

    She didn¡¯t know how to retreat, and she had no fear. Instead of shying away from therge number, she harassed them. She restricted the movement of the Skeletons.

    It was as if she had been trained in personal and group battles for several dozen years. She was adept at it. The fact that she was doing all of this on instinct was the most startling fact in all of this.

    ¡°I won¡¯t back away.... I won¡¯t forgive you guys....!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhk!]

    [We need more! There aren¡¯t enough of us!]

    Above all, her sword strikes were slowly getting sharper and heavier.

    Aside from the need to maintain the Berserk and the Bone Gauntlet, she wasn¡¯t using any Mana. She was able to lightly dodge the Skeletons¡¯ swords, which were infused with their Mana. Each of her sword swing were able to crush the bones of opponents, who were 20 levels higher.

    She made a lie of themon phrase that said a difference in level meant a difference in battle capability. Currently, a hero had been born on this continent, and she was easily jumping over her limits. It was as if she was mocking those who had to live within the restriction of levels.

    Even if the Skeletons increased in number, they couldn¡¯t ovee against a single slender girl. They grudgingly had to acknowledge her growth, and they despaired.

    [Strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ She shouldn¡¯t be this strong, yet she is too powerful. In a situation where she should be retreating, she chose to charge straight ahead!]

    [She shouldn¡¯t be allowed to grow right now, so why is she growing stronger!]

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 32]

    [Swordsmanship Lv7]

    [Battle Step Lv6]

    [Perception Lv8]

    ¡°Why? Her skills have increased.¡±

    He was genius, who learned the Berserk skill after getting a taste of the Bone Gauntlet¡¯s buff effect. She was in the early level 30s, yet she had achieved level 7 on a weapon skill. Achievements such as these were no longer surprising.

    Artpe checked and confirmed that Maetel was barely receiving any wounds. He determined he didn¡¯t need to monitor her constantly.

    ¡°For a little while, you should hold them off by yourself, Maetel. I think I¡¯ll be able to change our situation by a little bit.¡±

    ¡°I believe in Artpe. Artpe can do it.¡±

    Even if he hadn¡¯t received her encouragement, he was confident he could do this...

    Still, he felt a surge of energy from somewhere, and he wondered if the Link magic was the cause.

    ¡°Alright. Trust in me.¡±

    Artpe lifted the corner of his mouth. As heughed, he raised both his hands. The shield connected to the Mana strap rose into the air, and it started revolving around his body.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t able to inflict the curse unto the Skeletons, it was still possible for him to defend again their attacks.

    ¡°If a powerful magic spell was the only thing important about a mage, he would be called by the name of his strongest magic. However, there was a reason why mages don¡¯t use that naming convention. The distinct name of a mage and their various talent they possess has importance.....¡±

    A mage¡¯s true worth didn¡¯te out when facing a single enemy using fire or ice.

    A single gesture could change the tide of battle. A mage was only recorded in history when one could change the direction of the battle by oneself.

    ¡°I see it. I can see everything. I know where I¡¯ll have to tweak.....¡±

    The Dungeon was trying topensate for the fact that there were two heroes. The standard requirement for this Dungeon was for one challenger, so the Dungeon was merging into a single floor to contend with them.

    These Skeletons were only at level 50, but the ones afterwards would be higher in level. Moreover, they would also be connected through the Record Link.

    It would be the end if he let that happen. Even if Maetel was a genius who could ignore level differences, there was a limit.

    What should he do? He had sufficiently strengthened the abilities of Maetel. It would also be impossible for Artpe to personally grow right now.

    This was why he had to turn the enemies and the battlefield on its head.

    ¡°If this was a regr structure, this should be impossible to do. However, the entire Dungeon is being controlled by a spell, so this is a different situation.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s purple eyes shone as they started to let out an odd luminescence. He could see all the Mana flowing from the Dungeon¡¯s wall, hallway and ceiling.

    He could see where they met, and he saw how it curved to change the structure of the Dungeon. He also could see how the Mana was being used over the monsters!

    ¡°Good.¡±

    He had found it. Mana threads shot out from the tips of Artpe¡¯s ten fingers. The Skeletons knew he was up to no good, but they also knew that they werecking in ability to be able to touch the boy.

    It was the damnedest thing. Before Artpe stepped forward, he had made thorough preparations. No one would be able to interfere with him.

    This was the result of the struggle of trying to escape the fact of being the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings! He had always been sacrificed first before. However, he had had transitioned into being a hero now. The results he had gained from before was bearing fruit in a brilliant manner!

    ¡°This is easier than establishing the Mana Link. The fact that I can see your magic should be a terrifying reality for you guys.... I¡¯ll show it to you now. ¡±

    The 10 strands of Mana Threads from his fingers extended out towards the surrounding. The Mana Threads reached specific locations on the Dungeon¡¯s hallway, ceiling and floor. Then the sharp ends of the Mana Thread started to bore in.

    The vibration that was shaking the Dungeon became worse.

    ¡°Here, here and there......¡±

    [W...what are you doing!?]

    [Do you really think such a weak move could sever our connection!? Impossible! That is impossible!]

    ¡°You are right. It is impossible. I¡¯ve barely reached level 30, and it isn¡¯t as if I can cancel such a fucking old andrge magic spell.¡±

    However, there was one thing he could do.

    Artpe let out an evil smile as he swung his two hands. The 10 Mana Threads undted as they surged towards the wall, hallway and ceiling. They were absorbed into various locations.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    [There was a change... No, there wasn¡¯t any change....?]

    The Dungeon stopped shaking. The ever-expanding hallway stopped expanding, and no new Skeletons appeared..

    The Dungeon walls, which had disappeared, started to slowly grow back. The out of control Mana within the Dungeon calmed a little bit.

    ¡°Artpe... Nothing has changed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Maetel. You made the correct observation.¡±

    Artpe waved his hand at his surrounding. The protective shield, which had been revolving around him, shot out towards a group of Skeletons.

    Until a moment ago, new Skeletons had appeared every time when a group went down. It was an attempt to tire out the two heroes. However, one could no longer see the reinforcements.

    ¡°Ah. This is....!¡±

    [Can it be....]

    [Our connection to ourrades on the other side was severed. Our magic was reduced by the Dungeon¡¯s power! This means he manipted the magic spell.... My god. How could such a young child do this!]

    Maetel quickly realized what had urred. The Skeletons were a stepte in realizing it, and they started to talk noisily amongst themselves.

    Artpe had expanded his magical senses, and he had encased the current hallway and the several hundred Skeletons within it. He spoke in a confident manner.

    ¡°Nothing will change from now on. Your reinforcements won¡¯t being.¡±

    It was as if the reinforcement were gone. It wasn¡¯t an easy task to erase one¡¯s enemies from the face of this world using pure Mana.

    Yes, they were still alive. Even now they were probably stamping their feet as they waited for their turn toe.

    However, they would be waiting on the Dungeon¡¯s next floor, which won¡¯t open until all the Skeletons here were killed.

 Chapter 13 - The Link Between You and I (1)

    Chapter 13 - The Link Between You and I (1)

    At first, Artpe couldn¡¯t fathom how the Dungeon and Skeletons were connected through the Record Link.

    However, it was simple once he understood it. From the beginning, the Record Link was over the entire Dungeon... To be more precise, when the requirement for destroying the Elite Skeleton Warrior was met, a field was ced over the Dungeon. Everything within the Dungeon was ced within its sphere of influence.

    Usually, it was impossible to synchronize all the monsters, yet this method had allowed the impossible to be possible. This field also allowed the Dungeon¡¯s monsters to change the structure of the Dungeon using their will. They merged the separated space, and it allowed them to send forth countless number of monsters.

    Artpe had realized this fact before it was toote. Of course, even if he realized it, there wasn¡¯t much he could do at this point in time.

    It was normal to have no options in such a situation.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m an abnormality.¡±

    Even if Artpe couldn¡¯t cancel the Record Link in its entirety, he could push and distort the enormous magic spell using his Mana. It was possible to cause a minute amount of change.

    This was why he was using his Mana Control ability to its limit as he spliced small parts of the Record Link using his Mana. Then he rejoined the split ends in different configurations to set small restriction.

    He tied off the part of the region considered to be the 6th floor of the Dungeons. Afterwards, he tied off the 7th floor, then he moved on to tie the next region below.....

    This was why there was no change urring to the Dungeon now. Of course, all the monsters on the same floor were still connected through the Record Link. However, at the very least, the outer appearance of the Dungeon had returned to looking like any other normal Dungeon.

    ¡°The fact that it¡¯ll be difficult to smash through this Dungeon hasn¡¯t changed, but we no longer have to fear about our stamina running out by fighting against an unknown number of reinforcements. Moreover, the Record Link to the other Skeletons on the other floors waspletely severed....¡±

    ¡°If it is as you¡¯ve said, does this perhaps mean....¡±

    ¡°You are pretty quick on the uptake.¡±

    Artpe met Maetel¡¯s sparkling eyes, and he smirked.

    ¡°After we disable their ability to move, we can kill all of the Skeletons on this floor.¡±

    The Skeletons here had been isted from the others. The ridiculous concept that they couldn¡¯t gain any EXP until they cleared the entire Dungeon was gone now. They would no longer have to suffer under such crazy and tortuous stricture.

    They were still under the difficult restriction where they had to disable all the monsters on a single floor without killing the monsters. However, it didn¡¯t feel onerous to the two heroes.

    They¡¯ll win. They will survive to be stronger. It didn¡¯t matter who tried to test them.

    He didn¡¯t care about the reasons behind such tests. He would take them all. If he was at a test site, he would upend it. If he was in a prison, he would destroy it. If it was a kingdom, he would raze it to the ground.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t obligated to y on a stage made by the enemy. Remember that, Maetel. The enemies should dance to our music. We are the ones that have to survive after defeating our enemies. It doesn¡¯t matter if they call us cheap. They can even cuss us out for being the bad guys.¡±

    This was the philosophy of survival developed by the Four Heavenly King Artpe Hirtana Kelduke of the Demon King¡¯s army. In his previous life, he had merely been an extra that should have been killed off early in the story. However, he had been able to stay alive until the hero invaded the Demon King¡¯s castle. This was the reason why.

    In the end, he was dispatched by the radiant hero, but she was by his side now. Nothing would be impossible for the two of them. Even if it was impossible, they would make it possible.

    ¡°The fact that we survive is us winning. That is why we have to survive to win. The most important thing is our own survival. There is nothing worth more than that.¡±

    ¡°....Yes..¡±

    Maetel firmly nodded her head. Of course, she was was born with a strong sense of justice. She was too innocent to understand the selfishness and spite he had developed by surviving through the long years.

    Still, this would be enough. She wouldn¡¯t be easily swindled by others now. He had created a foundation he could build on.

    [W...what the hell is this.]

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Skeletons were having a hard time epting the fact that an outsider had changed the entireyout of the Dungeon. How long had they been waiting for this moment! How patient had they been! They had been eagerly waiting for this as they hated every moment of the wait!

    They had even allowed themselves to be lowly Undead to protect this ce. They had ced their worth in protecting the ce. This was their shining moment, yet these little brats were treating them like trash! The little brats had spit on them! It was a twisted situation where they were being looked down on!

    [This is wrong! They won¡¯t be able to prove their worth this way! They will only just get stronger!]

    [You are making a mistake! You don¡¯t possess the necessary qualification!]

    ¡°You guys should all shut up. If this qualification involves us being epted by such rotten Skeletons, I would rather not have it! I care not for it! Maetel!¡±

    ¡°None of you will be able to run away!¡±

    His Magic was running smoothly, so he just had to focus on Maetel and his shield. Artpe was able to bolster Maetel¡¯s power as he freely controlled his shield. He attacked the flustered group of Skeletons.

    [How can this.... Koohk!]

    [These bastards don¡¯t have the right to take the test. We¡¯ll kill you! We¡¯ll destroy you!]

    The Skeletons had been shaken when an abnormality urred in their Record Link, so they weren¡¯t able to properly react to the situation. However, they had now epted the truth that they would have to defeat Artpe and Maetel with the troops on this floor. They strengthened the Record Link between each other, and they started actively attacking the two heroes.

    Of course, Maetel was getting stronger even at this moment as she participated in the battle. This was why the Skeletons weren¡¯t in a favorable position.

    It wasn¡¯t as if the Skeletons had gone easy on them from the beginning, because it was a test. Nothing would change from their adjusted attitude!

    [Are you nning on imitating a boomerang with your shoddy shield? It is too heavy! It looks like a pig rolling across the ground!]

    ¡°What the hell are you looking at! That is only an after-image!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhk!]

    He hadn¡¯t wanted to grow in this direction, but Artpe¡¯s ability to throw the shield... No, the ability to control it was growing in real time. He was providing Maetel with Mana. Was he receiving some of her stamina and reflexes in return?

    Several dozen Mana Threads were extended from his one hand, and they were used to control the shield. The sharp edge of the shield, which could inflict the curse, was raised. It flew freely across therge hallway as it impacted the Skeletons¡¯ bodies in order. The damage it inflicted wasn¡¯t light.

    ¡°Here and here!¡±

    [The bastard¡¯s shield is weakening us.]

    [We have to catch and kill him. We have to kill....]

    As time passed, Artpe¡¯s shield flew faster, and it rotated more sharply. He was inflicting damage on par with Maetel¡¯s bastard sword. The Skeletons had been afraid of Maetel, so they had been herded towards him. However, he was taking them down faster as time passed, and he finally realized something.

    ¡®What is this? What the hell is happening? I¡¯m satisfied with just being able to push and keep others in check. What is the deal with this? How is it possible for me to dominate foes that are 20 levels higher than me? If I make a mistake, I might kill them outright.... Moreover, I think the curse effect has gotten stronger.¡¯

    Artpe reflected on why this was so. He realized that the act of infusing Mana into the shield was slowly strengthening the shield¡¯s special characteristic.

    This was on an another levelpared to simply infusing a rock in an attempt to make it explode. He had used his Mana to increase the performance of the Artifact at a fundamental level. Basically, he had used [Reinforcement].

    In other words, it was a special rare Support type skill. He didn¡¯t have to say it out loud, but this was a hellishly difficult skill to learn.

    ¡®....when and how did I learn this skill?¡¯

    What did he actually do to precipitate this? He had caused change on the Record Link casted on the entire Dungeon. He knew he had done a pretty good job, but this act and the reinforcing of the shield was part of an entirely different discipline.

    The only thing else he had done was establishing the Mana link with Maetel. He had poured Mana into her, and he had busily thrown his shield around.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [The shield... The shield is gettingrger! It is starting to rotate!]

    [Dodge it. The bastard isn¡¯t trying to kill us! He is just trying to inflict pain! The bastard is not a hero! He is the devil! His wickedness is almost on par with the Four Heavenly Kings under the Demon King!]

    It was as if they knew about his past upation as one of the Four Heavenly Kings. The Skeletons kept spouting impudent words, so he thought about mowing them down with his shield.

    ¡®I¡¯m awakening to skills at a ridiculous level. This should only be possible for Maetel.... Wait a moment. When I used the link on Maetel, maybe Mana wasn¡¯t the only thing that was shared between us?¡¯

    His body was moving more swiftly, and he had easily acquired a skill he hadn¡¯t possessed before. Maybe this spell didn¡¯t simply link their Mana. He might have created something more grand.

    At this point, he wanted to check his ability using his Read All Creation skill, and he was annoyed that he didn¡¯t have the spare time to do so.

    ¡®Still, if my theory is correct, Maetel¡¯s aptitude is being shared with me.¡¯

    It was a very dangerous urrence for him. Maetel was supposed to be the most brilliant hero in history using her talent. This talent was being shared with Artpe, who was of mediocre talents. This would throw a big wrench in his n.

    This would slow down Maetel¡¯s growth, and there was a chance that Artpe might pass her. Then the enemy¡¯s gaze might focus more on him. Something terrible such as that might ur to him!

    If possible, he had nned on maintaining the Mana link indefinitely. However, this changed the story. After the battle ended, he would get a clear assessment of himself using his Read All Creation ability. Then he nned on severing the Mana link as soon as possible.

    The brightest star had to be Maetel. Artpe didn¡¯t want to shine brighter than her.

    ¡®Basically, the act of emitting light is like a work out. I¡¯m toozy to work out.. After I receive enough light from Maetel, I¡¯ll just reflect the light. That will be sufficient.¡¯

    This was a mindset unbefitting of a hero. However, his previous upation was being one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and he had always dreamed about living the life as a dairy farmer! He was able toe up with such possibilities, because he was Artpe!

    Maetel didn¡¯t even realize what was going through his thoughts. She diligently moved her body. Even now she was efficiently pulling Artpe¡¯s bountiful Mana towards her for her use. She was getting stronger even at this moment!

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [Strong. They are too strong!]

    [We need more reinforcement.... Aht! We don¡¯t have any!]

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 32]

    [Swordsmanship Lv8]

    [Berserk Lv4]

    [Mana Control Lv6]

    ¡°From the looks of it, it doesn¡¯t look like her talent had decreased at all.....¡±

    Artpe mumbled bitterly as he waved his hand. Thest reinforcement added before the 6th floor was isted stepped forward. The highest level among the group was 55. They hesitatingly moved towards the two.

    [You, who explore the domain of the impossible, shall face either creation or destruction at the end of this chaos. We will test your small body...kuhk!]

    ¡°Stop giving a monologue, and fight me!¡±

    [How dareeeeeeeee you... Kah-ahk!]

    The two heroes had a lot to think about, yet the Skeleton with an empty skull was spouting philosophical words! It was merely an extra, yet it was trying to act cool. Even if the creator forgave such actions, Artpe wouldn¡¯t forgive them!

    ¡°All of you fuck off! If you know what is good for you, you should separate your head from your body! Just roll around on the floor!¡±

    [How dare you sully our noble resolve... Kahk!]

    One Skeleton in particr was filled with rage. It had tried to speak, yet the edge of Artpe¡¯s shield impacted on its body. The Skeleton was thrown to the Dungeon¡¯s wall.

    Even after impacting on the Skeleton, the shield didn¡¯t lose any momentum. It attacked three additional Skeletons. Then it violently revolved around Artpe to fend off the Skeletons trying to swing their swords towards him. The shield was even able to break their weapons.

    ¡°All right. This should be enough.¡±

    He would be able to prevail over this situation without asking a favor of Maetel. The Skeletons that had been crowding around him were mostly defeated. He nodded in satisfaction when he checked that less than 100 Skeletons were left.

    [I will not open the way for such wicked beings!]

    [We have to defeat them. I¡¯ll make them into Skeletons! They will be the same as us!]

    ¡°You can try.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll defeat them all!¡±

    He still had over half his Mana. He assessed the amount of Mana he had left against the number of Skeletons....

    They could do this. He was sure of it.

    They were the victors. .

 Chapter 14 - The Link Between You and I (2)

    Chapter 14 - The Link Between You and I (2)

    A modicum amount of time had passed from that moment. It was a short amount of time where not even one hour had passed. It was also the moment in their lives where Artpe and Maetel had to focus the most.

    Artpe was in a precarious situation where his Mana was about to bottom out, so he continued to keep a low profile. In the end, Maetel¡¯s Swordsmanship had reached level 9.....

    The Skeletons, who were exhausted from battle, tried a new tactic where they purposefully tried to die through Maetel¡¯s attacks. However, Artpe intercepted them by throwing his shield into their abdomen. They were put out of the battle by the hard hits, and the only thing these Skeletons could do was roll around the floor.

    Finally, Artpe felt himself reach his limit in terms of his body and Mana.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. Koo-hoo-ooh....!¡±

    ¡°It is all done, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-oohk. All right.!¡±

    Artpe was moments away from losing his consciousness. He was about to fall to the floor. However, a voice of an angel could be heard through Artpe¡¯s ears. Artpe gritted his teeth as he fought to stay up. He checked the state of the Dungeon.

    It was as if hell had manifested on this floor.

    [Goo-gahk, gah-gah-gahk......]

    [There is no way.... I¡¯ll ept.....]

    [Death... I only want an honorable death.....]

    The number of Skeletons, who had died, was zero. The number of Skeletons capable of continuing the battle was also zero. The floor was a mess. It was hard to tell if the bones were ribs or spines. They were all just rolling around the floor.

    The two heroes had taken down over 400 Skeletons, and it drove home the absurdity of the situation faced by the party of two.

    ¡°Are you ok, Artpe....?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still alive but, you.... Are you able to cancel your Berserk state?¡±

    ¡°¡¤......yes!¡±

    It was as she said. Her emotions started to calm after speaking those words. The red haze that had covered her entire body dissipated, and her Mana calmed. Artpe let out a bitterugh at the sight.

    Rage had swept over her, and her rage had paralyzed a portion of her rationality. He had been a little bit worried that she wouldn¡¯t have been able to cancel her Berserk state. It might have led to an ident urring....

    It seemed his fears had been baseless.

    Still, a wrong was a wrong even if the two of them survived the battle unharmed. First, he ended the Mana link with her. He narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a stern voice.

    ¡°Were you aware that you had learned a dangerous skill?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, if I hadn¡¯t maintained it, I thought Artpe would die....¡±

    ¡°Still, if you had died, all of this would have been for naught. If I survived while you died in this ce, do you think I would have been happy?¡±

    ¡°Ah-oooh.¡±

    When she heard Artpe¡¯s cold voice, Maetel¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she lowered her head. When he saw this sight, he finally took his ire down a peg.

    It was easy to forget, but she was a beginner hero. She had picked up the sword less than a week ago. She was only a 12 year old girl. Yet she had somehow kept a hold on her rationality as she maintained her Berserk skill. In truth, she deserved praise.

    ¡°The danger of using that skill is so high, because it is a skill that deals with an emotion. If you think of the skill as your absolute ally, it¡¯lle back as a de that will plunge itself into your heart. I just want you to remember this fact. All right?¡±

    ¡°Y...yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°....all right. Let¡¯s finish this.¡±

    In truth, he wanted to sit her down and give her a lecture. However, he worried his words would create an artificial ceiling for her talent, so he decided to leave it be.

    ¡°Hoohp.¡±

    He violently pulled on the threads connected to the shield. The enormous shield fell from the air to destroy the skulls of the nearest Skeletons. All the Skeletons on the floor had already been inflicted with severalyers of the shield¡¯s curse, so they couldn¡¯t put up any fight against the shield. They were broken into pieces.

    [D...dead.]

    [Ourrades werepletely annihted.....]

    [Our power is getting stronger, but....]

    ¡°May I destroy all of them, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can destroy all of them.¡±

    Artpe let out a kindugh as he raised his hand again. The shield floated into the air as it followed his hand gesture. It stood on its edge, and it started to rotate in a violent manner. Maetel also squeezed out the remaining energy left in her tired body as she swung her bastard sword.

    [Koo-ahk!]

    [Koo-gah-gahk!]

    [Regret........]

    Every time one Skeleton was killed the other Skeletons felt a surge of energy within their bodies. However, the only thing they could do with the abundance of energy was to rattle around the floor. Of course, as more Skeletons died, the defense of the remaining Skeletons also increased. The Skeletons couldn¡¯t even jump towards the two heroes to attack them, so the improvements being wrought on the Skeletons were meaningless.

    ¡°A single blow isn¡¯t enough to kill them. Eh-eet! Eh-eet!¡±

    ¡°There is a better way to do this, Maetel. You shouldn¡¯t unnecessarily harm you weapon¡¯s durability.¡±

    Artpe extended his Mana Threads, and he took control of the Skeletons, who couldn¡¯t put up much of a fight. He started bashing the skulls of Skeletons against each other.

    He was able to smash and eliminate the Skeletons in an effective manner!

    [Koo-ahhhhh!]

    [You... You wicked bastards.....!]

    He used the hardened skulls against each other! Although his past upation was being one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he was disying a level of ruthlessness that might exceed the Demon King!

    ¡°Artpe is amazing! This really is easier than breaking them with my sword!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it really is....¡±

    The current hero was already different person now. In her previous incarnation, Maetel had been a pure and innocent woman. He had seen her shed tears when one of the Four Heavenly King had died. She had been a virtuous woman. Now she was a girl, who was smashing Skeletons against each other!

    Artpe realized how important early education was as he swung the skull. If someone saw the two, they wouldn¡¯t think they were heroes. They looked like great candidates to be the next Demon King.

    Finally, the moment of truth arrived.

    ¡°These are thest ones, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Look at how hard their skulls are. It is hard to call them as being Skeletons anymore. They are almost on the same rank as a Duhan.¡±

    [We want you to give us an honorable death....!]

    The power of several hundred Skeletons were split between the two remaining Skeletons. The two skulls were the product of this process. They were so heavy and hard that one wondered if they could be used as weapons. Artpe was weak in strength, so he couldn¡¯t even lift the skulls. Maetel, who easily swung the bastard sword, was barely able to lift them.

    As an experiment, she threw the skulls against the wall. The meless wall cracked instead of the skulls. Artpe tilted his head in puzzlement when he saw this.

    ¡°I think it isparable to a level 100.....?¡±

    ¡°So is it better to catch 400 level 50 Skeletons or one level 100 Skeleton? Which gives better EXP?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the former gives an overwhelmingly more EXP. Anyways, this magic wasn¡¯t meant to give its opponents EXP in such a manner.¡±

    In terms of EXP, Artpe and Maetel was suffering a very huge loss through this venture.

    If they had killed 400 normal level 50 Skeletons, they would have been strengthened by a ridiculous amount. However, if one looked at the oue of this battle, it had been equivalent to killing a level 10 Skeleton.

    ¡°However, the world isn¡¯t only about EXP.¡±

    When one defeated an enemy that was significantly higher in level, one¡¯s Achievement was recorded. It was something that followed one throughout one¡¯s lifetime.

    If one defeated a level 70 enemy at level 50, the Achievement remained throughout one¡¯s lifetime. It had the effect of aiding the one, who had acquired the Achievement. Even if one faced an enemy of higher level at ater date, the effects of the Achievement won¡¯t weaken or disappear. It helped one fight the higher level enemy head-on. It even had an influence on the acquisition of skills, and the reward items that one acquired from battling monsters.

    ¡°On top of it all, you can¡¯t ignore the skill growth that urs when you apply the finishing blow. Normally, a skill grows the more you use it. The other method to grow your skill is to kill an enemy using the skill. If you acquired the skill while fighting an enemy, the sessful killing of the enemy allows the skill to grow once more.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Amazing.¡±

    Of course, there was no adjustment if one wasn¡¯t sessful in killing the enemy. This was also true for running away or canceling the battle. The reason why this happened was unknown.

    Someday, he¡¯ll ask the question to the god, who had made this world. He¡¯ll seize the bastard by the cor.

    ¡°The technical term for this phenomena is called Rumination.¡±

    ¡°Artpe knows everything!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know everything. I know what I know.¡±

    While Maetel was asking questions and receiving answers from Artpe, she was bashing the two skulls against each other. Cracks were forming on the skulls. Her repetitive action was so mechanical that he felt goose bumps all over his body. Artpe took a small step backwards.

    [I won¡¯t forgive you. I will revive someday, and I will raise my sword in revenge against you guys!]

    ¡°Yes. Next Undead, please.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh..... This is thest one!¡±

    Maetel let out a shout as she brought one skull against the other. At that moment, she gathered the small amount of Mana left inside her body into her arms. This single strike was more powerful than any of her previous blows. It cleanly pulverized both skulls. At the same time, it wouldn¡¯t have surprised Artpe if she gained the Bash skill through this action.

    Anyways, this was how all the monsters on the 6th floor were eradicated. The Mana and the Record had been gathered into a single bundle. It was finally released from the monsters, and it was given to the challengers.

    ¡°Ah-ooh.¡±

    Maetel let out a short moan. Artpe had somewhat expected this so he kept his mouth shut, but it wasn¡¯t as if he was fine. It felt as if all their internal organs had been dislodged. They felt nausea sweep over them as if their internal organs were spinning around like a tornado.

    ¡°Artpe.... This is....¡±

    ¡°Endure it.... It is the level up.¡±

    ¡°This is it? Koo-oo-oohk.¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 34]

    [Level : 35]

    [Level : 36]

    [Level : 37]

    Artpe could see Maetel¡¯s information update in real time. His innate ability wasn¡¯t broken. Artpe was probably going through a simr situation as her right now.

    The two Skeletons had been strengthened to the extreme, and their EXP was divided between two, who were in their early level 30s. Of course, their levels would increase in a sh. A level up strengthened the body and soul. They were going through about a dozen level ups, so it wasn¡¯t strange to see their bodies undergo an abrupt change.

    ¡°It hurts so much, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Endure it. It¡¯ll pass soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes....!¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 41]

    Maetel¡¯s ability shone in this instance. Even if she received the same amount of EXP as others, she grew at a much faster pace. Artpe¡¯s pain was slowly ebbing away, but it seemed Maetel was still in distress.

    When Artpe experienced his rapid level ups, he felt his Mana fill up in an instant. He took deep breaths as he monitored Maetel. Shortly, Maetel also let out a deep sigh as if she was expelling everything that had built up inside her. Then she sat down heavily.

    ¡°Level ups are really miraculous... I¡¯m incredibly tired, yet I feel really strong..¡±

    ¡°Your existence seems to be most miraculous phenomena to me.¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 43]

    [Swordsmanship Lv11]

    [Mana Control Lv8]

    [Berserk Lv7]

    How could this information be about a girl, who picked up the sword only a week ago? Even a mercenary, who participated in battles for 10 years, would be unable to grow to this extent!

    Artpe still didn¡¯t like the purpose behind this Dungeon, yet he had to grudgingly admit that it had been very helpful in radically maturing the hero. She had grown in skill by facing an amalgamation of monsters that resided on a single floor. What Achievement will she be able to gain if she faced a monster, who possessed thebined might of all the floors!

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s a death sentence to carry out the original test.¡¯

    He still couldn¡¯t believe he was able to cause change to the Record Link. It really was a result that had risen out of his desperation. Artpe shook his head as he let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°The wall is opening, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°It is set-up to do so.¡±

    They had gained control of the 6th floor of the Dungeon, so the Record Link ced on this floor was cancelled. When they descended to the 7th floor, they arrived at a small fountain. It was ced there as if to encourage the weary to rest at this spot. Artpe looked at Maetel, who let out a cheer. He smiled as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled. It is poisoned water.¡±

    ¡°This Dungeon is really terrible!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine if you keep that attitude. There is nothing here you should trust in this damned ce.¡±

    Before Artpe could finish his words, a faint light started to emanate near the fountain. Artpe¡¯s eyes twinkled when he discovered it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let me modify that statement. There is one person you can trust here.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The light disappeared, and in its ce, a beautiful woman with a big cart appeared. Maetel tilted her head in confusion when she saw this stranger suddenly appear in front of them. Artpe grinned. He turned to look at Maetel as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Dungeon Merchant.¡±

 Chapter 15 - The Link Between You and I (3)

    Chapter 15 - The Link Between You and I (3)

    ¡°Hello, adventurers. I was dispatched by the Anywherepany. I am here to help your Dungeon exploration be as smooth and pleasant of an experience as it can be. I am a middleman. My name is Mycenae!¡±

    She had smooth brown skin, and a notably ample bosom. The beautiful woman¡¯s voice was clear as if a bell was ringing. She waved her hand as she spoke towards Artpe and Maetel.

    Maetel instinctively pushed Artpe behind her, and she was about to raise her sword. Artpe smirked as he ced his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t an enemy, so don¡¯t worry about it. ording to their contract, they aren¡¯t allowed to attack us first.¡±

    ¡°Contract?¡±

    ¡°It is a contract made with the god. It is sometimes called the Dungeon contract. Anyways, it is a contract that no one can break, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Artpe even knows about that. You are really amazing.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Do you know about the Anywherepany?¡±

    She surmised they were out of the ordinary, since the two kids were able to reach the depths of this Dungeon. However, she never expected him to have some general knowledge about her store!

    Mycenae, who was the middleman from the Anywherepany, looked at Artpe with round eyes. Artpe snorted as he waved his hand.

    ¡°How dare you?¡±

    Several dozen Mana threads were emitted from both sides, and they crossed paths. There weren¡¯t any ill-intention behind her use of Mana, but it was indiscriminately broken up as it dissipated. He was able to dere this his words with impudence. All detection and inquiry magic was useless under his Read All Creation ability!

    ¡°Oh my!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you try to get cute with me, merchant.¡±

    ¡°Yes.....¡±

    Mycenae realized that her inquiry magic had been denied before it could even activate. She backed away in fright. She backed into the cart, and her bosom jiggled as if it was about to spill out.

    Every man, who had the strength to raise a spoon, would have been instinctively drawn to her charming gesture. However, Artpe just spit on the ground.

    ¡°Hoong. You are an ajumma.¡±

    ¡°W...what did you just say!?¡±

    ¡°You should be prepared to give us a 20% discount, ajumma. If you were able pull it off in secret, it would be fine. However, you have no excuse, since I found out. Right?¡±

    ¡°Kook¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    She had been a middleman for the Anywherepany for the past 100 years. She was a veteran of this industry. She never expected to be humiliated in her first meeting with this brat! Mycenae balled up her fist as they trembled.

    Artpe turned his gaze away from her.

    His gaze reached the two Skeletons, who had been enhanced to the extreme. Only pile of bone dusts was left behind as remains.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do our looting first.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Huh, customer?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll trade with you. Just wait there.¡±

    Even if she set aside the brusque little man, the girl hadpletely ignored her. She felt arge crack form in her pride.

    Who the hell were they! Unlike their appearances, why were they giving off a vibe of 20 year veteran Dungeon explorers!

    ¡°There really is only powders left behind. Still, it isn¡¯t as if there are no other way to....¡±

    ¡°I tried to loot, but it didn¡¯t work. What should I do in such a situation, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll teach it to you, so you should pay close attention.¡±

    Even as Mycenae¡¯s body shook, Artpe approached the two pile of bone dusts, and he extended his Mana Threads in abundance. Maetel stood by his side, and her head was tilted in confusion. He gave a friendly exnation.

    ¡°Of course, it does seem impossible to loot a monster that had beenpletely pulverized, but this isn¡¯t the case if you have the ability to control Mana. Watch me.¡±

    Mana Threads extended out of his hand, and they reached the two piles of bone dusts made out of two Skeletons. The piles reacted to the Mana Threads, and it started to clump into a single pile. Artpe moved his hand in various directions, and the process elerated.

    ¡°Next, you have to do this....¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    When he severed the Mana Threads, the debris also stopped moving. It looked like a pile of ash. It was as if a vampire had been burned to death there.

    ¡°We just have to wait for the chosen items toe out. This is an easy method you can use if you acted rashly by burning remains of a monster. You should keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is amazing!¡±

    ¡°These customers are.....¡±

    This Dungeon had been appealing enough to call her forth. The fact that these young adventurers were able tost inside this ce was surprising, but it was much more surprising to see one of them use such advanced technique to loot the monsters.

    While Mycenae was gawking at them, the looting process wasing to a end. It looked to be sessful.

    ¡°Ah, Artpe. Something is emerging.¡±

    ¡°It is an arm warmer. Since you have the gauntlets, this one is mine.¡±

    ¡°Wow. A pretty crystal also came out!¡±

    ¡°There were too much excess magical energy from monsters gathered here. Since it couldn¡¯t be collected naturally, it clumped together. Normally, it is used as ingredient for making magical tools. Mmmm. This isn¡¯t an item that you can use.......¡±

    ¡°Artpe can have it all. I have the sword and the armor.¡±

    Mmm. She was like an unwavering angel. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he put the crystal away. Then he put on the arm warmers.

    It was unknown as to why arm warmers made out of ck leather was dropped by a Skeleton, but when he equipped it, it had a supplemental effect of increasing his hand speed. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but this was the ideal equipment for Artpe, who had to use both his hands for battle.

    ¡°I can see something still shining there, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I almost forgot about it.¡±

    Since all the drops of Skeletons on this floor was gathered in one ce, there would also be some money mixed inside the loot. He saw two prettyrge gold coins. Artpe smirked as he picked them up.

    ¡°I anticipated a gold coin woulde out, but I didn¡¯t expect two. Nice.¡±

    ¡°Wahhhhh. They are pretty.¡±

    This was the first time Maetel had seen gold coins in her lifetime. Her eyes twinkled as she let out an exmation. A gold coin was worth 100 times more than a silver coin. This wasn¡¯t something unique to Maetel. Even their town¡¯s chief would never be able to possess one in his lifetime.

    ¡°Normally, not all monsters over level 100 drop gold coins. This miraculous event urred, because all our enemies were tied together by the Record Link. You should keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, customer. Record Link? What is that?¡±

    Even if she was a veteran middleman for the Dungeons, this didn¡¯t mean she knew everything about ancient magic. Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t answer the merchant¡¯s question. He finished his looting.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t gain any rewards that we can liquidate.... Still, if we add the gold coins to the money we already have, I might be able manage a decent trade.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    After Artpe made sure there weren¡¯t anything else he could take, he walked towards the Dungeon merchant he had been ignoring up until now. He moved towards Mycenae. Mycenae acted as if she had forgotten about the affront of being ignored up until now. She greeted him with a bright smile.

    ¡°Wee, customer. Are you looking for a specific item?¡±

    ¡°One empty bottle¡±

    ¡°Y...you want an empty bottle?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Mycenae and Artpe made eye contact. She tried her best to discern Artpe¡¯s inner thoughts, but he kept a sickeningly innocent expression on his face.

    She knew he was up to something. However, a member of the Anywherepany couldn¡¯t turn down a trade unless there was a special circumstance involved! It was the biggest taboo to turn down a trade! Mycenae felt uneasy as she took out an empty bottle from her cart.

    ¡°The price is 50 bronze coins.¡±

    ¡°It is only a single empty bottle! Why is it so expensive!?¡±

    ¡°All Dungeon merchants are like this.¡±

    Artpe ignored Maetel, who was shocked. He took the empty bottle. Mycenae watched Artpe unstopper the bottle. She spoke with a worried tone in her voice.

    ¡°It seems you are trying to fill up the bottle with the water from the fountain. Shouldn¡¯t you check if the water is safe to drink first? It is a fundamental rule followed by all adventurers.¡±

    ¡°I know. I already checked it.¡±

    ¡°You already checked it!?¡±

    ¡°It originates in my heart to manifest in the shallow floor of the water. Peel off your despicable outeryer to reveal what lies inside!¡±

    ¡°W...what the hell!?¡±

    While the middleman Mycenae expressed her dismay, Artpe finished his chant. It caused an enormous amount of friction to form at the middle of the fountain!

    ¡°Wa-ha-ha-ha. The water is boiling!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m wastefully using my Mana!¡±

    The Hyper Rubbing spell was causing so much friction that it was vaporizing the cold water. He was now over level 40, and he was getting used to forming the Hyper Rubbing spell. The effectiveness of the magic was on a different levelpared to before.

    ¡°Kyahhhhk, customer. If the water holds poison, it¡¯ll turn into a poisonous fog!¡±

    ¡°I already checked it!¡±

    The steam covered thempletely, but there was no poison within it. There were some poison that dissolved entirely in water, and it could have been vaporized alongside the water. On the other hand, there were poisons that didn¡¯t mix with the water. It would be left behind in ce as sediment.

    Of course, the poison within the fountain was thetter type. This was why Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate to evaporate the water.

    ¡°It is the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a spell. If you wanted to boil the water, couldn¡¯t you have just used a fire type magic?¡±

    ¡°I did it, because I don¡¯t have such magic!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m currently selling the Boil spell for two gold. The fire spell is being sold at a great price of 1 gold!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t buy it!¡±

    There were a lot of water inside the fountain, so it took a good amount of time for all of it to evaporate. After a long wait, the result came to fruition. The copious amount of water inside the water fountain had all evaporated, and on the floor, a dark green powder was left behind in a lump.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡±

    Artpe smirked when he saw Mycenae unconsciously let out a moan. He put the powder into the empty bottle. Of course, the identity of the powder was a form of poison. It was fine to touch it with one¡¯s bare hands. Its toxicity appeared only when it was mixed with a liquid, so it was safe to touch it right now.

    ¡°Ah.....¡±

    ¡°Well, are you going to buy this?¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t leave a single grain of the green powder behind. He stoppered the bottle, and he pushed it towards Mycenae. Her cheeks were puffed up as she started to argue with Artpe.

    ¡°.......so you already know why the Dungeon Merchants appear in Dungeons?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You guys have designs on acquiring magical goods.¡±

    When adventurers explore a Dungeon, they face danger and opportunity prepared by the Dungeon. One might find a hidden treasure box, a poisoned fountain or a pond made out of the highest quality holy water.

    It was possible for the Dungeon Merchants to detect the energies of these treasures, and they appeared randomly in these Dungeons.

    If an adventurer was unable to find the treasures, the Dungeon Merchants acquired the rights to take the unfound treasures. Around half the poption considered to be adventurers were poor at detecting treasures on each floor.

    Even if an adventurer knew why a Dungeon Merchant had appeared, the adventurer wouldn¡¯t be able to find the treasure unless they were very skilled. An adventurer could search the entirety of the Dungeon for treasures just based on the fact that a Dungeon Merchant had appeared, but the chance of finding the treasure was close to zero.

    Of course, Artpe was an anomaly. Even before the Dungeon Merchant had appeared, he knew what was waiting for him at the end of the 6th floor. He had located everything, so there was nothing else to say. He grinned as he shook the bottle containing the green powder.

    ¡°So you aren¡¯t going to buy it?¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s expression crumpled in distress, but her instinct as a merchant was soon brought to the fore.

    ¡°Koo-oohk.... I¡¯ll buy it for 2 gold.¡±

    ¡°All right. I hope you meet a pushover next time, who will be easily deceived by you.¡±

    Artpe turned around without hesitation, and Mycenae desperately reached out towards him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 4 gold! You have to factor in the processing cost! The processing cost!¡±

    ¡°I made sure there wasn¡¯t a single drop of water remained. What processing fee? Give me 10 gold.¡±

    ¡°You are being heavy-handed....!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t¡¯ buy it for 10 gold, there will be no trade.¡±

    Artpe was firm. He was so resolute that it made one wonder if the creator, who made the boundaries between ocean andnd, spoke in such a way in the past.

    Mycenae knew that the person in front of her already knew the exact worth of the item within her hand. If so, what choice did she have? She had no choice, but to agree to his demand!

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for 10 gold.¡±

    ¡°All right. Since you bought the Basilisk Venom Powder for the price of 10 gold, this isn¡¯t a losing proposition for you.¡±

    ¡°You even knew the name.....¡±

    At that moment, Mycenae decided to treat him like an experienced merchant. When one met a person like him, the fact that she didn¡¯t take a loss was a form of victory!

    Moreover, she would be able to gather information on a little-known adventurer on this continent. She would be able to gain massive profit from it.

    ¡°Next... I want you to repair our equipments.¡±

    ¡°Repair... All right. Huh? All your equipment are artifacts, but.... Overall, you guys have pretty bad equipment. Does this mean that your levels are also.....?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to pry any further.¡±

    It cost 50 silvers to repair all the equipment. He paid 40 silvers after receiving the 20% discount.

    Mycenae never expected him to discount the price of the repair fee, but she also knew she had acted rude in the first ce. This was why she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°Next, I want boots and helmet for her. I want a robe. I want you to give me your best performing equipment with the lowest level restriction.¡±

    ¡°I have boots and helmet made from the bones of a Blood Ketai. The two items will be worth 8 gold.....¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m receiving a 20% discount, I¡¯ll give you 6 gold and 30 silver. ¡±

    ¡°Jeez. You should just give up on being an adventurer to be a merchant.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s lower extremities and head had been vulnerablepared to the other regions of her body. She now had defensive gears that could protect those regions. Artpe purchased a robe made out of a ck fabric. The threads were knitted using the quills of the Darkness Hedgehog, which had the ability to manipte magical energy. The robe increased one¡¯s Mana by a small amount, and it had a modest ability to obstruct other¡¯s perception. This was why he had to pay 6 golds for it.

    In truth, these equipment weren¡¯t something that could be obtained by level 40s. The power of money was really great.

    ¡°There, Maetel. You should be pretty safe wearing these.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ah-ooh. It is so expensive. These expensive items are for me.....¡±

    The fact that Artpe had obtained 10 gold by selling a weird powder was already shocking in itself. Now that she saw so much gold being exchanged for their equipment, she became delirious.

    ¡°The cows we can buy with that much money.... One, two three.... Ooh-ahhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Maetel. Also, I want to purchase water and food with the remaining money, ajumma. Give me the cheapest ones.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an ajumma! I¡¯m a green spring girl!¡±

    ¡°If ajumma is a maiden, then I¡¯m a hero.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Mycenae didn¡¯t know that Artpe was really a hero. She was infuriated when she saw his sly smile! However, the heroes weren¡¯t paying attention to her anymore.

    ¡°Ooh ooh. I don¡¯t like food that doesn¡¯t taste good......¡±

    ¡°A hard bread you eat right now wille back as tenderloin steak in the future. You have to be patient.¡±

    ¡°......yes, I¡¯ll be patient! I¡¯ll wait until happinesses to Artpe and I!¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to wait that long.¡±

    Mycenae took the money pouch put forth by Artpe. She emptied it, then she started preparing the dry foods and water. Mycenae was dumbfounded as she heard Artpe cate Maetel.

    ¡°You guys act as if you¡¯ve been clearing Dungeons for 20 years. You guys must have received fantastic training at home.¡±

    ¡°None of your business.¡±

    He spoke in a brusque manner as he received the bag with dry foods and canteens containing water. After he put away the items inside his robe, he let out a sigh as he raised his head.

    Mycenae somehow managed to regain her business smile. She gave him a cute smile, yet Artpe was apathetic. He shooed her off with his hand as he spoke to her.

    ¡°Well, you should go now. We¡¯ll probably meet again soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see my customers off from here!¡±

    ¡°Nope. Go. Ajumma has to leave, then I¡¯ll be able to take out the treasure chest you are standing on.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In the end, Mycenae sank to the floor.

    She never expected him to be aware of it! She had endured all the humiliation up until now as an attempt to get him to act careless. She even sold her wares at a very cheap price, yet at that moment, her n went up in smoke!

 Chapter 16 - The Link Between You and I (4)

    Chapter 16 - The Link Between You and I (4)

    Mycenae tried her best to look pitiful as her eyes watered. She gave a request to Artpe. In truth, her main objective hadn¡¯t been the Basilisk Venom Powder. She was here for the treasure box.

    ¡°W...will you sell the content of this box to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make the decision after seeing what¡¯s in it.¡±

    Artpe gave a cold reply. Moreover, his gaze was cold too. He was silently pressuring her. It was as if he was trying to tell her to quickly move her heavy body to the side! Mycenae¡¯s stunning beauty was on the same level as a pebble rolling around in the streets. It held no meaning to him!

    ¡°Kook..... This is the first time I¡¯ve suffered such humiliations since I started working for the Anywherepany.....¡±

    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a treasure chest!¡±

    An old pair of wood framed sses and a pair of ck leather boots appeared from within the treasure box. Mycenae¡¯s eyes once again shone with a fierce light!

    ¡°Are you going to sell it to me!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll sell you only one of the two.¡±

    As he spoke those words, Artpe pushed the wood framed sses towards her. Mycenae was able to confirm a suspicion she had.

    ¡°You must possess a tremendous observation magic.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to pry? Well, it is obvious at this point in time, but.... Well, since I¡¯ve been pretty heavy handed up until now, I¡¯ll sell it to you at a price where I won¡¯t see much profit. I want 45 gold.¡±

    ¡°F....forty f......!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it. Thank you very much.¡±

    The magnitude of money being exchanged had suddenly changed, and Maetel was taken aback. However, Mycenae willingly paid the price! Maetel¡¯s eyes were spinning.

    Artpe had a grin on his face.

    ¡°As expected, Dungeons are honey pots. We just have to avoid being trapped and killed by the honey.¡±

    ¡°Customer. At the Anywherepany, we offer services ranging from providing support to escorting parties. If you need such services....¡±

    ¡°By doing so, you n on taking half my loot as rpense? Dream on. Just give me my money.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The wood framed sses allowed one to probe the surroundings when the magic infused within the lenses was consumed. As the holder of the Read All Creation ability, Artpe had no need of this item. However, it was something all adventurers wanted when entering a Dungeon! Since the demand was high, the price was also high.

    The most unfortunate aspect of this item was the fact that it could only be used a limited number of times. It disappeared after several uses. This was why consumable items were priced depending on their number of uses, and this was one of the reasons why this particr item was given a high price.

    Mycenae had estimated the amount of Mana within the wood framed sses, and she knew she could easily sell it for 50 to 60 golds at the minimum. She had a satisfied expression on her face as she put away the item into her cart. Her eyes were sparkling once again. Then her gazended on the ck leather boots. They were letting out a sheen of a high grade item.

    ¡°Customer. I really want to purchase the boots.......¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not selling you this.¡±

    Artpe answered tly. He took off his worn-out shoes, and he put on the leather boots. Maetel pped her hands. She said it looked good on him, but Artpe didn¡¯t care if it looked good or not. The only thing important to him was its performance.

    ¡°I never expected to find a pair of Blink Boots in this Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    She had known it was a rare item, but she never expected it to be the Blink Boots! Mycenae grinded her teeth. Maetel didn¡¯t know much about magic, so she innocently tilted her head in confusion.

    Blink was a magic that allowed one to instantly travel a short distance. Magicians used this magic to get out of danger. Since it was a magic spell, it had the downside of needing a long cast time.

    However, it was apletely different story if the magic spell was contained within an artifact. It only needed an infusion of Mana or a fulfillment of a specific condition to activate. This was why the effectiveness of this magic increased in a single stroke!

    ¡°This is why boots containing Blink Magic are worth 100 gold at the very least! It doesn¡¯t matter if the Mana efficiency of the item is low!¡±

    ¡°Amazing, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    On top of it all, this pair of boots had an option of activating on its own during a moment of crisis. It could be used once a day without it consuming Mana . It was also possible to use it again by adding in more Mana. Amongst the boots with the Blink option, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that these ones were ranked in the highest ss.

    As a cherry on top, it had a low level requirement, so Artpe could equip it. For Artpe, good things came in threes. If he was to estimate the price of this pair of boots.... It would be too annoying toe up with an estimate.

    ¡°Artpe will be safe now. I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    ¡°What is up with this customer....?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? She¡¯s so innocent that she would never be able to be a merchant even after she grows up. So....¡±

    Artpe returned the entirety of the 45 golds he received from Mycenae.

    ¡°I want one Mana potion and I want the rest to be Stamina potions.¡±

    ¡°Artpe! Are you using all of the money right now!? We could have lived off of that money! It would havested for our entire lifetime!¡±

    ¡°You have the ability to earn money whenever you want. Moreover... It is a good idea to buy items that might spare our lives¡±

    Artpe spoke in a calm manner. Mycenae, who was facing him, smirked.

    ¡°In many ways, I have misjudged you. Please forgive my rudeness. I can give you 1 mid-grade Mana potion, and 8 Stamina potions. Will that be ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be thankful if you added an additional Stamina potion on top of that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you an additional Mana potion too.¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too generous?¡±

    ¡°She is being generous!?¡±

    ¡°I believe you will be famous in the future. I¡¯m just trying to gain a little bit of favor in your eyes. Please look kindly on the Anywherepany in the future. Thank you in advance.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Mycenaeughed with unreadable eyes. She finally regained herposure as a middleman. Artpe didn¡¯t like being in debt, but he was in a tight spot. He couldn¡¯t punt her good intentions just because he wanted to.

    In the end, Artpe epted the potions without hesitation. He took two Mana potion and one Stamina potion for himself. After he put them away inside his robe, he put the rest in a pouch before giving it to Maetel.

    ¡°You should drink it when you are extremely tired, or you can spray it on your wounds.¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooooooh. These are too expensive for me to use.¡±

    ¡°The most expensive thing in this world is your life. Will you be able to use it if I frame it that way?¡±

    ¡°Y...yes.....¡±

    When Maetel heard Artpe¡¯s manly words, her cheeks turned slightly red as she meekly epted the pouch with the potions. Mycenae was still watching them as she smirked. She bowed her head as a farewell.

    ¡°I am Anywherepany¡¯s Mycenae. I¡¯ll wait for the day when we¡¯ll meet again.¡±

    ¡°Be my guest.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye for now.¡±

    Mycenae disappeared alongside the same light that had appeared in the beginning. Maetel wondered if this was all a dream, so she pinched her own cheeks. When she realized she still had on apletely different set of items, she knew this was real. She shook her head.

    ¡°There are too many things I still don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°That is to be expected. As rpense, your talent for battle is outstanding.¡±

    ¡°But I want to have conversations with Artpe about a lot of different subjects....¡±

    ¡°You want to talk more than this?¡±

    Matel was already not listening to Artpe¡¯s words. Instead, she was making a firm resolve as she clenched her fists.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best to read a lot of books from now on. I¡¯ll be smart, so I can be of help to Artpe. I want to have many more conversations with Artpe....¡±

    ¡°Uh. Mmmm. All right. You do your best.¡±

    He didn¡¯t think it was a problem that could be solved by reading more books. Still, Artpe decided to cheer her on.

    ¡°Still, you should dy your ns on reading books. We¡¯ll be entering the 7th floor of the Dungeon soon. The Skeletons will probably be stronger. If we don¡¯t prepare our heart for what is toe, we¡¯ll suffer defeat.¡±

    ¡°I can win against anyone. I¡¯ll protect Artpe.¡±

    ¡°I like the fact that you are brave.¡±

    He smirked as he stroked Maetel¡¯s head. Then he plopped down on the floor. She tilted her head in confusion as she looked down at him. He announced his words in a solemn manner.

    ¡°We have to sleep first before we proceed.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They roughly rolled up a straw mat. They used it as a pillow as theyid down.

    Even if a Record Link was ced over this location, a Dungeon was a Dungeon. After a certain amount of time, new monsters would appear once again on the 6th floor. Of course, these monsters would be under the influence of the Record Link since the spell was still over the entire Dungeon. If the act of killing it once could break the Record Link, Artpe wouldn¡¯t have had so much trouble manipting it in the first ce.

    Still, he was pretty sure the new monsters wouldn¡¯t show up on the 6th floor while they slept through the night. As a precaution, he pushed his hand forward to ce Mana Threads in various locations around them. Maetel waited for his work to be done, then she pulled herself slightly closer to Artpe. Shey next to him. Artpe frowned.

    ¡°You are too close.¡±

    ¡°I like this better, since it is warmer.¡±

    ¡°What happened to your shyness?¡±

    ¡°I buried it in my house¡¯s backyard before I came here.¡±

    ¡°Your house doesn¡¯t have a backyard.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t say any more words. She just snuggled closer to him. Since he couldn¡¯t just push her away, he let her be.

    ¡°Heh heh.¡±

    ¡°You have a long way to go. A long way.....¡±

    ¡°Artpe~¡±

    Maetel acted in a coquettish manner. It was hard to imagine that this girl had annihted the Skeletons using the bastard sword. Her voice was that sweet. Artpe had made a resolve not to fall for her tricks, yet he found himself stroking her head.

    She had been in battle all day, and she hadn¡¯t had the chance to wash herself. He couldn¡¯t understand how she smelled so good. Artpe wondered if it was because she was still young. Artpe mused about such nonsensical thoughts as he closed his eyes.

    The Dungeon¡¯s 7th floor turned out to be more difficult rather than being easier than the 6th floor. The monsters of the Dungeon had realized that Artpe had messed up the Dungeon¡¯s test, and its rules. They no longer acted as if they were testing the two of them. The monsters were filled with the desire to punish them for sullying the holy testing ground. This was why the monsters were more vicious in their attacks.

    On top of that, the monsters on this floor was higher in level than the ones on the 6th floor. They had an average level of 52, and there were about 600 Skeletons in total. These monsters mainly targeted Artpe, so Artpe didn¡¯t have the chance to build up his Mana.

    [Your existence is an insult to all the heroes, who existed before you!]

    [I cannot forgive you!]

    ¡°You won¡¯ty a hand on Artpe-ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    They had smashed the Skeletons for a whole day, yet they weren¡¯t able to clear the floor. Fortunately, their levels had increased, so they could hold out for two to four days.

    If possible, Artpe didn¡¯t want Maetel to use Berserk. He didn¡¯t want to use the Mana Link either. However, these weren¡¯t foes they could beat by holding their powers back.

    Maetel relied on her Berserk Skill to repel the Skeletonsing at them from all sides. Artpe had no choice, but to provide her with Mana. At the same time, he was using his shield. He was getting better at using it as time passed. He used the shield boomerang to weaken his enemies.

    [Koo-hahhhhhhhhhhk!]

    ¡°Artpe! These gloves and boots are really good! The Skeletons are easy to break using these items!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 43]

    [Unarmed Combat Lv1]

    [Strike Lv3]

    [Monsters! They are cruel monsters! They are demons!]

    [Give me death! I will be one with myrades to punish you all!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll make all yourrades like you. Then I¡¯ll break all of you at once. Wait a little bit!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    How much time had passed? Maetel and Artpe were entirely reliant on the Berserk skill and the Mana Link. They were barely able to beat all of the Skeletons.

    Artpe felt the burden of knowing that he was probably weakening Maetel by sharing her talent. However, unlike his worries, all of Maetel¡¯s skills continued to evolve at a ridiculous pace. This was also true for Artpe.

    Of course, it was impossible tost a couple of days using nothing. They had to use most of the potions they had purchased. Fortunately, they would once again encounter a Dungeon Merchant at the end of the 7th floor.

    ¡°Oh my. It has been only couple days, but we meet again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this ajumma again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an ajumma! ....huhk. Isn¡¯t that the Golden Lizard¡¯s Tailbone Great Sword!?¡±

    ¡°97 gold.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    This was how the heroes were able to safely retool before they entered the 8th floor. Still, the Dungeon remained very difficult. Artpe wasn¡¯t the creator of this Dungeon, so he had no idea how many floors had been separated using the Record Link.

    They moved through the Dungeon¡¯s 8th floor, 9th floor, 10th floor, 11th floor, 13th floor, 15th floor.... The Dungeon continued to go on and on. The average level of the Skeletons continued to go up by a marginal amount, and at a certain point, Artpe and Maetel surpassed the level of the Skeletons.

    Since they held the advantage in level, they thought they would be able to win easily from that point forward. Right when they had this thought, powerful monsters over level 100 started to appear. The monsters were called ghouls. The level difference between the party and the monsters widened in the favor of the monsters, so they were put in a difficult spot once again.

    However, there weren¡¯t any mountains they couldn¡¯t ovee. Before they even engaged in a fight, Artpe was able to find all the weaknesses of his enemies. Then there was the the crazy talented Maetel, who could bring anything he ordered into reality!

    This was how a period of one year had passed, and the party reached the Dungeon¡¯s 34th floor.

    ¡°How long is this Dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Group fights are fun, Artpe! Isn¡¯t it about time for a different type of monsters toe out?¡±

    ¡°Customer! Please sell this to me for 200 gold just this one time! Please!¡±

    At that point, Maetel had reached level 124. Artpe had reached level 115.

 Chapter 17 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (1)

    Chapter 17 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (1)

    Artpe headed down the stair leading towards the 35th floor. He grinded his teeth as the Dungeon shamelessly showed no signs of ending.

    ¡°What kind of Dungeon is this!?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t all Dungeons like this, Artpe?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s innocent eyes shone as she asked the question. She had drawn the short end of the stick bying into this brutal Dungeon as her first Dungeon. However, she didn¡¯t have the proper perspective to know any better. She didn¡¯t get tired of this ce, and she didn¡¯tin. She possessed an essential virtue needed as a Dungeon explorer....

    ¡°Mmm. What I¡¯m trying to say is.....¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t tell if this was a good thing or not. Therefore, he evaded giving an answer by stroking her head. In turn, Maetel¡¯s eyes narrowed in pleasure as if she was a cat. Mycenae had left behind her cart to look at them. She had a gentle look in her eyes as she spoke.

    ¡°It looks as if you are training an animal, customer.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I want 245 gold.¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯ll sell it to me for 230 gold a moment ago!?¡±

    ¡°The price on items aren¡¯t fixed. The price can fluctuate depending on my condition or if the other person is being rude. Let¡¯s see... Right now it should be 247.....¡±

    ¡°Two hundred forty five gold! I¡¯ll buy it!¡±

    At this rate, Mycenae knew the price might increase further, so she quickly pushed the money towards him.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooooooooooh.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he handed her the item. Mycenae used her observation magic to check the item, and she let out a groan.

    ¡°Kook. As expected, it is a really good weapon.... Your ability to price an item is really uncanny. It makes me want to recruit you into the Anywherepany.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t steal Artpe away from me, ajumma!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really not an ajumma!¡±

    Maetel, who had been standing there like amb, quickly hid Artpe behind her. Then she bared her teeth towards Mycenae. It made one wonder if she was a dog or some form of an animal in her previous life. Artpe patted Maetel, who was seriously worried.

    ¡°Even if I wanted to go, I won¡¯t be able to. Don¡¯t worry about it. Anyways, if you sell that item to anyone, you¡¯ll be unable to handle the aftermath. Be careful.¡±

    The identity of the artifact handed over to Mycenae was a Blood Gold Halberd, which held the curse of madness.

    It elerated the destruction of the user¡¯s mind as a powerful downside, but the weapon would all one to destroy all enemies and allies alike.

    However, Maetel already had control over her Berserk skill, so it was a useless weapon for her. Moreover, the weapon was too heavy for Artpe to wield.

    Still, it would be an attractive option to most adventurers or mercenaries. The weapon would lead the user down a path of destruction, yet ambition made people take up such weapons. It was a trait inherent in all humans.

    ¡°Hoo hoo. As a merchant, my duty is to sell it at a high price. It is beyond my province to determine, who bes the owner of an item.¡±

    ¡°You are an unscrupulous trader.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterugh as he took out 100 gold from his pouch, and he pushed it towards Mycenae. She already knew what he would ask for. Mycenae didn¡¯t give a reply as she took the money. Then she prepared the potions, water and ration.

    In the past year, she had appeared each time they moved onto the next floor. She monopolized the trade with them as they moved from the 6th floor to the 34th floor. This type of trade was almost automatic.

    ¡°Excuse me, customer.¡±

    She put together items worth 100 gold with no frills. Mycenae asked a question as she divided the items between Artpe and Maetel.

    ¡°What is the identity of this Dungeon? Why does it continue to go on like this? Does it perhaps have a tunnel leading to the demon world at the end?¡±

    ¡°We are exploring this ce to find that answer.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t able toe up with a conjecture using your ability?¡±

    Mycenae had a truly surprised expression on her face. Artpe snorted.

    ¡°I think you have too high of an opinion in regards to my ability.¡±

    ¡°As the number of floor gets deeper, the items that areing out are increasingly to my liking. From my perspective, I wouldn¡¯t mind if the Dungeon goes on for another 100 floors.... Still, it is clear that this Dungeon wasn¡¯t formed naturally. You probably already guessed this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s nodded his head in a self-possessed manner. Then he looked down at the stairway leading to the 35th floor.

    Ghouls that were around 2 levels higher than the ones on the 34th floor was probably waiting for them on the next floor. If not, there would be a single jump in difficulty, and new monsters might show up.

    ¡°This Dungeon was created by someone with a clear goal in mind. It is true and definite that the two of us aren¡¯t challengers that arepatible with that goal.¡±

    ¡°Normally, one would usually search the history of the region gain some clues about the Dungeon. If you want such a research done, I can do it for you. I¡¯ll dly ept amission to research about the history of this region....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°I knew you will answer in such a way.¡±

    Mycenae grumbled as she went away. She notched another loss to him. She epted the clean loss as she disappeared alongside the light.

    However, after he sent her away, her words made him be mired in his thoughts again.

    ¡®The history of this region......?¡¯

    ording to his knowledge, this region was where the hero was born. There hadn¡¯t been anything special. It was a ce where there was a normal town near the mountain. He knew from his past life that nothing much had urred here.

    On the other hand, how could there be nothing here? Even now, he was in a strange Dungeon that was made by someone.

    Maybe, this ce was hidden? What if this ce was shielded from the eyes of the hero and Demon King?

    In the past, the hero hadn¡¯t wanted to desecrate a grave, because she was raised properly by her family. It could have also been the fact that she was quickly sent packing to the royal pce as if she was some fragile ss statue. In the end, she hadn¡¯t discovered this ce. Was there some enormous secret hidden here?

    ¡®What happened here in the past? Did something of significance happen here?¡¯

    He had no way of finding out. Even if Artpe had the Read All Creation ability, he couldn¡¯t see into the past to a time when he wasn¡¯t alive. It was impossible.

    On the other hand, if such a thing was possible.....

    ¡°Artpe.....?¡±

    ¡°.....it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Maetel was looking at his face with a worried look in her eyes. Artpe shook his head to dislodge such thoughts, and he answered her. Unexpectedly, Maetel looked slightly wistful.

    ¡°Your face was incredibly serious and dashing.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph. That kind of sweet words will only work against the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon king¡¯s army.¡±

    This was why such words worked on him. It was a direct hit. Artpe let out a fake cough as he tried to hide the fullness he felt within his heart.

    He didn¡¯t know what would appear in front of them. It was something that couldn¡¯t be confirmed unless one saw it with one¡¯s eyes. He also knew that priority of this Dungeon had changed when he found out how the Dungeon was structured.

    In other words, they were too far down the road to back off now.

    ¡®In my past life, the hero wasted five years of her life at the castle. We have a lot of time to spare.¡¯

    Of course, even if Artpe had used all types of methods to focus on leveling up, it was unclear as to whether he would have been able to achieve a better result than this.

    They would have missed out on fighting a horde of Skeletons linked by a rare magic called Record Link. They would have missed out on the precious EXP, and the artifacts they received as reward. They wouldn¡¯t have been amass this much fortune.

    The factor that tipped the scale was the fact that Artpe and Maetel was able to develop so many high quality Skills here. It was crazy. If they hadn¡¯t drawn this Dungeon as their first starting ce, he wondered if they would have been able to develop skills like Berserk and Mana Link.

    Even if they continued to stay inside the Dungeon for five years, it wouldn¡¯t impede with their development.

    ¡®Ah. Of course, I have to get out of here and find those ces as soon as possible.....¡¯

    Artpe possessed the memories of his past life, so he had several significant advantages he could acquire for himself. He was talking about spell books of great magic, ancient ruins and the like.

    While Artpe battled within the Dungeon, he created a hierarchy of which goodies he will go for first. He would gain enough level in the Dungeon where they would be able to travel the world without worry. They will start traveling ording to the list he had made.

    This was why they didn¡¯t have time to hesitate or look back on what had already urred. It didn¡¯t matter what waited for them. They would move forward. This was the will of Maetel and Artpe even if their destination differed!

    After they smoothly defeat the Demon King, he would have the means to be able to raise cows in the countryside. At that time, he would be done with Maetel! He didn¡¯t care if she wanted to be the queen of a country or a female pope of a religion she built. She was free to do whatever she wanted!

    Until that time arrived, Artpe and Maetel had to live a healthy and well-off life. In the immediate future, they would have to pass this Dungeon without anyplications.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired, Maetel? Shall we head down after we sleep?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired, Artpe. What about you, Artpe? Do you want to use myp as a pillow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not tired.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Maetel grumbled as if she was dissatisfied with his answer. Artpe led Maetel down to the Dungeon¡¯s 35th floor.

    At that moment, a powerful vibration shook the Dungeon. Apanying the tremor, a wet and moldy voice could be heard in their ears.

    [This test has been maintained for a very long time.]

    ¡®That is a pretty ominous introduction!?¡¯

    It was as if a legendary figure was about to step forward from the darkness if they took a step forward. It was a line given by a being, who would drop the adventurers into hell!

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s head back for a moment.¡±

    [Denied.]

    When he heard the introductory line emanating from the darkness, Artpe immediately knew something was wrong. He quickly ordered a retreat as soon as they stepped onto this floor. However, the way back to the 34th floor was blocked.

    [You bastards are only allowed to go forward.]

    ¡°You talk a pretty good game... Ooh?¡±

    Artpe was clicking his tongue as he tried to use his Mana. However, the torches mounted on the wall started to light up in order starting from the nearest torches. The light from the fire revealed theyout of the 35th floor. Artpe groaned when he saw them.

    ¡°....crazy.¡±

    ¡°Look at them, Artpe....¡±

    They were in a reallyrge square, and there were a very, very ,very ,very ,very ,veryrge number of armored knights filling the ce. The armored knights boasted a much more domineering spiritpared to the Ghouls. It was obvious that Undeads were within the armor.

    [We¡¯ve been waiting for you, destroyer of rules.]

    [Insolent brat. You are the honey tongued brat that defies logic.]

    [Your judgement is close at hand.]

    Even in death, these beings hadn¡¯t forgotten the will and techniques carved into their bodies. They were knights, who had a sense of self. They were Death Knights. All of them were powerful, and they were all over level 150. There were 500 of them.

    If a normal level 120 party was to fight this group, the possibility of them winning was uncertain.

    The one standing in the lead raised its bastard sword towards Artpe as its helmet rattled.

    [You have caused dishonor to all of us. You have corrupted the pure hero by spitting on our intent. You have looked down on our power. Your misguided will is now encased in a powerful body, and the worst of the situation hase to pass. You made fool of fate. You connected things that shouldn¡¯t be connected, and you severed things you shouldn¡¯t have severed.]

    All the Death Knights followed the one in the lead as they pointed their swords towards Artpe. During all of this, they hadn¡¯t shown much hostility towards Maetel. They directed all their hate towards Artpe as if he was their mortal enemy. It annoyed Artpe.

    These bastards were quick in assessing the situation!

    [Still, we cannot deny the fact that you are a hero. This is why we will give you thisst chance. If you take thisst test properly, we will believe in this reality that had be turned on its head. We will trust in the hope blooming from within the darkness that will cause change to the future. We will go back to sleep.]

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t really have to believe in me.¡±

    The ominous feeling was increasing as time passed. Artpe readied the only specialty magic he possessed. He readied himself to use Hyper Rubbing, then he grasped Maetel¡¯s shoulder. It was signal for her to get ready for battle. It also told her to be careful of their enemies.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Artpe.¡±

    Even in such a situation, Maetel¡¯s expression was calm. In the past year, her features had matured considerably. She already looked like an angel, but her beautiful smile made her look like an archangel. She gave a reassurance to Artpe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect Artpe. Artpe will protect me in return?¡±

    ¡°....yes. I trust you.¡±

    The shield on Artpe¡¯s back rose into the air. He only had to repair the shield couple times as they descended from the 6th floor to the 35th floor. This was why the shield hadn¡¯t been reced with other weapons. It was a rare artifact that gave a weak curse to whatever it hit. If he was with the shield, there was nothing for him to fear!

    [When the battle starts, he might use cheap tactics to y us off against each other.]

    However, the enemies he would face were excessively resolute in defending against mental warfare.

    [This is why we will force the activation of the final test, so you can face it.]

    ¡°Uh, hey... Wait a moment, you guys¡¤.¡±

    Artpe tried to speak up when he realized what they were about to do, but the Death Knights just red at Artpe as they plunged their swords into their hearts. Their Mana flooded forth! The restriction of the Record Link made it impossible to attack one¡¯srades, but it seemed suicide was possible!

    As he faced the domineering sight, Artpe yelled out in shock.

    ¡°You bastards will be penalized even if you kill yourselves!¡±

    [We are already Undead!]

    The 499 Death Knights crumbled in ce. The oppressive energy from each of the Death Knights flowed towards the single Death Knight standing in the middle.

    It happened when Artpe and Maetel was struck dumb by the ridiculous sight.

    [I¡¯m ready, heroes.]

    The power of the armored knights were gathered into a single being, and ¡®It¡¯ was reborn as a horrible nightmare. It made a deration as it pointed its long sword towards the two heroes.

    [The test will start.]

 Chapter 18 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (2)

    Chapter 18 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (2)

    ¡°I¡¯ll use Berserk, Artpe!¡±

    [You don¡¯t have the luxury to chat right now!]

    The bastard immediately came at them. The only thing that remained behind the party was the wall blocking the way back up. Consequently, Maetel didn¡¯t hesitate in activating her Berserk skill. She ran forward to face the enemy.

    ¡°Tsk. I don¡¯t like the situation dictating our actions......¡±

    Artpe grumbled as he immediately activated the Mana Link. He connected himself to Maetel. Then he let the shield rotate as a means to protect himself. He was cautious as he descended the stairs. His eyes took in the sight of Maetel and the Death Knight shing against each other.

    [As expected, you are overwhelming more powerful when you use your swordpared to the actual strength you possess. However, you won¡¯t be able to be a hero using a sword steeped in rage!]

    ¡°I¡¯m the one swinging this sword, so I don¡¯t care what helps me! I don¡¯t care if it is anger, sadness or happiness. I¡¯ll win against you to protect Artpe! You will nevery a hand on Artpe!¡±

    [If I¡¯m anything like the enemies you faced up until now, you would have been able to aplish that. However, the experience and power of 500 Death knights werebined toplete me. How dare you speak such arrogant and impudent words towards me!]

    The powerful sound of Maetel and the Death Knight exchanging blows with their swords could be heard. Of course, the one taking damage and retreating was Maetel. If she didn¡¯t have the gears protecting her wrists, she would have been severely hurt.

    ¡°Koohk....!¡±

    ¡°Tsk. When there were 500 separate monsters, it was a fight with a decent odds. You were cheap in activating the power of Record Link using suicide.....¡±

    [You spout some silly words.]

    Maetel already had a cheat-like physical abilitypared to her actual level. On top of that, she was able also able to activate the Berserk skill. She could pretty much toy with the level 150 Death Knights at her leisure. However, the enemy she was facing right now was a monster created bybining 500 Death Knights using the Record Link.

    Artpe had immediately used his Read All Creation ability to check the monster. The overall difference in ability was devastating. The fact that Maetel was able to instantly regain her stance after weathering through the impact was almost miraculous. She was even charging towards the monster.

    [The difference in our power is clear. Oh hero. Will you still get in my way to protect that contemptible boy? Will you do so when the only thing waiting for you is despair and death? Will you sacrifice yourself until the end for aplete stranger?]

    ¡°Hoohp.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t reply to its words. She just charged the monster.

    The magical energy within the bastard sword had been well-developed by her. Her powerful swings were knocking back the long sword.

    [What the hell!?]

    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t get pushed back this time! When one took in the difference in battle capability, this was a surprising development. Maetel¡¯s spirit rose higher as she pushed back against the monster. She yelled out in a fierce manner.

    ¡°What happened to the spirit that you disyed before? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be the power of 500 of your kind? It seems you don¡¯t have much to show for it right now!¡±

    [Kooh, ha-ah! This was merely a coincidence!]

    The armored knight dismissed it as a coincidence, but Artpe immediately knew what had happened through his Read All Creation ability.

    While Maetel was using her Swordsmanship, she was using a trick to strengthen her body using Unarmed Combat. It looked as if she was lightlyshing out with her sword, but she was using her Bash skill. This was how she was able to fight on par with the Death Knight.

    ¡®It sounds easy, but she is using two basic battle skill, while using an active skill. When she exchanged blow with the monster, she realized her deficiency, and she patched up the deficiency using the other skills. I thought I had figured her out, but a 13 year old girl has this much of battle capability......¡¯

    Aside from the Mana consumption, the mental and stamina drain should be incredibly high, yet she was doing it all so effortlessly. The sight of her made his blood curdle, and at the same time, it made him admire her.

    She was fighting with the armored knight, yet she put on a face as if nothing was wrong. She checked up on Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe. Your mana.....¡±

    ¡°I have enough.¡±

    In truth, he didn¡¯t know if he had enough. If she continued to consume magical energy at this pace, even Artpe would run out of Mana.

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t want Maetel to look back at him, so he spoke confidently. Of course, he would consume a Mana potion in secret.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Maetel was never suspicious of Artpe. She always trusted him, so a grin appeared on her face when she heard his words. She once again surged forward against her enemy using the Bash skill.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to win. Haahhhhhp!¡±

    Once again, Maetel and the Death Knight exchanged blows. Maetel was able to perfectly execute the Bash skill using her sword, and she struck the same location on the long sword she had hit before. However, the Death Knight quickly wised up to her tactic. The armored knight let out a shout as it twisted its sword. The impact point on the sword was changed.

    [You are pretty clever. I thought the only thing within your head was love, lust and anger.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I only have that.... However, that will be enough for me!¡±

    [Howughable!]

    Even if its power and experience was all gathered into a single being, it still possessed equipment that was only around level 150. It was an excellent battle n to attack the weapon rather than the monster itself.

    No one had taught her this tactic, yet she was carrying it out. It was unknown as to whether she understood what she was doing.

    [Your intentions aremendable, but will it really be enough? Even now I can feel your anger deepen. Your rationality is fading, and it is being encroached by your instincts. It blunts your sword. Just this fact allows me to get slowly stronger. I just have to wait for the moment when my sword will be able to pierce through your heart.]

    ¡°There is no way I¡¯ll let you do as you please.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s sh with the Death Knight was gradually intensifying. Maetel¡¯s swordsmanship had been trained through live battles, and she only attacked the Death Knight¡¯s weak points. The Death Knight used all its veteran know-how to turn away all her sword strikes.

    Both their attacks failed to touch each other¡¯s defensive gear. The weapons were taking the brunt of the damage.

    [Koohk, koo-hah......! You don¡¯t stand a chance!]

    ¡°That is my line!¡±

    The Death Knight innocently believed that Maetel had reached the pinnacle of her skills. However, only Artpe knew the truth.

    The answer was simple. Maetel was improving even now. The effects of the Berserk skill didn¡¯t dull her sword. Instead, her senses had sharpened to the extreme.

    [Weak! It¡¯ll be impossible for you if you keep this up!]

    ¡°Yes, I am weak.. However, I¡¯ll be stronger......!¡±

    [If someone could get stronger just by saying so, this world wouldn¡¯t have practitioners!]

    Sword shed against sword. The Death Knight¡¯s shield was swung towards Maetel¡¯s head, yet it passed through the air in vain.

    Afterwards, Maetel kicked the bastard in its knee, and the Death Knight¡¯s stance was thrown off by a marginal amount. She immediately followed it up with a sword strike. This was a technique she hadn¡¯t shown up until now.

    [Ha!]

    ¡°Koo-oohk!¡±

    It was as the Death Knight had said before, she never had the chance to swing her weapon against an enemy that was on par with her. However, for the first time, she faced an enemy that seemed to be a knight, and she had no choice but to fight it using high grade weapon skills.

    By chance, this opportunity gave her a chance to consolidate all her techniques.

    In the past, she had been swinging her sword by following her instinct, but now she had seen how others handled their swords. She now knew how she had to move her body. Her body figured out how maximize the power of her sword. Basically, the Death Knight had be her tutor for a day.

    [Maetel]

    [Level - 124]

    [Swordsmanship Lv19]

    [Unarmed Combat Lv16]

    In real time, her Unarmed Combat skill and Swordsmanship skill was rising . Her simple and brutal sword strikes were now showing variations and subtlety. There was a different level of power within her when she took a step forward or backwards.

    The strikes she hadn¡¯t been able to withstand before was being blocked with impunity. In the beginning, the Death Knight had known where the sword strikes would being from, but she struck at its long sword before the Death Knight realized it wasing. At that moment, the Death Knight couldn¡¯t help, bute to a realization.

    [You bitch.... How.....!?]

    ¡°Do you have nothing else you can show me?.... If so, you can¡¯t win against me.¡±

    [How.... What the hell is this?]

    There was a difference between knowing an answer, and the answer being etched into your body. However, the two things were basically interchangeable for Maetel.

    It was fucked up. She was such a ridiculous genius that such a messed up thing was possible.

    [You are truly a marvel. When you first came into the Dungeon, I couldn¡¯t believe how inexperienced you were. What caused you to be like this? You are with such an underhanded person. How can your pure mind not deteriorate by being associated with him?]

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [Haht!]

    Maetel didn¡¯t give a reply as she used her Bash skill. Of course, her Bash skill had been evolving during the battle. The Death Knight had to exert much more power to block her strikes. However, the Death Knight still had some room to breathe.

    [Even if you are able to grow quickly, there must be a wall you cannot jump over! In the end, you will fall to your knees and die. Do you realize the difference in the quantity of Mana we possess? Let¡¯s see how long you can keep swinging your sword with such force.]

    ¡°I won¡¯t...... I will protect Artpe!¡±

    [You are putting your life on the line for a worthless human! Is your life worth so little, hero? You shouldn¡¯t be sacrificing yourself for a man like him! You have to sacrifice yourself for humanity!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll choose who I¡¯ll protect! I don¡¯t care about the people I have yet to meet! The most precious person to me is Artpe!¡±

    If someone else saw this sight, one would think this was the scene before the climax where each side argued their side was righteous. In truth, this was only a boss battle within a beginner¡¯s Dungeon. Artpe was a bit baffled as he watched the fierce fight from the back.

    ¡°That bastard is treating me as if I¡¯m the Demon King....¡±

    When Artpe¡¯s party entered the 35th floor, he remembered that the rage of all the Death Knights had been focused on him.

    Currently, the Death Knight was stuck facing Maetel, because Artpe¡¯s defense was absolute. If Artpe gave it a sliver of opportunity, the Death Knight would immediately try to behead Artpe.

    If Artpe was killed, the Mana Link between the two of them would be dismissed. In turn, Maetel wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain her Berserk skill. He was using a valid tactic.

    ¡®I¡¯m unable to step forward into the battle. I have to wait knowing my fate is uncertain. This situation is so befitting the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings that I have no words to say in rebuttal.¡¯

    If his life wasn¡¯t on the line, he wouldn¡¯t have cared if he was the main character or an extra. However, his head would be severed from his body when the hero gets slightly tired. It was a pathetic situation to be in.

    ¡®Still, I¡¯m no longer the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King.¡¯

    Artpe let out a bitterugh as he raised his shield.

    It seemed the bastard was too shocked by Maetel¡¯s talent that it was under a misconception. Maetel did have incredible talent, which could astound anyone. However, the person responsible forplicating the situation was Artpe. He had a rotten smile on his face.

    The Death Knight probably thought Artpe would put down his guard if it focused on Maetel. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Artpe was acting as if he was spinning his shield, but he had already emitted several hundred to several thousand Mana Threads. In the process, he had already consumed five bottles of Mana potion. He only had a single Mana Potion left.

    ¡®The Record Link is still covering the entirety of the Dungeon.¡¯

    To be precise, it covered the Dungeon from the 6th floor to the 35th floor. If Artpe hadn¡¯t tinkered with it, they would have had to fight all the monsters on the 6th floor. They would have died.

    Anyways, Artpe had messed with the Record Link ced over the Dungeon, and he had divided the Dungeon back into multiple floors. This meant the newly born monsters past the 6th floor had no idea what was going on. They would only be linked to the monsters on the same floor, ,and they had to wait until the challengers arrived. This would remain so until he canceled what he did to the Record Link.

    So what if....

    ¡°What would happen if I undid the restriction ced on the Record Link? Have you thought about it?¡±

    Artpe intentionally spoke those words aloud. He did it to create an opening.

    [What.....?]

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    His n was very effective. For a brief moment, it stopped swinging its sword. As if she had been waiting for this moment, Maetel kicked off the ground as she leapt towards the Death Knight. She stabbed towards its sword. A clear sound rang out, and the Death Knight¡¯s sword broke in the middle.

    [Koohk!]

    The Death Knight finally regained its senses. It took a half step backwards to regain its stance. It pushed its shield slightly forward, and it unsheathed a secondary weapon. It gripped the long dagger as it red at Maetel and Artpe.

    [What do you think you can aplish by breaking my sword, hero? I¡¯ve already discerned the fact that you are consuming Mana at an rming rate. Also, do you think you can shake me with such words, boy with the rotten eyes? There is no way you¡¯ll do something that would only be beneficial to us.]

    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t entirely correct.¡±

    Record Link was a skill that brought together the record of everything tied together by the magic. It gathered battle experience, skill, magical energy and stamina in one ce.

    However, Record Link possessed a really big weakness. There were multiple reason why this magic spell was banned. However, this particr weakness was the most fatal and annoying reason of them all.

    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ve raised this shield up until now? If you think hard on it, you might figure it out....¡±

    Maetel was breathing roughly as she stoked the rage from within as she fought the Death Knight. The Death Knight had no choice, but to retreat. It tried to keep calm as it looked for a chance to counterattack. Artpe grinned as he looked at the Death Knight.

    ¡°Ha! Maetel, you should look out for the falling monsters and the upheaval of your surrounding!¡±

    He had extended several thousand Mana Threads to its limits. He had tied off parts of the Record Link to cause change to it. He had done this only a year ago.

    Now he unravelled all the changes he had caused!

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    [Did you really.....!]

    The Dungeon shook. The Dungeon, which had been separated into floors, was beingbined into a single floor in short order! The Record Link, which had been tied off into small pieces, was whole again. It once again surrounded the entirety of the Dungeon.

    The ceilings that separated the 6th floor to the 35th floor melted away in an instant. Skeletons and Ghouls that had reformed in the past year were once again tied to the Record Link. Now they were falling from above. It was a sight that had a strong resemnce to hell!

    [Are you perhaps trying to create an opening by creating a mess!? It was in vain. What you did right now is called an idiotic mistake....]

    ¡°It was impossible to do this one year ago, because my stamina and magical energy wascking. It was impossible even half a year ago!¡±

    Artpe threw his shield into the air. His shield throw technique had matured in the past year. He was able to throw it fast and high. He quickly and ruthlessly killed all the falling Zombies and Ghouls.

    ¡°However, it is is possible now. I was pretty meticulous in preparing for this!¡±

    The Record Link regained its full power. This meant all the record of the dead monsters would be shared with the Death Knight.

    Their power, intellect, stamina, magical energy, record, and.....

    [Koohk. You bastard.....!?]

    ¡°You¡¯ll gain all the curses I ced on all of them.¡±

    The curse was stacking as he killed all the monsters. In a sh, the Death Knight¡¯s movements slowed. He had a twisted smile on his face as he watched the shocked Death Knight.

    It was an evil smile that was well-matched with the Demon King.

 Chapter 19 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (3)

    Chapter 19 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (3)

    [This is ridiculous. There is no way the curses ced on the dead will be transferred.....]

    ¡°Yes, they no longer exist, but they haven¡¯t died yet. You carry them on your back! They are ced inside your chest! Each one of them continue to live on as part of you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    In a sh, Artpe was able to apply several dozen Slowdown curse on the Death Knight It creaked as it moved. It was as if the Death Knight was wearing a rusted armor. Artpe taunted it.

    [Koo-hook.....!]

    However, it had no way of counteracting the effect. This effect was what made the Record Link such a dangerous magic! It prevented the death of beings that should be dead, and all their power was transferred. Basically, they could live on within an another entity!

    ¡°This is why even the weakest curse will be transferred to you. If I want to have numerous curses ced on you.... I just have to kill them all.¡±

    Artpe forcefully swung his hand as the shield flew through the air. The shield moved based on his will. Even now, the shield was slicing through the falling Zombies and Ghouls.

    Its bears repeating that the curse contained within the shield was weak. It was able to attach a weak slowdown effect on its target, but the effect could be stacked.

    As each Undead fell from the sky, Artpe cut them into pieces with his shield. It felt as if shackles were being ced all over the Death Knight¡¯s body every time an Undead was killed.

    [Kooo-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Of course, the one left behind will be the one to suffer. This is the biggest reason why the Record Link was banned. If you didn¡¯t know that, you should study up on it. Well, it is toote for you to do so.¡±

    Artpeughed uproariously. The Death Knight had tried to attack him, yet his efforts were in vain, since Maetel had been able to hold it back. It had been a long long time, since he had felt this much mirth.

    ¡°It is rare to find a curse that can stack infinitely. Why do you think I haven¡¯t scrapped this lousy shield? Why do you think I was frugal in its use?¡±

    [Nooo wayyyy. Noooooooooo waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Youuuuuuuuuuu Baaaaaaaaaa-ssssssssssssss-taaaaaaaaaaard.]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The power of the slowdown curse within the shield had a widespread effect of causing minuscule slowdown on the target¡¯s intelligence, stamina, Mana and skills. The Death Knight was feeling the cumtive effect of over hundred of these curses. The speed of Death Knight¡¯s thought process and the ability to speak had slowed down to a ridiculous degree.

    ¡°Yes. I, Artpe-nim, prepared for the boss battle from the beginning. I readied all of this for this day when I would dispel the restriction I ced on the Record Link!¡±

    Artpe sneered at the Death Knight, and he took the coolest pose he coulde up with for maximum effect. He used to be one of the Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army. He was a being that acted as if his arrogance had no bounds! He bragged whenever he gained a sliver of advantage over his enemies! He did this in the most spiteful and shameless manner!

    ¡°Artpe is too cool!¡±

    [Koooooooooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    While Artpe was busy posing, the shield tirelessly cut through the body of the falling Zombies and Ghouls.

    He had sharpened the edges of the shield in anticipation for this day. There was no way its edges would dull right now. The number of monsters killed went from several dozen to several hundred then to several thousand.

    [Ggoo-oooooooh, ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh.]

    At this point in time, the Death Knight had for all intents and purposes became worse than a level 3 Goblin. The Undead, who tried to test the heroes, had run out of all its opportunities.

    It hadn¡¯t even been able to put up a good fight. It hadn¡¯t been able to use its secret technique. It had been unable to give its cool final line nor was it able to lecture the heroes. It had pathetically frozen in ce before it was able to punish Artpe.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    Meanwhile, Maetel was being sensible by distancing herself from the Death Knight. If she killed the Death Knight right now, its power would be transferred into the Zombies and Ghouls. They would harden to a point where the they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them. She had arrived at a very logical conclusion.

    ¡°No, Maetel!¡±

    Maetel was patting herself on the back when Artpe gave her instructions to the contrary.

    ¡°If that bastard kills itself in a suicide, our reward will be infinitely worse! We don¡¯t want to receive dropped items from really high level Zombies or Ghouls! We want the dropped items of a Death Knight created from gathering all the energy through Record Link! You have to prevent it from killing itself!¡±

    ¡°Ah, all right! As expected, Artpe is smart!¡±

    Who in the world would call these wicked people as being heroes! They were superbly rotten to the core that even the Demon King woulde study under their tutge!

    The Death Knight watched Maetel break through the flood of monsters falling from the sky, and she immediately disarmed it. It was vexed that it couldn¡¯t move to stop her, but Artpe had killed an excessive amount of cursed monsters. It was hard for the Death Knight to even lift a single finger.

    [Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaapppppppppppppppppppppppp........]

    ¡°Ah. It is game over for it since the curse has stacked this much. Maetel, you should now help me kill the others.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They had descended this Dungeon for the past year, so they were well versed in what to do now. There were a lot of monsters tied to the Record Link right now. It was as if someone had barfed them all up. It was a good thing Artpe and Maetel had faced all of them before while they came down here. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.

    ¡°Eh-eet, eh-eet.¡±

    [Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhng.]

    [Ggeeeeeeeeeeeee, ggeeeeeeeeeeeeee.]

    The Death Knight didn¡¯t tie himself to so many beings so that it would die after twitching slowly across the ground like a cicadarva. Of course, Artpe and Maetel didn¡¯t care about that!

    Maetel had made sure to cripple the Death Knight so it couldn¡¯t kill itself. Then she put away her sword as she beat the nearby monsters to death using a bone club.

    Artpe hummed as he controlled the shield. By the time he killed all of them, the shield would be unusable. However, this shield was only useful for this Dungeon. He didn¡¯t care what happened to it after this.

    ¡°You are really a genius, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do think I¡¯m somewhat of a genius. Maetel is also quite the genius.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I think I fought fairly well even if I say so myself!¡±

    The two heroes kept praising each other as they cleared the Dungeon in a friendly manner. The Death Knight was rolling around on the floor like arvae, so what could mere Zombies and Ghouls do against them! It was as if they were hit by lightning!

    The lucky ones died immediately after they hit the floor. The unlucky ones already had the misfortune of being Undead, yet they were in a situation where they couldn¡¯t even move properly. They were only able to blink their eyes until it was their turn to die.

    [Goo-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh.]

    It was unknown as to who had created this Dungeon, but at the very least, the creator of this Dungeon probably didn¡¯t ce the Record Link expecting to see such a sight! This wasn¡¯t a Dungeon that was meant to grow candidates for bing the Demon King! This was a ce built to develop heroes! It was the builder¡¯s mistake in assuming that all heroes were goody two shoes pushovers.

    ¡®Ah. Ahhhhhhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    The Death Knight had lost both its arms, and it had beenpletely disarmed. As it rolled around the floor, the Death Knight watched the two evil heroes clear the Zombies and Ghouls.

    Every time one of the Undead died, a minuscule amount of power wasing in towards the Death Knight. Most of them were cursed, so it was a scary proposition where the slowdown effect was much higher than the strengthening effect. It had lost the power to move around a long time ago, and now it was having a hard time thinking.

    The Death Knightedmented over its misfortune. It had failed to read Artpe¡¯s outrageous abilities, so it mocked itself on its own ignorance. It moaned at the sight of the broken Dungeon. The Death Knight wondered if it could really entrust it all to them......

    It decided not to think about it anymore.

    Four days passed. It took a long time even though the two were killing defenseless monsters.

    From the midpoint on, the records of monsters had started to ovep too much. From that point on, the constitution of the remaining Undead became unnecessarily high. This was why it was taking so long. The only danger that posed a threat to the two heroes was them bing too tired, and falling asleep in front of the monsters.

    ¡°Did we really kill all of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we killed every single one of them. We even killed the ones stuck up there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also confirmed it.¡±

    This Dungeon was ridiculouslyrge and deep. It took him around 30 minutes to sweep the ce for monsters that were still alive with his Read All Creation ability.

    However, it was all over now. There was only one monster left in the entire Dungeon. It was the Death Knight that was only capable of rolling around on the floor.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Artpe wanted to ask if it wanted have itsst words, but there was no response from the Death Knight even after Artpe pounded on it. It was acting like a normal corpse.

    ¡°Artpe, you have to kill it. Currently, my level is too highpared to yours. We have to bnce it out.¡±

    ¡°I knew you would say that.¡±

    Artpe raised his shield. He had killed numerous monsters with it so it was damaged and deformed. It was hard to call it a shield now. It was basically a lump of metal.

    He wondered if the Death Knight would be satisfied with being killed by a lump of metal, which was neither a weapon nor a defensive gear. Of course, it was no concern of his.

    ¡°Koohk. Eh-eet. Crap. It is so damn hard.¡±

    Artpe diligently pounded the Death Knight with the lump of metal. However, the Death Knight had absorbed all the records to reach its final form, so it wouldn¡¯t die from an attack of that caliber. Artpe had no choice, but to forcefully push his Mana into the lump of metal.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t die from this, I¡¯ll call you my teacher!¡±

    He ced the lump of metal beneath the Death Knight¡¯s body, and he immediately used the Hyper Rubbing spell. The lump of metal rubbed against the Death Knight with a ludicrous amount of force!

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. The surface of the Death Knight¡¯s body touching the lump of metal was starting to fracture a little bit. It was a brutal sight! It made one wonder if this was some new form of torture!

    [Go-oooooooooooooooh.]

    It seemed the Death Knight wanted to say something, but its reaction had slowed down too much. One couldn¡¯t tell what it was trying to say. Artpe wanted to end its misery, so he increased his Mana output. The rubbing became more fierce, and it was apanied by a change.

    ¡°Ah. The lump of metal is bing red-hot!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Mana reaction. That lump of metal used to be an Artifact. The Mana infused within it will be agitated by the Mana I injected. It¡¯ll cause an explosion. The explosion caused by detonating an Artifact is much stronger than detonating a simple rock. You should keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you activate the Hyper Rubbing?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to tease that bastard.... Duck!¡±

    At that moment, the lump of metal exploded! The Death Knight received the entirety of the incredible force generated by the explosion. As a result, it was able to find its eternal rest. It probably would have been much happier by the fact that it was taken out this way.

    ¡°Koo-ooooooooooooooooh.¡±

    ¡°Koohp.¡±

    This was obvious, but an incredible amount of EXP entered into Artpe and Maetel when the Death Knight was killed. The primary form of thepleted Death Knight had been incredible already, but the Dungeon had been restored to its original form. All the record of the monsters were gathered into a single being! This result was to be expected.

    ¡°Artpe. It feels as if my head is going to split open-ahhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I feel the same way.... Koo-heek.¡±

    Even in his previous life, he had never experience such sessive level ups. Mana filled up within his body as it kept evolving. It put a great amount of stress on his mind.

    ¡°Ughhh, Artpe.¡±

    Artpe was trying to hold back the urge to lose consciousness when he heard Maetel calling for him. He raised his head to respond to her when he realized why she had called out to him.

    ¡°Wow. This is nuts.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-oooooooooh.¡±

    Maybe, the killing of all the Monsters connected to the Record link was the impetus. The Dungeon was once again going through a change!

    If more monsters came out once again, it would have been really annoying. Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t the case. The Dungeon was quickly losing its size. The square was also getting smaller, and the material making up the Dungeon was changing.

    ¡°This is as if..... Ah.¡±

    The cherry on top was the fountain that appeared in the middle of the square. Maetel¡¯s body and mind was tired, so she was about to let out a shout of joy. As she was about to run towards the clear water, she paused to look back at Artpe.

    ¡°That¡¯s poisoned water, right! Aren¡¯t I right, Artpe!¡±

    She thought she had shown sound judgment by stopping, so Maetel let out a fake cough.

    He put on a bright smile as he faced her. He spoke to her..

    ¡°Nope, that is just regr water.¡±

 Chapter 20 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (4)

    Chapter 20 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (4)

    ¡°As expected, you finished this floor in couple days. The Anywherepany always.... Huh?¡±

    Mycenae made her entrance as she gave a lively greeting. However, her eyes turned round when she realized the Dungeon looked entirely different from before. There were no stairways leading up or down. There was only a square, and the Dungeon¡¯s ceiling, which was slowly descending. And.....

    She saw the two brats taking a shower inside the fountain ced in the middle of the square.

    ¡°....did a curse perhaps lower your mental capacity?¡±

    She wondered if they had lost their minds. She wanted to ask the question in the most tactful manner she could manage. Of course, it was worthless bringing it up with Artpe. He let out a snort as he looked over Mycenae with scorn in his eyes.

    ¡°W...what is it, customer?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Kyahhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°I want soap and clean underwear. I want it for Maetel and I.¡±

    When Mycenae appeared, Maetel screamed as she hunched to hide her body. Artpe remained unbowed. He was confident as he threw the silver coin towards Mycenae. He gave a list of what he needed.

    Since they hadn¡¯t been able to get out of the Dungeon for the past year, Mycenae understood why Artpe and Maetel were familiar with each other¡¯s nude form. However, she never expected him to be so bold in front of her! Mycenae¡¯s face slightly reddened.

    ¡°You are a really rude customer. One silver won¡¯t cover it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is why I¡¯ll give you a second one.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, customer.¡±

    Artpe used a very weak form of Hyper Rubbing. It was on the level of Soft Rubbing where it merely felt as if the spell was scrubbing him. He applied soap, and it automatically scrubbed his body. When Maetel saw this, she pestered him until he used the spell on her.

    ¡°Tsk. It can¡¯t be helped. Here.¡±

    ¡°Ah-hee. This is ticklish. Hee-hee-hee-heek.¡±

    ¡°There really is nothing you cannot do with magic.....¡±

    For a moment, Mycenae thought about heading back, but the sight of the broken body of the Death Knight weighed heavily on her mind.

    Even if it had met its death, Mycenae could get a rough idea of its record, and Mana that had remained behind in the corpse. The Death Knight had the potential of being a big jackpotpared to any other monsters within this Dungeon.

    Moreover, if there were no stairway leading downwards, it meant that they had reached the end of the Dungeon. In other words, this monster was the boss of the entire Dungeon. It was the Dungeon Boss!

    ¡°Are you going to sell something to me?¡±

    ¡°Wait until we clean ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I think the fountain will be polluted before you can clean yourself, customer.¡±

    In truth, they hadn¡¯t been able to properly wash their bodies for past year. Thankfully, the buildup of grime on their bodies were swept away every time they leveled up. They had survived relying on this mechanism.

    Artpe and Maetel were thorough in washing their body. It took them exactly two hours toplete the task. It felt as if they were reborn. They even used the soap to wash their equipments made out of cloth. They washed it with a vengeance as bubbles formed. Artpe wore the underwear handed to him by Mycenae, and he dried his robe with Mana before putting it on. Then he sat down on the floor.

    ¡°Hoo. I finally feel like I¡¯m human again.¡±

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve washed yourself, you look a bit.... No, you are very handsome. If you grow a little bit more, you are going make many women cry.¡±

    Artpe snorted as he dismissed Mycenae¡¯s words. He checked on how Maetel was doing. As expected, she had already put on all her clothes. She was growling as she red at Mycenae.

    Did she think Mycenae was targeting Artpe? Maetel always acted daft. Artpe let out a sigh, and he lightly flicked her forehead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s loot.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The gazes of Artpe, Maetel and Mycenae headed towards the corpse of the Death Knight. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he shot his Mana towards the corpse.

    A bright light rose into the air, and as the light dimmed, three Artifacts revealed themselves. When Maetel saw one of them, she let out a shout with a bright light in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long sword!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    The long sword looked simr to the one used by the Death Knight. However, this one looked sharper and more durable. It even had the ability to spike the user¡¯s Mana in an instant to shoot it towards a single location. It was an unbelievably great Artifact. It strengthened Maetel¡¯s weakness of not having a long range attack.

    The only downside was the fact that the level needed to equip it was quite high. One needed to be level 150.....

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 154]

    ¡°Excellent, Maetel. I have no more words to describe your cheat-like status.¡±

    ¡°Ee-hee-hee. If you praise me so much, I¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t apliment.¡±

    Artpe looked at his own reflection on the surface of the water. He checked his own level.

    He was level 145. He had almost achieved a miracle by raising his level to 145, but he was clearly inferior to Maetel, who had climbed over the level 150 mark. He didn¡¯tpare favorably to her.

    He thought this from the beginning, but he didn¡¯t see how it was possible for the Demon King to take over this world. The probability was less than 50%. In his past life, what were they thinking holding such a shining beacon of talent within the pce?

    ¡°Customer. The helmet....¡±

    ¡°I knew ajumma would covet it.¡±

    On the other side, Mycenae¡¯s eyes were fixed on a helmet that looked simr to what the Death Knight had been wearing. It looked incredibly sturdy, and it was an Artifact that was very well suited to carry out its original goal of protecting the user.

    Yes, if he was being honest, the helmet was a much better Artifact than the long sword. However.....

    [Revengeful Death Knight¡¯s Helm]

    [The curse will turn the wearer into a high rank Death Knight. When one equips the helm, all emotions and thought process will be amplified. The wearer¡¯s Mana, skills and spells will be changed into having Darkness attribute, and it will be amplified. The wearer will grow by sucking in the energy of death.]

    This was the quintessential cursed item. It was a ridiculous cursed item that could bring down an entire city if one wasn¡¯t careful. Artpe was aghast as he turned to look at Mycenae. He asked her a question.

    ¡°Do you really want to buy this, ajumma?¡±

    ¡°We, in the Anywherepany, firmly believe that items aren¡¯t capable of possessing sin. That is the purview of people.¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s eyes refused to leave the helm. She knew it was a cursed item, yet she was sure it was an item that could bring her profit. Her eyes were the eyes of a merchant.

    Of course, Artpe knew about the greed that one felt for good items and wealth. It was what made a merchant a merchant.... Still, he had seen the world through his Read All Creation ability in his past life. The world always flowed with blood, because of treasures.

    He had always been surrounded by sea of blood thanks to his ability. This was why treasures didn¡¯t hold much appeal to him.

    ¡°There mighte a day when you will regret this.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry about me, customer. I might not look it, but I¡¯ve lived a very long time.¡±

    Yes, it seemed his words weren¡¯t registering with her, because he was young. She was the sort of person that won¡¯te to a realization until she experienced a big ordeal.

    Artpe shrugged his shoulders as he handed her the helm. Mycenae put on a weing smile as she took the....

    ¡°780 gold.¡±

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be selling it for over 1,000 gold. Don¡¯t make a big fuss about this. Just give me the money.¡±

    ¡°You are young, and you¡¯ve been stuck in this Dungeon for a year. So how are you so knowledgeable about the market prices!?¡±

    In the end, she took the helm from him. Her hands shook as she handed over the pouch containing the gold.

    ¡°Arge dimensional magic spell was ced on this pouch. The price of this pouch is 50 gold, so I¡¯ve ce 730 gold within. You probably don¡¯t want to carry around the entirety of the 780 gold. Please do me a favor by taking this deal!¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll overlook it.¡±

    It was a in looking leather pouch, yet it was worth 50 gold! Maetel¡¯s eyes spun, but Artpe didn¡¯t show any surprise. He took the pouch.

    In truth, he possessed another dimensional pouch. There was around 400 gold within that pouch. Their party now possessed money approaching 1,200 gold.

    ¡°So, there is only one thing left. Isn¡¯t this just an egg?¡±

    ¡°Ajumma. Does this really look like a normal egg?¡±

    The long sword and the helm were artifacts that was well-matched with the Death Knight. However, everyone had a hard time epting that thest item was dropped by a Death Knight.

    It was an egg that was small, ck, and oval-shaped. When one touched it, one could feel the pulse of life from within it. Maetel¡¯s mouth salivated as she looked down at it.

    ¡°Do you think this will be tasty, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I want you to think of it as something given birth by the Death Knight. Do you want to eat it when you know that fact?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    Did she really want to eat it? Artpe let out a sigh as he flicked Maetel on her forehead. Then he put away the egg.

    ¡°It is a Chaos Egg born artificially by the Record Link. It is ridiculous to think that death was able to give life, but.... Since the Record Link had rarely been used throughout history, it is tough toe to a definite conclusion.¡±

    It would be funny if a Death Knight popped out from the Chaos Egg. However, he didn¡¯t that would be the case.

    He had thoroughly checked it with his Read All Creation ability, but the only information he could glean was its name. Basically, he won¡¯t know what will be born until the Chaos Egg hatches.

    ¡°What will be born from it? If Artpe and my love can.....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are thinking about, but that won¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°Heeng. Artpe, stop being mean to me.¡±

    He had no idea how he should incubate it. Artpe decided to put it within the inner pocket of his robe. If it broke, that was its fate. At that point, he¡¯ll just make scrambled eggs with it!

    All the items left behind by the Death Knight was collected. Their levels had increased, and their skills had developed. Now they equipped their equipment over their clean bodies. Artpe felt refreshed as he waved his hand towards Mycenae. He was saying goodbye to her.

    ¡°You can go now, ajumma. You bought everything you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Why would I go? The most important Dungeon reward is still toe.¡±

    Mycenae kept staring at the fountain ced in the middle of the square.

    Artpe and Maetel had wasted a lot of water by washing themselves in it, but the fountain kept pumping out clear water from some unknown ce. It looked as if Mycenae believed that there was a secret kept within it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t give that up.¡±

    ¡°As always, I just want to purchase items at a fair price.....¡±

    ¡°Ajumma.¡±

    Artpe smiled sweetly. Mycenae had remarked on this fact before, but his charming smile wasn¡¯t something that should exist on the face of a thirteen year old.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again next time.¡±

    ¡°Heht.....¡±

    For a brief moment, she had been mesmerized by his smile. However, she recovered her wits when she heard the cold voice that slipped out of Artpe¡¯s mouth.

    Her cheeks puffed out, and she banged on her meless cart. She shouted towards him.

    ¡°Ha. I really can¡¯t win against you. All right. I just have to leave, right? Please look kindly on the Anywherepany in the future! Tsk!¡±

    Mycenae disappeared from where she had been standing. Maetel grumbled as she stared at the spot where Mycenae had disappeared.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that ajumma.¡±

    ¡°That ajumma is neither good or bad. She is only a merchant, who puts profit above all else. We were able purchase supply without much fuss thanks to the ajumma. Moreover, we were able to get decent price for the items we sold.¡±

    Actually, he had received a very generous amount, but Artpe didn¡¯t want to get into that topic here. He slowly walked towards the fountain.

    Yes, Mycenae¡¯s hunch had been spot on. It was likely that everything left within the Dungeon was gathered at the fountain. This was probably the true reward given to the hero, who overcame all the tests.

    They had used a rotten method to pass the test, but they had passed it. It was time for them to see the fruit of their ordeal, which hadsted for a year.

    ¡°The fountain was put there to fool us. The entrance is below it. The reward is also ced underneath it.¡±

    ¡°There is something below? Shouldn¡¯t there only be the ground below?¡±

    ¡°Where do you think the water ising from?¡±

    Artpe smirked as he gave instructions to Maetel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s destroy the fountain.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel was confident only when it came to destroying stuff. She gave an energetic reply as she raised her newly acquired long sword. She focused her Mana within it.

    Her level was above 150, so she possessed a sufficient pool of Mana within her. She didn¡¯t need to be linked with Artpe.

    ¡°Wow. I can feel my Mana gathering at the tip of my sword.¡±

    ¡°Ready, aim..... Fire!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    The long sword was ck, but when she gathered her Mana into the sword, it let out a bright golden light. It was the same color as Maetel¡¯s hair.

    The energy shot out from the tip of the sword, and it flew in a straight line towards the fountain. The energy impacted on the fountain, and it was destroyed easily. A hidden hallway was revealed.

    They hadn¡¯t expected another underground space, but it was arge space where people could reside. The clear underground water epassed and flowed around the space. A clean and refined stone surface covered the hallway.

    There was a single altar ced in the middle.

    ¡°.....Artpe, what is that?¡±

    Maetel found two books ced on something that looked to be an altar.

    One book had a red leather cover, and the other one had a blue leather cover. Of course, Artpe immediately knew the identity of the books when he saw them.

    ¡°Those are Skill Books..... Ha.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just normal Skill Books. These were Unique Skill Books that could be learned only by ¡®Heroes¡¯.

    When he realized the implications of this, Artpe felt electrified. He had kept his expectations in check, but this Dungeon had really been made for a hero. At that moment, what he thought was a coincidence turned into destiny!

 Chapter 21 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (5)

    Chapter 21 - Our Sunbae-nim Did This? (5)

    From time immemorial, the red color signified a warrior, and the blue color signified a magician. Of course, the poption of magicians was very smallpared to the warriors. This was why it was clear, who this was prepared for.

    ¡°Normally, Heroes are are able to learn both. They possess the power of a warrior and the power of a magician.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t use magic!¡±

    ¡°I already know that fact, so you don¡¯t have to repeat it.¡±

    During their spare time, he had tried to teach her the basics of magic. However, all his attempts had failed.

    She was dumb. She was so obviously dumb that no one would be able to say otherwise. If one gave her a sword, she was a genius, who could easily take down monsters that were much higher in level than her. At the same time, she was an idiot, who couldn¡¯t figure out a simple math problem. It was said that the heavens was fair in its dealings. This truth was never felt so keenly as when he looked at Maetel.

    ¡°That is why you have to learn how to do magic.¡±

    ¡°We can split them between us in a friendly way!¡±

    Maetel let out a pureugh. This really wasn¡¯t something that should beughed at. Artpe kept sighing as they ran down towards the za that existed below the fountain.

    When they touched the floor, the entrance made by Maetel closed as a ceiling slid into ce.

    ¡°Would you look at this.....?¡±

    This felt weird. Artpe narrowed his eyes as he looked at his surrounding. Fortunately, they were in arge space. A waterway had been created, so there was a constant stream of fresh water avable. It was so clear that they would be able to drink it straight out of the waterway. They also wouldn¡¯t have to worry about running out of air.

    However, there were no exits here.

    ¡°Basically, the Dungeon hasn¡¯t ended yet....?¡±

    Now that he thought about it, he had killed the Death Knight, who had been thest monster connected to the Record Link. They had received EXP from it, yet the energy of the Record Link still remained in this ce. He was sure there weren¡¯t any monsters left. However, it seemed a test remained. Maybe, the act of learning the Skills was a form of test.

    ¡°There is something written here, Artpe.¡±

    Maetel had walked towards the altar before Artpe, and she was pointing at a section of the altar.

    ¡°Huh. You are right.¡±

    Artpe headed towards the altar, and he could see hard characters carved into it. If he was to be precise, this was thenguage of the Ancient Empire. No one in this world would have an easy time reading it. However, Artpe was an exception since he possessed the Read All Creation ability.

    ¡°¡®I congratte you for oveing the trials, beginner hero. Anyone who was able to find this ce would know about me, so I won¡¯t talk about myself.¡¯...... Even this introduction is all wrong.¡±

    ¡°He must have been a really famous person.¡±

    ¡°Fame erodes away over time. He was foolish for not knowing this.¡±

    Artpe read those arrogant words. He sneered at the desire for fame that was unique to humans. Maetel didn¡¯t know about his slimy inner thoughts, so she continued tough, while saying Artpe was smart.

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t care about learning about the name of the hero. He had a general idea as to who it was. The man boldy wrote about beginner heroes. He was probably a former hero from a generation or several generations ago.

    Artpe didn¡¯t know who the previous generation¡¯s hero was. He didn¡¯t even know the name of the previous generation¡¯s Demon King. He just knew that thenguage of the Ancient Empire was being used here, so at the very least, this Dungeon was several hundred years old.

    ¡°¡®I had faith that a hero would one day be born again in thisnd. I also believed that this hero woulde looking for my tomb. However, I cannot give you the secrets of the hero just because you are a junior, who respects your sunbae. This is why I put forth the Record Link to test you. Please forgive me.¡¯¡±

    ¡°It seems this person was born around here too.¡±

    ¡°Yes and he was spectacrly forgotten by everyone.¡±

    By its outside appearance, how could this be the grave of a previous hero? No one in his past life knew about this truth! At this point, it was a wonder as to how the information became so perfectly hidden!

    Still, it was believable when he thought more on it. There was a high probability that Maetel was a descendant of this previous hero. It was normal for the family of heroes to have one or two secrets.

    ¡°¡®I believe any hero that was able to safely reach this point will be able toplete the next task. I trust you, and I will not be suspicious of you. I have ced these presents here for my junior. All you have experienced to reach this point were lessons. I ced a mixture of skill and spell that is tied to the Record Link. You should learn it before you leave.¡¯¡±

    The words ended there. Artpe was surprised by this fact. He thought the man would continue to boast by writing around 10,000 words, but he had ended it more cleanly than Artpe had expected.

    ¡°Well, let me see.....¡±

    After reading all the words, Artpe¡¯s gaze once again headed towards the altar with the books ced on top of it. One was a spell book and the other one was a skill book. He had wondered why he couldn¡¯t read the content of the books with his Read All Creation ability. The flow of the Record Link was connected to the books.

    He had never expected to see skills that werepleted using the influence of magic. In his past life as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he had never heard of such a thing.

    Maybe it was a matter of course since no one in his past life had discovered this ce. He had always believed that Record Link was full of side effect, so he never thought about such unimaginable benefits it could bring.

    ¡®The Record Link wasn¡¯t made with the intent of just tormenting us..¡¯

    Artpe was enlightened. Of course, the anger at the sunbae, who had driven Maetel and him to the brink of death, still remained!

    ¡°This sunbae really cared about his juniors!¡±

    ¡°I think so, too. Now let us worry about what is toe.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He was now sure of the sunbae hero¡¯s intent. However, Artpe¡¯s personality wouldn¡¯t let him cross a stone bridge when he could destroy and build a steel bridge. He used his Read All Creation ability to carefully inspect his surrounding.

    ¡°Hmmmm......¡±

    ¡°What is it, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It just feels a little bit off to me. However, I don¡¯t see anything abnormal.¡±

    He was sure there were no additional traps here. He was only slightly worried about the fact that all the Mana within the Dungeon was being funneled into the altar..... Since they had already reached this point, they couldn¡¯t make additional preparations. There was nothing they could do that would make them more prepared for what was toe.

    If so, it was time to move forward. It didn¡¯t matter what was waiting for them. It was time to act.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Me too. .....Alright. Now.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe and Maetel exchanged nces. They stepped forward at the same time, and they reached out their hands towards their respective book. At that moment, they felt a pressure as if their entire body was being sucked towards the book. Their hands stuck to the books.

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    ¡°Endure it. If we falter here, the Record Link will run out of control!¡±

    All the Mana within the Dungeon was flowing towards the two books ced on top of the altar. All the records that had mounted for the past year was being split into two. It flowed into the two books using the Record Link, and after it finished its mission, it dissipated.

    ¡°Hoo.... Ha.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhh. I¡¯m tired. This is too difficult.¡±

    ¡°Endure it!¡±

    All the taskspleted by Artpe and Maetel was influenced by the effect of overwhelming Mana, and it was formed into a skill and a spell. Each appeared in front of their respective owners. However, Artpe¡¯s face crumpled when the new magic spell established itself within his brain.

    ¡®This is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    When he entered this Dungeon, he had aplished his tasks by using Mana. What he did was more of a magic maniption rather than using a magic spell. Still, he never expected a strange magic that contradicted the root theories of magic and Mana toe into being!

    If he learned to use it properly, he thought it could be something incredible. However, this was a magic spell unbefitting a magician! It was questionable as to whether he should actually call this a magic spell!

    ¡°Ssssp. Since this is a Unique Magic for heroes, I have no choice but to learn it.... Ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    At that moment, a big event urred. What would happen if the Mana maintaining the Dungeon was split and sent into the books on the altar? Of course, the Dungeon would copse! Artpe had been worrying about such a situation !

    ¡°I knew something like this would happen! Shit! That bugger of a sunbae!¡±

    An advanced concept of magical circuitry was being impressed upon his body. However, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to be happy about it. He had to learn the skill as soon as possible, so he could escape this Dungeon!

    Artpe grinded his teeth as he looked towards Maetel. In terms of battle skills, she possessed a god-given talent. If it¡¯s Maetel, she should be learning the skill at a faster rate than him....

    ¡°Ughh.¡±

    ¡°Hey you fooooooooooool!¡±

    Maetel had her head down as if she was perfectly powerless. He never expected her to fail at acquiring the skill! The timing of this was too perfect. This was like a bad joke! He wished she would do this at ater time when they could afford to do so!

    Artpe gritted his teeth as he raised his hand. The blue leather bound book had already done its part, so it waspletely gone now. He would be able to use the magic at any time.

    He could use it right now.

    ¡°Mana String!¡±

    Others wouldn¡¯t be able to see it, but strings of ck mana extended out from his five fingers. Up until now, Artpe had directly manipted Mana to solve problems in the Dungeon. The reason being he had only a single spell in his arsenal. It seemed the Unique magic spell was fixed into taking on a simr form!

    ¡°Koohp. Break it all!¡±

    Of course, Artpe would have been very disappointed if that was all there was to it. However, the Mana String he was using was undeniably a spell. It was a miracle that started out as Mana, but it was shaped into bing a spell. Unlike the threads he manipted before, the Mana String could interact with magical energy. Moreover, it was very high in physical power as it was able to affect nature.

    This was why the five strands of Mana String was able to stop the Dungeon¡¯s ceiling from copsing, and falling on top of their heads.

    ¡°Artpe is incredible! You are too strong!¡±

    ¡°If you have the time to be impressed by me, you should learn the Skill!¡±

    ¡°But this is too hard.... Ughhh.¡±

    ¡°Hey you fooooooooooool!¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if Artpe¡¯s mana reserve was enormous. It was impossible to prop up the Dungeon¡¯s copsing ceiling indefinitely! Artpe screamed as he diligently controlled the Mana Strings. Maetel clung desperately to the skill book.

    ¡°Hurry, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Oooooooh, ughhhhhh......!¡±

    The ck Mana Strings boasted an overwhelmingly more powerful destructive forcepared to the ones that controlled the shield with the Slow Down curse. Moreover, there were five of them!

    The five long strands of ck Mana Strings started to spin violently, and it was grinding up the entire Dungeon. Artpe was fighting desperately. He had activated the Hyper Rubbing. It was such an overpowering sight that it made one wonder if he was really fighting for his life.

    ¡°My Mana consumption is that much higher! Hurry up and seed before it is toote, Maetel! I¡¯ll do anything you want if you seed! Please hurry up!¡±

    ¡°Anything!? Ah, I did it! I learned it! Hurray!¡±

    ¡°You are really honest about your desires!¡±

    The red leather bound book was finally gone! By the look of Maetel¡¯s bright eyes, it seemed she had learned the skill. He was puzzled as to why a genius of martial arts like Maetel had struggled to learn the skill. He wondered what it was. However, Artpe didn¡¯t have the time to ask such questions!

    ¡°Artpe! The altar!¡±

    ¡°I know. Hurry up and take my hand!¡±

    It seemed the disappearance of the two books was a trigger. The altar kept spinning as it lowered into the ground. The flow of water that had been swirling around the space started to gather itself towards the space vacated by the altar. The water was being sucked into it.

    After he checked what was going on, he quickly grabbed Maetel¡¯s hand. He used his other hand to destroy the rocks that were falling towards them. They threw themselves into the portal where the water was exiting. There must be a path leading outside!

    ¡°Artpe, I don¡¯t think this tunnel is intact......¡±

    ¡°Of course. There isn¡¯t much Mana left. That bastard of a sunbae was good at handling spells, but he was terrible at preserving and distributing Mana. That damn....!¡±

    Fortunately, they could see a faint light at the end of the passageway. Artpe spat out all kinds of swear words as water sshed every time they took a step. They moved quickly.

    It was around this time when Maetel was finally free from the aftereffect of acquiring the skill. She bit her lips as she tugged at his hand, and she carried him on her back.

    ¡°Record Divide!¡±

    ¡°What the hell. What does that skill with the slightly cool name do..... Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±

    Maetel started running faster. It was as if she was about to evaporate the water on the floor with her zing speed. She did so in the nick of time, since the passageway started to copse. An incredible amount of water was falling towards them!

    ¡°Eee-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe was having a hard time seeing his surrounding, so he desperate extended his Mana Strings. He dispersed the water and the falling rock fragments that were falling towards their heads.

    ¡°Hurrrrrrrrrry up, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°We are almost there! I can see the exit, Artpe!¡±

    The light was getting closer. However, Artpe¡¯s Mana was also bottoming out! They had only a little ways to go. Were they going to be buried like this? It was an end befitting the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, but Maetel was also here with him!

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my Mana, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°..... Uh? Do you even have Mana to spare.... Uh?¡±

    Mana started flowing into him from Maetel. Artpe hadn¡¯t used his Link magic. At that moment, Artpe was taken aback, but he soon came to an understanding.

    ¡°You said Record Drive. You....¡±

    ¡°The skill has a simr effect as Artpe¡¯s magic! It has a wider range of use.... Anyways, hurry!¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t have to urge him on. He was already using his spell. All the Mana received from her was put straight into the Mana Strings.

    Before Artpe and Maetel¡¯s heads could be bashed open, the chunks of rocks were grinded away in an instant. They threw themselves towards the light right before they reached the end of the passageway.

    ¡°Ooh-wahhhhhhh,, Artpe-ehhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Yes! This is it!¡±

    He could hear the sound of water. Water was everywhere. Artpe let out a refreshing smile as he shouted out his words.

    ¡°It¡¯s a waterfall! Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!¡±

    This was how the heroes were sessful in escaping their very first Dungeon. The two heroes were 13 years old, and they were beings that defied all the records and history of the continent. This was the moment when the strongest little hero duo stepped out into the world.

 Chapter 22 - Yesterdays Enemy (1)

    Chapter 22 - Yesterday¡¯s Enemy (1)

    The two heroes enjoyed a fun journey as they rode down the rough waters before they plummeted down the waterfall. They fell down an unknown distance towards the bottom of the ravine, and they were barely able to pick themselves out of the water.

    His entire body ached, and his stomach was writhing. There was a long abrasive injury on his back, and his entire body was soaked. It was the worst feeling. He never wanted to experience it again.

    ¡°Ooh-ehhhhhk. Kol-ruhk, kol-ruhk.¡±

    Artpe was making a bizarre sound as he threw up water. The sound was horrible enough to cool even a thousand year love. However, Maetel stood next to Artpe, and her expression remained normal. She looked worried as she patted Artpe¡¯s back.

    ¡°Are you ok, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ok! Unlike you, I can¡¯t maintain bnce while being swept away by the waterfall!¡±

    ¡°Why not? After I realized what was happening, I just had to wiggle my body a little bit......¡±

    At that moment, Artpe didn¡¯t find himself to be endearing, since he was having malicious thoughts towards Maetel. The feeling was so intense that it made him wonder if he could have won miraculous battles as one of the Four Heavenly Kings if he had been full of malice like this!

    ¡°I wish I was hurting instead of Artpe.....¡±

    However, he was confronted with the sincerely worried face of Maetel, so such feelings melted away. Artpe became needlessly embarrassed, so he turned his gaze away from her as he replied in a small voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Really? What a relief.¡±

    Artpe had worried his belongings might have been lost, while he was being swept away by the waterfall. He checked his belongings, and everything was still there. He still had the two money pouches and the ck egg.

    Maetel still had the potion pouch within her armor, and she had held on tightly to her bastard sword and longsword. She was slowly bing limatized to the fact that there were some things that were more important than one¡¯s life as an adventurer.

    It was also a fact that the two heroes were equally soaked. To make things worse, it was closer to winter than fall. The chilly winds were lowering their body temperature.

    ¡°Should I make a fire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m cold.¡±

    Maetel had a shy smile on her face as she nodded her head. Artpe looked up at the violet sky. It was slowly getting darker. A year had passed, so he wondered if it was possible that the soldiers of the kingdom was still searching for them near here.

    ¡°Mmm. Even if they are still searching for us, It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±

    Even if one discounted their levels, the skills they possessed were formidable. They would be able to face down even a level 200 being possessing a high rank ss. There was also no way anyone above that level would be looking for them. They had better things to do.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Artpe extended several strands of Mana String, and he cut down a nearby tree. His actions were so natural that Maetel started pping. However, Artpe¡¯s performance was just starting.

    He created edges on the five ck Mana Strings, and he rotated them to cut the tree into small pieces. He only moved a small portion of the wood pile. As a finishing touch, Artpe used Hyper Rubbing to cause intense friction amongst the wood. It caused it to ignite.

    It burst into me. The whole process took only 25 seconds.

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is amazing!¡±

    ¡°If I had a fire magic spell, I could do this in two seconds.....¡±

    He now had a lot of money, so he wondered if he should have bought simple magic spells when he had the chance. Artpe thought about visiting the Tower of Mages in the future as he basked in the fire. Maetel stuck close to him, and she started rubbing her cheek against his cheek.

    He was now used to this level of skinship, so Artpe could only let out small sighs. On the other hand, Maetel had a secret smile of triumph on her face.

    ¡°Hooo. This isfortable and great The fact that we aren¡¯t doing anything is pretty good, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get infatuated with that feeling. You have to be careful or else you won¡¯t want to do anything elseter. The moment you think that work is a losing proposition, your life is at an end.¡±

    In his life as a demon, he had seen those, who hit the jackpot through creating a book or a rted item.... There were those, who dreamed about not working their entire lives by living off the royalties. However, these people failed to pull it off, because they werecking in experience andmon sense.

    ¡°Eh-ee. It is good to do something like this asionally. If we do it every day, it won¡¯t be as good!¡±

    ¡°....sometimes you say smart things.¡±

    The two small heroes rested quietly against each other.

    It had been a long time since they were able to spend such carefree time. They had been continuously tormented by the internal agents of the Dungeon. Their current situation was tranquil and peaceful.

    He didn¡¯t feel the need to speak. The sounds of the water flowing in the ravine and the crackling sound of the wood burning drowned out the silence.

    When a little bit of time had passed, Maetel opened her mouth to ask a question.

    ¡°.....Artpe, what are we going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I want to be stronger. I want to help the unfortunate. Moreover, Artpe and I......¡±

    ¡°Yes, you should stop there. Everything you said you¡¯ll be able to do to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes had an odd shine to it. He was sure she had misunderstood something again. It was a hassle to set her straight, so he just kept his mouth shut. However, at that moment, a loud sound could be heard without any warning.

    [Crown Prince.... Kill....!]

    [Knights.... Your highness......]

    The sound of weapons hitting each other could be heard, and he felt the surrounding Mana being consumed to activate a magic spell. Then there was a stern voice and a desperate voice mixed in with those sounds. It was a scenario that might ur at the beginning of a novel about a knight. It was such a formic pattern!

    When Artpe assessed themotion, his face crumpled as he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Shit. An incident immediately urred when you said something unnecessary. I thought I would be able to rest for at least two pages more.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I have some ability I don¡¯t know about!?¡±

    ¡°No, I think this is just part of our karma.¡±

    At that moment, a fight was going on somewhere close by. If Artpe and Maetel hadn¡¯t heard it, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, once they heard the sound of the fight, Artpe knew they will get involved one way or another.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°This is how the world works.¡±

    He wanted to say she was always like that in his previous life. However, he pushed down on those words firmly.

    Yes, this was the destiny of a hero. It was strange, but wherever the hero went, an incident that might or might not ur in a hundred years happened. The hero inevitably got sucked into the mess, and the hero bes the main yer of the crisis. The hero would solve the problem in a dashing manner, and his or her name value would increase!

    Anyways, this wasn¡¯t something that happened just once or twice. Wherever a hero went, the hero was always involved in something. There could be an awakening of a legendary ruin, a visitation by an Arch Mage, the awakening of an ancient monster or an assassination attempt of the royal family!

    It made one wonder if a hero would die from stress even before he or she got a chance to fight the Demon King. The idental events that urred around heroes was frequent and annoying!

    ¡°I wonder if such tumult would happen in the first ce if the hero hadn¡¯t existed. Wherever the hero goes, the unrest follows the hero. This is why we have to kill the god.¡±

    It was such an incoherent exnation. It was like saying an apple farmer had to behead the king, because there was a good harvest. However, Maetel nodded her head in a serious manner.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill a god for Artpe!¡±

    ¡°All right. Howmendable.¡±

    While Artpe and Maetel was having an idiotic conversation, the sound was getting closer. Screams were interspersed with the sounds of steel shing. Maetel¡¯s body flinched as if she was bothered by it. Artpe could easily read her inner thoughts, so he let out a bitterugh as he spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯ll eventually be swept up into whatever is going on over there, Maetel. If it bothers you, you should go on ahead. I¡¯ll just stay here a little bit longer to warm my body.¡±

    ¡°Ah. No.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Maetel shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°It does bother me and I want to rescue them, but.... The person I have to protect is Artpe. If I head out carelessly, Artpe might get drawn in. If you were hurt, I would feel like killing myself.¡±

    ¡°What.....?¡±

    It was such an unexpected answer that Artpe was at a loss for words.

    Maetel¡¯s love for him was heavy. It was so heavy that he wondered if he¡¯ll be crushed to death by it. On a side note, he was afraid his presence was having a weird influence on the pure hero.

    If it was the hero from his past life, she would have immediately ran towards those in trouble, and she would have saved them. It wouldn¡¯t matter if the ce held traps or a strong foe.

    However, she now had Artpe. She had someone she had to protect. This was why she was hesitating as she mulled over the various consequences of her actions.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t me her for it. Most people avoided getting involved in another¡¯s trouble. They protected what was important to them. Artpe was merely a former member of the Four Heavenly Kings, so he was a bit happy to find out that Maetel treasured him so much.

    Still, he felt as if something was off.

    ¡®When I awoke as a human boy, I surmised that I would be the biggest variable that would cause the biggest change between my past life and this current life.... Yes, I was right. I¡¯m the biggest variable. She¡¯s suppose to be the brightest beacon of light, yet this variable was able to bring her down to the level of a regr human....¡¯

    He suddenly felt fear, but he didn¡¯t show it. He calmly organized the situation inside his head. He camly spoke towards the blond-haired girl, who was looking at him.

    ¡°That sounds idiotic. We¡¯ll be involved anyways. That is why you should just do whatever you feel like doing.¡±

    ¡°I want to be by Artpe¡¯s side......forever.¡±

    ¡°....yes. All right.¡±

    It felt as if he had received an excessively heavy confession of love, but he dismissed it as him imagining things. Artpe let out a big sigh as he got up.

    ¡°Ah. Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡±

    He had made the fire, because he wanted to create a suitable atmosphere. However, he just need a small amount of Mana to dry their clothes. He emitted a small amount of Mana to try his underwear and robe. Then he extended his hand to make her body moisture-less.

    ¡°Since our clothes are dry now, let¡¯s go. If I¡¯m going, will you go?¡±

    ¡°.....yes!¡±

    The two heroes kept talking in a manner unfitting heroes, yet they were finally able to take on work that heroes would undertake. A hero was a violent force that butted into other¡¯s fights. The hero attempted to solve problems in a manner to their liking. Heroes were the ultimate busybody. This was what a hero was!

    ¡°Since we are about to intrude on someone else¡¯s business, I¡¯ll tell you about the basic stance we¡¯ll take.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe ran through the forest with Maetel as he spoke to her. Artpe¡¯s stamina was very poorpared to Maetel. However, he had gone past level 140, so he had enough physical prowess to overpower most mercenaries. He wasn¡¯t just a simple magician. He possessed the Hero ss and it had influence on him.

    ¡°The most difficult part is deciding, which side is the aggressor. We have no idea about the circumstances behind the fight. We have no idea who is good and who is bad. This kind of stuff isn¡¯t as clear cut as one would like it to be.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmmm. This is too difficult.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say we decided which person we want to kill.¡±

    ¡°Heeeek!¡±

    Up until now, she had only ughtered monsters. Maetel freaked out at the idea of killing a human. As expected, she was immature regarding this type of stuff. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he continued his exnation.

    ¡°What if we find outter that we killed the good guys? What if we helped the bad guys? There are times when such a thing urs.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill good people!¡±

    ¡°However, there could be misunderstandings. The good guys might think we are the bad guys too, and they might fight us.¡±

    ¡°No way......¡±

    Unshed tears glistened in the innocent hero¡¯s eyes. She was confronted with an exnation that couldn¡¯t be epted by the simplistic values she possessed. This was why her mind was in a state of confusion.

    Truthfully, Maetel was incredibly cute right now. How could she be so righteous and innocent! Every time he cause a ck stain on her pure white heart it was the sweetest.... Crap. A bad habit he picked up during his days as the Four Heavenly King had almost appeared. Artpe calmed himself as he continued to speak his words.

    ¡°That is why our standard of judgment can¡¯t be absolute good or evil.¡±

    ¡°Huh.....?¡±

    ¡°No one can determine what is absolutely good or evil. This is the province of the gods. This isn¡¯t something dem.... This isn¡¯t something should be decided by humans. If we make such judgments, it would be a form of arrogance and delusion.¡±

    ¡°Huuuuuuh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    They were getting closer to themotion. This was why Artpe had to make this simple. He had to speak with a firm voice, so she would never forget it.

    ¡°This is why you should think of anyone that hates you as being evil.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was a way of thinking more befitting a Demon King than a hero.

    ¡°If someone tries to kill you, harm you, use you or have indecent desires.... They are all evil. You put yourself on the side of the good, and the others on the side of evil.¡±

    ¡°However, Artpe, you just said we shouldn¡¯t decide what is good or evil.....¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t determining absolute good and evil. It is a rtive form of of good and evil. You ept that you won¡¯t always be right, then you do what you want.¡±

    It was such an absurd, ridiculous and fraudulent way of thinking. Even if Maetel was young and naive, she knew Artpe¡¯s words were wrong. A single slip would make one fall into the pit of evil. It was an absurdly selfish and arrogant way of thinking.

    However, he had lived with such a philosophy as a demon for several hundred years. He had been the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, and he always suffered under irrational violence. This was why he had developed such a mindset.

    Nevertheless......

    ¡°Artpe....¡±

    Maetel raised her still shaking eyes to look at Artpe. She knew they had entered into the site of the fight, yet she still asked the question.

    ¡°How do you judge me, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°You dummy. You don¡¯t even have to ask me that question. ¡±

    Artpe lifted the corner of his mouth. Heughed as he made a statement.

    ¡°You are ¡®always¡¯ in the category of absolute good for me, hero-nim.¡±

    ¡°......all right, Artpe.¡±

    Maetel firmly nodded her head. Across the thicket, weapons were shing noisily. She answered him as she threw herself towards the site of the battle.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do whatever what I want to do!¡±

 Chapter 23 - Yesterdays Enemy (2)

    Chapter 23 - Yesterday¡¯s Enemy (2)

    There was an open space on the other side of the brush. Blood and metal shavings were flying into the surrounding. In a blink of an eye, a person¡¯s life was lost.

    There was group trying to protect someone, and the other group was trying to erase someone. All kinds of ambitions were overflowing from them, and the humans were being consumed by it.

    ¡°Kill the crown prince! We have to kill that bastard to end all of this!¡±

    ¡°Protect him! We have to protect him!¡±

    Their words made it very easy to identify them! If the world was full of people like them, there would be no need for mind reading magic!

    ¡°Uht!?¡±

    ¡°Aht!¡±

    When Artpe and Maetel arrived at the clearing, every participant of the battle noticed their arrival.

    One group looked back at them with hope, and the other group looked on with annoyance. However, when they confirmed the identity of the new arrivals, the expressions on both sides crumpled.

    ¡°They are children....!¡±

    ¡°Tsk. The number of people we have to take care of increased.¡±

    At this point, Artpe had finished dividing them into enemies and allies. He turned to look at Maetel. His expression was like that of a tutor expecting a child to give the right answer.

    Her face was full of questions.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    He knew it was going to be like this. Artpe let out a sigh as he gave her an exnation.

    ¡°What did I tell you? You kill those who wants to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Artpe raised his hand, and he pointed towards one group. This particr group was wearing ck clothes over their body. It was as if they had shopped from the same cloth store. The crown prince was probably amongst the group fighting a defensive battle. The ones in ck had said, ¡®The number of people we have to take care of increased.¡¯

    ¡°They said they want to take care of us, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see!¡±

    ¡°Then let me pose you a problem. When they said they wanted to take care of us, what were they referring to?¡±

    ¡°Mmmmm. They are going to send us away after giving us an exnation?¡±

    ¡°Wrong. The answer is they will send us to hell without giving us an exnation.¡±

    ¡°How dare they.....¡±

    The two brats had appeared out of nowhere, and they were having a conversation as if they were doing a gag routine. The two groups had been in the midst of fighting for their lives, so the sight in front of them looked ridiculous. Everyone was looking at Artpe¡¯s party in disbelief.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be feeling fear? Or maybe you should start running away? Kids these days are too dumb.¡±

    ¡°Fay...number 3. You take care of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The ck d group continued attacking the defenders, and only a single one of them ran towards Maetel and Artpe. He used the most popr line within the book called ¡®150 Lines Most Used by Viins.¡¯

    ¡°me your bad luck!¡±

    Artpe took a peek at Maetel. As expected, she was frozen like a statue.

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ah-ooh.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t afraid of her enemy¡¯s abilities. She was frightened of the truth that she was no longer fighting monsters. She had to face off against a human.

    ¡°Ah, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    He didn¡¯t me her for acting foolishly in front of an enemy. She was a child, who possessed a tender heart, so this result was to be expected. This reaction was actually preferable. If Maetel had unhesitatingly charged forward to kill the man, Artpe would have been frightened.

    Of course, Artpe assessed the situation, and he decided on what he would do.

    ¡°Get out of the way, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Kyahk.¡±

    He had pushed Maetel to the side as he stepped in front of her.

    ¡°You are a little brat, but it seems you think of yourself as a man? You n on protecting the female!¡±

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    Artpe made himself the target by stepping forward unarmed. This move incited the enemy, and it put Maetel on alert. He was killing two birds with one stone.

    The generic Viin 1 fell for his provocation. He headed towards Artpe with his sword raised. Maetel had been pushed to the side, and her eyes were wide open as she watched the sight in front of her.

    The sharp de of the enemy was heading towards Artpe, and it was getting bigger in her vision. There was a clear blue tint of Mana surrounding the de! It was a powerful skill that couldn¡¯t be stopped with Artpe¡¯s unprotected body.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a clean death! Power Stri....khhhhk!¡±

    Villian 1 had swung his sword towards Artpe. When Maetel saw this, her eyes flipped over as she unsheathed her bastard sword from her waist. She did it with one hand. She wasn¡¯t thinking about anything. Her body reacted on instinct.

    The Viin 1 was yet to pass level 100, so Maetel split him from the groin to the top of the head.

    ¡°Fay..n....?¡±

    ¡°What the......¡±

    Two weighty sound was heard when the body fell to the floor. At that moment, all sounds within the clearing ceased.

    It didn¡¯t matter if someone was on the offensive end or the defensive end of the fight. All of them focused their gazes on the girl holding the bastard sword.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Crazy... Right now... What did you....?¡±

    Of course, the nearby people were surprised. However, Artpe didn¡¯t care about the background characters. Artpe only looked at Maetel.

    The girl had killed someone for the first time. She hadn¡¯t done it for herself. She had done it for someone else.

    ¡°He tried to kill Artpe.¡±

    Maetel had seen what she had done, yet she mumbled to herself as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. She was gripping the the sword so hard that her knuckles were white.

    ¡°We just came here... We came here for a look, yet you guys tried to kill Artpe.¡±

    ¡°That girl is dangerous. Everyone.....¡±

    However, she didn¡¯t allow her enemies to talk amongst themselves. Maetel pointed the bastard sword towards the ¡®enemies¡¯ as she asked a question.

    She didn¡¯t ask it towards her enemies. It was for Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe, you said I can do whatever I want to do?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°.....all right.¡±

    No more words were necessary.

    In a sh, Maetel¡¯s hesitancy had disappeared.

    ¡°Dodge it. Block.....¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Maetel pushed off the ground as she ran forward. She swung her bastard swordterally. Each of her opponents tried emitting Mana into their weapons or body parts. They were attempting to use a defensive or a counter skill. However, they were all dispatched with a single blow.

    There were several high rank ss that were over level 100 present within the group. However, all the defensive technique were canceled by Maetel¡¯s basic active attack skill!

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you! I won¡¯t! You guys are all bad! That is what I decided!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t using Berserk right now. In fact, she hadn¡¯t even activated her gauntlet¡¯s option yet either. It was quite simple. There was an amazing amount of talent gap between Maetel and the men.

    ¡°Koo-ahk!¡±

    ¡°Kah!¡±

    ¡°This is a nightmare. How can such a young child do this against elite knights....!¡±

    The elite knights of the humans were in such a poor state. He now understood why the Demon King had moved at a leisurely pace. Artpe smirked when he realized that the strongest amongst them was barely level 120.

    ¡°Run away. There is no way.....¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you run away!¡±

    The number of ck d viins went from 20 to 17, 14, 10..... The number became five, and now there were only two of them.

    ¡°W...who sent you! Reveal yourselves!¡±

    ¡°We have to retreat. If we aren¡¯t able to notify the second party about the location of the crown prince...koo-ahk!¡±

    Then there was one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you guys are, but you will regret doing this someday.¡±

    Then there were zero.

    ¡°Hoo.....¡±

    ¡°Right now... What the hell just happened?¡±

    ¡°All our pursuers are dead. I don¡¯t believe it.....¡±

    After killing everyone, Maetel lightly flicked her bastard sword once to get rid of the blood. After she sheathed her sword, she turned to look at Artpe.

    ¡°Artpehhhhh~¡±

    She had been beyond brave. She have been frighteningly decisive in her actions, but unlike before, her eyes were full of unshed tears now.

    ¡°Yes, yes. You did very well.¡±

    He knew her heart would be in tumult right now. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he hugged her. She was crying, because she was afraid of her own self more so than anyone. It felt as if he could feel her feelings vividly through the hands holding her.

    Once, he had been like her. His personality was unbing of a Demon. He had despaired, as he had hated himself more so than anyone over the years.

    ¡°Should I really be doing things like this? It feels like I did something very wrong.¡±

    ¡°No, you did well. Even if you were in the wrong, there will nevere a day when you will realize that fact. That is why you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°Artpe......¡±

    Artpe used a messed up oxymoron to console her as he stroked her head. The people, who had been watching the fight, was taken aback. Their round eyes were full of shock. They looked like they wanted to ask what kind of third rate skit this was.

    There was an armored woman holding a steel sword amongst the group. She spoke to Artpe as she expressed a bit of wariness towards him.

    ¡°Thank you very much for helping us. However, it would be best if you don¡¯t get involved with us....¡±

    ¡°Yes. All right.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t even started giving him a proper exnation! The woman was taken aback. As expected of the owner of the Read All Creation ability, he was the best in the world at reading a situation. Artpe continued to stroke the head of the sniffling Maetel as he spoke to the woman.

    ¡°We saw nothing here. I don¡¯t care about what happened here. We were passing by, and we just killed couple monsters. That should be fine, right?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The woman was surprised when he gave her the exact answer she had wanted to hear. Artpe snorted when he saw this, then he turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Is it really alright to just leave like this, Artpe? We can just go? ¡±

    ¡°We did as you wished by helping them, and this is the result. They don¡¯t want us to get involved with them. Then our business with them is at an end. We can go do what we want to do.¡±

    ¡°.....sniff. All right.¡±

    Maetel had epted his answer, so he was about to head back to the warm fire. He was consoling Maetel as he walked away when it urred.

    Someone yelled towards them from the other party.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    It was the voice of a young man. Artpe didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°I told you to stop! This is the order of the crown prince!¡±

    ¡°You hid like a mouse during the fight, so I thought you were some poor mute. I see now that you are quite loud.¡±

    ¡°Kook....!¡±

    The crown prince shut his mouth at Artpe¡¯s sharp retort.

    At times, truth was more cruel than anything else. Moreover, he had just seen a girl that was the same age as him fight, and he couldn¡¯t hold a candle against her. This was why his pride was deeply hurt.

    ¡°Y...you are being rude! As he had revealed, he is the next in line to ascend to the throne of the Diaz Kingdom.....¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I saw nothing? Are you guys idiots?¡±

    ¡°Oohk....¡±

    He could tolerate foolish behaviors only up to a certain point. He had been trying to part ways with them as he pretended he didn¡¯t know what was going on, yet they revealed themselves anyways. They even tried to use an authority they no longer possessed in an attempt to stop Artpe and Maetel!

    Artpe let out a sigh as he started walking once again....

    ¡°Help me!¡±

    ¡°Your highness!¡±

    ¡°The kingdom is in turmoil, because of the rebels! I must go back to to the ce someday, and I must get my revenge for my father the king. I have to regain my throne. If I want to do so, I need strong people like you!¡±

    The boy was pretty straightforward, and he showed some promise!? Still, this didn¡¯t mean Artpe had stopped walking.

    ¡°You should go look for help somewhere else. Let¡¯s go, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I hate the pce!¡±

    She firmly believed that the pce had tasteless food. This was why the pce was a ce where she would never get close to! Maetel grabbed the sleeve of Artpe¡¯s robe, and she obediently followed behind him.

    ¡°W...wait a moment!¡±

    The boy finally made his appearance as he pushed past his protectors! He looked to be of simr age as Artpe and Maetel. He was a strikingly good-looking boy.

    He yelled loudly towards Artpe and Maetel. He stared at Maetel, who had disyed overwhelming martial prowess.

    ¡°If you guys are the subjects of thisnd, you should help the one that would be the ruler of thisnd in the future....! I do not lie. I will give both of you a big reward in the future! I swear it!¡±

    He wanted to escape this pattern of events. Artpe let out a sigh. He turned around as he gave an answer.

    ¡°Then give me half of the world.¡±

    ¡°Mmm!? T...that is....¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s out of the blue request, the crown prince¡¯s eyes narrowed. He was only a crown prince of a kingdom, and he was on the run. How could he offer half of the world!

    Artpe clicked his tongue..

    ¡°At a minimum, the Demon King offers this deal to the hero. You shoulde back after reading a book called, ¡®How to Propose an Offer that Can¡¯t be Turned Down.¡¯¡±

    This was a very sweet opportunity. However, Maetel just assumed Artpe didn¡¯t want to get involved in something annoying. She was somewhat correct, but it wasn¡¯t the whole truth. Artpe didn¡¯t have that bad of a personality.

    Except....

    ¡®How could I forget about him? That bastard was originally the crown prince of the Diaz Kingdom.....¡¯

    In his past life, he had been the enemy of the hero. The hero¡¯s heart was too soft, so she had been unable to kill Artpe. This was why the thief ruthlessly plunged his dagger into Artpe¡¯s heart to deal the killing blow.

    ¡°Why are you refusing to even hear me out! If you seed in this task, I said I would give you a very generous reward! Moreover, the one with the ability is the girl, so why do you keep answering for her!¡±

    The crown prince was shouting at Artpe with all his might. Artpe saw the face of the thief superimpose over the face of this boy.

    ¡°Ah, I just don¡¯t want to do it. I don¡¯t like you! I¡¯m not doing it!¡±

    ¡°Why not!¡±

    [Silpennon Le Diaz]

    [Crown Prince]

    [Level - 7]

    [Steal Lv1]

    [Silent Steps Lv2]

    Yes, this bastard was that bastard.

    A crown prince of a country grew up to be a thief.

 Chapter 24 - Yesterdays Enemy (3)

    Chapter 24 - Yesterday¡¯s Enemy (3)

    In his past life, the hero had been born within the Diaz Kingdom. When the hero turned 12 years old, she was dragged straight into the pce. This was the biggest mistake that had urred in the past hero¡¯s life.

    The pce followed a Hero Support Manual that was created several hundred years ago. While she was reared with the utmost care, the hero¡¯s first party member was added during this time. He was none other than this country¡¯s crown prince Silpennon Le Diaz. He was a thief.

    ¡®Of course, it isn¡¯t my business as to why Silpennon had turned down his seat as the crown prince to join the hero¡¯s party..... No, I get it now.¡¯

    It was true that Silpennon was directing his words towards Artpe, but his eyes remained nted on Maetel. His cheeks were red. It seemed he had fallen for her on first sight.

    It was understandable. In her past life, Maetel could have easily ruined couple kingdoms with her beauty. She was only thirteen years old right now, but her budding beauty could be seen even now. This was why it wasn¡¯t far-fetched to think that the crown prince had fallen for her.

    Still, Silpennon had witnessed Maetel shed blood with his two eyes. It was a bit baffling that he was able to show such pure ardor towards her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your answer. I want to hear it from the girl!¡±

    Silpennon browbeat Artpe as he turned his intense gaze towards Maetel. Artpe shrugged his shoulders, and he lightly tapped Maetel¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°....if you put it that way, I have no choice. You do whatever you want, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s tears hadn¡¯t stopped yet, but she was released from Artpe¡¯s embrace. She faced the crown prince. The crown prince looked on with pity when he saw her puffy eyes.

    ¡°You poor thing..... You are a child with a very tender heart. However, you don¡¯t have to be worried. The people you killed right now are rebels. They are traitors to this country, so you don¡¯t have to be wounded by their deaths.....¡±

    ¡°I hate the pce! I¡¯m not going!¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s attempt at consoling her failed miserably. Maetel cut him off as she rejected him. She returned to the arms of Artpe. She was as resolute as Artpe.

    ¡°What the.....¡±

    Silpennon was turned down in no uncertain term, so he froze in ce. One of the knights protecting Silpennon inadvertently started breaking out inughter. The other knights reigned him in.

    Silpennon came to his senses under the impetus of theughter. He had never been turned down so firmly in his life. His pride took a big hit, and he started talking incoherently.

    ¡°W...why not.... I promise to give you a lot of things! If you help me, I... Y...yes. What is your name? Which family are you from? If you have to travel around with such a terrible servant, it seems to indicates that you are unfortunately not from a suitable family. However, when we return to the pce, I¡¯ll use all the power at my disposal to elevate you to a suitable position....¡±

    ¡°....did you just insult Artpe right now?¡±

    She didn¡¯t like something Silpennon had said. Maetel remained in Artpe¡¯s embrace, but she extracted her face to re at Silpennon. Silpennon realized he had stepped on a mine, so his face turned pale.

    ¡°Ah. I...I didn¡¯t mean it like that....¡±

    ¡°I just told you! Artpe isn¡¯t terrible, and he isn¡¯t my servant!¡±

    ¡°H...he isn¡¯t your servant!?¡±

    ¡°You are really terrible!¡±

    It really was a sight that couldn¡¯t be seen without shedding some tears. It seemed Artpe wasn¡¯t the only one having such thoughts. The female knight, who had initiated a conversation with Artpe, carefully spoke to Silpennon.

    ¡°Your highness. Unfortunately, we might have to give up on the idea of them helping us. They have already saved your highness¡¯ life once. You should be thankful, yet you are trying to detain them against their will. This isn¡¯t unbefitting of your station, your highness. You possess the great bloodline of Diaz.¡±

    ¡°Koo-oohk.... So I have no choice, but to let the girl go!¡±

    ¡°Your highness.....¡±

    They were ying their parts well. They continued to act as if they were still in charge of a kingdom. If so, they could do as they wished by themselves.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to do it. Are we done here? We¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he turned away from them. As if she was worried about being left behind, she matched his footsteps. At that moment, she was very cute.

    However....

    ¡°Please stop......¡±

    Silpennon called after them again. His voice drooped like a wet rag. Artpe didn¡¯t hide his annoyance as he turned around. However, his eyes opened slightly wider when he saw what was in Silpennon¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Please take this.¡±

    ¡°What the....¡±

    It was Artpe¡¯s turn to be surprised like an idiot.

    Silpennon had held up arge jewel that was emitting a purple light from all its surface. Anyone, who knew the identity of the precious gemstone, would have reacted in a simr fashion. Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability didn¡¯t let him down. It immediately disyed the item¡¯s info.

    [Demite¡¯s Gemstone]

    [Magician]

    [It is part of the Limite group, which is considered to be the one of the highest ranked ingredients for magic items. It is incredibly high in purity, and as time passed, it gained a ss of its own. It is a legendary gem that only appears a handful of times in either the human world or the demon world.

    It hadn¡¯t been refined yet, so the gemstone¡¯s enormous power is still hidden. However, once it is refined, it will increase one¡¯s Mana by a vast amount, and it would also develop random additional abilities. It will also develop a will of its own, so it will have the ability to help the owner finish one¡¯s spell. However, it is so hard that it is almost impossible to refine it. This is the only w to the item.]

    ¡®This is probably worth more than his entire kingdom!?¡¯

    He had run across an unexpected item at a ce where he had never expected to find it. This was why Artpe almost became lost in himself. Silpennon spoke calmly in front of Artpe.

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve incurred a debt to you, it is up to me to express my thanks. I am being chased, but I cannot neglect my duty. Take this, youth. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it has been kept in our kingdom¡¯s treasury for a very long time. I¡¯m sure it is a precious gemstone. You should sell this, so your master... No. I want you to use it to help the girl acquire equipment that would be of help to her.¡±

    ¡°Do you really know what this is....¡±

    No, if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have given it to Artpe no matter how great of a help they were to him. Artpe cleanly swallowed the shout of joy that was about to exit his mouth. He took the purple colored gemstone. In such a situation, it was one¡¯s duty to be quiet, and just take the item!

    ¡°Hmm. As expected of the crown prince, you¡¯ve received a fantastic upbringing. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Is that perhaps apliment, Artpe!?¡±

    The other knights were taken aback when they saw Silpennon hand over the Demite Gemstone. It seemed all the other knights weren¡¯t like the female knight, who convinced Silpennon to do the right thing. It seemed they didn¡¯t put much importance in duty and honor.

    ¡°Your highness, we took that before we ran away from the pce. I don¡¯t think you should give away such a precious treasure.....¡±

    ¡°It is too excessive. I can tell at a nce that they aren¡¯t highborn. We can¡¯t give our treasure just because they aided us with the sword once....¡±

    ¡°His highness has made his decision, so you should all shut up.¡±

    Everyone shut their mouth when the female knight gave a fiery order. She was level 118. Since she had the highest level amongst the knights, he had wondered if she was the leader. He had guessed right.

    Well, even if she was the leader, they were.... Artpe shrugged his shoulders, and he put away the Demite¡¯s Gemstone into the Dimensional Pouch.

    The knights kept looking back at Artpe as if Silpennon¡¯s actions had left much to be desired. The female knight spoke in praise about the crown prince¡¯s upbringing. Silpennon tried to act cool on the outside, but the crown prince couldn¡¯t let go of the lingering attachment he had towards Maetel.

    ¡°Mmm......¡±

    Artpe hesitated as he looked at them.

    He didn¡¯t like Silpennon, but this sentiment came from the fact that Silpennon had delivered the killing blow in his past life. However, the one in front of him showed some promise.

    No, if he thought about it, Silpennon had carried out the dirty deed instead of the hero. He wasn¡¯t really that bad of a guy.

    Every time he saw Silpennon he remembered the calm face of the bastard, who stuck a dagger into his heart in his past life. It annoyed him, but when he saw the Demite¡¯s Gemstone in his hand, any trauma he would have felt evaporated in moments.

    ¡®All right. It feel like a waste to just send them off like this.¡¯

    This was why he decided to give Silpennon a bonus.

    ¡°Could you wait a little bit?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you perhaps going to help us.....¡±

    ¡°Do you have any paper?¡±

    ¡°Paper?¡±

    The female knight tilted her head in confusion. She took out a piece of parchment from within her clothes. She handed it over to Artpe.

    ¡°All right.....¡±

    He opened up the parchment, and he emitted a very small amount of Mana at the tip of his finger. Small smoke started to rise up as he wrote his letter. It was a trick that can be performed only by those adept at controlling Mana. Everyone except Maetel flinched when they saw this.

    ¡°As expected, this youth isn¡¯t normal either, your highness...¡±

    ¡°If he is her assistant.... At the very least, he should have that much skill if he wants to travel with her. He¡¯s a magician.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m done writing. Also....¡±

    Artpe took out an envelope from his Dimensional Pouch. It contained a strange green powder. He folded the note, and he handed it to the female knight with the envelope containing the green powder. He gave her a light wink.

    ¡°It is only for your eyes.¡±

    ¡°W...what....¡±

    The female knight¡¯s face turned red. Silpennon and the knights focused their gazes on her. The female knight was flustered, but she quickly hid the items.

    ¡°A...are you trying to make fun of an adult!¡±

    ¡°I was sincere. It is only for your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Koohk......¡±

    Artpe was well aware of the fact that his appearance was quite pleasing. If not, a big fish like the leader of the thieves¡¯ army Etna Carlyfate Mirecard wouldn¡¯t have clung to him.

    Of course, love didn¡¯t develop just based on a person¡¯s appearance. However, one¡¯s appearance was the first impression one could give, and it was undeniable that it had an immense effect on various parts of the love that develops.

    Silpennon was stunned as he looked up at her face.

    ¡°Leseti... Really?¡±

    ¡°Ah. No way, your highness! He¡¯s just a youngd!¡±

    ¡°However, your face turned red.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that! Anyways, I have to check if the note and the powder is safe. I¡¯ll keep it in my possession until then!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now. I hope you live long enough for us to meet again.¡±

    Artpe chortled as he turned away. He had done all he could for them, so it was up to them now. The night was getting deep, so they should return to their own campfire to get ready for camping outside...

    ¡°Artpe......¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes were murky like the eyes of a dead fish. She asked a question with a voice that was colder than winds blowing within the icy depths of hell.

    ¡°Does Artpe perhaps like old women....?¡±

    ¡°No. Nope. I promise you that isn¡¯t the case.¡±

    She had also fallen for the ruse!

    Artpe let out a sigh as he flicked her forehead. He dragged her towards the campfire.

    On the other side, the crown prince¡¯s party stood in ce for a moment. Everyone was looking towards one person. When the female knight became the focus of their attention, Leseti was flustered. She kept waving her arms.

    ¡°I...it isn¡¯t like that! It isn¡¯t, your highness! Anyways, we should ready our camp. Since we don¡¯t know how long our pursuers will follow us, we can¡¯t rest long.....¡±

    ¡°Yes, we should rest, and you should read the letter.¡±

    ¡°It is probably nothing!¡±

    Leseti erased the traces of battle, and she led the crown prince¡¯s party towards a suitable campsite. She ordered the knights to make a shelter, so Silpennon could rest first. When no one was looking, she secretly took out Artpe¡¯s letter.

    ¡°That impertinent brat.....¡±

    It seemed he had good eyes to be able to recognize a beauty like her. Leseti let out a self-satisfied smile as she lit a candle. His penmanship was so elegant that it was hard to believe a young man had written it. However, the letter was stuck to her eyes starting from the first word.

    [All the other knights are traitors. It is up to you to protect the crown prince before he gets killed or kidnapped by them. They were probably waiting the right time to steal the jewel from the crown prince, but he gave it to me. They won¡¯t hesitate anymore. Ah. I¡¯ve enclosed a poison within the folded envelope. You should use it. This makes us even.]

    .....the content of the letter had gone in apletely different direction than what Leseti had expected. The letter still made her heart pound.

 Chapter 25 - Yesterdays Enemy (4)

    Chapter 25 - Yesterday¡¯s Enemy (4)

    The fire made by Artpe was very warm. The two of them caught fishes from the ravine, and they cooked it over the fire. They used 3 silver worth of salt. Maetel hadn¡¯t had any fish for over a year, so she was surprised by the sudden and unexpected taste.

    ¡°Heeng. This is so tasty.....¡±

    ¡°If you eat when you are hungry, everything tastes great .¡±

    There were still traces of tear left near Maetel¡¯s eyes. Still, she was briskly eating the fishes. She was even eating the bones. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. He started to eat his own portion of fishes as he spoke.

    ¡°You have worked hard, Maetel. It is true that the Dungeon was very hard, but as a result, we were able to significantly decrease our growth period. We¡¯ll be able to move with a little bit more time to spare. No, even if you don¡¯t like it, we¡¯ll move at a more leisurely pace. I¡¯m really tired and exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Artpe.....¡±

    ¡°Say it.¡±

    Maetel was still unable to calm her heart. She sniffed as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Are you really sure that you don¡¯t like older women?¡±

    ¡°..........¡±

    Was she still worried about that!?

    He was dumbfounded. He smirked as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? I gave her a little bit of a warning as rpense for the gem we received.¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sure.¡±

    ¡°......yes, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    It seemed her worry about Artpe looking at other women overshadowed her psychological uneasiness at killing humans. It seemed Artpe wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much about her.

    Artpe let out a sigh of relief, and he was about to clear away the trash. However, at that moment, Maetel spoke as if she just had an idea.

    ¡°I want to sleep next to Artpe.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a child anymore.¡±

    ¡°I want to sleep with you. You said you¡¯ll grant me any wish I want.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s voice was shaking slightly. When he heard it, Artpe realized he was under a misconception.

    She wasn¡¯t being unnecessarily clingy towards Artpe. Her mental state was uneasy. Moreover, she was still worried about the thought of Artpe leaving her.

    ¡°....all right. I did say that I¡¯ll grant you a wish, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho!¡±

    He took out a bedroll(5 silvers). It was a bit cramped for two people, but he was prepared to go through with it tonight.

    He gathered some leaves on the ground, and he ced a cloth over it. Then he ced the bedroll on top before he lie within it. As if she was worried about Artpe going back on his words, she quickly got in. She had a satisfied expression on her face as she closed her eyes.

    ¡°Good night, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cramped and ufortable in here, so how can we sleep well.... She is already asleep.¡±

    ¡°Ssss¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When Maetel was held by Artpe, it seemed all her worries were let go. She was breathing easily as she quickly fell into sleep. Artpe was dumbfounded by the sight, but in the end, he let out a bitterugh as he moved to put her in a morefortable position.

    ¡®It feels like I¡¯m raising a kid.¡¯

    In truth, it may not be too far from the truth. Maetel didn¡¯t remember her past life, so she was just a young 13 year old girl. If Artpe added in his past life, he had lived for couple hundred years. He was a demon that was turned into a hero. Sometimes, he felt the disparity between the two lives keenly, and in those moments, he had a hard time breathing.

    Still, Artpe liked being with Maetel. It was strange, but at times, he felt pleased and full.

    It wasn¡¯t just because she was a talent, who could free Artpe by defeating the Demon King. At this point, Artpe had no choice but to ept the fact. Maetel was fairly.... She was quite dear to him.

    It was unfortunate that the innocent child was changing. She was being stained by his presence. However, he was thankful that this small child cherished him, and she wanted him around.

    It was as if he hadmitted a sin. It felt as if he was slowly being buried under a soft marsh. It was as if he was melting away. He was afraid to struggle... It was that sweet.

    ¡®Still, I shouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to it. I can becent after we kill the Demon King..¡¯

    Yes, he had things to do right now.

    Artpe was careful not to wake Maetel. He carefully snuck his hand out of the bedroll, and he activated his magic. The Hero¡¯s Unique Spell called Mana String was activated in no time.

    ¡°Kook!?¡±

    ¡°We were found.....!¡±

    The five strands of Mana Strings extended out into the surrounding. The Mana Strings let out a ck light as they danced in the air. Red lines of blood bloomed underneath the dark night sky like flowers. Apanying dull thudding sounds, human body parts started to fall to the ground.

    ¡°How!¡±

    They had been sure that they had seeded in their stealth mission. They paid for this belief with their lives. Of course, there were still a lot of them left. Artpe would extract a price from all of them.

    Artpe looked at them with cool eyes, and he spoke with a voice that was colder than a block of ice.

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. Be quiet, so she doesn¡¯t wake up.¡±

    ¡°Are you to ying games with...kahk!¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he watched the men emerge from the darkness. He moved his fingers. The Mana Strings moved ording to his will. They moved like whips with sentience, and they split through the air. The lives of two to three people were killed in a sh.

    ¡°He is stronger than the girl....!¡±

    ¡°It seems you guys are incapable of learning. Don¡¯t you guys realize that you guys are dying in the order of who opened their mouth first?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s purple eyes let out a radiant light within the darkness. It was as if his eyes could pierce through all lies. His eyes only contained the truth. The party of men had tried a surprise attack relying on the darkness. His eyes was like the deliverer of death for these men.

    ¡°W...we can¡¯t win.¡±

    ¡°The one that is terrifying is actually him.... Kahk!¡±

    ¡®Mana String. The experience I picked up struggling as a weakling was mixed with the Hero¡¯s power to be a Unique spell....¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a proper spell. The Mana Threads was something he developed during the rough patches of his life as a demon. In the beginning , the Mana String was an unwee development for him.

    However, he was able to quietly take care of this problem thanks to this spell. He was able to let Maetel sleep peacefully. This single reason was good enough for him to value this magic.

    ¡°We erred in assessing their capability.....¡±

    ¡°Where are you running away?¡±

    Mana String was able to impart overwhelming force using Mana, but it consumed a lot of Mana. This was why it wasn¡¯t a weapon that could be used freely in a battle situation.

    This was why Artpe used all the informationing in through his eyes to find the most efficient trajectories. He moved his fingers ording to the calctions he had made.

    The men tried everything to stop it, but their weapons and feet were slower than the Mana String, which had no weight.

    ¡°Wait a moment. If you cooperate with us, you will have a ce in the newly created kingdom.....¡±

    ¡°Good bye.¡±

    The five strands of Mana Strings gathered at a single location. Thest remaining man was still struggling to live. He died as he was cut into several bs of meat. His face was full of resentment. Artpe let out a bitterugh when he saw it.

    ¡®From your perspective, your side was probably in the absolute right. In your next life, I hope you will be able to live a life as a farmer where you won¡¯t have to kill or be killed. I will pray for you all.¡¯

    Artpe retracted the Mana Strings, and he checked Maetel, who was snuggled up against him. Her breathing was even. She was still asleep.

    ¡®That wasn¡¯t too bad.¡¯

    However, it seemed the disturbance wasn¡¯t at an end. From not too far away, the main guests wereing towards them.

    ¡°We were discovered, captain! If you are done retrieving the gem, you should help.... What!?¡±

    From the beginning, Artpe hadn¡¯t bothered hiding his location. He didn¡¯t have any particr difficulty in dispatching the first group that had ambushed him, and it would be the same for those that had followed behind them.

    ¡°What the hell is.....¡±

    ¡°Impossible.....!?¡±

    He had wondered about the identity of the second group, who was drawn towards them like moths. It was none other than the knights that had apanied the crown prince Silpennon. There were some amongst them that was suffering from serious wounds. Some amongst them had bloated face as if they were suffering under the effects of poison.

    Still, they were better off than the men that were killed here. They hade here to ask for help, so they hadn¡¯t expected to witness the death of their other party. They were extremely surprised.

    ¡°Y....you bastard!?¡±

    Artpe was wide awake, while Maetel was asleep. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to determine, who was the culprit.

    ¡°You guys are too noisy.¡±

    Artpe only brought out a single strand of Mana String to confront their anger. These men were like scrapspared to the men that had ambushed Artpe¡¯s party. They were maggots, who ran away, because they couldn¡¯t handle a single level 118 knight.

    ¡°Be quiet. Forever.¡±

    ¡°Kuhk.....!¡±

    The Mana String cut through the air. Four knights had survived, and they had run away towards this direction. He took care of them in six seconds. Afterwards, a woman ran into the clearing. She had great timing.

    ¡°You bastards! You dare to call yourselves knights, who protect the royal family.... Mmmm!?¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡±

    Artpe was still within the bedroll, and he was ring at the female knight Leseti with narrowed eyes. Leseti saw the numerous corpses strewn around the clearing, so she closed her mouth.

    She was pretty good on the uptake, so she was able to easily identify, who was behind the ughter.

    ¡®I had a hunch that he wasn¡¯t normal, but I never expected him to be such an overwhelming force. Who is this young man.... Mmm?¡¯

    She was so scared that she was unable to let out even a squeak under Artpe¡¯s murderous gaze. She silently went over the situation when she suddenly had an epiphany.

    There was an incident near here only a year ago. Two heroes had been born in a country vige. When they disappeared, the whole kingdom had been in an uproar!

    Two youths....

    They were iprehensibly strongpared to their ages.

    ck hair and blonde hair....

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, Artpe......?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Leseti couldn¡¯t hold back her exmation of surprise. Maetel opened her eyes. Leseti btedly realized she had made a mistake. Artpe sharply raised a finger, and Leseti shut her eyes when she saw it.

    A brief amount of time had passed.

    ¡°Are you ok, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt at all, so you don¡¯t have to touch me constantly. I¡¯ll clean this up, so you should keep your eyes close.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to close my eyes. I¡¯m all right now. I¡¯ll be fine since Artpe is here.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.... All right. You do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    If she hadn¡¯t seen the corpses everywhere around her, she would have been able to continue her sleep. However, once she found about about them, sleep wasn¡¯t an option. The two heroes got up from their sleeping ce, and they put away the bedroll. They started working on cleaning up the corpses strewn about their surrounding.

    Artpe took all of the equipment that was useful. He also took all the silver coins they possessed. Maetel gathered the corpses he was done ¡®looting.¡¯

    ¡°Artpe, why do we have to kill other people?¡±

    ¡°It is the same reason as to why we killed the monsters. We all have something we want from each other. Everything else is just an excuse. The plethora of excuses given for harming living beings are just embellishments.¡±

    ¡°I see..... The act of living is very hard in itself.¡±

    ¡°The important part is to realize that we have to live within such a world. You can respect the lives of other people, but when there is a collision, you have carry through to enforce your way of life.¡±

    ¡°Yes. All right.¡±

    Thirteen year old brats were talking about philosophical bullshit as they calmly cleared away the corpses. What was she supposed to say to them? Should she disagree with their views? Should she tell them to go read more books?

    Of course, Leseti was banned from speaking, so she didn¡¯t say anything. She continued to raise her two hands as she sat on her knees. This was a punishment devised by Artpe.

    ¡°That it. Did you gather all of them Maetel?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    After Artpe threw all the corpses into the fire, he turned to look at Leseti. She still had her arms up as she carried out the order she was given. Artpe smirked as he spoke.

    ¡°Your punishment is at an end. You should go back to the crown prince. As you probably realize by now, no one will side with you even if you head back towards the pce. The two of you should go to a remote vige. You should live a quiet life, while tending to cows.¡±

    ¡°Koohk......¡±

    Leseti couldn¡¯t give a proper retort. She just groaned.

    Yes, the only thing going for the crown prince was that he was the legitimate heir. However, in regards to all other issues, the rebels held the upper hand. No one would side with them. That was the miserable truth.

    ¡±Hey¡±

    At that moment, a young man pushed past the brush, and he gave a reply instead of Leseti.

    ¡°Do you know why there was a rebellion against the Diaz family?¡±

    It was the red haired crown prince Silpennon. Of course, Artpe had already sensed him getting close. This was why he wasn¡¯t surprised as he gave his reply.

    ¡°Did they perhaps attack the king on the fact that he wasn¡¯t able to properly take care of the heroes?¡±

    ¡°You are correct. Of course, I don¡¯t n on putting the me on you guys. That incident was merely the trigger. My uncle.... The duke was a wild beast, who had been waiting for an opportunity to tear into the king. If it wasn¡¯t the escape of the heroes, he would have found another reason to start a rebellion¡±

    Silpennon had alreadye to the same conclusion as Leseti that Artpe and Maetel were heroes. Still, his face remained aloof. It was said that a man grows through hardship. His gaze remained on Artpe instead of Maetel.

    ¡°You are right. Even if I recklessly went back to the pce, there isn¡¯t much that I could do. I¡¯m just a brat that was lucky enough to be born as the crown prince. If I act rashly, my head would be severed. It would be mounted next to the king¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°Your highness.....!¡±

    ¡°This is why I have to go with you guys.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    His words were very unexpected. However, Silpennon continued to speak with a sincere voice.

    ¡°The duke rebelled using the fact that my father had lost track of the heroes. The duke used that reason to gain the throne. Now he will use all avable resources to find the heroes in an attempt to solidify his reign.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll seems likely.¡±

    ¡°So what would happen if I¡¯m already in the party of the heroes?¡±

    What was this bastard talking about?

    When Artpe red at Silpennon, he provided an exnation.

    ¡°The new king would be unable to find the heroes, yet I would be in the party of the heroes. I would be helping the the heroes. In the end, we would seed in killing the Demon King! At that time, who would the people and the nobles want on the throne! They would want me, who gained the title of hero!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh. It is a very risky and wild n! Still, it isn¡¯t too bad.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it!?¡±

    It was a good idea considering it was devised by a kid. This stupid kingdom put importance on titlespared to any other ce in the world. This n sounded like it could actually work!

    Artpe nodded his head as if there was merit to his n. Silpennon was excited by this fact, so he started shouting his words.

    ¡°That is why you guys should team up with me! From this moment on, I¡¯ll throw away my rank as the crown prince. I¡¯ll help you guys defeat the Demon King. I¡¯ll be a key yer within the hero¡¯s party!¡±

    ¡°Hold your horses. There is a very big w within your n that can¡¯t be ignored.¡±

    Artpe spoke coldly.

    ¡°You are too weak. You won¡¯t be of any help to us. I¡¯ll be blunt. You¡¯ll be a burden, so get lost.¡±

    ¡°Koo-huhk!¡±

    The astutement was a critical hit! The crown prince had no way of refuting that fact! The current hero¡¯s words had a multiplier effect!

 Chapter 26 - Yesterdays Enemy (5)

    Chapter 26 - Yesterday¡¯s Enemy (5)

    The sun brightened the morning. Artpe caught several fishes from the ravine, and he used the Mana String to clean them. This magic wasn¡¯t meant to be used this way, but he didn¡¯t care. He was killing two birds with one stone by leveling up his Spell Level.

    Maybe.

    ¡°Wow. Artpe¡¯s hand movements are exquisite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to boast, but I have a knack for useless talents.¡±

    ¡°Leseti, are all magicians able to use such an odd spell?¡±

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a spell. It seems he is more special since he is a hero.¡±

    Silpennon and Leseti was also watching this sight.

    If spoken bluntly, they had lost their positions and their escort guards. They were beggars now. Artpe felt a little bit bad for just sending them away, so he decided to send them off after a meal.

    ¡°So you guys didn¡¯t bring any foods you can eat?¡±

    ¡°We did bring a lot of money. Our kingdom specializes in manufacturing Dimensional Pouches.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know this, but I¡¯ll say it just in case. Don¡¯t spendrge sums of money in any old ce.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Artpe looked away from Silpennon. He looked at Leseti with sympathy in his eyes. He could clearly see the difficulty she would have to endure in the future.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hoong.¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    However, Leseti avoided his gaze as her cheeks reddened.

    In her stead, Maetel pinched Artpe¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    What the hell? Why were their reactions switched?

    Artpe was bewildered as he rubbed at his thigh. At that moment, the crown prince added a supplementary exnation.

    ¡°For the past 20 years of her life, Leseti only focused on self-training and protecting me. She is a poor woman, who has yet to date a man. Even if you are young, she is epting you in that fashion, because she is very thirsty.¡±

    ¡°Your highness, it has been an honor to be able to serve you until now. Please be happy in your future endeavors.¡±

    ¡°Why are you unsheathing your sword! I always trusted you to be by my side!¡±

    ¡°You revealed the reason why!¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t using honorifics!?¡±

    Such a simple method was able to eliminate her sense of loyalty. He had a better idea now on why the Diaz Kingdom were overrun by the rebels.

    He finished cleaning the fishes.

    Artpe kept a small steel pot alongside his money inside the Dimensional Pouch. Maetel brought over edible nts, and he put in spices(50 bronze) he bought from the merchant. When the water came to a boil, he put the fishes in. Soon, a very pleasant smell started to emanate from it.

    ¡°It seems you are very experienced at doing all of this.¡±

    ¡°If you fight and live in the mountains and fields, this type of skills bes second nature to you.¡±

    The four people ate the finished fish soup. The rations supplemented the meal. The food was eaten in a blink of an eye. Maetel alway ate whatever Artpe made as if it was delicious. He could give her a ball of dirt, and she would say it was delicious. However, he had thought Silpennon would have a picky pte, since he was the crown prince. He ate it withoutining, and he even gave Artpe apliment.

    ¡°Thank you. I enjoyed it very much.¡±

    ¡°How should I say this? You are so polite that it is annoying.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Hispetency for household chores are great....¡±

    He decided not to ask Leseti about what she was checking. Artpe finished washing the dishes. He stood up after he put away the pot into the Dimensional Pouch.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go our own way from here on out.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way we can go with you guys? I guess this is to be expected. My ability is pitifulpared to you guys......¡±

    Silpennon was in low spirits. He lowered his head as he mumbled those words. This was the first time he had escaped the mantle of his position as the crown prince. It was at this moment that he realized how powerless he was for the first time in his life. His direction in life going forward would be determined on how he remedied that fact.

    Artpe had a bitter expression on his face, and he asked Silpennon a question as if he was asking it in passing.

    ¡°So what do you n on doing from here on out?¡±

    ¡°I nned on finding the heroes. Then I wanted to achieve the merit of defeating the Demon King. However, that n fell into pieces, so I don¡¯t know what..... I can¡¯t go back to the castle. In truth, I¡¯m at a dead end.¡±

    ¡°Leseti, do you have any other ns?¡±

    ¡°He is an annoying human being, but he is my lord. I will protect him until I¡¯m able to. That is it.¡±

    ¡°Basically, you don¡¯t have any other ns.¡±

    ¡°Koohk.¡±

    He had expected her to be a little bit smarter than Silpennon, but it seemed Leseti also didn¡¯t know much about the world.

    If he let them go like this, they would die somewhere without anyone knowing about it. He could only see a miserable death for them in the future.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ssp. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he gave them a proposal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s form a temporary party.¡±

    ¡°Are you....letting us into your party!?¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s eyes shone, and even Leseti had a healthy glow when she heard the news. Maetel looked as if she was unsatisfied with something.

    ¡°I like being with Artpe. Just the two of us....¡±

    ¡°This is temporary. We¡¯ll do this until we clear one Dungeon. If I let this guy leave, he¡¯ll suffer a rough fate. I¡¯ll give him some basic lessons. I¡¯ll let him be indebted to me, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll bring something back to me in the future.¡±

    ¡°Are you supposed to say that in front of the person you are talking about?¡±

    Silpennon spoke as he was dumbfounded, but his face remained bright. He now knew that Artpe cared about them.

    When he saw Artpe ruthlessly kill the knights, he had doubts as to whether he was a hero. As expected, he was good at a fundamental level!

    Of course, Artpe¡¯s intention was entirely different from what Silpennon had attributed to him.

    ¡®Even if he was the crown prince, they don¡¯t let anyone join the hero¡¯s party. One has to be excellent and skilled at a very basic level. That is why the party members are able to stick around the hero without dying.¡¯

    The crown prince had the talent to be a thief. He was very remarkable.

    If he was trained properly, he¡¯ll be able to gain fame within the kingdom within couple years. No, his name would spread throughout the continent. Of course, in his past life, Silpennon was locked away inside the pce for five years alongside Maetel, and the rest was history.

    ¡®If I expend a little bit of my time here, I can create a foundation he can build on. I would be making a powerful card that I can useter against the Demon King¡¯s army. Moreover, he seems to have a personality of wanting to repay his debts. In light of that fact, there isn¡¯t much downside in doing this.¡¯

    If one received a favor, it had to be paid pack.

    It was a reasonable sentiment. It was also true that it was hard to make good on such sentiments. However, the crown prince in front of him might have that great quality where he would keep true to his duties.

    ¡°I have a question.¡±

    Silpennon hadn¡¯t opened his mouth. It was Leseti.

    ¡°You just said a Dungeon. You speak so lightly about it.... Do you realize it is very hard to find a Dungeon? At this moment, countless adventurers are looking a Dungeon in an attempt to strike it rich. They roam thend, but they are barely able to find one after they fruitlessly search for several years. Even if they do find one, they just suffer a dog¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already well aware of that fact.¡±

    ¡°If we want to clear a decent Dungeon, we¡¯ll have to stay together for couple years. Is this a roundabout way of epting us into your party?¡±

    Maybe Leseti was hoping her words were true. She hade here based on the idea that she had to save the crown prince. However, she wasn¡¯t talented at anything except fighting and protecting someone.

    He was young, yet he had ridiculous amount of power. Moreover, he was talented in many facets. If they were able to join Artpe¡¯s party, she would be able to just focus on fighting and guarding the crown prince.

    On top of that, if the crown prince was able to grow up splendidly and y a support role in defeating the Demon King, he would be able to return triumphantly as the scion of the Diaz family.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t I right?¡±

    She was 20 years old, but from Artpe¡¯s perspective, she still looked like a brat to him. She was trying hard to appear as if she was calm. However, there was a catch and a slight tremor in her voice that betrayed the desperation she was feeling. Artpe let out augh.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Two days had passed. The party stood in front of an old tree that was rotting away.

    What was hiding there?

    It was none other than an entrance to the Dungeon. Artpe merely extended his Mana, and the hollow portion of the tree expanded. It was readied itself to ept the adventurers.

    ¡°No way......¡±

    ¡°This is impossible!¡±

    Leseti had an agitated expression on her face. Silpennon was shocked as he turned to look at Artpe.

    ¡°How were you able to find it so quickly.....?¡±

    ¡°idents and events have a way of finding heroes even if they stay put, yet we are actively searching for a Dungeon right now. Of course, one or two Dungeons would show up.¡±

    ¡°Heroes are truly amazing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Artpe is truly amazing!¡±

    This is why it is convenient to have idiots around!

    ¡°The magical energy I sense isn¡¯t high or dense. The monsters inside will be of themon variety. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if this was an insignificant Dungeon. However, it couldn¡¯t be disputed that it was a lousy Dungeon crawling with low level Slimes. Even if it was a lousy Dungeon, it was a veryrge one. This was why no adventurer was able topletely conquer this Dungeon in his past life! This was true even at the time of his death!

    ¡°Here. You should arm yourself with this.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmmmm.¡±

    Artpe tossed a crappy equipment that Silpennon could arm himself with. Silpennon took the dagger, and he spoke with an uncertain voice.

    ¡°Do....do you think I can do this?¡±

    ¡°Who wanted an active role inside the hero¡¯s party?¡±

    ¡°......I did.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s light provocation, Silpennon answered back with a firm voice. He nodded his head several times as if he was making a resolve. He gripped the dagger so hard that veins started to pop out on the back of his hand.

    ¡°All right. Since the hero ns on guiding me, I can¡¯t turn that opportunity down. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°You are no longer in the position of being the crown prince. From now on, I want you to think about what position you want, and what kind of fighting style you want to fight with. You should battle with those points in your mind.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    He started fidgeting with the short sword in one hand. He asked a question. It seemed his other hand was feeling empty.

    ¡°Do you have another one that is simr to this?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    The act of using weapons with both hands sounded easy, but it wasn¡¯t something he would rmend..... Well, it would be helpful if he experienced this fact. At his request, Artpe took out another short sword.

    ¡°All right. The bnce finally feels right. In truth, when I was bored within the pce, I used to busy my hands like this.¡±

    ¡°It must have been great. It seem being the crown prince was a job of leisure.¡±

    Silpennon was finally satisfied after he alternately swung his daggers in each hand. At that moment, his information was updated.

    [Silpennon Le Diaz]

    [Level : 7]

    [Dual Wielding Lv1]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    That¡¯s right. If seen in certain light, this guy would be considered to be a genius. Artpe was dumbfounded as he let out a bitterugh.

    Anyways, Silpennon was now ready for battle.

    Leseti looked a bit disappointed.

    Maetel had spend a year in a Dungeon, yet it seemed she was eager to go into another one. She was excited.

    ¡°We are doing this Dungeon exploration to grow Silpennon¡¯s ability. If possible, we should stay out of his way. Even if there are traps, we won¡¯t be telling you about it, so you should firm your resolve. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°.... all right.¡±

    Silpennon gulped as he nodded his head.

    The party members entered the Dungeon side by side.

    The first one to speak inside the Dungeon was Maetel.

    ¡°Artpe, there are a lot of something here.¡±

    ¡°A lot? It should be. This Dungeon has a pretty high monster regeneration, but it is frequented by.... Huh.¡±

    As soon as he entered the Dungeon, Artpe sensed an unusual amount of signatures. He activated his Read All Creation ability, and he was able to see that the numerous monsters were all Slimes.

    A thought came to him at the same time.

    ¡®When was this Dungeon became known to the humans?¡¯

    He was easily able to find the answer. In his past life, the Dungeon was first found by the hero¡¯s party when they exited the pce. This Dungeon was revealed to the other adventurers after it was found by them. Of course, no one in this world knew about this ce at this point in time!

    ¡°Ah. It seems we are the discoverers.¡±

    ¡°Discoverer? Is it something good?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is good. No one has touched this ce, so the rewards will be great. Since the traps are brand new, it¡¯ll be hiddenpletely, so it¡¯ll be thrilling to go through this ce. You¡¯ll also be able to experience monsters copsing towards you.....¡±

    ¡°It sounds as if the negative outweighs the good!?¡±

    Artpe looked down towards the end of the dark and damp corridor made out of wood. An incrediblyrge army of Slimes wereing towards them. Silpennon had also caught sight of them, and his face turned pale. Artpe let out a kind smile towards him.

    ¡°Cheer up. You can do this.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. This is a bit different from what we¡¯ve talked about... Goo-ahk!?¡±

    The Slimes knew that the intruders were ridiculously strong by instinct. This was why they immediately focused on Silpennon, who was the only one they had a shot of winning against.

    Silpennon turned pale as he was about to encounter the Slimes. However, no one stepped forward to help him. In the end, he was instantly buried by the group of Slimes.

    Artpe¡¯s apathetic gaze turned towards Leseti. He asked her a question.

    ¡°Hey, guardian knight. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I trust in his highness. Well, if he dies, it can¡¯t be help. By the way, Artpe, would you ept me into your party if I¡¯m alone?¡±

    ¡°You are very forthright.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ah-roo-koo-ahh-gyah-gyah-gyahk!¡±

    It seemed Leseti¡¯s way of thinking reached a turning point on her 20th year in life. Silpennon was buried by the Slimes, so it was hard to tell what he was yelling.

    ¡°Your highness, I have faith in in you! Still, just to safe, you should tell me what kind of funeral you want! You should have told me beforehand!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-gahh-gyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    After 45 minutes, Silpennon used his Dual Wielding style to kill all the Slimes. The three people smiled at him as if they knew he would have seeded. He had no words for them. He just clenched his two fists, and he made a resolve!

    ¡°I¡¯ll be stronger... I will be stronger at all cost!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    This was how the hero¡¯s party started their second Dungeon exploration.

 Chapter 27 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success

    Chapter 27 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess

    In Artpe¡¯s past life, the hero¡¯s party was the first to explore the Slime Dungeon first. Afterwards, the Dungeon became popr amongst the adventurers.

    First, the Dungeon produced only Slimes. This was why the danger to the adventurers was very low, and there weren¡¯t that many traps present. Moreover, when one killed a certain amount of Slimes, random treasure chests appeared when the Mana within the Dungeon was activated. This was why one could expect a decent amount of profit in this Dungeon.

    ¡°Basically, this is the best ce for a beginner adventurer to grow. Moreover, it is also a great ce to learn about Dungeons.¡±

    ¡°So why are there so many Slimes-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Tsk. He looked like he was going to die, yet he isn¡¯t dying.¡±

    ¡°Who was it right now! Who clicked their tongue at me-ahhhhhhk!¡±

    Silpennon was fighting hard. Normally, a talent bloomed the brightest in brutal situations rather than a rxed surrounding. A single misstep would allow the group of Slimes to swallow him, and he would be digested by them. This was why he was squeezing out his abilities, and he was able to push himself past his limit.

    When the two daggers danced in the air, the severed portion of the Slimes were sent flying. Silpennon¡¯s battle capability was increasing in real-time. As expected, a genius was a genius.

    ¡°It seems one doesn¡¯t need a coach in battle.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Why is he moving like that? I have questions....¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t use yourself as the standard, Maetel. If so, everyone will be disqualified in the preliminaries.¡±

    ¡°Too many! There are too many of them! Damn Slimes!¡±

    The Slime Dungeon was different in many ways to the first Dungeon entered by Artpe and Maetel. The previous Dungeon had a limit as to how many monsters could form. This Dungeon created new monsters every time it had any spare Mana.

    It didn¡¯t matter how many monsters were still left within. It spawned them as if it wanted to make the monsters explode out from the Dungeon!

    The monsters spawned within the Dungeon was influenced by the Record and the Mana. Theseponents were unique to each Dungeon. This was why an adventurer was unable to im to be an expert after exploring one or two Dungeons.

    ¡°That is why the rooms are infested with Slimes. Well, the Slimes are activating all the traps, so at the very least, we don¡¯t have to worry about him dying from the traps.¡±

    ¡°This is all thanks to the Slimes!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Silpennon frantically swung the daggers in each hand as he cut into the Slimes. His Dual Wielding had evolved into level 2. His growth couldn¡¯tpare to what Maetel went through when she fought monsters for her first time in a Dungeon. Still, he wasn¡¯t too bad.

    However, the Slimes overcame the death of theirrades as they kepting. Their main objective was to eat Silpennon. The Slimes charged forward without looking back. Inevitably, the stronger ones started to show up.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯te here!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh oh.¡±

    The sight reminded Artpe of the time when thebined forces of all the countries on the continent were sent towards the Demon King¡¯s army. If a hundred of such group continued toe at him, Silpennon would sumb to them eventually!

    ¡°Eeeek. Help me before I fall!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bury you in a sunny ce, your highness.¡±

    ¡°How can you call yourself a guardian knight! You¡¯re fired! Ooh-gahhhhhhhh!¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s struggle continued. He had been a level 7, but at some point, he had reached level 18. As he moved deeper into the Dungeon, the level of the Slimes continued to creep upwards. However, Silpennon was slowly getting a feel for fighting against arge group, so a good fight ensued.

    Maetel tilted her head in confusion as she watched the life and death battle between human and Slimes.

    ¡°Artpe, didn¡¯t the Skeletons retreat when they were at a disadvantage? Why do these monsters continue to charge forward?¡±

    ¡°Silpennon looks beatablepared to us. These guys are constantly hungry. They¡¯ll keep attacking unless their opponent is stronger than them by a fair amount¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they eat each other?¡±

    The question was very well-timed.

    ¡°Slimes don¡¯t eat those that are from the same race as them. However, it isn¡¯t prudent to view monsters throughmon sense. An exception always exists.¡±

    Artpe gave his exnation as he pointed towards Silpennon.

    Silpennon had just killed a group of Slime, and he was wiping slime off of his body.

    ¡°Even if they are monsters from the same race, their behavior pattern changes depending on the Dungeon, environmental factors and other variables. Amongst the monsters, the change that the Slime undergoes is very well-defined and simple. Moreover, most Dungeons evolve to match the behavior patterns of the monsters.¡±

    ¡°So the Dungeons and monsters live and breathe together?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Maetel is smart.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoot.¡±

    It was a rare praise, so there was a bright smile on Maetel¡¯s face. However, the only ones tough in an easygoing manner were the heroes.

    ¡°Your exnation makes me feel uneasy.... It is as if you are trying to say our mere presence will cause changes in the behavior pattern of the Slimes.¡±

    Leseti made a pretty sharp observation. When he heard her words, a chill went up Silpennon¡¯s spine. He quickly turned towards Artpe to shout at him.

    ¡°I want to leave this crazy ce!¡±

    ¡°It is toote. It has already started.¡±

    After Artpe finished speaking, an ominous sound of Slimes moving across the floor was heard. The sound was amplified by several degrees.

    ¡°The Slimes.... They are retreating?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the monsters. The Dungeon is really changing.....!¡±

    There was a room at the end of the hallway that had been sealed. The room copsed. It continued onto the next one and so forth. When a change ured within a Dungeon, the mostmon phenomenon to ur was the copse of the strict boundaries that kept the rooms separate.

    It also meant that the Dungeon was bing more dangerous, and the monsters would be stronger. In turn, the reward would also be greater. When an adventurer feels the change in the Dungeon, one would have to make a quick decision and act on it.

    Silpennon had two choices. He could go forward or retreat.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m getting out of here!¡±

    ¡°I have to express my regret to you. There are two type of changes that may ur within a Dungeon. There are the Dungeons that allow the adventures to retreat when they desire it. Then there are the ones that allow you toe in easily, but it won¡¯t let you go easily.¡±

    Artpe pointed back at the sealed entrance of the Dungeon, and he smirked.

    ¡°This Dungeon is thetter type.¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s face crumpled.

    ¡°My god..... Doesn¡¯t this basically impose a death sentence on the adventurers!¡±

    ¡°Are you under some kind of delusion? Dungeons aren¡¯t here to help develop adventurers. The Dungeons aren¡¯t here to give them treasures. The Dungeons merely exists. The danger and opportunity is distributed equitably to all.¡±

    Of course, Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability allowed him to see what changes were urring within the Dungeon. At its heart, this was a Slime Dungeon. Even if it evolved in innovative ways, the only one in danger would be Silpennon.

    ¡°The prerequisites that causes the change in the behavior pattern of the Slimes is very simple. First, the intruders has to be strong enough that the Slime can¡¯t win in a direct confrontation. Secondly, the intruder has to show no signs of retreating. The intruder has to rush forward continuously. Third, there has to be an overwhelming number of Slimes present. When all of these conditions are met, they start eating each other to be stronger.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s happening right now!¡±

    Silpennon screamed those words out. The Slimes were wriggling around, and they werebining to berger. Moreover, the walls of the Dungeon continued to copse. The Slimes that were on alert within these rooms came forward. They kept rushing towards the Slime that was eating its own brethrens!

    ¡°Oh oh. It is rare to see one that can eat so much. If we are lucky, this might ratchet up a level.¡±

    In many ways, the current situation was good for them. First, the Slime Dungeon hadn¡¯t been found yet, so a lot of Slimes had amassed within. Their party including Silpennon was overpowered in terms of martial strength(Silpennon would disagree with this point). Then there was the massive amount of Mana in reserve that would allow the Dungeon to make changes alongside the monsters.

    This was how Artpe changed history once again. The Slime Dungeon would never be a beginner¡¯s Dungeon from this point forward. This was the start of a hellhole that was now under the rule of the evolved Slime!

    ¡°Up a level? What do you mean by up a level? Are you perhaps talking about a high rank ss! Tell me it ain¡¯t so!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be, your highness. As you¡¯ve seen, the Slimes are the lowest ranked monsters that range from level 5 to level 10. The probability of these monstersbining to form a monster over level 50 is......¡±

    ¡°Ah. The Dungeon is copsing.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±

    Once a Slime starts to eat its brethrens, it won¡¯t stop until it¡¯s sure it can eat all of the intruders.

    In the beginning, Silpennon had driven the Slimes into a frenzy. Moreover, Artpe and the other members of his party was also within the Dungeon. The Slime knew it couldn¡¯t beat them with a single floor worth of Slimes, so it started preying on the Slimes on the next floor. The Dungeon received its intention, and the Dungeon copsed the floor!

    ¡°Kyahhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    Of course, the adventurers, who had found this Dungeon, fell downwards.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Artpe swung his hand, and he extended three strands of Mana String. He was at the center as he wrapped Maetel, Leseti and Silpennon with the Mana Strings. They safelynded on the Dungeon¡¯s 2nd floor, which was below the copsed hallway.

    [Geeeeeeeeee]

    [Sss-oooooh, sss-oooooooooh]

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to hear something!¡±

    ¡°Oh. If we are lucky, it might even gain self-awareness. Ee-yah. There are much more Slimes on the 2nd floor! This is fun! They are allbining!¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho!¡±

    ¡°Did you guyse here to have fun!¡±

    They were only Slimes, but the ones on the 2nd floor was much higher in level than the ones on the 1st floor. The Slimes didn¡¯t care if the ceiling had fallen. They were all over the 2nd floor, and the giant Slime that was formed on the 1st floor started eating the other helpless Slimes.

    [Keeeeeeeeeeee]

    ¡°Oh oh. I don¡¯t like it. The color of each Slime is being mixed inside that big Slime, and it is giving me a bad feeling!¡±

    ¡°How can the color of the Slime change like that, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact......¡±

    ¡°If you have the time to leisurely exin the ecology of a Slime, you should do something about that bastard, Artpe!¡±

    As it absorbed new types of Slimes into its body, the giant Slime was dyed with all kinds of colors! The party watched the gluttonous Slime. It was akin to watching someone else¡¯s house burn down. Artpe could see the level of the enormous Slime rise in real time.

    [Big Slime]

    [Level : 33]

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It is still a lousy monster. Ah. Of course, a single hit will kill you.¡±

    ¡°You should have told me that first!¡±

    As if Silpennon had been waiting for such words, he quickly ran towards Leseti. Leseti talked about his grave and funeral, but she didn¡¯t really n on letting him die. She let him hide behind her.

    ¡°For your information, it is an Elite monster now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we get better rewards for killing Elite monsters?¡±

    ¡°It is also stronger than the monsters at the same level.¡±

    The Big Slime was well aware of its station. It had grown a lot, but it knew it would get cut into pieces by the other humans before it was able to kill the detestable red haired brat.

    This was why it wasn¡¯t satisfied. It kept eating all the Slimes on the 2nd floor. In the process, the hidden passages of the Dungeons were revealed, and all kinds of rare Slimes started to pop out. These Slimes were much more colorful. They either possessed a faint trace of magical energy or they were stickier.

    Of course, they became nutrients that fueled the growth of the Big Slime.

    ¡®Uh. In the past, I¡¯ve never heard of a rumor about secret passages inside this Dungeon.¡¯

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t search out Dungeons in his past life, so he hadn¡¯t had the chance to use his Read All Creation ability within them. Basically, a secret that had never been found in his previous life was revealed to him in the present.

    Well, this was only a Slime Dungeon. There probably wasn¡¯t anything great....

    [Goo-ohhhhhh-ohng!]

    ¡°It let out a cry!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s shining!¡±

    ¡°Huh. I might have been wrong.¡±

    The rare Records that wasn¡¯t usually allowed to be essed by a normal Slime had been gathered in one ce. The Slime broke through another wall, and it took another step forward. The party members saw a very rare sight where a monster reached a high rank ss through gaining a high level.

    [Great Slime]

    [Level : 50]

    ¡°Ee-yah. That one is splendid. It reached the status of an Elite Rare monster!¡±

    ¡°How long are you going to just watch!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You are right. I should start taking action.¡±

    Artpe found a good sized rock, and he put a decent amount of Mana into it. He threw it towards a nearby Slime. After the Slime ate the rock, it was absorbed into the Great Slime.

    Silpennon cried out suddenly.

    ¡°I told you to take care of it! When did I tell you to feed the Slime!¡±

    ¡°Aigo. It is eating it well.¡±

    ¡°Stop feeding it!¡±

    The Great Slime continued to evolve. However, the Slimes on the 2nd floor was all gone. Even the secret tunnels were all opened. It meant there wasn¡¯t a single monster left on the 2nd floor.

    ¡°Ah. It is easting the treasure chests.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It takes a very long time for a Slime to digest objects. We can recover itter after we kill it. If the item can¡¯tst until then, it means it isn¡¯t worth that much!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can really kill that thing!¡±

    ¡°Ah. The 2nd floor is also copsing.¡±

    Finally, the Dungeon¡¯s 3rd floor was revealed. They hadn¡¯t moved much, yet they were able to clear the 1st and 2nd floor. It was great, since they didn¡¯t have to waste any calories. He pitied Silpennon, who was wasting all the saved calories by screaming his head off.

    ¡°Wa-ah! The 3rd floor also has a lot of secret passageways!¡±

    ¡°The Great Slime¡¯s behavior is set now. It will eat all of its brethrens. The other Slimes on this floor won¡¯t consider us enemies. The Great Slime is there enemy. That is why....¡±

    ¡°Wa!¡±

    The Great Slime was eating all the Slimes residing on the 3rd floor! While it was doing so, Artpe kept infusing nearby rocks with his Mana. He kept feeding the Slimes inside the Dungeon.

    ¡°How long are you going to just watch it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe, until all the Slimes coalesces into one?¡±

    ¡°When will that ur!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good question.¡±

    Artpe let out a sweet smile as he answered the question.

    ¡°I have no idea!¡±

    The Slime continued to stuff itself. It continued until they reached the 6th floor.

    In Artpe¡¯s past life, the Slime Dungeon had only been explored to the 5th floor.

 Chapter 28 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success (2)

    Chapter 28 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess (2)

    [Giant Slime]

    [Level : 102]

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhh..... Oh-oh-oh-oh....]

    ¡°Ee-yah. We¡¯ve actually arrived at this point.¡±

    They were on the Dungeon¡¯s 7th floor. For some reason, the adventurers had been barred froming down this far for in the past. Artpe¡¯s party had gained ess to this region.

    Of course, the one to act in their stead was the Giant Slime that had finally went past level 100. It was that particr Slime.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Kee-heeeeeeeeeee!]

    The Giant Slime had grown so big that it had to destroy the Dungeon¡¯s passageway to move around. The level 50 and over Slimes, who resided on the Dungeon¡¯s 7th floor, were screaming as they ran away.

    He had only known this ce as a beginner¡¯s Dungeon. He never expected to find high ss Slimes residing here. It seemed the Dungeon was structured in such a way that the hidden lower floors were only revealed when the corridors were destroyed.

    Basically, a high ss party over level 250 had toe into a lowly Slime Dungeon, and they had to indiscriminately use Skills that would cause structural damage. Or they could do what Artpe¡¯s party had done. Artpe had baited the Slimes to consume each other, and this resulted in the lower floors being revealed. This was a method that had never been used in his previous life.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s eating them. It¡¯s eating again.¡±

    ¡°How rare is that one, Artpe?¡±

    It seemed even Maetel realized that this particr Slime was slowly turning into something remarkable. Moreover, the evolving monster and the involvement of the Dungeon reminded her of the first Dungeon they cleared. It reminded her of the Record Link, so her interest in the matter was getting deeper.

    ¡°Yes, let me see.... It is a Special Rare Elite monster. Numerous requirements has to be met for a normal Slime to reach that point. It was possible, because no one had yet to set foot inside this Dungeon. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if there wasn¡¯t an enormous amount of Slimes spawned within this Dungeon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really an incredible monster!¡±

    It had went past level 100 to reach Special Rare Elite status. It had almost reached level 120 right now, so it was a monster that would be able to kill Leseti if she wasn¡¯t careful. Leseti unsheathed her sword from her waist. She was very tense as she asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we kill it soon? No, don¡¯t we no choice but to kill it now?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just had a thought. How great a Slime would form if it was allowed to swallow an entire Dungeon? I keep thinking about it!¡±

    ¡°Why does your curiosity get piqued over such a topic!¡±

    In truth, the Giant Slime had assessed the battle capability of Artpe¡¯s party when it reached level 100. It decided it wouldn¡¯t fare well against them, so it charged towards the 7th floor.

    As its level grew, its ability to sense Mana became more urate. Basically, its intelligence was increasing.

    Of course, despite this fact, the Slime continued to eat the Mana-infused rocks. Even if it was smart, it was only a smart Slime. The fact that it was able to level up didn¡¯t mean that it could surpass the limitation of its race.

    ¡°Are the Mana-infused stones you are throwing elerating the growth of the Slime?¡±

    ¡°It is as I¡¯ve said before. It takes awhile for the Slime to digest objects infused with Mana. It is the same as the treasure chests and artifacts it ate as it descended from the 1st floor to the 6th floor. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°So why do you keep feeding it!¡±

    Leseti and Silpennon didn¡¯t have any deep knowledge about magic, so they were frustrated at Artpe¡¯s bizarre actions. On the other hand, Maetel had a rough idea on what he was doing.

    She had hunted in a Dungeon with him for the past year. In that period of time, she had never seen Artpe waste a single drop of Mana.

    ¡°Uh. The 7th floor is copsing.¡±

    ¡°Wow. There¡¯s a silver treasure chest over there. Ah. The Slime ate it.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to leisurely watch the Slime eat!¡±

    The same scenario kept repeating, so Artpe was used to wrapping Mana Strings around the party members. Artpe made sure he wasn¡¯t hurting the others as theynded softly on the Dungeon¡¯s 8th floor.

    [Sheeeeeee-sheeeeeee.]

    [Gee-gee-gee-gee.]

    There were Slimes over level 70 residing on this floor. Each Slime was considered to be rare in terms of probability of them making an appearance in the world.

    They were all born with great attributes. Some could use simple magic or they could change a part of their body. Some had a special camouge ability, and others could counterattack when they were hit with a subpar attack on reflex. The variety of Slimes that existed here was vast. The Slimes were quite surprising....!

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    The Giant Slime was eating every single one of them. The other Slimes were showing up in style, but they were swallowed before they could do anything. The Big Slime was the cmity of the Dungeon! It was like the seconding of the Demon King within this Dungeon!

    ¡°I kinda feel bad for the Slimes now.....¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at that. It is extending its body to eat them all at once.¡±

    It seemed the Giant Slime was tired of eating them one by one. It extended its body from side to side, and it swept over the Slimes that were all over the Dungeon. The Giant Slime melted them all down. It looked as if a wave was sweeping through the Dungeon.

    ¡°That looks like a wave? It is so pretty.......¡±

    ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll take you to a real ocean.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll look forward to it, Artpe!¡±

    The two Heroes were mellow even as they watched the Giant Slime stuff itself. Silpennon looked at them with salty eyes as he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Artpe was able topare such a horrifying sight to a wave, and Maetel admired him for it. I think both of them has a screw loose.....¡±

    ¡°It seems your highness¡¯ delusions are slowly bing shattered.¡±

    When it ate all the Slimes on the 8th floor, the Giant Slime had reached level 120. At this point, Leseti would have to fight through the day and night for four days to kill it.

    ¡°A...Artpe.... Are you sure it isn¡¯t time yet?¡±

    ¡°Leseti.¡±

    Artpe tossed several rocks with significant amount of Mana infused within them. He helped satiate the appetite of the Giant Slime then he spoke to Leseti with a voice that was low and silky.

    ¡°Ooht.¡±

    At his solemn attitude, Leseti once again failed to act her age as her heart beat faster. However, she came to her senses when she heard the wordsing out of his mouth.

    ¡°We are about to see something that will never happen again in history. Even if I have to sacrifice Silpennon¡¯s life and your life, I¡¯ll have to watch this unfold!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you or Maetel sacrifice your own lives!¡±

    Artpe snorted at her ridiculous words. He gave a response to her words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you guys, but we won¡¯t fall to a mere Slime.¡±

    ¡°You cowardly hero! Kill it immediately! Let¡¯s kill that bastard!¡±

    When it ate everything on the 8th floor, the Giant Slime took time to think this over. Should it just charge them? Was it strong enough?

    It was confident that it could eat the female knight and the red haired brat. However, the other two brats made it feel uneasy. If it was uneasy, it had to eat more. The Giant Slime made a firm resolve as it made a request to the Dungeon.

    Open the 9th floor!

    ¡°Maybe, this is what happens when a Dungeon encounters a hero. It could be a special change that urs to match the current situation of the heroes.¡±

    Artpe watched the Giant Slime eat the level 100 and above Slimes on the 9th floor. He became pretty sober as he mumbled to himself. Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Does that hold true when we face other adventurers?¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m discussing right now isn¡¯t that simple of a problem. A hero is born when a Demon King appears. A hero¡¯s presence could create a Dungeon, a city or even a country. A hero causes a fundamental change to one¡¯s surrounding.¡±

    He had exined this before to Maetel once. He wasn¡¯t joking. It was real. The hero¡¯s existence itself was a miracle, and the hero was the focal point in causing changes to the Records.

    If one thought about it from that perspective, the biggest variable causing his past life and the current life to change so starkly wasn¡¯t the action of Maetel. The change might be driven by the existence of the newly born hero in Artpe.

    ¡°Of course, a hero possesses incredible abilities within one¡¯s body. However, they have an uncharted ability to cause change to a situation. Maybe, this Dungeon and the growth of the Slime might be aggressively helped by our presence.¡±

    The Slime eventually went over level 150. It was sorge that it wasn¡¯t able to move unless it caused changes to its body. The amount and density of the magical energy within its body wasn¡¯t normal anymore.

    These were Slimes that would have probably rested inside the heart of the Dungeon until end of time, yet the Dungeon opened up the walls when the floor was broken by the Giant Slime. The Giant Slimed moved at the guidance of the Dungeon, and the other Slimes were letting out wails of resentment.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhh.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You are eating well.¡±

    Artpe was feeding the Giant Slime by habit. As he threw the rocks infused with Mana, he looked up. His eyes were letting out a purple light as he used his Read All Creation ability. He gathered all information from his surrounding.

    There was the crumbled walls, and the hallway that looked like it was about to fall apart. Then there was the remains of the Slimes and the Giant Slime that was eating all of them.

    He was slowly able to see the entire structure of the Dungeon.

    ¡°The 10th floor is the end.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, your eyes......¡±

    Silpennon was taken aback as he sensed unfathomable energy within Artpe¡¯s eyes. Normally, it wasn¡¯t something people noticed. This made Artpe have a pretty good opinion of Silpennon.

    ¡°Is that perhaps the Mystic Eyes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he extended one hand. As always, three strands of Mana String came out.

    ¡°We just have to endure it once more. You should just guard your master, Leseti. Silpennon, you should look at what happens with both eyes wide open.¡±

    ¡°You......¡±

    A fair amount of time had passed since they had entered the Dungeon. They had descended from the 1st floor to the 9th floor . They watched the evolution of a single Slime. It had been a fun and exciting experience, but.... It was time for the heroes to act in earnest.

    ¡°Just endure it once more. You should even be careful about breathing on the 10th floor. Ah. Unsheathe your sword, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Please use the longsword instead of the bastard sword.¡±

    ¡°......yes!¡±

    The Slimes on the 9th floor were all gone now. The Giant Slime had achieved level 168, and it thought it had a chance against them. It dragged its enormous body towards Artpe¡¯s party. It was very slow.

    No, it had thought about going down to the 10th floor, but it decided to confront them on the 9th floor! Silpennon was about to let out words ofint when Artpe opened his mouth. He let out a quiet instruction, and it changed turned the entire situation on its head.

    ¡°Maetel, Berserk. Show off your power. You should only show it off.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand what you are trying to say.¡±

    ¡°Berserk!?¡±

    Leseti knew about the terrifying Buff Skill, so she let out a shout. She wrapped up Silpennon, and she distanced herself from Maetel.

    However, she thought over what he had said. Berserk wasn¡¯t a skill that could be activated at will. Wasn¡¯t it automatically activated in extreme circumstances? Moreover, Maetel was a brat, who received her ss only a year ago. How could she handle Berserk!It probably wasn¡¯t Berserk. Leseti thought Maetel was using an artifact¡¯s option or a skill that was a poor imitation of Berserk. She had already made up her mind as she observed Maetel.....

    ¡°Hoo-ooh...... Hoohp.¡±

    ¡°What the.... She can activate Berserk at will!?¡±

    When she realized Maetel could freely control this vast power, Leseti was thunderstruck.

    Until now, Maetel had already shown herself to be strong. However, when she used the Bone Gauntlet¡¯s buff option and Berserk, she became as strong as a being at level 200.

    How ridiculous was this! The leader of this country¡¯s order of knights had yet to pass the level 200 threshold. A mere 13 year old child hero was disying power of that caliber!

    Of course, Maetel was using Berserk, but she was able to have full control over the skill. She was as strong as most level 200 being, who possessed a high rank ss.

    Maetel put her rising anger into her longsword. She had a very refined posture, which was ill-matched with her slender body. She pointed the sword at the Giant Slime as she opened her mouth.

    ¡°Are you really going to fight me?¡±

    [Goo...goo-ohhhhhhh.....!]

    Of course, the Giant Slime could feel how strong she was. It didn¡¯t take long to find out its answer. It immediately broke the hallway that separated the 9th and 10th floor. It dragged the party down towards the 10th floor!

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh-ohng!]

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    As if he had been waiting for this moment, Artpe stylishly surrounded the Mana Strings around the party as theynded on the 10th floor.

    The Giant Slime had gotten cold feet when it saw Maetel¡¯s show of force. It didn¡¯t even look back as it ran rampant as it ate everything. The party was left behind, and they watched the result of Maetel showing her power once. Silpennon and Leseti were too dumbfounded to speak.

    ¡°Good job, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. If you give me too much praise, I¡¯ll feel too good and the Berserk will be canceled.¡±

    Maetel was trying very hard not to smile as she maintained her stance. Artpe snickered at her words, and he took out an item from his Dimensional Pouch.

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°Uh.....!?¡±

    When Silpennon and Leseti recognized it, they both let out a strangled sound at the same time. Artpe ignored them, and he focused his Mana into the item.

    After being injected with Mana, the Demite¡¯s Gemstone was activated. It started emitting purple light that was brighter than the light within Artpe¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 29 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success (3)

    Chapter 29 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess (3)

    ¡°That! Give it back to me!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t take back what you gave me.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-gooooo.¡±

    The two of them now knew the value of the gem. They still didn¡¯t know what kind of gem it was, but at the very least, they knew that it was the main reason why men had desperately tracked them down when they ran away from the pce.

    However, Artpe stuck out his red tongue as he teased them. He continued to pour Mana into the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.

    ¡°Can you hear me? No , I don¡¯t think it canmunicate yet.¡±

    The Demite¡¯s Gemstone won¡¯t show its true worth until it was refined.

    However, it was such an amazing gem that it could amplify one¡¯s Mana, and it had the ability to remember magic spells. Even at its current form, it was a remarkable item. Artpe was satisfied with it until now.

    ¡°What are you trying to do with that! Are you perhaps going to feed it to the Slime like the rocks from before?¡±

    ¡°You are mad. If you do that, the Slime would most definitely evolve a step forward....¡±

    ¡°That is what I want.¡±

    The Giant Slime was desperately looking for a power that would allow it to overpower Maetel.

    Again, the Dungeon¡¯s 10th floor acted in concert with the Giant Slime¡¯s struggle. Large changes urred once again. The walls that divided the rooms melted away. All the secret passageways were revealed. The Dungeon allowed the Giant Slime to encounter the rest of the remaining Slimes.

    [Keeeeeeee!]

    [Gee-geek! Gee-gee-gee!]

    The floor abruptly became arge za, and all the Slimes thrown away by the Dungeon knew what the Giant Slime intended. They didn¡¯t want to die in vain, so they did their best to oppose the Giant Slime.

    The party was watching mere Slimes. It would theoretically be ridiculous for them to feel any emotions for the Slimes. However, they were faced with an impressive and overwhelming sight.

    ¡°Even such simple organisms fight hard to live...¡±

    ¡°They are no different than humans.¡±

    ¡°What kind of.... Humans are....!¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to have a discourse about life with a brat. Artpe let out a deep sigh, then for thest time, he injected his Mana into the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.

    His preparation was at an end.

    ¡°How¡¯s your Mana reserve, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°If it is just maintaining Berserk, I have enough. If I use the Option.... I think I can use it about three times.¡±

    ¡°All right. You should be on standby.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he threw the purple colored gemstone held by his hand. Coincidentally, one of the Slime, who had been opposing the Giant Slime, swallowed it.

    [Gee-eeee-eeee]

    ¡°It really ate it!¡±

    Of course, it didn¡¯t matter how high the Slime¡¯s level was. The Demite¡¯s Gemstone wasn¡¯t an item that would be dissolved so easily. The Slime, who possessed the gem, knew it had be stronger. It coordinated with the other Slimes to attack the Giant Slime.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Giant Slime ate all of them. The Giant Slime¡¯s wound healed easily from just eating its brethren.

    The Giant Slime¡¯s anatomy was simple, so it was easy for it to heal itself. By eating its brethren, it was able to grow immediately, and it was leveling up at a fast pace. This was why the Giant Slime had targeted them.

    ¡°The number of Slimes is decreasing.¡±

    ¡°In the beginning, there were around 5,000 of them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how this Dungeon was made, but the effects of Mana bes stronger as one travels deeper into the Dungeon. This is why this floor has stronger Slimes, and they are more numerous here.¡±

    It was easier for strong monsters to spawn at location with high density of Mana. Even if it was Maetel and Artpe, it would have taken them several days to kill all the Slimes that came out all at once from the secret passageways. However, the Giant Slime was killing all of them instead.

    ¡°This really is like the Record Link!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t apletely closed system, so it won¡¯t be efficient like the Record Link. However, if one wants to see an organism ¡®evolve¡¯, this might be a better method than the Record Link.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it!¡±

    It was very rare toe across such a high ranked Slime, so they would be able to look forward to the reward. Artpe and Maetel was still conversing in a calm manner in front of such an overwhelming spectacle. Silpennon and Leseti were taken aback by this fact, but they reached a point where they decided not to think about it any further.

    ¡°Ah. It went in.¡±

    The Delmite¡¯s Gemstone was inside the Giant Slime¡¯s body. At that moment, the numerous mana-infused stones that was within its body reacted to the Delmite¡¯s Gemstone. A small resonance started to ur. Of course, this was what Artpe had been aiming for.

    ¡°I see the end to the Slimes.¡±

    ¡°We really don¡¯t have much time left. Be ready, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡±

    There really were many varieties of Slimes nesting here. Dungeons were something that was rare on the continent. Maybe they were worth researching.

    However, he was watching a single Slime consolidating all the Slimes it had eaten.

    [Geeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    In the end, all the structures on the 10th floor were gone, and the whole floor had been turned into a wide open za. If one discounted the living and breathing members of Artpe¡¯s party, there was only one Giant Slime on the floor.

    It had eaten everything within the Dungeon. Everything that possessed Mana was within its body. This was an unprecedented feat. This being was pushing itself towards a higher ss.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°My god. It is letting out light.... This is...¡±

    ¡°The Slime must be evolving!¡±

    ¡°There is a higher ss that can be reached!?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes let out a strange light as he looked at the Slime letting out light from all over its body. This was something that had never been seen before on this continent. This moment was sweet and exciting!

    Artpe had a smile on his lips before he knew it. He hade here in an attempt to educate Silpennon, so he had never expected to hit a jackpot here. As expected, a Demon.... A human should be good to other people in one¡¯s life!

    [Giant Slime]

    [Level : 199]

    When it went past level 100, it was given the name of Giant Slime.

    At some point, a much bigger body appeared from within the light.

    [Huge Slime]

    [Level : 200]

    The body of the Slime was letting out a rainbow light. Its body possessed enormous amount of Mana, and its intelligence increased by another tier.

    Its body was much bigger than before, but when it moved, it was more efficient in its use of energy. Artpe immediately checked it with his Read All Creation ability, and he found out the Slime had several new skills. These skills helped the Slime efficiently capture and digest its prey. These needed skills were gathered in one ce to strengthen the Slime.

    The part that gave Artpe most joy was its name of Huge Slime. It sounded extremely simple, but the name of this entity never existed on this continent before. If he ranked how rare it was, it would probably be considered to be ultra rare.

    ¡°There we go.¡±

    [There we go.]

    It was as if Artpe and Slime had made a promise to speak at the same time.

    As expected, it gained enough intelligence to be able decipher the human¡¯s intention!

    [I can eat you all!]

    When its body was trembling from delight, Artpe raised his voice to yell out loudly.

    ¡°You can attack it now, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    [I can now eat you all!]

    The Slime wasrge enough to fill the za. The evolved Slime attacked the party. However, before it could use its skills, the Sword Energy gathered at the tip of the long sword was let loose. The golden energy traveled in a straight line to impact on the Slime!

    [This isn¡¯t enough.....!]

    The Huge Slime was strengthened so much that Maetel¡¯s Mana-infused attack pierced its body once before it healed its wound. Maetel¡¯s attack stalled the Slime for only 3 seconds!

    ¡°Hyper Rubbing!¡±

    However, Artpe hadpleted all his preparations beforehand, so he had plenty of time to pull the trigger.

    [Ggoo-ooooo-ooohk!?]

    The Huge Slime let out a terrible scream as its body started to writhe. The preys it had wanted to eat was right in front of it, yet it started to hit its body against the meless Dungeon floor and walls. It threw a fit.

    It had gained higher intelligence, so the pain it perceived had increased dramatically. The fact that it had been sure of its victory made the defeat a bitter pill to swallow.

    ¡°I never knew magic could be used this way....¡±

    ¡°Magicians are a scary existence!¡±

    The target of Artpe¡¯s Hyper Rubbing were the rocks and the Delmite¡¯s Gemstone swallowed by the Slime.

    It had assumed that these objects were part of its body, but they started rubbing crazily against its body as if they had a mind of its own. There was no way it could endure the spell without losing its mind!

    [Goo-oooooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Still, it refused to give up. It had broken through from the 1st floor to the 10th floor, and it had greedily eaten all the members of its race. Mere pain wouldn¡¯t make it give up on its objective. Its greed was too strong for that to happen.

    ¡°Tsk. As expected, this level of attack won¡¯t cut it.¡±

    The Delmite¡¯s Gemstone boosted the power of Hyper Rubbing by a ridiculous amount, so he had hoped this attack would be able to bring down the Slime. However, he had underestimated its willpower.

    [Goo-ooohhhhhh! I¡¯ll eat! I¡¯ll eat! I¡¯ll eat! I¡¯ll eat!]

    Even as its body was breaking apart from within, it moved its body to attack the party. When Silpennon and Leseti saw the enormous body of the Slime move slowly towards them, they didn¡¯t offer any resistance. They just trembled in fear.

    At that moment, Artpe put one hand atop Maetel¡¯s hand, which was gripping the longsword.

    ¡°Let¡¯s attack it for the second time, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes..¡±

    This was physical contact initiated by Artpe. Maetel¡¯s heart felt as if it was on cloud nine. She was so happy that it was difficult to maintain her Berserk skill. If the skill was canceled, they would lose to the Slime.

    She was having a hard time controlling her emotions, so her eyes started to spin.

    Artpe didn¡¯t realize what she was feeling. He gave her an order with a calm voice.

    ¡°You just have to attack like before. You should gather your energy and shoot it towards the Slime. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try......¡±

    Maetel worked desperately to control her heart, and she gathered her Mana at the tip of her sword. At that moment, he used the Mana Link to provide Mana to her. When she realized what was happening, Maetel used Record Divide, so Artpe could share more Mana with her.

    Even if it was the same skill, its power would be amplified by a lot.

    ¡°Shoot it. Mana String.¡±

    Moreover, it was possible for the two of them to share each other¡¯s skills and options! It was possible tobine all of them into one attack!

    ¡°!?¡±

    Maetel felt the energy gathered inside the longsword change through magic, but she used her instinct to shoot it.

    There were ck stripes mixed in with the golden light as background. This strange energy impacted on the Huge Slime¡¯s body, and it pierced through....

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhng!]

    Artpe¡¯s will took hold of the attack. The trajectory changed sharply as the attack drilled deeper into its body once again!

    ¡°Hyper Rubbing!¡±

    The attack wasn¡¯t at an end yet. The Mana Strings that had manifested around the beam of light were imbued with the option of Hyper Rubbing. The energy within him manifested as friction within, and it was being delivered right into the Slime!

    It was a ridiculousposite spell. The method Artpe had used possessed such a high degree of difficulty that it would have made all the other magicians on the continent feel disheartened!

    ¡°As expected, a mage is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Artpe was always amazing!¡±

    ¡°C...cool......¡±

    Of course, everyone gathered in this ce were idiots, so the only feedback he received was the fact that it was cool and amazing!

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    The Huge Slime let out a roar that contained its rage and pain. It finally acquired the power that would enable it to eat all of its enemies. It had been so sure, yet an unexpected attack had been used against it!

    It couldn¡¯t use its power, because the stones within its body were constantly vibrating. On top of that, an additional attack had been used against it. It was so painful that it was driving it nuts!

    [I¡¯ll kill you at all cost! I¡¯ll kill and eat you! I¡¯ll kill you!]

    ¡°Are you going to ask the Dungeon for help again? Well, the Dungeon no longer has anything hidden away that it can give you. So what can you do?¡±

    There was a cruel light in Artpe¡¯s eyes as he looked at his struggling enemy. The Slime extended its body to hit the wall, and it attempted to eat the weaker members of Artpe¡¯s party. However, all of its attempts were thwarted by the Hyper Rubbing.

    It was as he said. The Dungeon had given everything it had hidden to the Huge Slime. There were no methods avable to the Huge Slime that would allow it to strengthen itself again. Its struggle was wasted. It was all in vain.

    ¡°Uh. The purple gem.....¡±

    Leseti found herself to be pathetic, since she was trembling in front of the enemy without putting up any resistance. She tried to right herself when she caught sight of the change that was uring to the gem within the struggling Huge Slime. The purple light was getting stronger as time passed.

    ¡°Ah. As that bastard reached the high rank ss, its ability to dissolve substance also increased by a lot. The Demite¡¯s Gemstone is probably providing it with more power as it be more refined as time passes.¡±

    When Artpe kindly gave an exnation, Leseti¡¯s expression turned more peculiar.

    ¡°You... you nned on refining the gem, while attacking your enemy....!?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? If I wanted to kill it, I could have killed it with my modified Mana.¡±

    ¡°You......!¡±

    Artpe had an impudent smile on his face as he replied to her. Leseti grinded her teeth when she saw the annoying smile of the brat. However, she couldn¡¯t deny she was slightly in love with that smile.

    After three minutes, the Huge Slime stopped its fruitless struggles. It meekly faced its death.

    A new piece of history was recorded on the continent, and it was quietly buried at that moment.

 Chapter 30 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success (4)

    Chapter 30 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess (4)

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°You are doing well, Silpennon. You should roll a little bit to the left. There¡¯s a lot of dusts over there.¡±

    ¡°You evil bastaaaaaaaard!¡±

    Silpennon let out a weird groan as he rolled around on the ground. This was a phenomena that urred when one leveled up all at once.

    ¡°His highness barely helped in killing that Slime, so why did he get a share of the EXP?¡±

    Unlike Silpennon, Leseti hadn¡¯t received a single iota of experience. She grinded her teeth as she asked the question. She was jealous of the crown prince, who was rolling around on the ground. He actually looked favorably on the female knight for her sentiment, so he gave a friendly reply.

    ¡°Your understanding of this matter is fundamentally wrong. That Slime started eating its brethren, because it feared Silpennon. At that point, Silpennon had pulled the aggro of that Slime, and he probably inflicted some damage too. This is the reason why it counted as Silpennon contributing to the battle.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t much of a contribution!¡±

    Leseti was acting as if she was dissatisfied about Silpennon¡¯s growth. Sipennon bellowed from the ground as he sacrificed his clothes by wiping the dust of the floor.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhh! Your master is leveling up, so why are youining!¡±

    ¡°However, your highness, you are useless even if you level up a lot!¡±

    ¡°Did you just say I¡¯m useless.... Ooh-gyahhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe wondered how the rtion between the master and servant would change in the future. However, it was no concern of his.... Artpe let out a sigh as he gave a supplemental exnation.

    ¡°It is as you¡¯ve said. The percentage of EXP given to Silpennon wasn¡¯t high. At most, it was around three percent. But.....¡±

    ¡°Are you saying he was able to achieve such an explosive growth with only 3 percent....¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve hit the nail on the head.¡±

    The only traces of the Huge Slime left behind was the wreckage. It had been a level 200 Dungeon monster, and it was the Dungeon¡¯s boss. It had been a Elite Ultra Rank monster.

    Normally, the monster¡¯s record and EXP increased substantially based on Rank and its position. Even if Silpennon had barely contributed, it wasn¡¯t strange to see him increase in level by over 20.

    ¡°Moreover, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about his Skills either. We¡¯ll get the [Cud] Bonus too.¡±

    Cud was a humorous term that was coined for the skill where one¡¯s Skill grew once more after the monster was killed. The skill grew under the influence of the monster¡¯s Record, and the achievements in battle. However, Leseti¡¯s expression still indicated that she was having a hard time epting the situation.

    ¡°Still, he didn¡¯t even strike that particr Slime with his sword.....¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems he was able to do so.¡±

    Silpennon was finished with his continuous level up. He shakily got up from the ground. Artpe spoke lightly as he looked over Silpennon with his Read All Creation ability. Above his head, there were words that were more spectacr than what was seen on Maetel once before.

    [Silpennon Le Diaz]

    [Level : 49]

    [Crown Prince]

    [Dual Wield Lv7]

    [Battle Step Lv6]

    When facing the Slime, it would have been enough to just stab it once. He would have needed to tweak the Slime¡¯s body. When the level 200 high rank ss monster was killed, the result of the battle was used on his skills. This was why Silpennon possessed ridiculously high level Skillspared to his actual level.

    On top of that, he was so exceptionally talented that there was a bonus added to his skill growth. If one only considered the basic Skill level, Silpennon wasn¡¯t that far off from Leseti!

    Of course, Artpe wasn¡¯t going to breakdown all the information, but it was enough information for Leseti to be shocked and anguished.

    ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would have hit it with my sword once!¡±

    ¡°If the monster doesn¡¯t be truly threatened by your action, it will have no effect. Silpennon went through his growth, because he attacked the Slime before it evolved.¡±

    ¡°Why does the prince always have good luck!¡±

    ¡°Why are you dissatisfied with my luck being good, Leseeeeeeeti!¡±

    Leseti keptining, and Silpennon gnashed his teeth. At that point, he decided to just drop the subject. However, it seemed Leseti still had questions she wanted to ask of Artpe.

    ¡°Does this mean you guys are too high in level to experience level ups from the Slime¡¯s EXP?¡±

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t there yet.... We are just used to this kind of incidents.¡±

    ¡°You became ustomed to it!?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. Could you stand still for a moment.?¡±

    ¡°Kyahhh!?¡±

    Artpe could see his reflection in herrge innocent blue eyes, so he activated his Read All Creation ability to check his own info.

    [Artpe]

    [Hero]

    [Level : 163]

    [Mana String Lv7]

    [Hyper Rubbing Lv24]

    [Mana Control Lv35]

    [Throw Lv28]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤]

    ¡°You...you! Do you think I¡¯ll fall for you if you do this! You brat! You braaaaat!¡±

    ¡°....why did I promote such a doofus to the role as my knight protector...¡±

    She had suddenly be Artpe¡¯s mirror. Leseti¡¯s face turned red as she got angry. However, Artpe was deep within his thoughts, so her words didn¡¯t really register with. He let go of the angry Leseti, and he wallowed deep in his woes.

    ¡®This is way too fast.¡¯

    He had graduated from the beginner¡¯s Dungeon at level 145. He had fought the knights dressed in ck not too long ago, but they were lower in level by dozen levels or more.

    However, he had increased by 18 levels in one fell swoop when the Huge Slime was killed. It goes without saying that the Skills used in killing the Slime had grown too.

    Even if their opponent was special, this was too much.

    As he was thinking this, he turned his thoughts towards the Mana Link and the Record Divide.

    ¡®Did Maetel¡¯s ability perhaps influence me....!?¡¯

    If so, that would be the worst! Artpe quickly turned to look at Maetel!

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 174]

    ¡°Good. I worried for nothing.¡±

    She was still growing at a stable yet crazy speed!

    ¡°You didn¡¯t worry for nothing. It is rude to stare at another woman like that! Hurry up and apologize to her!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    For some reason, Maetel had raised her voice, and she berated Artpe! Both of her cheeks were puffed out, and she stamped towards him. She pulled Artpe towards her side, and she bowed towards Leseti.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. From now on, I won¡¯t let him get close to you, Ms Leseti. You can be at ease now.¡±

    ¡°Uh. Mmm. Ooh-mmmm..... No, you don¡¯t really have to go that far....¡±

    ¡°Never! I¡¯ll make sure he never gets close to you! I¡¯ll do it even if Ms. Leseti might get hurt a little bit in the process!¡±

    ¡°Why me!?¡±

    Was her Berserk skill still activated!

    It seemed Maetel¡¯s gaze was so frightening that Leseti hide behind Silpennon. She made him her shield. She was a true specimen of a knight protector.

    ¡°Stop going off topic. Anyways, Artpe, some change is urring over there.¡±

    Silpennon was slowly getting a sense of who he should trust, and who he should ignore. He pointed towards the middle of the destroyed za of the Dungeon where a light was emanating. He called after Artpe when he saw it. Artpe had a good idea what Silpennon was feeling, so he smirked as he gave a reply.

    ¡°Dungeons are a ce where one could plunder a lot of goods. This happens when one clears a floor of a Dungeon or when one does a perfect clear. The Dungeon Merchants, who has a contract with the Dungeons, will show up. Their goal is to obtain the goods.¡±

    ¡°Is it a form of summoning magic? It really is an advanced form of magic.¡±

    While they were conversing, the pir of light faded away. A woman, who was pretty familiar to Artpe and Maetel, made her appearance.

    ¡°Hello, customers! It has only been couple days, yet we meet again!¡±

    ¡°Kek. It¡¯s this ajumma again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that ajumma.......¡±

    She had smooth brown skin, and the humble clothes of a merchant couldn¡¯t hide her bodacious body. Her silver hair shone as if it was emitting light on its own. Then there was her silver eyes. She had slightly elongated, yet sharp eyes. It was none other than the middleman of the Anywherepany, Mycenae.

    ¡°I thought you would be bit more happy to see me. What kind of reaction is this? Even I would be hurt a little bit..... Huh? Your party has grown?¡±

    ¡°You really appeared..... Even the royal family would have a hard time believing such a ridiculous beauty exists, and you have long ears. Are you one of the fabled Elves?¡±

    ¡°Hello, new customer. It is forbidden to inquire about the identity of a Dungeon merchant.¡±

    Mycenae put on her business smile as she replied with a firm voice. Silpennon was a bit frightened by her, so he took couple steps back. At the same time, Artpe supplemented his words with an apathetic voice.

    ¡°If you can find out the information without your opponent finding out, it isn¡¯t forbidden. Of course, if you are find out, you will be in big trouble like this ajumma.¡±

    ¡°Koohk. I failed again.....!¡±

    Artpe effortlessly created a Mana String. He swung it, and it shattered the observation magic that was about to used secretly on Silpennon and Leseti. She mumbled to herself as she grinded her teeth.

    ¡°I never expected you to be able to sense and interfere with observation magic that wasn¡¯t directed at you..... Still, I was able to learn more about your peerless ability, so I didn¡¯t take a loss!¡±

    ¡°However, you¡¯ll be taking a loss from now on. I want 30% discount.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-goong. Ooh-oong--oohk.¡±

    Mycenae let out a moan that was difficult to decipher. At this point, it was fair to wonder if she enjoyed being taken advantage of by Artpe.

    It was as if Silpennon had passed a baton off to Mycenae. She looked as if she wanted to roll around on the floor. Artpe ignored Mycenae. He started looting the Huge Slime with Maetel.

    The first thing he picked up was the precious Demite¡¯s Gemstone. The Huge Slime¡¯s ability was beyond expectation. One could see that some parts of the hard gem were melted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see..... Oh.¡±

    Artpe poured water over it to wash away the slime. He had a satisfied expression as he looked at the Delmite¡¯s Gemstone, which was letting out more light than before. He mumbled to himself.

    ¡°If 50 more Huge Slimes shows up, I think I¡¯ll be able to refine it.¡±

    ¡°You want to create 50 more of this monster!?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it is impossible to do so, so don¡¯t be frightened. It is rare to find an opportunity that allows one to easily level up like this.¡±

    ¡°Easily.......¡±

    It had also regurgitated all the treasures it ateing down to this floor. It also produced Artifacts and gold coins when the Records and Mana of the Slime was consolidated. When Maetel saw one of the items, she let out a happy shout.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Skill Book!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the two of us already learned that one.¡±

    The Skill Book was called Mana Control. It was a Skill that could be learned after Mana Detection. It was a Skill everyone, who aspired to be a level 100 high rank ss, must learn.

    However, it was very difficult to learn it by oneself. It was hard even for those that were born with the potential for bing a magician. Since the skill can¡¯t be self-taught, one had to buy it with money. There were a lot of cases where people gave up on bing a level 100 high rank ss, because they couldn¡¯t acquire the book.

    Maetel had learned such a skill at level 2. It really highlighted how bad of a cheat her talent was. Nothing more had to be said about that subject.

    ¡°Since we already learned this Skill, we¡¯ll merely increase our Mana by a little bit if we use it....¡±

    That wasn¡¯t a bad option, but in many ways, it would be best to just sell the Skill Book. The demand for the Mana Control Skill was high, yet there was an absolute shortage in supply. It was the number one in demand amongst the high rank Skills.

    Basically, it was expensive. It was very expensive.

    ¡°That is why at this point....¡±

    Artpe looked at Silpennon, who was looking at him with an absent minded face. Artpe knew Silpennon had no knowledge of it, yet he asked in a sly manner.

    ¡°Do you know what Mana Control is?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I knew it. You should listen carefully.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he made a rough outline of the skill Silpennon had to learn. Artpe even ranked the order in which Silpennon had to learn it!

    Of course, the first one on the list was Mana Control.

    ¡°You.......¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this beforehand, but I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    ¡°You are lying!¡±

    ¡°He said he¡¯s not lying.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t lying, your highness. It is true that even I had to buy and learn Mana Control with money. Most people are weeded out at this point. Of course, I was only able to buy it easily, because I had the backing of the throne.¡±

    Mycenae and Leseti intruded at the right time to back up Artpe¡¯s words!

    Despite their words, Silpennon graoned. He mulled over it before he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll learned Mana Control through my talent alone! I can do it! I¡¯m someone that¡¯ll go through with what I said!¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll just sell this then. How much are you will to give me for this, ajumma?¡±

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not an ajumma! I¡¯ll buy it for 300 gold. Of course, when I resell it, I¡¯ll sell it for over 350 gold!¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m being generous. Three hundred gold will....¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±

    The retail price jumped 50 gold from the trade price. At that moment, Silpennon yelled out to halt the deal. Artpe and Mycenae grinned at the same time, and they turned to look at him.

    ¡°Why? Did you change your mind?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of a negotiation. Could you not interfere, customer?¡±

    It was as if the the times when they growled at each other never existed. When they were trying to screw over someone else, the two of them worked in absolute harmony! Silpennon grinded his teeth as he yelled out his words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all someday! However, I¡¯ll buy that! Since I am one of your party members, I expect a discount!?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll take your contributions into consideration, and I¡¯ll give you a discount. I¡¯ll sell it to you for cheap at the price of 260 gold.¡±

    Artpe smiled as he handed over the Skill Book to Silpennon.

    Silpennon took out gold coins from his Dimensional Pouch, and he let out a sigh.

    Mycenae felt sympathy for him, but she knew Silpennon had sealed his defeat when he tried to go against Artpe¡¯s design.

    ¡°Ah. You do realize you have to switch your ss first right? If you are dumb enough to go into any great temple to do it, your identity will be revealed. You should do it by buying a consumable artifact.¡±

    ¡°So how much is that!¡±

    Artpe gave a sign to Mycenae. She had already been anticipating this move. She didn¡¯t want to lose out on a sales opportunity, so she quickly yelled out the price.

    ¡°It is 300 gold, customer!¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-roo-ooh-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    This was the moment when the current Crown Prince took a step forward to be the future thief.

 Chapter 31 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success (5)

    Chapter 31 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess (5)

    [Silpennon (Le Diaz)]

    [Thief]

    [Level : 49]

    Silpennon purchased the Crystal Ball of Blessing for 300 gold, and he was able to safely choose his new ss. There was no funny business like a third hero making an appearance. It was the same as what Artpe had seen in his past life. The path to being a thief was opened to Silpennon.

    The Crystal Ball of Blessing was a very expensive and rare artifact. After registering its owner, it could be used several more times. Silpennon could use it to open the path to his high rank ss in the future.

    ¡°Ho-ooh. I¡¯m a thief.¡±

    ¡°Koohk. He really is a thief......¡±

    Inwardly, Artpe had worried another change would ur, but he could rx now.

    When the crown prince she had served was turned into a thief, Leseti became forlorn.

    ¡°Maybe I should give up on everything. Maybe I should go live in the countryside, and feed cows......¡±

    ¡°Do you think running a dairy farm is easy? The Demon King may overlook such arrogance, but I won¡¯t overlook it!¡±

    ¡°What do you think running a dairy farm involves! What type of fantasy are you caught up in!?¡±

    Silpennon was the only one in a peaceful state amongst all of them.

    ¡°What is wrong with being a thief? I don¡¯t feel too bad about it.¡±

    Crown prince was a position that allowed him to possess absolute authority, but at the same time, it was a shackle that he couldn¡¯t escape from. When his father the king was killed, he had run away from his uncle¡¯s evil influence, and he had reached this point. Silpennon kind of liked the view of the world from where he stood right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in a position where I¡¯mpletely happy with the situation, but..... Yes, I¡¯m Silpennon the thief now. Hoo. It isn¡¯t too bad. Moreover, I had always yearned to get out of my birdcage. It feels as if I¡¯ve grabbed freedom by the hand.¡±

    Silpennon kept smiling as he observed good manners towards Artpe again.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me. The fact that I followed after you might be the best decision I¡¯ve made in my life. Thank you, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°The hard part will start from now on. If you thank me so early, I¡¯ll feel guilty.¡±

    ¡°You really are the type of person that can¡¯t ept a thanks without making a fuss..¡±

    All Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King¡¯s army were like that. If they were transparent about their feelings, they would meet their end before they could even start. Ah, this also made it hard for them to return the feelings of others.

    ¡°Huh? Silpennon, Silpennon......¡±

    At that moment, Mycenae suddenly tilted her head in puzzlement as she looked at them. The name made her think of a hot issue right now. It happened when she was having this thought.

    Silpennon didn¡¯t hesitate. He nodded his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I used to be the crown prince of Diaz.¡±

    ¡°Your highness, you shouldn¡¯t tell her that!¡±

    Did he decide it was information that he didn¡¯t need to hide? Or was he just too young? Of course, a Dungeon Merchant didn¡¯t go around bbing about information regarding a customer. Still, it wasn¡¯t wise to reveal such information unnecessarily.

    However, Silpennon was already well aware of this fact. He wasn¡¯t an idiot.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m not anymore.¡±

    Silpennon looked back with a refreshed expression on his face. He wanted to ept his current self, so he nned on making a clean break from his past.

    ¡°So stop call me by that title, Leseti. I¡¯m only a level 49 thief Silpennon now. I n on burying my position as the crown prince in the darkness until we defeat the Demon King. That is why I don¡¯t care, who finds out about it. No one will be able to find the crown prince Silpennon.¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s eyes became round.

    ¡°Oh my. So that¡¯s how it is. Somehow, I did feel an air of nobilitying from you. Wait a second. Did my little customers already have a connection to the throne.....¡±

    As her imaginations started to stretch far and wide, Artpe extended his finger to wrap the end of the Mana String into a ball. He tapped it against Mycenae¡¯s smooth forehead.

    ¡°Ah-yaht!¡±

    ¡°If you act so clingy, you won¡¯t be popr with men, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°Kooh.... Whatever you may take me for, before I became a merchant, men lined up just to be able to catch my eyes! There were enough of them to encircle the central square ten times! Customer, you are the only one that doesn¡¯t recognize my charm! This is the problem with kids!¡±

    Artpepletely ignored Mycenae¡¯s grumblings as he gathered all the loot.

    It was hard to express this in words. It was merely a Slime Dungeon, yet the items and rewards gathered there was too amazing. Of course, a part of the reason was the fact that they were the first to discover this Dungeon. Moreover, all the secret locations had been revealed. On top of that, the artifacts were all gathered in a single ce by the Huge Slime. It all came out from its body.

    The items that possessed weak magical energy were dissolved into pure magical energy within the Huge Slime. The magical energy either strengthened the Huge Slime or it strengthened the other items.

    Of course, the remaining items would go up in value.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot this time around. Did youpletely clean out the whole Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is as you say. Let¡¯s see...... I want 653 gold for all the minor items. Call?¡±

    ¡°Mmm... Call.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Both sides already knew that the other was a master. This was why the transaction between Artpe and Mycenae didn¡¯t take long.

    Of course, the worth of the items was assessed and the transaction ended. It happened way too fast. The rest of the party looked on in disbelief. They looked at Artpe and Mycanae as if they were some kind of monsters.

    Artpe handed over all the loot to Mycenae, but he held back several artifacts. It was time for them to earnestly evaluate the worth of the artifacts. Mycenae gulped.

    ¡°In truth, the items I really want you to sell me are those......¡±

    ¡°Let me think about it.¡±

    In truth, Artpe had wished for more Skill Books toe out, but it ended at the Mana Control. Even themon Fire Magic Spell Book hadn¡¯t dropped. Instead, there were rare items that were as rare as the Huge Slime.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this potion first.¡±

    [Slime Potion]

    [All forms of liquid will be made into slime. If someone with low resistance to Mana drinks it, one will die immediately as one¡¯s blood would be turned into slime. It is a very rare and foul substance. It doesn¡¯t emit hostile Mana, so it is perfect to use for assassination. Only a Slime that has evolved to the extreme may produce it at a low probability. This item has almost never been seen before within history.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmmm?¡±

    ¡°What is that potion, customer? What is it? It is bothering me!¡±

    ¡°This.... I¡¯ll keep it for now.¡±

    He had no idea where he should use this. However, strange and useless items like this usually helped out at crucial moments.

    ¡°Aht. You should give me an exnation on what it is.... Ooh-eeeee¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s cheeks puffed out when Artpe put away the potion without giving an exnation. Of course, he wasn¡¯t into older women, so he ignored the rest of her words. He took out the second loot.

    It looked as if it was an item that was crafted by using a part of the Huge Slime¡¯s body. It was a longbow that didn¡¯t look too sturdy.

    [Flexible Hunter¡¯s Bow]

    [The shape will change depending on the user¡¯s objective. It can change from a short bow to a ballista. Mana will be consumed to make a Mana Arrow. Its power will depend on the user¡¯s Archery level. Users without Archery level of 100 cannot use it. It is possible to increase durability of the item by injecting Mana.]

    After he checked the information regarding the Artifact, Artpe couldn¡¯t hold back his words. He tackled the issue that was bothering him.

    ¡°Ballista should not be ssified as a bow!?¡±

    ¡°Pull yourself together, customer! That isn¡¯t a ballista. It is a longbow!?¡±

    Artpe activated his Read All Creation ability again, and he checked eachponent of the bow. He injected some of his power to check if the bow could change into a short bow and a ballista.

    Of course, the requirement to use the bow was to be an archer of high rank ss, but Artpe was a hero. He could easily brush aside such restrictions.

    ¡°Huhk. It really is a ballista!?¡±

    ¡°This is better than expected.......¡±

    Artpe ignored the shocked Mycenae. He calmly retreated. He turned around to look at Maetel, and he asked her a question.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts about using a bow, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°It looks fun to use, but I¡¯m not confident that I can handle anything that isn¡¯t a club or a sword. That is why I don¡¯t want it.¡±

    ¡°You made a good decision.¡±

    She was talented enough to pick up any weapon, and she would be able to use it well enough to beparable to the people of the same ss. However, if she learned too many things, she might regret it someday. She was most suited to closebat. She should focus on what she was best at.

    ¡°Customer, I will.....¡±

    ¡°I want 1,650 gold. Do you want to buy it?¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmmmm. If I can find the proper owner, I¡¯m confident I can charge twice that price, but.....¡±

    ¡°You do know there is a scarce supply of this type of artifacts in the world, right?¡±

    Artpe had a fair point. It was a bow that could change form to fit the situation!

    It can be used from short range to very long distance. Moreover, there was no need to carry around arrows, and the durability could be recovered. If Artpe was an archer, he would have kept it. It would have been a no brainer.

    ¡°A right owner.... A right owner....¡±

    Mycenae thought over it for a very long time. This was a huge transaction, so she would have to invest a lot into this venture. This was why she was a bit hesitant. Artpe coaxed her to ay her concerns.

    ¡°I have to buy a lot from you this time around.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hoo-ooh. I¡¯ll buy it for 1650 gold.¡±

    This was how over 1,500 gold was exchanged in a single transaction. Silpennon was a crown prince of a nation, yet even his mouth fell open at the sight.

    ¡°Are adventurers the type of upation where one makes a lucrative amount of money?¡±

    ¡°Of course, if all adventurers could find a jackpot of a Dungeon like these little customers, they could earn as much. Unfortunately, 70% of all adventurers fail to find anything. Then about 20% of the adventurers covet the treasures, but they retreat when faced with danger. Nine percent of the adventurers bravely charge forward and they are killed.¡±

    ¡°So that means only 1% of them are able to get what they want?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, if the 1% challenges another Dungeon, they¡¯ll be back in the roulette with 1% chance of seeding.¡±

    Opportunity alwayse hand in hand with risk. However, one shouldn¡¯t be delusional about the order in which it was faced. If opportunity exists within danger, the idiots always died first.

    ¡°... I will take those words to heart.¡±

    ¡°Well, if one observe these customers, it does make one wonder if those statistics are wrong!¡±

    After Mycenae delivered the warning with a serious voice, she undercut her own words as she turned around. She looked at thest loot left behind by the Huge Slime..

    ¡°Thest thing left is the chest te. Its durability and Mana reaction seems to be umon.....¡±

    However, before the sensor for Mycenae¡¯s worldly desires could activate, Artpe handed the armor to Maetel.

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just hurry up and marry?!¡±

    It was called a st te. It was an armor that only protected the body from the front.

    It had a red sheen, and at a nce, one could tell it was something extraordinary. It had the option of protecting its owner from a critical blow, and a fixed amount of Mana was consumed to blunt the effects of an attack. The options were perfect for a defensive gear.

    The cherry on top was that it had a simr option to the Bone Gauntlet. It could raise the user¡¯s strength by detecting its owner¡¯s emotions. It was the perfect armor for Maetel, who used Berserk. Since it had an emotion type buff on it, it was the emotion felt by the Huge Slime right before it perished. However, such information could be omitted.

    ¡°Hue hue. The red light is too pretty.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I think there are more customers that will look for that instead of the bow.....¡±

    Maetel was happy, and Mycenae was wistful. Leseti, who didn¡¯t have any ims to the artifact, could only look on as she smacked her lips.

    It was as if he didn¡¯t care what they were feeling. Artpe suddenly sat on the floor, and his eyes let out a harsh light. It was as if the main fight was yet toe! That was what his expression indicated.

    ¡°Sit next to me, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel, who didn¡¯t know what was going on, sat next to Artpe, and her eyes shone too. The bizarreness of the situation doubled.

    Artpe spoke in a solemn manner towards the puzzled Mycenae.

    ¡°I told you I have a lot to buy this time around, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an ajumma. However, you clearly did say that.¡±

    ¡°Hoo.....¡±

    Artpe shut his eyes tight. There were a lot of thoughts going through his head as he was about to spend an enormous amount of money.

    Should he do it right now? Should he? He needed money for many things in the future, so should he make such an expenditure at this point in time?

    However, he didn¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be able to see the Dungeon Merchant again. It would be hard to find a suitable location such as this.....

    ¡°All right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be embarrassing if you suddenly confess to me.¡±

    Artpe replied to Mycenae¡¯s remark, which had been made in humor.

    ¡°I want you to give me all the Skill Books that can be learned by a level 150 Warrior and a level 150 Magician.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe did the only thing that the pce did right in developing the hero. Basically, he started on the task of turning money into ability.

 Chapter 32 - Dungeon, Evolution and Success (6)

    Chapter 32 - Dungeon, Evolution and Sess (6)

    In truth, Artpe wanted to purchase all the closebat Skill Books and Spell Books affiliated with the magician ss.

    If he did that, he would basically reveal to everyone that Artpe and Maetel were heroes. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have enough money to purchase all of them. Currently, this was the best Artpe could do.

    ¡°Ooh-wah. You are doing something only a noble family would do.¡±

    Yet it was enough to make Mycenae feel overwhelmed. She searched through her cargo to bring out all the Skill Books and Spell Books she possessed. She couldn¡¯t hold back her bitterughter. Artpe appraised each one of them, and he exined to Maetel on the use of these books.

    ¡°This is one of the psychotic things that monsters, beings from other races and humans fight each other for. It is something they do in an attempt to live a little bit longer. This is the most legal and safe form of doping. It is one of the very few cheat keys allowed in this world. There is only one thing we have to give up in return.¡±

    Artpe grinned as gold coins poured out of the pouch held out by Mycenae.

    ¡°Money.¡±

    ¡°If one¡¯s ability iscking, this strategy won¡¯t work. A sloppily-learned skill would only lead to tearster... Well, I¡¯m pretty sure you guys will be fine.¡±

    Mycenae hadn¡¯t seen them fight, but she had a decent idea on how talented they were. They had the luck of finding great rewards in any Dungeon they went to. Even if one put aside their luck, they were unperturbed after doing a full clear of the Dungeon. Just this fact was very telling.

    ¡°Still, haven¡¯t you learned most of the basic Skills? This means your Stats will go up slightly. You won¡¯t benefit much from them.¡±

    ¡°This allows one to buy one¡¯s life with money.......¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. The fact that you treasure your life is a very admirable trait.¡±

    The Skill Books were expensive. The most basic and useless ones were worth several dozen silvers. A basic Skill Book was around 1 gold, so one could only imagine how expensive a Skill Book would be if it was useful in battle. Maetel counted the Skill Books as they were handed over to Artpe.

    ¡°Only 14..... Moreover, I¡¯ve already learned 8 of them! So how much are these, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 619 gold. Of course, there are some that are only worth couple golds, but there are also ones that are worth several dozen golds. Normally a Skill Book jumps several dozen times in value if it bes known that it is a bit useful.¡±

    ¡°A book costs several dozen gold!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just hear that Mana Control was worth 350 gold?¡±

    Maetel really didn¡¯t like the fact that she would have to learn a Skill Book when she already knew the Skill. She would be doing such an act in an attempt to marginally grow her Stats. However, Artpe had provided all of this with her in thought, so she couldn¡¯t just spurn the gesture. She had no choice, but to learn it all.

    ¡°Hoo-ooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you aren¡¯t an ordinary talent. You were able to learn and get used to the Skills in an instant....¡±

    ¡°For the love of god, you are using those expensive Skill Books in one sitting!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the part that surprises you, Leseti?¡±

    There was an upside in learning all the Skills at once. Each of Maetel¡¯s stamina, agility and strength rose by 10. Normally, one¡¯s Stat rose by three in total when a warrior leveled up. This meant she had gained Stats equivalent to increasing 10 levels.

    Of course, a level up didn¡¯t only give Stats, so it was impossible to do a one on oneparison. Still, if one was in a situation where one¡¯s death was assured, a difference in 30 Stat points might be enough to allow one to survive the situation. Moreover, if it was Maetel, she would be much more efficient in using the increase in Stats.

    ¡°So this is how adventurers arm themselves.¡±

    ¡°I told you it isn¡¯t like that. There aren¡¯t that many adventurers, who are blessed with such an environment!¡±

    ¡°Koohk. If I had that much support, I would be stronger.......¡±

    ¡°Leseti, it must have been hard on you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Anyways, the purchase of the Skill Books ended without any hitch.

    The problem was the Spell Books.

    ¡°There are only 9 Spell Books!? Artpe, this is a scam!¡±

    ¡°All of thembined are worth 608 gold? Still, you were able to prepare quite a lot of them for me.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you know your stuff!¡±

    The Skill Book prices looked inted, but the pricing was weakpared to the Spell Books. There were only a very small number of magic type sses in existence. Naturally, the number of spell books were proportionately low in number. There weren¡¯t a lot of them out there.

    This was why it wasn¡¯t easy to purchase a spell he wanted. The limitation of the supply was hard to ovee. It was as Artpe had said. It was almost a miracle that Mycenae possesed so many Spell Books.

    ¡°You should feel fortunate in the fact that you were able to meet me. Even most magician towers don¡¯t release this amount of material.¡±

    ¡°Half of these magic are for everyday chores, so stop trying to stump for yourself.¡±

    Artpe snorted as he learned the Spells at once. These were spells useful for everyday life, and it was considered to be on the lower rung in terms of difficulty. Still, it normally took several tries to learn it. However, Artpe was the possessor of the Read All Creation ability. He could learn the Spell Books just by holding it in his hand.

    ¡°Ho-ooh. It rose around 23 magical energy.....? That¡¯s not too bad.¡±

    The value highlighted the fact that Hyper Rubbing was a high rank magic spell. When Artpe learned Hyper Rubbing, his magical energy went up by 20. He had learned nine magic spells, yet his magic energy rose by 23!

    ¡°You are understating it by saying it wasn¡¯t too bad! Do you realize how monstrous of a feat you just aplished!?¡±

    ¡°Hoong. If I didn¡¯t have the ability to back it up, why would I ask for all your Spell Books?¡±

    Artpe finished the task as if it was nothing, but Mycenae, who was watching the sight, couldn¡¯t hide her shock. When one learned many magic spells at one, the theory behind the magic spells shed, and there was a chance one might be a vegetable! So how was he able to do so!

    This wasn¡¯t something that could be done, because one was good at controlling Mana. One needed an incredible amount of memorization andputation skills to achieve what he had aplished!

    ¡°Customer.¡±

    Mycenae extended her hands. They moved like lightning as she grabbed one of Artpe¡¯s hand. Her eyes shone. Maetel growled from behind, but Mycenae didn¡¯t pay attention to her. She spoke with sincerity as she tried to convince him.

    ¡°Do you have any desire to use your talent in the marketce!?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Chet.¡±

    After Artpe firmly rebuffed Mycenae¡¯s entreaty, he put his mind into motion. He had spent around 1,200 gold in purchasing the Skills and Spells. In truth, he had prepared himself to spend up to 2,000 gold, so he had a good amount of money left.

    He thought about purchasing more potions, yet they still had plenty of consumables. Next, he thought about equipment, but they didn¡¯t really need a particr piece of equipment right now.

    ¡°Mmm..... Ughh.¡±

    Artpe thought a little bit more on it. Then he asked a question to Mycenae with a slightly lowered voice.

    ¡°Do you have artifacts that can hinder perception? If possible, I want you to give me a good one.¡±

    ¡°Hoooooog?¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s expression turned sly. She didn¡¯t ask any further questions. She just took out two rings. They weren¡¯t fancy. The two rings looked to be made out of discolored gold. She held the rings out in her hand, and she had a triumphant expression on her face.

    ¡°As it happen, I have two highest quality artifacts left! It is in the form of a ring so it is easy to hide, and its outward appearance can go through minor changes. Moreover, these were made by a high rank magician, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be detected by anyone under level 250.....¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll buy it for 500 gold each. What do you say to 1,000 gold?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowing me the opportunity to barter.¡±

    Artpe put one of the rings worth 500 gold on his finger. He gave the other one to Maetel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how to use the artifactter. Just put it on for now.¡±

    ¡°F...five hundred gold... For 500 gold.... How many cows is that? I don¡¯t know!¡±

    Maetel was in a deep state of turmoil, but in the end, she put on the ring. She wrapped her hand around the finger with the ring on it as if it was something to be treasured. Her cheeks had turned red. It was clear that she had mistook the gesture for something else. However, nothing bad woulde from her treasuring the ring. Artpe smirked as he turned his head....

    ¡°I want two artifacts that hinder the perception of others! Give it to me!¡±

    Even if he threw away his rank as the crown prince, he couldn¡¯t lose his face. Silpennon clung to Mycenae as if he had found a road to his salvation.

    As expected, the guy was pretty smart. Silpennon was in the same situation as Artpe and Maetel where he had to hide his existence by using the item to avoid detection.

    ¡°But, your highnes..... No, that isn¡¯t right. Silpennon-nim, the woman clearly said that those were herst two.....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if doesn¡¯t perform as well! You must have others!¡±

    ¡°Uh, oh my! Come to think of it, I have exactly two more left!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The party members stared at her with cold gazes. Mycenae acted shameless by whistling under their cold gazes. This was called iron face in the vocabry of the merchants. It was clear that she was a master of this highest rank technique As expected of a veteran merchant!

    ¡°Hoo. Just give it to me.¡±

    If that was how merchants had to act, he never wanted to be a merchant. Silpennon took out a thousand gold. The money he brought out from the pce wasn¡¯t unlimited. Still, he couldn¡¯t skimp on money when it came to preserving his own life.

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret this trade!¡±

    ¡°Do you perhaps have 11 of the same item still left in your possession?¡±

    ¡°The part about its efficacy was real. You can trust me on that part. Ooh-cha.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he got up.

    He sold what he had to sell, and he bought what he had purchase. The trade was done.

    However, there was still a deal to be made for the others.

    ¡°Ajumma, I have work where you¡¯ll have to travel.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Are you asking me out on a date? In truth, it isn¡¯t as if I don¡¯t like you, but you should make the request after growing up for five years, at the very least.¡±

    ¡°As part of your job as a merchant, don¡¯t you offer a service to teach beginner adventurers? I want you to teach them about the basicmon sense of being an adventurer.¡±

    Silpennon and Leseti had been divvying up the rings amongst themselves, and they hadn¡¯t expected the spark to fly towards them. They blinked their eyes. A lesson for beginner adventurers? Such a thing existed?

    ¡°Youpletely ignored my words! Kook.... All right. I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    Mycenae acted as if she had been humiliated, but she quickly transitioned into her business mode. In such a situation, her battle capability and bargaining power increased by 20%! She patted her ample breast as she boasted about herself.

    ¡°You already know this, right? I¡¯m a veteran trader. Normally, I don¡¯t take on such simple jobs. This should be obvious, but my pay is pretty high.¡±

    ¡°However, you will apply a proper 30% discount there, right?¡±

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    She knew she couldn¡¯t win against him, yet she stalled for time. She had a personality befitting the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. Artpe thought Mycenae would have done well as one of the Four Heavenly Kings instead of being a merchant.

    Artpe spoke to Silpennon.

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve helped you up to this point, the rest is up to you now. Originally, I brought you guys to the Dungeon with the intention of letting you guys meet the Dungeon Merchant. It is good for beginner adventurers like you guys to have a good rapport with the Dungeon Merchants.¡±

    ¡°If we go by age, you guys could be considered beginner adventurers......¡±

    Silpennon was dismayed, so he mumbled those words to himself. Still, he intended to take full advantage of the stage provided by Artpe. Since Artpe insisted on this, he¡¯ll acquire all the information he could from the Dungeon Merchant!

    ¡°Ughh. The price changes depending on time. However, if a 30% discount is applied again.....¡±

    ¡°It is time for us to go.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Silepennon and Leseti were on their best behavior as they were about to get ready for the lesson. They turned to look at Artpe in surprise.

    ¡°Are you going to abandon us?!¡±

    ¡°It is as I¡¯ve promised. We finished the Dungeon together. I increased your level and skills. I¡¯ve even arranged for you to receive an education as an adventurer. What more do you want?¡±

    ¡°B...but.....¡±

    Silpennon and Lesti stared at Artpe. Both their eyes shook. They looked at him as if he was a lover that was leaving them, and in truth, he did feel a little bit bad about this.

    ¡°I want to repay my debts, yet I won¡¯t have any way to find you in the future.¡±

    ¡°When S...Silpennon-nim passes away, I nned on putting myself in your care! Are you trying to make me a wandering knight?¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Who¡¯s going to pass away?¡±

    The man and woman fought as if their rtionship as master and servant would end soon. Mycenae stared at Artpe as she spoke in a small voice.

    ¡°You must love it since you are so popr, customer.¡±

    ¡°You are being noisy. Shut up. Just sell me themunication device.¡±

    ¡°You really provided everything for them even as you gripe. You are so cute that I can¡¯t help myself! Fifty eight gol¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°If we apply the 30% discount, it will be 40 gold, right?¡±

    ¡°Goo-oooooooohk!¡±

    One¡¯s intentions didn¡¯t matter. It was also the fate of the hero to be blindly loved by the people around him. Artpe was still unaware of this fact.

 Chapter 33 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (1)

    Chapter 33 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (1)

    Artpe and Maetel left the three people behind as they exited the Dungeon. Of course, he wasn¡¯t able topletely shed his worry about Silpennon¡¯s future. However, if Silpennon died after he did this much for him, it was just fate!

    ¡°So, Artpe, where are we headed now?¡±

    ¡°Originally, I wanted us to go into some decent Dungeons to grow our levels, but.....¡±

    They had entered the Dungeon to grow Silpennon to a respectable level. However, a Huge Slime had appeared, and it allowed Artpe to be level 163. Maetel had grown to level 174. He hadn¡¯t intended for this, yet their levels had increased explosively. They didn¡¯t really intend for this to happen, yet they had experienced a tempest of growth. They really didn¡¯t need to go searching for a different Dungeon as of now. As expected, the power of a hero was amazing!

    Somehow, Maetel looked wistful at his words.

    ¡°So we aren¡¯t going to any more Dungeons? I thought the Dungeons were really fun. I love bing stronger!¡±

    Even if she wasn¡¯t a hero, he surmised she would have be the strongest in the world no matter what her ss was. While he had this distant thought, he soon let out a bitterugh as he consoled her.

    ¡°There wille a day when you¡¯ll have to basically live inside Dungeons even if you don¡¯t want to. That is why you should be patient for now. At the very least, we won¡¯t be pushed around at this level.¡±

    In the demon world, it was hard for beings under level 200 to strut around in the Demon world, but they were in the human world. The grand master of this kingdom had barely exceeded level 200, yet the world praised his name. No one will be able to restrain them in such a world.

    On top of that, they possessed the Record Link, and Maetel¡¯s various skills had grown significantly. If the specialness of being a hero was added, he wondered if any being under level 200 would be able to face her.

    In a world where level was the absolute indicator of one¡¯s strength, the fact that she could jump over this demarcation was an amazing talent.

    ¡°However, if we meet anyone above that level, we have to run away. The high rank ss over level 200 differ in quality.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Slime we just caught over level 200?¡±

    ¡°That one is an exception. It is like the weakest amongst the four Heavenly Kings. He is frequently excluded from being listed amongst the ranks of the strongest beings.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter how far it had evolved. In the end, the Slime suffered an ignominious death even after it ate all the Mana in its vicinity to be huge.

    This was the reason why Artpe had been rxed even as the Slime ate an entire Dungeon. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if it evolved using 10 or 100 floors. He would have left it alone. He would have considered it a great opportunity topletely refine the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is amazing?¡±

    ¡°You alwayse to that conclusion.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoo-hoong.¡±

    It looked as if Maetel was very happy that she was alone with Artpe again.

    Artpe was slowly getting used to her endless affection and skinship. However, he worried she would get sick of him some day. A person¡¯s feeling was one of the most powerful motivators, but emotions were temporary and fickle. It wasn¡¯t something that was easy to deal with.

    ¡®It isn¡¯t as if I want to detain the hero. However, if she stops following my directions before we kill the Demon King, it¡¯ll be a problem. Maybe, I can use Charm magic.... No, that n is impossible if her resistance to Mana is put into consideration.... Tsk. Yes, I have to admit it to myself. I wouldn¡¯t like myself if I did that to her.¡¯

    He tried hard to think like the bad guy, but in the end, he let out a sigh. Yes, he really hated messing with another being¡¯s free will. From the time he was enved by the Demon King, he had suffered under the same treatment. He knew how shitty something like that was.

    What if he did that to a hero? Even if god could forgive him, Artpe wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself.

    ¡®Moreover, if I am to be a little bit more honest with myself, I.....¡¯

    Artpe had been trying very hard not to have these thoughts until now, yet he attempted to confront his inner feelings.... His face suddenly turned red, and he stopped that train of thought.

    When he stopped the thought process, the scene from his past life shed through his mind. It was the sight of the dependable and pure hero¡¯s face, who had faced him in front of the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe, what¡¯s wrong? Are you in pain?¡±

    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s nothing. Hey, your face is too close. Move it. Hey.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I want to hold your hand!¡±

    Her timing was uncanny as she pushed her face towards Artpe. Artpe was startled, so he tried to push her away. However, there was no way Artpe could win in terms of strength.

    In the end, Artpe had to do what Maetel wanted. She gained ownership of Artpe¡¯s arm. She energetically swung their arms as if they were little children going on a pic.

    ¡°I really love the fact that we are walking together! Just the two of us!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be sick of it soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never be sick of it. Not even in a thousand years!¡±

    ¡°The scale you think in is like that of a dragon¡¯s¡±

    In the end, Artpe had tough at Maetel¡¯s innocent reply.

    Then he spoke to her in a kind voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go recruit a new member for the hero¡¯s party.¡±

    ¡°Eeeesh-eeeeng!¡±

    As soon as she expressed her pleasure at being alone with him, Artpe immediately dered his intention of adding a new member! This savagery was an aspect that was befitting one of Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King¡¯s army!

    In his past life, the Diaz Kingdom had been held together quite easily. It wasn¡¯t as if there wasn¡¯t a rebellion caused by the Archduke, but the hero was able to suppress it easily.

    Diaz had been peaceful thanks to the hero, and they were able to prosper. This was all before the full-out war with the Demon King¡¯s army had started.

    ¡®However, it isn¡¯t like that anymore.¡¯

    Artpe sighed when they arrived at the first town, since they had left the Slime Dungeon. The town was quite dreary. Maetel, who had expected a bustle of people, was taken aback at the frozen atmosphere of the town.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this ce, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It is said that when a ruler clears his throat, the citizens would suffer. With that in mind, the country just went through a change in ownership Of course, the whole country will be in tumult.¡±

    In some ways, this was the biggest change that had urred, because of Artpe. If Artpe hadn¡¯t run away with the hero, this rebellion would have never urred.

    If the agitated Maetel, who was next to Artpe, was still inside the castle, the humans that sought to satisfy their own selfish interests and desires wouldn¡¯t have been able to take control.

    Still, it was as Silpennon had said. This urred because of the internal politics of the kingdom. This wasn¡¯t Maetel¡¯s fault. Of course, Artpe wasn¡¯t at fault either. This was why they didn¡¯t need to feel any guilt.

    ¡®Still, this does annoy me a little bit.¡¯

    Artpe let out a sigh as he looked at Maetel, who looked a bit sad. He ced a hand atop her head.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t worry ourselves over all of this. We just have to do what is within our power, and we have to defeat our final foe, the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Will everyone be happy when we defeat the Demon King?¡±

    In the old tales, the world became peaceful when the hero defeated the Demon King. Of course, these were only old tales. Artpe¡¯s view was grounded in reality.

    ¡°No. However, if the Demon world loses its leader, people will rush towards the Demon world to conquer it. For a brief time, there would be a need for manpower, and even civilians with no abilities would have a chance to get their hands on a good amount of loot. Of course, it also depends on the ability of humans to defend their newly found peace.¡±

    ¡°The Demon world......? What about the Demons in the Demon world?¡±

    She was astute in the questions she asked. For an instant, Artpe thought about his previous life where the Demon King had subjugated their entire Demon race. He thought about himself..... In the end, he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the Demon race. We just have to kill them all.¡±

    ¡°Everyone said that Demons are bad, but..... There are bad people amongst humans, so wouldn¡¯t there also be kind Demons in the Demon race?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe shut his mouth at the unexpected question. Her eyes did not falter. She stared at Artpe with sincere eyes. This was why he was hesitant to give her a rash answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s.......¡±

    In the human world, everyone grew up being educated that ¡®Humans are good and the Demons are bad.¡¯

    The power of indoctrination was scary. Even those that were learned and experienced in the world held absolute hostility towards the Demon race.

    ¡®However, she came to hate the humans first.¡¯

    To be precise, the humans that tried to kill Artpe, and it was apt to say that her faucet was turned the wrong way. Afterwards, Maetel was able to willingly swing her sword against humans.

    In truth, Artpe had worried a lot about this fact. He worried her nature would move closer to being that of a Berserker.

    However, he just learned that he was the standard she was using to determine what was good and what was bad. This was why he decided not to interfere in determining what was right and wrong for her. He wouldn¡¯t do so even if the topic was about humans and the Demons.

    ¡®I wonder if she¡¯ll start to hesitate when killing monsters in the future.¡¯

    In the end, Artpe let out a bitterugh as he lightly patted her head.

    She was still only 13 years old. This was a question where even Artpe hadn¡¯t been able toe up with an answer. Nothing good wille from her worrying over such a question.

    ¡°I already told you the standard of judgement you should use. You do what you think is right. That is all there is to it. Don¡¯t try to take on too big of a problem. You should deal with what is immediately in front of you, and it will all work out in the future¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, all right. For now, I want to do what you want to do.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s answer was a non-answer. However, she didn¡¯t want to admit to herself that Artpe wascking in any aspect. This was why she decided to ept what Artpe said as an absolute truth.

    She decided to pretend that it was enough.

    ¡°But... But what if Artpe......¡±

    However, there was one question remaining that she needed answered.

    ¡°What happens if the Demon King is one the the good demons?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Fortunately, this was a question where he could give a definite answer. Artpe¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke in a firm manner.

    ¡°If the Demon king is considered to be kind, that would mean no evil would exist in this world.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll trust you, Artpe!¡±

    This was how the Q&A session between the two heroes ended. He was sure a day woulde when he woulde across this question again, but this was enough for now.

    The two had a serious conversation that was unbefitting of young kids as they entered the town. Sure enough, the town was being searched by soldiers sent by the pce.

    ¡°Have you seen him before! He¡¯s a youth with red hair! Red hair!¡±

    ¡°We are looking for a ck haired brat, and a blonde haired girl. Are you perhaps hiding them in your home? Huh?¡±

    Rough looking soldiers were searching each house. There was a reason why the town wasn¡¯t lively at all.

    The soldiers weren¡¯t just searching for the crown prince. They were also trying to find the missing heroes from a year ago. When she realized this fact, Maetel was a bit frightened. She stuck close to Artpe, but he waspletely rxed.

    ¡°The artifact that obstruct recognition is working perfectly, so we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m worried......¡±

    The two of them were using artifacts that obstructed recognition, so it looked as if they possessed brown hair and dark brown eyes. These were the mostmon color amongst the poption, and they looked very average. If they were still detained even though they weren¡¯t heroes, they could just kill that person on the grounds that he was a pedophile.

    ¡°Hey, you guys over there! Come here and show me your faces!¡±

    ¡°Of course, there are asionally bastards like him.....¡±

    There were people, who became violent, when they were ced in a position of power. It wasn¡¯t just about one¡¯s voice bing louder. This was especially true when faced with young children, who looked weak.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Of course, the solution was simple. He just had to put them in their ce.

    ¡°Hee...heek.¡±

    Artpe took off his robe to reveal his changed brown hair, then he floated two fireballs into the air. The overbearing soldier, who had been shouting towards them, froze in ce.

    ¡°You are being too noisy. I don¡¯t care who you are looking for. Shut up. You should go on about quietly. All right?¡±

    ¡°A m...mage......!¡±

    The soldier couldn¡¯t reply properly. His gaze was firmly nted on the fireballs, which were moving around freely based on the gesture of Artpe¡¯s hand. The nearby soldiers had already retreated.

    ¡°Hey. Aren¡¯t you going to answer me?¡±

    When Artpe red as he moved the fireballs, the soldier finally bowed his head in surprise.

    ¡°I....I¡¯m sorry, mage!¡±

    ¡°If you feel that way then get the hell out of my sight. From this moment on, if I see any of you, you won¡¯t need a hearth to feel warm ever again.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes, sir!¡±

    The one that gave the answer as well as the demoralized soldiers exited the town at once. It was as if there was a sh flood. Artpe gave a lightugh as he turned to look at Maetel.

    ¡°You just have to simply show them your power against idiots like them. This is the easiest way to resolve the problem for both sides, so you should remember this.¡±

    ¡°Oooh. Artpe is too cool.....!¡±

    There were stars in Maetel¡¯s eyes.

    Mmm. It seemed Artpe¡¯s message hadn¡¯t taken hold at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s so cool about such a cheap threat?¡±

    ¡°I said Artpe looked cool, because you looked cool. I just said what I thought!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. I was the foolish one.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he turned around. Since he chased the annoying flies away, he had to acquire a ce to stay for the night.

    Artpe only realized afterwards that he had made a mistake in his calctions.

    ¡°Heek ¡±

    ¡°H...hide!¡±

    ¡°Should we run away?¡±

    ¡°P... please spare me!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed the townspeople had be frightened alongside the soldiers. No one wanted to open their doors to the party with the scary magician.

    ¡°Ah......¡±

    It took them 30 minutes. Artpe was barely able to book a room at the inn. As he was served soup, he decided not to use magic in front of the civilians if he could help it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be on a tight schedule starting tomorrow. We won¡¯t be resting until we get to our destination, so you should be prepared for it.¡±

    ¡°When you say arade, who are you trying to find?¡±

    ¡°That is.......¡±

    The hero from his past life had undergone countless trial and error to find herpanions. She started off with a thief, then she joined forces with a warrior, archer and a priestess.....

    However, there was a problem with the party¡¯s firepower. Aside from the priestess, all the members of the hero¡¯s party were powerful beings that had the power of hundred to a thousand men. Yet they weren¡¯t talented enough to turn the tide of a battle by themselves. They were only deployed in situations where a small elite force was effective.

    However, the situation hadpletely changed when a magician joined the hero¡¯s party. The magician possessed such brilliant talent that she was considered second only to the hero! The magician¡¯s ability was so great that the achievement of the hero¡¯s party was separated depending on what happened before and after the magician joined the party.

    Since Artpe had the knowledge about his previous life, his choice was obvious.

    ¡°We are going to find a mage¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t care if their positions ovepped. Not, this was actually better! If a magician joined the party early, he could develop her. If he did a good job, maybe he could end all of this, while not having to enter the battlefield!

    ¡°I just need Artpe.....¡±

    Maetel grumbled as if she still didn¡¯t like the idea, but he ignored her.

    At this point in time, he already knew where he could find the magician.

    They just have to go see her now!

    At that moment, someone knocked on the door to their room.

    ¡°E...excuse me. May I bother you for a brief moment....?¡±

    A thin and high voice of a girl was heard. Maetel answered yes, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to answer the door. When the door was opened, a very in looking girl was standing there. She looked like the Vige Girl A that could be found in any town.

    ¡°Uh..... Ah.....¡±

    When Artpe caught sight of her, he immediately activate his Read All Creation ability.

    At that moment, Artpe finally realized something.

    The job as a hero had just started.

 Chapter 34 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (2)

    Chapter 34 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (2)

    ¡°M...my name is Aena.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough with your self-introduction.¡±

    Artpe stopped his face from crumpling when he saw the face of the girl. He brushed aside her words.

    ¡°I want you to tell me your request, and what you will be able to give me. Keep it short.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was said from the olden times that it was crucial to clear a Quest as soon as possible! He just needed to know the content of the Quest and the reward. He didn¡¯t care about minor details like her situation.

    ¡°Heek.¡±

    ¡°Artpe.....¡±

    The girl, who came looking for them, and Maetel, who had been looking at Aena, turned to look at Artpe with dumbfounded expressions when they heard his words. Aena was barely able to open her mouth before Artpe¡¯s expression could crumple.

    ¡°I...in truth, the soldiers came to our town couple days ago. He was captured by them, and he hasn¡¯t been returned.....¡±

    ¡°All right. What¡¯s the reward?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He even skipped the content of the Quest! If others heard his words, they might have been impressed by Artpe¡¯s strong desire for obtaining a reward.

    However, Artpe¡¯s expression was excessively harsh. It wasn¡¯t directed at the girl or the quest. His anger seemed to be directed at someone else.

    ¡°A r...reward.... I don¡¯t have anything I can give you......¡±

    The girl looked like she was about to cry. Of course, Artpe knew this even before he heard her words. The girl wore very threadbare clothes, and when he checked with his Read All Creation ability, she didn¡¯t possess any items worth having on her body.

    Despite this fact, Artpe continued to interrogate her.

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t even have a single bronze coin?¡±

    ¡°I do have a bronze coin, but that isn¡¯t enough.....¡±

    Aena¡¯s eyes started to fill with tears. However, Artpe ruthlessly pushed his hand out towards her.

    ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    ¡°I want you to take out the bronze coin.¡±

    Aena¡¯s expression indicated that she had no idea what was going on, but she took out a bronze coin.

    She possessed a very dirty bronze coin. It held very little value to Artpe that he wanted to snort, but it was a very precious andrge sum of money for the girl. The money was very important to her.

    ¡°H....here......¡±

    Aena thought she hade looking for the wrong people. She thought she was getting ripped off in her time of need. Her eyes were sheddingrge amount of tears as she ced the bronze coin on top of Artpe¡¯s hand. Maetel was very angry as she watched what was going on. She had to scold Artpe! She had to scold him a lot! Artpe that makes a child cry was a bad Artpe!

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, Maetel. I¡¯m trying to assume the Quest Reward. Usually, not even dogs interrupt that process.

    ¡°Y...yes.¡±

    However, Artpe replied as if he had predicted Maetel would be angry. She immediately shut her mouth. She was overwhelmed by Artpe¡¯s attitude. She had no idea what made him so angry from the start, but Artpe was incredibly scary right now..... He also looked a little bit cool.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    After he quieted Maetel, he firmly gripped the coin he extorted from the girl. He put the coin away, and after he blinked once, he stood up.

    Then he spoke clearly towards the girl.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ve epted your Quest reward. Your payment in advance was 100%, and your bnce is 0%. I will undertake the Quest starting now.¡±

    This was the very first Quest he had epted in his lifetime.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Our ount is all settled now, so we are going to go find your dongsaeng¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Aena blinked her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard. However, Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate. He put on his robe.

    In truth, he was very sleepy, so he wanted to lie down. However, he could always sleepter. He felt restless right now. It felt as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if he didn¡¯t move right now. This was why he prodded Aena into action in annoyance.

    ¡°Why are you standing there doing nothing? I¡¯ve received the reward, so I¡¯m going to do the Quest. Are you deaf?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. But....!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go find your dongsaeng starting now. I¡¯ll somehow find a way to track him down, and I¡¯ll return him to your side. Are you sure you want to set this as the condition that willplete the Quest?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah. Ah. Ah.¡±

    The girl finally understood what was going on. Until a moment ago, she had thought this young magician was trying to steal her money. However, he was saying he would really find her dongsaeng in return for that coin!

    Even after thinking over it, the situation didn¡¯t make any sense to her, so she wondered if he was lying. However, Artpe was looking at her with sincere eyes, so she couldn¡¯t ask him if he was lying to her.

    This was why she decided to trust Artpe.

    ¡°T...thank you very much! I...I don¡¯t know how I should express my thanks....¡±

    ¡°You can thank me after I find and return your dongsaeng safely to your side. I hope I¡¯m not toote, but......¡±

    Artpe grinded his teeth as he took in the sight of the girl again. He activated his Read All Creation ability, and her status was revealed to him.

    [Aena]

    [Level : 1]

    [Curse : The process changing into low ss Magic Type Foreign Species 1%]

    [Drank water containing Cursed Mana four days ago.]

    ¡®Which son of a bitch did this.....¡¯

    Could a person be turned into a monster? The correct answer was yes. It was easy for corpses in ces with negative Mana toe back as zombies or ghouls. Then there were voluntary methods that would allow one to be a Death Knight or a Lich.

    Amongst the Curses, there were a decent amount that turned a subject into a monster. Currently, a curse that turned a person into a monster was ced on her. This was the most representative example of someone viting a human¡¯s free will.

    He had expressed this sentiment before, but this was the type of nonsense he hated the most.

    The sound of his teeth grinding could be heard.

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is kind. You always told me ¡®A person should always be precise in one¡¯s calctions!¡±

    ¡°Nope. My calctions were precise, right?¡±

    ¡°Pi. Liar. Artpe is just embarrassed.¡±

    Artpe smirked as he started spouting bullshit towards Maetel.

    ¡°Listen well, Maetel. The value of an item is rtive. Basically, if I think my calction is correct, then it is correct.¡±

    This was why the Quest Reward was important. If judged in an objective manner, even if something was worth a lot, it wouldn¡¯t be worth much to him if it wasn¡¯t something he needed. The bnce in his calction would be skewed. It was most definitely a tortuous way of thinking, but it was an absolute rule he followed.

    ¡°So what about you, Maetel?¡±

    Artpe tapped his chest. It was the pocket where he put away the bronze coin.

    ¡°Is 1 Bronze enough for you as a Quest Reward?¡±

    Maetel looked into Artpe¡¯s rage-filled eyes. She wondered why he was so angry. She thought maybe she¡¯ll be able to find out the underlying reason if she carried out Aena¡¯s request with him.

    She always wanted a deeper understanding of Artpe. She was sure this request would move her a step closer to her goal.

    If she was able to do so, that was a reward in itself.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes. It is more than enough.¡±

    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll carry out the Quest at the same time.¡±

    The two held hands as they immediately rushed out of the room with Aena in the front. They arrived at a very small hut, and numerous townspeople were crowded inside the hut.

    ¡°M...magician-nim. In truth, my son was also.....¡±

    ¡°My d....daughter was captured. Those soldiers took all of the nearby children saying they need to check thoroughly.......!¡±

    ¡°I beg of you, mage-nim. Please! Our children!¡±

    Everyone had simr stories to Aena. When Maetel saw the crowd of people, she wondered why they hadn¡¯te along with Aena. Why had they remained outside? Maetel had a puzzled expression on her face, but Artpe already had a good grasp of this situation.

    Aena was probably sent to them as a representative of the townspeople, who had lost their children. They wanted to make the request, but they were too afraid to meet with Artpe. This was why they had pushed forward the youngest and weakest amongst them to speak to Artpe.

    Even amongst the weak, there was always someone that was weaker than the others. This was why people like them always insisted on sacrificing the weakest amongst them. When it looked as if Artpe had epted the quest, they finally scrambled to meet him.

    Artpe spoke firmly towards the townspeople surrounding him.

    ¡°I want everything you guys own.¡±

    ¡°W...what? But you only wanted one bronze from Aena....¡±

    ¡°I received her entire worth. I have to be fair in receiving the Quest Rewards. So are you going to request a Quest from me? Or maybe.... Shall I extract the price with my own hands?¡±

    Everyone gathered at the location was struck dumb. They didn¡¯t need to look at Artpe¡¯s twisted smile to know that he was serious about his words.

    For some reason, the young mage was very angry right now, and if they were rash in provoking him, their missing children wouldn¡¯t be the only problem they would face. The townspeople realized that they might be sent to a ce where they would never be able to return from.

    ¡°U...understood!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring it!¡±

    Everyone quickly ran into their homes. Artpe spat on the ground as he saw their backs, and he turned to look at Maetel. It looked as if she was still having a hard timepletely understanding the situation.

    ¡°You would do well to watch this carefully. A crappy hero goes house to house to seize goods. A veteran hero like me makes the townspeople do my work instead.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe looks like a really bad guy, but you look so cool that I like it anyways.¡±

    Artpe wasn¡¯t a veteran hero. He had merely been one of the Four Heavenly Kings in his past life yet he was shit talking in a confident manner. Maetel let out an opinion that was bit strange for a hero to say. When Aena looked at both of them with a dumbfounded expression, Artpe let out a bitterugh as he asked her a question.

    ¡°Do you have any clues as to where your dongsaeng was taken.... Of course, you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just know that he was dragged away by the soldiers.......¡±

    Aena once again had tears in her eyes as she lowered her head. As if Artpe had expected this, he nodded his head. He easily organized the situation in his head.

    This incident began when the heroes were born. The pce tried to acquire them, yet they had failed. This brought instability to the throne. This allowed the Archduke to be sessful in his rebellion, and the throne was stolen.

    The Archduke probably unleashed all the soldiers in this region to search for the runaway crown prince and the heroes. He might have mobilized all the soldiers inside the country. If he wanted to build a firm foundation for his power, the archduke had to kill the crown prince. If he wanted to gain legitimacy for the throne, he had to procure the heroes.

    Artpe could somewhat see the natural flow of events. However, there were two problems that he couldn¡¯t exin.

    First, the soldiers were capturing all young children to check up on them. Secondly, Aena and maybe other children were being cursed through the drinking water. The curse ced on them would turn them into monsters.

    Of course, these two problems might have nothing to do with each other.

    The Archduke might be doing a thorough job by gathering all the children. The girl might have been unlucky in having a curse ced on her. The curse might not have anything to do with the other captured children.

    ¡®Still, I used to insist everything will go well before I suffered crushing defeats. I had enough of that in my days as one of the Four Heavenly King inside the Demon King¡¯s army.¡¯

    This was why Artpe decided to assume the worst. It might not just be Aenea or the children of this town. Maybe, all the children in this country were cursed.

    He entertained the possibility of the people, who cursed the children, might have ties to the Archduke. They might be acting under his order.

    ¡®If we are lucky, it might just be a simple ck magician. If we are unlucky, it¡¯ll be the Demon king¡¯s army. If my past life is any indication, the Demon King didn¡¯t use such a full-scale tactic at this point in time......¡¯

    He shouldn¡¯t just take it for granted that something won¡¯t happen, because it hadn¡¯t happened in his past life. No, he had to be more vignt for that eventuality.

    Moreover, the world that had restarted thanks to his high rank ability didn¡¯t exactly match up with his previous life. If he domineered over others by clinging to old memories, he might die an ignominious death that was befitting the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.

    ¡®I¡¯ll work under the assumption that there is a connection between the Archduke and the Demon King¡¯s army. If so, I have a possible motive as to why the Archduke captured all the children of this town. The Demon King¡¯s army may have used this opportunity to infect the children with the curse, and they are using the soldiers to collect them....¡¯

    What were they nning to do with the children, who were turned into monsters? He didn¡¯t even need to ask that question. The general poption would fall into chaos, so the Demon King¡¯s army would have achieved its goal. Anything that happened afterwards was a bonus.

    ¡°That means....¡±

    Artpe looked at Aena, and he thought how unlikely all of this was. If they hadn¡¯te to this town... No, if he hadn¡¯t frightened away the soldiers, it would have been Aena¡¯s turn to be taken away.

    There weren¡¯t any cursed children left in the town besides Aena. If she wasn¡¯t here, he wouldn¡¯t have been so aggressive in jumping into this matter. He wouldn¡¯t have budged no matter what anyone would have said to him.

    Basically, a small me he had created at a whim had turned into this Quest.

    ¡°....so this is what it like to be a hero.¡±

    Artpe shut his eyes as he mumbled to himself.

    When he researched the progress of the hero in the past, he had wondered why trouble seemed to follow the hero. Now that he was the person directly involved in the matter, everything was falling into ce.

    He had no more excuses. Their actions forged the future. It sounded as if he was using circr reasoning.... Ah, it couldn¡¯t be. He probably wasn¡¯t.

    At that moment, it became noisy outside. The townspeople had brought their ¡®entire fortune¡¯

    ¡°M...magician-nim! We brought it all! This really is all our fortune!¡±

    ¡°It really is tough to make a living these days, so this is all we have. We are telling you the truth....!¡±

    ¡°Will you really find my child just from receiving this? I feel ashamed to say this is all we have....¡¤!¡±

    When everyone gathered, Artpe opened his eyes.

    He didn¡¯t n on going through all the stuff brought to him by the people. He just wanted to punk them for their disgraceful behaviors. He nned on saving the meless children from the start.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t outwardly express such an attitude.

    ¡°You should all give your thanks to Aena. You were too scared to meet me even though your children were captured. If it wasn¡¯t for Aena¡¯s bravery, I wouldn¡¯t have cared if your children died or not.¡±

    The townspeople flinched at his venomous words. His words also struck a nerve.

    It should be enough to bring them to their senses. He hoped it was so.

    ¡°All right. After this, I¡¯ll include all of you as clients. I¡¯ll return your children... Huh?¡±

    He was indifferently gathering all the ¡®fortunes¡¯ gathered by the townspeople when he saw a ck pebble amongst the items. His eyes widened. A vige woman flinched, and she spoke as if she was giving an excuse.

    ¡°M...my husband found it in the past! It was so pretty that I was hoping it was an expensive gem..... I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Artpe firmly shook his head.

    ¡°There is no way this is a gem, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry! Please my son....!¡±

    Artpe had a twisted smile on his lips as he picked it up.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was fate or inevitability. It might be either, but..... Ah ah. This was quite fun.

    ¡°Its outer appearance looks like a gem, but this is something much more important. Rejoice, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You saved all the children.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    [Obsidian of Greed]

    [Rank A]

    [A magical stone that sucks in all curses. If it contains a curse, it doesn¡¯t differentiate between Mana or a physical object. It absorbs and stores the curse. It can be used as activation ingredient for certain special curse magic. The amount of curse and the quality of curses will determine how much of a boos the magic spell will receive. Currently, the stone is empty.]

    Artpe¡¯s purple eyes confirmed the true nature of the ck stone, and he once again let out augh.

    He didn¡¯t care who was pulling the strings to this plot. The idea of thoroughly crushing all of them made him so happy that he couldn¡¯t stop hisughter.

    It was the first sortie for the rotten hero.

 Chapter 35 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (3)

    Chapter 35 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (3)

    The Obsidian of Greed was originally an item used to gather power of curses. It was an ingredient used when making a more powerful curse.

    This was an item for magicians who dealt in curses, and it was something they desperately wanted. It was representative of magic stones that couldn¡¯t be made artificially.

    ¡®Moreover, this one is Rank A. It means it can store a lot of curses.¡¯

    On the other hand, there was an obvious limitation to this item. If an item or a Mana had the property of a curse, it would all be absorbed into the stone. However, it was hard to do anything significant when the curse was already active.

    A curse wasn¡¯t like cing a load on a person¡¯s shoulder. A portion of a person¡¯s skin, bones, muscles, brain and heart went through subtle changes. These changes permeated into one¡¯s entire being, and the change would be inextricably linked to one¡¯s body.

    This was why if one was rash in extracting the cursed Mana, the innate Mana within the subject would go on a rampage before killing the subject.

    ¡°If so.... Come, Aena. I¡¯ll deal with you first.¡±

    ¡°Y... yes!¡±

    Of course, such limitations didn¡¯t apply to Artpe, because he possessed a rare cheat ability called the Read All Creation ability!

    If he concentrated, he could get a detailed information on theposition of nts or creatures. So how could extracting cursed Mana from affected regions be difficult for him!

    ¡°This might hurt a little bit. Endure it.¡±

    ¡°W...what? What did I do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Endure it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, hoohk!?¡±

    Artpe abruptly ced the Obsidian on Aena¡¯s forehead. Afterwards, Aena¡¯s body started to shake. The townspeople who had been watching this sight immediately stepped back in fright. Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t pay any attention to them.

    ¡°I caught it.¡±

    He was able to pinpoint the part of her weak innate magical energy that was being dyed ck with the energy of the curse. After a precise extraction, he spoke to her.

    ¡°Still, your erodibility was very low, so you didn¡¯t suffer as much.¡±

    ¡°E...erodibility¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Aena was shaking from the pain as she asked him a question. She could immediately guess at what had happened, so her eyes opened wide.

    Yes, she was sure her body hadn¡¯t felt normal.

    If one felt fine when one was being changed into a monster through a curse, that person would be the incredible one.

    ¡°Monster...Modification Curse....? Then my dongsaeng and the other children of the town.....¡±

    ¡°The children were rounded up by them, because of that reason. Of course, they are also the ones who ced the curse on you.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeeeek.¡±

    The girl bit her lips in anger. A small smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips when he saw this. Pain usually transferred into emotion. The curse had progressed to a mere 1%, yet for a brief moment when she raged......

    ¡°All right. You did very well.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Artpe stepped back when he saw a slightly darker light within the Obsidian. He checked her with his Read All Creation ability, and not an ounce of curse energy was left behind. Aena blinked her eyes in wonder.

    ¡°My body feels light. I thought I had merely been tired and hungry.....¡±

    ¡°Did the unrest in your emotions lessen?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Artpe impishly asked the question when it seemed he already knew the answer. Aena slightly nodded her head in confirmation. The townspeople who had been behind her started to crowd forward.

    ¡°W...will we change into monsters too, magician-nim?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you perhaps heal us too.....¡±

    When it came to their own well-being, they were quick to step forward. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he shook his head.

    ¡°You guys are fine. It seems the curse was ced on children, who hadn¡¯t maturedpletely yet. So the problem is with your offsprings.¡±

    ¡°T...then my daughter....!?¡±

    ¡°Curse..... A curse!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if I¡¯m able to find them quickly. You shouldn¡¯t worry about them this early in the process.¡±

    They had thought this was a simple matter of the soldiers capturing their sons and daughters. However, a Modification Curse had been ced on them! Theplexion of the townspeople immediately darkened.

    They were afraid of the sword carrying soldiers. However, they were more afraid of magic and curses. These were mysterious powers of unknown origin.

    ¡°What shall we do, magician-nim? We¡¯ll do anything. If my child turns into a monster, I.......!¡±

    ¡°I beg of you! Please save my son!¡±

    They were already very worried about their offsprings, but they found out there was a time limit to their rescue. The townspeople were agitated, and they went wild. If the soldiers were in front of them, they would have tried to rip them into pieces. Moreover, Maetel was also in a simr state of agitation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go right now, Artpe! I don¡¯t know where the children of this tow is right now, but I¡¯m sure the bad guys will do the same thing at different locations!¡±

    ¡°It is as you say. We don¡¯t know where they are, so do you really want to search the entire region?¡±

    ¡°Still, we have to do something!¡±

    In truth, old stories and legends about heroes were rife with such scenarios.

    Some town would fall into crisis, and the hero would try to solve a problem with the help of the townspeople. However, a tragedy urred when time ran out, and the hero would receive a big emotional burden. However, the pain of this event would allow the hero to mature mentally.

    ¡°However, we don¡¯t need to mature mentally, so we can skip that step.¡±

    Heroes who busily ran around deserts and jungles, while crying orughing, were old news to him. Artpe couldn¡¯t afford to waste his mental and physical energy like that.

    What was so fun about searching everywhere, because one didn¡¯t know location where the Quest had to be carried out! He was a new breed of hero where he would finish the Quest as soon as he received it!

    ¡°Everyone get out of my way.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes, sir!¡±

    Several dozen Mana Threads turned into several hundred as they extended out from Artpe. In a sh, they exited the town to spread into the region.

    ¡°Hoo-oooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe looked as if he was standing still while he had his eyes closed. However, even those that didn¡¯t know anything about Mana could feel a pressureing from this strange energy, and the townspeople were unable to move. Maetel, who had a decent idea on what was going on, let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°If you had such a simple solution, you should have told me in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Who said this was simple?¡±

    He took out a Mana potion bottle, and he drank it. He focused on his control as he grumbled to himself.. The several hundred Mana Threads were spreading in all directions, and the radius of the search increased steadily. It increase to 500 meters, 1 kilometers, 2 kilometers and so on.

    In his past life, he was level 350, so this would have been easy. However, it wasn¡¯t easy at all right now! If it wasn¡¯t for the Mana String spell that strengthened the Mana Thread to the extreme, it would have been impossible to attempt this move. He briefly had this thought when he learned it, but it was a very cheat-like spell.

    ¡®Wait a moment. I could probably ovey my spell simrly to what Maetel didst time with her techniques......¡¯

    He wondered if his spell could be used in a more effective manner if he oveid his perception skill on top of the Mana String.

    Artpe immediately put his theory into action, and of course, it came back as a resounding sess. He wondered if he was stealing and using Maetel¡¯s talent for such a trivial matter. He had been afraid.... However, if he was to be truthful about it, he was thankful for it.

    ¡°Five kilometer. Ten kilometer...¡±

    ¡°Shall I lend you my Mana, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°You only have a modicum of Mana, so how......I found them.¡±

    He was about to grumble towards Maetel when Artpe¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    The townspeople looked at him with nervous eyes. Aena looked at him with trust, since he had freed her body from the curse. Maetel was ready to charge any opponents waiting for them.....

    Artpe spoke to them in a solemn manner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go create an epilogue.¡±

    The ce was located at a hill that was pretty far from the town. In other words, it was a great ce to run into a Dungeon in the wild.

    In this world, there were exactly two types of Dungeons. The first type was the sleeping Dungeons that waited for a hero to find it. The other type were Dungeons made by being that opposed the heroes. These Dungeons contained dangerous traps, super secret information or secret tests. These were Dungeons that had to be hidden away.

    Themon point of the two types of Dungeons was the fact that heroes eventually found it to loot their contents. The Dungeon in this hill would suffer the same fate.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to follow me.¡±

    ¡°You are helping us despite the dangers, so how can we stay behind.....¡±

    ¡°You guys will get in the way, so just hide somewhere nearby. Of course, it isn¡¯t my responsibility if you die in the process.¡±

    He was an ex-Four Heavenly King turned hero, so he was remorseless. He firmly got rid of nuisances that would get in the way of the Quest beforehand!

    The townspeople became afraid when they realized there might be other dangers nearby. However, they couldn¡¯t run away while leaving their children behind. They firmly held to their edged tools they had brought from their homes. They stood their ground.

    ¡°W...we will wait for you here. At the very least, we will greet our children from here!¡±

    ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you guys just scared by the fact that soldiers might attack your town again?¡±

    ¡°I...it isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    It seemed he hit the mark. Artpe smirked as he tried to enter into the cave located at the middle of the hill.....

    ¡°I want to go with you.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You again?¡±

    Aena blocked their way. She held a branch in one hand. It was a weapon that even a goblin would have an easy time breaking.

    ¡°The children will be afraid if only magician-nim¡¯s party enters. The children need at least one familiar face.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if your words don¡¯t have merit, but you......¡±

    She would be perfect for the part of a supporting cast who died midway in the story. Usually, the hero would rage at her death, and the boost provided by the emotion would lead the hero into victory.

    In truth, the girl¡¯s words were raising so many death gs that the stenching from the death energy was unbearable. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she fell dead right now! At the same time, it was also likely that she woulde back out unharmed, since the circumstances was a bit suspicious.

    ¡°I beg of you, magician-nim. I know these children the best. They are already afraid from being kidnapped by the soldiers. If the magician-nim¡¯s party encounter the children in such a state, arge mistake may ur.......!¡±

    She had put a lot of thought into this. At this point, he couldn¡¯t turn turn her down. From that moment on, Artpe decided to give up on Aena¡¯s life. Yes, if she¡¯s meant to die, she would find a way to die eventually!

    ¡°All right. Your sacrifice will make it more likely that the children would be unharmed.¡±

    ¡°Why is my sacrifice the premise of the children being safe!?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maetel. I¡¯ll leave the fighting to you. When I tell you to stop, you have to stop.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡±

    The party consisting of the two heroes and the Vige Girl A left behind the townspeople. They charged into the cave. There was a very dark and dreary energy circting within the cave. A curse was mixed into the Dungeon¡¯s air. To be precise, it was curse meant to propagate a different spell.

    ¡°You must be enjoying it since there are a lot to eat, right?¡±

    Artpe took out the Obsidian, and it sucked in all the curses. He never expected to find such a treasure within the normal town A at this point in time. This was a loss for the Demon King¡¯s army!

    ¡°Yes. As expected, I think Artpe would be a good father. Ooh-hue-hue.¡±

    Maetel watched Artpe fill the Obsidian with the curse. She looked on with satisfaction as she mumbled to herself. Aena wondered if she could trust these heroes that acted very strangely starting from the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. She had these thoughts, but she also didn¡¯t have much choice. She followed behind them.

    When they entered a little bit deeper into the cave, the enemies soon appeared. The soldiers they had seen from the town was mixed in with a batch of soldiers they had never seen before.

    The most important fact was that there was a magician wearing a hooded robe standing within their midst.

    ¡°Huht!? They are intruders. Intruders!¡±

    ¡°Be careful. He¡¯s the mage I saw in town.....!¡±

    ¡°Magician? That brat is one?¡±

    It seemed the soldiers didn¡¯t feel any shame at being found out. They immediately got ready to attack. It meant they were fully aware of what they were doing, and they were prepared to kill to fulfill their goals.

    At this point, he was sure that there was a connection between the archduke, the ck magician and the Demon King¡¯s army. Artpe was about to step forward as he grinded his teeth, but Maetel took one step forward before he was able to.

    ¡°You are making children into monsters..... It¡¯s bad.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s emerald colored eyes shed from anger. Artpe realized she had already finished judging who was good and evil.

    ¡°Anyways, we........¡±

    This was the part where the hero and the viins confronted each other. The viins wouldy out their twisted logic behind their actions as they mocked the hero.

    The hero would be enraged, and they would fight. The bad guys liked to talk while fighting, so they would prattle on about the righteousness of their actions. They would try to justify their cause. The hero would get angry once again at their words. The Death Knight within the Dungeon meant to foster the heroes was a great example of this.

    ¡°Be quiet! Shut the hell up!¡±

    However, the current situation was different. Maetel swung her bastard sword once before her enemies could pull their swords out or activate a spell. They all fell to the floor.

    She hadn¡¯t activated her Berserk. She wasn¡¯t even using her Strike skill. It was a light attack that possessed not a single ounce of Mana.

    ¡°Hoo-oooooh.¡±

    They werepletely wiped out. They didn¡¯t even have the time to give their lines. The mage wasn¡¯t able to call out the ck me Dragon sealed within its right arm!

    ¡°Heeeek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Aena had depended on them, because she had seen the power of Artpe as a magician. However, when she saw the terrible sight created by Maetel, her face turned pale.

    On the other hand, Maetel was the one who had created this terrible sight, yet it didn¡¯t feel real to her. She tilted her head in confusion as she turned to speak to Artpe.

    ¡°They are too weak, Artpe.¡±

    Artpe did a double take when he heard her words, but a smile soon broke out on his face. He nodded his head at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    Usually, a normal hero¡¯s first quest was apanied by failure and hardships. However, they had unintentionally leveled up as much as they could in the kingdom of Diaz. In other words....

    ¡°Since we are progressing towards part 2, this is normal.¡±

    ¡°Part 2?¡±

    Maetel titled her head in puzzlement, but Artpe just smiled at her. While Aena was still in an utter state of confusion, the heroes went through the entire Dungeon.

    No one could get in their way.

 Chapter 36 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (4)

    Chapter 36 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (4)

    Artpe ran through the Dungeon with his Read All Creation ability active. He was able to find the trap. He was able to assess the number of the nearby enemies and their abilities. He was also able to monitor the amount of Mana possessed by the Dungeon.

    His existence made any traps and ambushes irrelevant. Moreover, no one could endure more than a single attack from Artpe and Maetel. Aena was running without rest, yet she was barely able to keep up with them.

    ¡°They are strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°That is the third line in the ¡®50 lines that no one survived after saying it¡¯. You must have studied it a little bit.¡±

    Artpe had been running while he kept a hold on Aena¡¯s hand. He lightly infused Mana into his dagger. The dagger pierced through the throat of a retreating soldier. When the soldier fell, the ck magician hiding in the back was revealed.

    ¡°B...blessing of the ndestine darkness......¡±

    ¡°Hoohng.¡±

    His opponent revealed his identity as a ck magician by chanting a spell. However, the dagger nted inside the throat slid out as it rose into the air again. It embedded itself into the ck magician¡¯s heart.

    The ck magician had no idea what had happened to him. He fell helplessly to the floor as Maetel also took care of the remaining soldiers in a sh. She mumbled to herself as if she was dumbfounded by what had urred.

    ¡°They are too weak.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember me telling you about the Demon world¡¯s greatest chef?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I want to eat food that was cooked by that demon!¡±

    Artpe looked at her with peculiar eyes when she said those words.

    ¡°It seems the Demons are making a once in a lifetime food here.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that? There are only bad people here.¡±

    ¡°There is a reason.¡±

    If there was a powerful Demon present here, there was a good chance that Artpe and Maetel would suffer a defeat. However, this was probably a minor n, so why would they dispatch a Demon over level 200 here? It wasn¡¯t something that was done lightly. All the ck magicians up until now were humans, and none of them were over level 50.

    In truth, the Demon King didn¡¯t just send the weakest first against the hero. He sent the weakest amongst his subordinates to do all his tasks. This was also true when he dealt with the joint forces.

    It somewhat made sense if he nned on only letting the strongest survival regardless if they were allies or not. Anyways, no matter how he thought about it, the Demon King was an idiot.

    ¡°R...run away.....!¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t run away.¡±

    ¡°We....we have to call him.....¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t call him.¡±

    The weak typically ran away when a strong opponent made an appearance. If running away wasn¡¯t an option, they called for reinforcement. Of course, it was useless in front of the all-around hero Maetel and the rotten hero Artpe.

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    ¡°Kah-hahk!¡±

    They were all killed as soon as they were found, so news didn¡¯t flow towards the inner Dungeon where others were on standby. This was why they died saying simr lines or they died before they could even speak.

    Artpe nned on making a manuscript that wrote down the mostmon phrases spoken before death by minor characters. His enemies here were faithful in using those repertoire of phrases.

    ¡°Use the transmission magic!¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t working either.¡±

    ¡°Kahk!¡±

    At the very least, Artpe was vignt about their use of transmission magic. They didn¡¯t have to be afraid of anyone within the Dungeon, but if an officer of the Demon King¡¯s army could be mobilized, there would be no countermeasure.

    Of course, transmission magic was useless in front of his Read All Creation ability and Mana String. His opponents couldn¡¯t even use a simple magic or a curse.

    ¡°D...do you guys realize what you¡¯ve just done!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we already know, so you don¡¯t have to exin it to us.¡±

    ¡°Kuh-huhk!¡±

    It was as if the soldiers deluded themselves into thinking they were the archduke, and the ck magicians put on air as if they had risen to the seat of the Demon King. However, they were all killed by Maetel¡¯s sword and Artpe¡¯s dagger before they could utter their threats.

    The 1st floor ended in short order, and the 2nd floor also didn¡¯t take too long.

    Aena was getting tired as she tried to keep up with them.

    ¡°How... Hehk. This is.....¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡±

    When they descended to the 3rd floor, Artpe spread his Mana Threads in all directions. He immediately asked for silence from his party members. Then his expression crumpled in a rueful manner.

    ¡°As expected of a first Quest.... The Dungeon ends at the third floor. However.... The Quest started a bit toote. Tsk.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes Artpe says some very profound words.¡±

    ¡°The children are here.......?¡±

    The curse present in the atmosphere of the 1st and 2nd floor was bearable for normal people. However, it was possible to see the curse with one¡¯s eye on the 3rd floor. It looked like a very thick fog.

    ¡°Koohk, magician-nim. It feels as if the air is burning......!¡±

    When he saw that Aena¡¯splexion had immediately turn pale, he took out the obsidian as he clicked his tongue. It sucked in all the curse residing within the atmospheric Mana.

    Aena¡¯splexion improved a little bit, but the pain she was feeling wouldn¡¯t subside until he could get rid of all the curse in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had gotten rid of her curse earlier.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be running at full speed from now on. Aena, you have to run as if your life¡¯s on the line. Understood?¡±

    ¡°I...I understand.¡±

    The 3rd floor was unusually quiet. There were only three people running across the floor, so small sounds echoed throughout the hallway. All the traps were disabled and destroyed . The soldiers and ck magicians that had shown up on the 1st and 2nd floor every time they had gotten bored weren¡¯t present here. The curse on the 3rd floor had been strong enough to be dangerous to them too.

    ¡°It is so quiet that it is making me feel very uneasy. Artpe......¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The children aren¡¯t dead yet. At the very least, not all of them.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s words hinted at something. It was easy to discern what he was talking about. The expression on the faces of Maetel and Aena hardened. However, their steps quickened as if they were responding to their emotions.

    Maetel bravely ran through the Dungeon filled with the curse. Artpe tied the Obsidian of Greed to a Mana String, and he rotated it to suck in all the curse. He kept storing the curse as he followed her.

    Aena followed behind them, and tears were already filling her eyes. She held a branch in her slender hands. She had brought it with her as her weapon, and her heart shook like the branch.

    They passed one room than another.

    Maetel suddenly came to a stop when they went past the 3rd room.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ooh.¡±

    ¡°Warrior-nim?¡±

    ¡°Ooooooh.¡±

    A groan leaked out of Maetel¡¯s mouth. Artpe had seen the information regarding his surrounding with his Read All Creation ability, so he knew why she was reacting that way.

    If possible, he hadn¡¯t wanted her to see this sight. However, the Obsidian of Greed sucked in all of the fog created by the curse. It made the surrounding brighter, so it was impossible to miss it.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤they are dead.¡±

    Maetel spoke with a trembling voice. One could see a dead monster at the corner of the room. It had lying in a pool of its blood. Artpe kept silent as Aena also caught sight of the monster.

    The monster had a small body as if it hadn¡¯t fully matured, yet its arms and legs were abnormally long. It was wearing tattered human clothes, and it was crusted with dried brown blood.

    ¡°Ah. Ah-ooooh.¡±

    When she confirmed the other monster corpses, Aena let out an inarticte moan. The monsters weren¡¯t wearing clothes or essories that would allow her to identify them. However, they all looked like her dongsaeng to her.

    Artpe was able to find out that the children had turned into monsters around 10 days ago using his Read All Creation ability. However, he kept that fact to himself. All the dead monsters here had been in the same situation as Aena¡¯s dongsaeng.

    ¡°Why did they kill them¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°That I do not know. If their goal was to make children into monsters, they probably wanted them for something. They must have had a n. The fact that they killed the children instead of sending them out into the world.....¡±

    It was hard toe up with an exnation. If the Demon King¡¯s army wanted to sow confusion in the outside world, they would have sent the monsters out into the world. They had seeded in applying the curse, yet the monsters were killed? It was an idiotic move.

    If not, maybe there was a n that Artpe was unable to discern?

    ¡°It must have hurt a lot.¡±

    While Artpe was going through his thoughts, Matel mumbled to herself in an absent minded manner. The monsters had died as they spit out blood, and Maetel couldn¡¯t turn her gaze away from them. She kept repeating the same words as if something had broken within her.

    ¡°It must have hurt a lot.... It must have hurt a lot....¡±

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    A red energy started emanating from her body. It was a sign that her Berserker skill was about to be activated. Artpe quickly grabbed her, and the energy was instantly gathered within her. The fact that she was able to retract it so easily was scarier than the skill itself.

    Maetel turned towards Artpe as she made a request.

    ¡°Artpe? The children.... Please don¡¯t leave any behind....¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    When Artpe extended his hand, the corpses of the dead monsters were incinerated in a sh. He had spent a great deal of money learning this magic, yet he had never expected this would be the first ce he would use it. He was dumbfounded at the turn of events.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kids.... I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get here sooner.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah-oooooh.....hoohk.¡±

    Maetel mumbled to herself as she stood still. She watched the corpses of the children turn to ash inside the fire. Aena couldn¡¯t shake the thought that her dongsaeng might be amongst the dead monsters. She wasn¡¯t in her right mind. Artpe watched them as he firmly bit his lips.

    ¡®Maetel¡¯s abilities are amazing, but her mind is too immature. If possible, I wanted her to experience such dirty businesster on...... Shit.¡¯

    Since the incident had already urred, nothing could be done about it. Artpe wanted to change the mood surrounding Maetel and Aena, so he lightly pped his hands. He drew their attention to him.

    ¡°We can mourn for them at ater time. We have to move before it is toote.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡±

    Maetel firmly nodded her head. She red at the fog created by the curse, and sheunched herself forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    The 3rd floor of the Dungeon was ridiculously longpared to the other floors. Every time the curse was absorbed the sight of one or two corpses of monsters revealed themselves.

    Aena¡¯s body shook every time more corpses were found, but the two heroes didn¡¯t stop. The only thing they did was to burn the bodies with me when they were found.

    The only thing that deserved a special mention was Maetel¡¯s status.

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 174]

    [Berserk Lv13]

    He knew Maetel hadn¡¯t activated her Berserk skill, but when he checked with his Read All Creation ability, her Berserk skill was progressing in real-time.

    When she saw the corpses of the monster-turned children being burned to ash, she threw herself further into the fog created by the curse, and a red energy emanated from her. It looked as if it would manifest, but Maetel collected it back into herself every time. It was as if she was building up her rage as she waited for the moment to release it all at once.

    It was something that could be seen in Berserkers that had learned to control their emotions over numerous years. It was a stage that could be attained after being in countless battles, yet Maetel was showing simr signs to those Berserkers. Even Artpe didn¡¯t dare to guess what she was feeling right now.

    ¡°I...I¡¯ve already counted over h....hundred of them, magician-nim. What shall we do? What can we do?¡±

    ¡°The scale of this operation is muchrger than I expected. In a worst case scenario, there¡¯s a possibility of there being more of these Dungeons. .......Maetel, stop.¡±

    When she heard Artpe¡¯s words, Maetel immediately stopped in ce. She also could feel it. The person responsible for these atrocities were nearby.

    The Obsidian had already sucked in as much curse as it could in the atmosphere, so the ck magician on the 3rd floor had immediately known something was wrong. This was why he had ced a trap as he waited for the party toe to him.

    Of course, a Dungeon and a magician that could cast a curse of this caliber couldn¡¯t defeat Maetel at her level, but......

    ¡°I know you are angry. However, if you aren¡¯t able to shape your rage to your will, it will someday trip you up. Most Berserkers eventually meet their death through this mistake.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Thank you for the warning.¡±

    Maetel had a faint smile on her face. When he was faced with the smile, he realized his warning had been unnecessary.

    ¡°However, I¡¯ll never make such a mistake. I can¡¯t afford to make that kind of mistake at this moment.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    When Maetel took one step, Artpe extended his Mana String topletely disable the trap waiting for them. Of course, when he did so, their enemy became aware of it.

    ¡°You guys saw through the trap, you damn bastards!¡±

    There was only one enemy here. To be precise, there was only one ck magician capable of enduring the atmospheric curse.

    ¡°You guys made such a ruckus.... That is why I¡¯m going to deal with you myself...huh?¡±

    The obsidian had sucked in all the atmospheric curse. One could see children carelessly discarded all over therge room as if they were a collection of junk materials. Then there was the middle aged man wearing a overly borate robe pointing his staff at them.

    ¡°You guys are kids.....!?¡±

    The magician was also able to see the party now. When he realized the intruders were merely three children, his eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°I never expected children to be able to endure the curse to reach this ce!¡±

    Artpe calmly asked the question.

    ¡°Are you the one who spread this damned curse?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I spread it! However, the result has been sub-optimal. Now that I see you guys....¡±

    An ugly smile appeared on his face..

    ¡°If this goes well, I might be able to seed in my test!¡±

    ¡°A test¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel gripped her long sword hard.

    While they confronted the ck magician, she continued to look over the fallen children inside thismunal space.

    She saw the starving children who were sullied by the curse. They were in pain.

    ¡°A test....¡±

    The red energy soared before it was absorbed. This process kept repeating itself. If rage could be personified, Artpe thought the person would look like Maetel right now.

    ¡°You are bad. You are really bad!¡±

    Maetel couldn¡¯t hold herself back, so she denounced her opponent. The amount of red vapor emanating from her body kept increasing.

    It seemed the ck magician was unable to see this vapor. If he could feel her heavy anger, he wouldn¡¯t be able to smile like right now.

    ¡°Haha. You are very funny, child! Who do you think you are? What allows you to be able to determine what is right and wrong? You have a lot to learn! A lot!¡±

    Maetel ignored his words as she slightly bent her knees. She pushed her sword for a to get into her stance.

    There was a distance of 50 meters between Maetel and the ck magician. From the ck magician¡¯s perspective, it looked as if she had lost her cool. He thought that was why she didn¡¯t register the distance between them. The magician grinned when he assessed her state of emotion. Heughed as he raised his staff.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to give you an exnation. I¡¯ll tell you what my test is for. It is for our great......¡±

    The bastard tried to do something evil characters had a patent on. He tried to exin why they were doing such bad things, their final goal and the method in which they would terrorize the world. However, he wasn¡¯t able to enlighten them.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s long sword cut his head off in one stroke. Normal humans die when their head was severed. The dead do not speak. Unfortunately, the bastard hadn¡¯t put a curse on himself that would have turned him into a lich.

    ¡°W...warrior-nim.¡±

    ¡°Maetel, you......¡±

    Until a moment ago, Maetel had been pretty far away from her target. However, she was putting away her sword as she stood where the ck magician had been standing previously. Aena and Artpe¡¯s eyes turned round when they saw something akin to magic. Maetel turned to look at Artpe, and she was in a simr state of shock.

    ¡°It feels weird, Artpe.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t use magic. If so, did she borrow Artpe¡¯s boots to use the Blink spell? Of course not.

    ¡°It feels as if this power has always been within me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ So that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Artpe replied with a dumbfounded yet hollow voice.

    He was having a hard time believing the information reflected in his eyes. He already knew she was a genius, but he never imagined the possibility of her talent exceeding the hero from his previous life.

    [Maetel]

    [Hero]

    [Level : 174]

    [Innate Ability : eleration]

    The hero from his previous life had barely been able to awaken to her innate ability called eleration at age 19.

    Maetel had just awakened to it at age 13.

 Chapter 37 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (5)

    Chapter 37 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (5)

    In his past life, the hero had grown rapidly despite being severely handicapped by her environment. She had grown from level 200 to level 374 in just a year. Even if a great chef assisted in her devlopment, it would have been impossible to do without her Innate Abilities.

    That¡¯s right. The hero had awakened to an Innate Ability called eleration at the age of 19. The eleration skill could function as either a passive skill or an active skill. It sped up all her abilities. The smallest benefit from her movement speeding up, and thergest benefit came from it influencing her growth.

    Her level up had been unusually fast until now thanks to a small fragment of hertent innate influencing her. Moreover, the power of eleration allowed her to move at unbelievable speed to cut down the ck magician.

    Of course, if she used it as an active skill, it would consume significant amount of Mana. However, it was the maximization of her basic movements, so it wouldn¡¯t exhaust her.

    ¡®I knew she would awaken to it faster, since she was injected into live battles at an earlier agepared to her previous incarnation. However, I never expected her to learn that particr ability at age 13......¡¯

    Artpe looked at Maetel who looked confused. He mumbled to himself as he felt dumbfounded.

    Most in the human race didn¡¯t possess an Innate ability. It was the same for the Demon race. Even if one had the requirements needed to possess an Innate Ability, it was unknown as to when a person might develop that Innate Ability. It wouldn¡¯t surprise anyone if it took several dozens of years for it to develop. It wasn¡¯t impossible for one to fail to develop one¡¯s Innate Ability in one¡¯s life time.

    However, once one¡¯s Innate Ability was awakened, one would gain a power that was on a whole different level. One would also grow at a pace that couldn¡¯t bepared to the previous rate. Most of the beings that left an indelible mark in history all had Innate Abilities. Even when an Innate Ability looks useless, it had a special quality of overpowering other skills and sses.

    ¡°Innate ability.......¡±

    Maetel had heard Artpe¡¯s exnation, but it seemed she was having a hard time wrapping her head around it. It was to be expected. Her actions wasn¡¯t something she had done consciously. It had resulted, because she had let her instincts take over her body.

    If she was asked to use the eleration ability again right now, she would be unable to use it. Of course, the Innate Ability would continue to influence her since it had been awakened. Her level up pace would be faster than before..... Artpe had a thought. Maybe it would really take them less than 2 years to kill the Demon King. He let out a feignedughter at the thought.

    ¡°Maetel, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it. I¡¯ll slowly walk you through it.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Artpe. As expected, Artpe already has an Innate Ability? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hue hue. You really are amazing.¡±

    It seemed she felt a little bit better after deposing the ck magician. Maetel was finally able to bring herself to smile a little bit. Aena, who had been watching all of this, impatiently tugged at Artpe¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°M...magician-nim. Can we now...what I¡¯m trying to say is......¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. This was such an unexpected development that both of us became absent minded. We¡¯ll finish the Quest now.¡±

    Artpe shook off Aena¡¯s hand, and he turned around. Beyond the dead corpse of the ck magician, he could see children writhing in pain.

    ¡°It hurts.¡±

    ¡°Mommy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The ck magician imprisoning them was dead, yet the children was unable to realize this fact. The children were a hollow shell of themselves. They had lost their normal thoughts and senses. They were being tormented by the pain.

    ¡°You will be ok now, kids. We¡¯ll help you guys!¡±

    ¡°Sienna, Sienna!¡±

    ¡°It hurts. It hurts!¡±

    ¡°I want to see my mom. Mommy.¡±

    Themunal space was a mess. How many children were in this ce?

    The number of monster corpses they discovereding to the 3rd floor was insignificantpared to the number of children here. If every child here became monsters,.... If the Demon King¡¯s army took control of the monsters here to attack the other towns within this kingdom.....

    ¡°The war with the Demon King¡¯s army will be hastened a little bit.....¡±

    They had put a lot of effort in turning the children into monsters, yet they were killed and thrown away inside the Dungeon. The ck magician beheaded by Maetel had spouted some nonsense about an experiment. It seemed they weren¡¯t simply trying to turn children into monsters.

    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the time to have such thoughts..¡¯

    Artpe took out the Obsidian of Greed. At that moment, the flow of energy within themunal space changed.

    There was the faint energy of curse in the air, and the wicked energy leaking out from the corpse. Then there was the curse energy roiling within the innocent children.

    All of it were changed into ck smoke. This ck smoke flooded towards Artpe and the obsidian he was holding.

    ¡°Koohk.¡±

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    Maetel had been overwhelmed by the sight created by Artpe. However, she let out a scream when she saw him grip his head. Artpe shook his head as if to tell her that she didn¡¯t need to worry about him.

    He was using the obsidian against numerous children at once. Even if he was the possessor of the Read All Creation ability, he couldn¡¯t escape the headache created by this act..... Still, he¡¯d rather endure the headache rather than see the hero¡¯s heart crumble in this ce.

    ¡°You shouldfort the children. There is a close connection between the curse and their emotions...... If you speak to them in a calm voice, it should be enough. Please do this for me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡±

    It was hard to tell if they were human or trash if seen from afar. The children were carelessly thrown together in a neglected pile. One could tell that they weren¡¯t given much food or water. It was the perfect environment that would fuel the advance of the curse.

    ¡°Sienna! Sienna, where are you!¡±

    Aena kept calling out her dongsaeng¡¯s name as she walked amongst the children. It seems she wasn¡¯t having any luck finding her. Artpe didn¡¯t have any reason to stop her. He fully understood what she was feeling right now.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, children. You¡¯ll all be fine now.... You¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Please!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ooh-ahhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was almost like a miracle to them. At that moment, they heard a voice that made the hearts of Maetel, Aena and Artpe brighten. In the midst of the children groaning in pain, they definitely heard a voice that held consciousness!

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    There was a quick catch in her voice as Maetel let out a shout of joy. As if he had been waiting for this moment, he started giving her directions.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move him out towards the perimeter! More and more children will be freed from the hold of the curse!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel let out tears of joy as she took the child to the perimeter. It wasn¡¯t just that child. She separated the children in the throes of pain, so each child had some room of their own. She hugged and stroked the children.

    Her heart had been in a heightened state from the rage she felt. However, her heart had now calmed down. She directed an endless amount of worry and sympathy towards the children. When he saw this, Artpe let out a sigh of relief even though he was suffering from a headache.

    ¡°Ah, ah-ooh-ooh?¡±

    ¡°I...I can see again. Who are you, noona?¡±

    ¡°I want you to bear with me a little bit further. You¡¯ll make aplete recovery soon!¡±

    As more Mana rushed towards the obsidian, more children gained consciousness as they were freed from the curse. It started with one child. The number increased to 10, 50..... The expressions of the other children started to calm down.

    ¡°Amazing, Artpe.... You are amazing.¡±

    ¡°Sienna!¡±

    The number of children gaining consciousness went past 100, yet Aena hadn¡¯t caught sight of her dongsaeng. Aena calcted the date when she was captured. Her dongsaeng shouldn¡¯t have been amongst the in monsters....

    Artpe firmly bit his lips as he checked the status of the ck obsidian. The obsidian had darkened to a point where it indicated that it had almost reached its limit.

    He knew there was a limit to how much it can store, but it had filled up too fast. This quest had been muchrger in scale than he had expected it to be.

    Fortunately, Artpe had prepared for the worst, so he had a contingency n in his back pocket.

    ¡°Reinforcement.¡±

    In the process of smashing through the beginner¡¯s Dungeon with Maetel, he had acquired the Reinforcement skill. This wasn¡¯t just a normal reinforcement skill. The skill allowed him to improve an Artifact at its foundation. In his previous life, Artpe wouldn¡¯t have dare to dream about obtaining such a skill. It was a Rank SSS skill!

    This skill was in Artpe¡¯s hands right now.

    He could see the structure of all items through his Read All Creation ability, and now he had the Reinforcement skill. He could use Reinforcement on specific parts of an item, and it was possible for him to reinforce an item that was supposed to be impossible to reinforce. Basically, it was a cheat.

    It was as he surmised. It was possible to strengthen the Obsidian of Greed with his Reinforcement skill. In a sh, half of Artpe¡¯s enormous reservoir of Mana was consumed by the obsidian. The obsidian shone brighter than before, and it had increased in size.

    Once again the flow of energy within the space changed. When the obsidian¡¯s absorption rate was reinforced, the cursed Mana hidden within the body of the children couldn¡¯t resist against the pull of the obsidian.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°It hurts. It hurts too much!¡±

    Screams of pain erupted from various locations. However, the pain was proof that they were alive.

    The scream became shouts, and despair turned into joy.

    Artpe was controlling too much Mana flow, so it felt as if his head was about to burst. He ignored the pain as he kept increasing the absorption rate. It would be a tragicedy if monsters were born, because he dawdled.

    ¡°Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Sienna!¡±

    ¡°U...unni.¡±

    It was at that moment when Aena found her dongsaeng. Her dongsaeng was sprawled amongst the children. She had been barely able to regain consciousness thanks to Artpe¡¯s power, and she was able to face her unni.

    Artpe nced towards them when he became loss for words.

    ¡°U...unni.¡±

    ¡°Sienna? Sienna, what¡¯s wrong! Sienna!¡±

    A tragicedy of a situation was about to really ur right now.

    ¡°Unni, it hurts. My head and chest hurts so much. Unni, unni.¡±

    ¡°S...Sienna! Magician-nim! My Sienna is....!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t reply to Aena¡¯s heartfelt plea. He firmly shut his mouth, but he was able to see the most urate information regarding the girl named Sienna through his eyes.

    [Sienna]

    [Level : 1]

    [Strength : 6 Agility : 7 Stamina : 14 Magical Energy : 23]

    [Transformation Progress to Intermediate Magic-type Species 33%]

    [Experiment Sess]

    The curse applied to Sienna had been a sess, and she was being turned into a monster. He could try to pull out the curse energy, but the change had already started. The curse and her Mana were tangled, so his actions might make her suffer more pain before she died.

    It was an absurd situation. How could the timing be like this? Why did it have to be Aena¡¯s dongsaeng? It was a mostughable situation he found himself in. This story seemed to be tailor-made for a hero¡¯s story. It almost made him question if this scenario was constructed from the beginning.

    ¡°Magician-nim! My dongsaeng¡¯s face is darkening.... Magician-nim!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel was taking care of the other children. Her face stiffened when she realized what Sienna was talking about. However, she wasn¡¯t like Aena who kept calling Artpe¡¯s name. She asked Artpe a question with a calm voice.

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Were we toote for this child?¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    What did she n on doing if they were toote to do anything? Artpe was afraid of her answer, so he didn¡¯t ask the question. She was extremely pure, and she wanted to save the children. In the future, he knew she would regret her decision if things proceeded along this path.

    ¡°W...warrior-nim. She can recover. It isn¡¯t toote for Sienna! Warrior-nim! Please speak some sense into her, magician-nim!¡±

    It seemed Aena could sense what Maetel was nning on doing. Her eyes turned round as she desperately clung to Maetel.

    She was only level 1, so she didn¡¯t have the power to stop Maetel. However, Maetel couldn¡¯t advance as she turned her gaze towards Aena. Matel¡¯s face was also distorted.

    ¡°Aena.... What if Sienna harms the other children.... What would you do? How would you handle this when the other children will be involved..... I don¡¯t know the answer. I¡¯m sorry, Aena. I don¡¯t know....¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t, warrior-nim! Please save Sienna! Magician-nim, magician-nim!¡±

    It seemed the conversation with Aena had the effect of pushing Maetel towards an unfavorable oue for Aena. Maetel firmly shut her eyes before she opened them. Sienna was starting to change, so Maetel slowly walked towards her.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Maetel.¡±

    Artpe stopped Maetel at that moment.. The obsidian had reached Rank S thanks to the power of the Reinforcement skill. He had absorbed all the curse from the children except for the one within Sienna.

    There wasn¡¯t a single ounce of curse energy within themunal space. It didn¡¯t matter what the Demon King¡¯s army had nned here. A part of their n ended in failure at that moment. At this point, the Quest could be seen as a sess.

    Of course, this would be true if they excluded one person, Aena¡¯s dongsaeng.

    ¡°I said stop, Maetel. The Quest hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±

    Maetel continued to walk towards the child, but she obediently stopped when she heard him call her.

    ¡°Artpe, perhaps......¡±

    Her mouth opened. Her voice shook.

    ¡°Is it possible¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°You should keep your sword unsheathed. We don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll run rampant.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Maetel unsheathed her sword with trembling hands. Aena no longer held onto Maetel. She just looked at Artpe with pleading eyes.

    As he received pleading gazes from the two girls, he let out a long sigh as he walked forward.

    At his core, Artpe didn¡¯t like adventures. He was of the opinion that adventurers shouldn¡¯t do adventures.

    There was no reason to take unnecessary risks for him. There was no reason why he should expect failure.

    He could check all answers with his Read All Creation ability. He just had to act when he had the right answers. It was that simple.

    However, he was looking at Sienna¡¯s information window. She seemed to be in a hopeless situation, but two things bothered Artpe.

    First, there was the ambiguous term of ¡®Intermediate Magic-type Species¡¯ written in her info. Secondly, he saw the word ¡®Experiment Sess¡¯. He hadn¡¯t been able to see those words in children that had been sessfully turned into monsters.

    What if the goal of the tests weren¡¯t to make children into monsters? If that was their goal then they would have branded the monster-turned children as sessful test subjects. Why would they kill them once they were turned into monsters?

    As he kept thinking about it, he kept having questions about the word ¡®Intermediate Magic-type Species¡¯. Of course, monsters were a magic type. So why did they use the particr expression of magic type species?

    When he discovered the curse for the first time in Aena, he had seen the same phrase. At the time, it hadn¡¯t caught his attention. However, maybe Artpe was operating under a misapprehension?

    What if the ck magicians and the Demon King¡¯s army weren¡¯t aiming for a simple monster transformation?

    What if the fact that the children werepletely turned into monsters were considered to be failures? What if they were killed for that reason?

    What if there was something special about Aena and Sienna?

    What if Sienna was the ¡®only¡¯ sess in their experiments?

    ¡°Koo-koo-ahhhhhh. It hurts so much, unni. Unni, unniiiiii!¡±

    ¡°Sienna, no! Sienna!¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Hurry!¡±

    When it specified magic type species.... It might be referring to the ¡®Demon race¡¯.

    This test was aimed at making humans into demons.

    ¡°Shit. That damn Demon King......¡±

    If this was truly the Demon King¡¯s n, maybe the Demon King came up with a ¡®control¡¯ n that differed from the one in his previous life!

    ¡°Maybe he is thinking about using ¡®Absolute Control¡¯ on all the beings on this world!¡±

    Artpe gritted his teeth as he shouted those words. He couldn¡¯t remain calm any longer.

    The massive amount of Mana stored within his body was resolved into a Mana Strings. It looked as if wings had sprouted from Artpe.

    The dark Mana threads clung to the entire body of the human girl who was turning into a demon. He started desperately tuning her Mana.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes shone with a purple light.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you have her, you son of a bitch!¡±

    He was able to see past everything to reach the truth. His Innate Ability always led him towards the right path. Hebined the ability with a Unique spell called Mana String.

    It was supposed to be impossible tobine the two abilities, yet they werebined. The girl¡¯s body was being demonified at an uncontroble speed. Her body twitched.

    The Mana within her body started flowing backwards at the guidance of the Mana Strings.

    The hero forged a miracle at that moment.

 Chapter 38 - Come to Think of It, Im a Hero (6)

    Chapter 38 - Come to Think of It, I¡¯m a Hero (6)

    He had be a hero, so he finally stiffened his resolve to fight the Demon King. So what the hell was this? The Demon King was trying to change humans into demons? Artpe wanted to farm in the human world at ater date. It would be a problem if the human world was turned into the demon world! He wouldn¡¯t forgive anyone who attempted to pour cold water on Artpe¡¯s retirement n.

    Artpe¡¯s burning will was infused into the Mana Strings, and they burrowed into her body. From the beginning, Artpe hadn¡¯t nned on stopping the change entirely. Aplete reversal of the change was impossible. Such tasks were in the territory of the gods.

    The only thing he could do was influence the direction of the change. Yes, it was the same as when he made the changes to the Record Link inside the Dungeon.

    ¡®I just have to prevent her from bing a demon. She also has to have control over herself. I have to protect these two things. It is a must.¡¯

    Artpe used all the experience he gained from his past life as he tuned her with his Mana Strings. The Mana Strings infused with the power of the Read All Creation ability continuously moved in a subtle manner to suppress the changes caused by the Mana, and the Mana was directed towards a different direction.

    Whether it was his life as a demon or a human hero, his Innate Ability had always been with him. It was really ironic that these these two vastly different experiences was of help when dealing with this problem.

    He now had extensive knowledge about demons and humans. His knowledge allowed him tobine the Mana String and the Read All Creation ability. It gave him the ability to open a new path for the Mana within Sienna¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ah. Ah-ooh-ooh-ahhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Can you hear me, Sienna? You have to resist against the impulse to fight the flow of Mana. You have to concentrate, and you have to be clear in your thoughts. You can¡¯t be swayed by your impulse.¡±

    Artpe kept talking to Sienna, who was groaning from the pain she was feeling. He continued to manipte his Mana Strings.

    In some aspects, he had to concentrate harder than the time when he had absorbed all the curse in thismunal space at once. However, he was fueled by his anger towards the Demon King, and an urgent need to prevent Maetel from bing wounded by this incident. There were multiple factors driving him forward, so this task was really nothing to him.

    ¡°Sienna, Sienna!¡±

    ¡°Stay still, Aena. I also feel restless, but.... If we interfere with Artpe right now, Sienna will be in big trouble.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Maetel had calmed down thanks to Artpe, so she was able to hold back the agitated Aena. She gathered the children to one side.

    Even if they had been freed from the curse, they hadn¡¯t bathed since arriving here. Moreover, they hadn¡¯t been fed. The state of their health was a mess. If she wanted their bodies to feel the least amount of stress, she would have to send them outside the Dungeon.

    ¡°Noonah, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cold. I¡¯m scared. Who is that hyung? Is he on the same side as the ajusshi? Will we turn out weird like her?¡±

    ¡°No, everything is fine. You will all be better soon.¡±

    Maetel was still a child. She was at an age where she should be under the protection of adults. However, she didn¡¯t hesitate to take care of children who were of simr age as her. In fact, she took care of kids that were older than her.

    ¡®I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m tired and exhausted. I want to rest.¡¯

    She nced at the cowering children, then she turned to look at Artpe. He was using an iprehensiblyplex magic to save thest child.

    His eyes didn¡¯t falter as brilliant Mana rose out of him. She was sure he was more tired than her, yet Artpe only thought about the task at hand. He did the impossible without hesitation.

    ¡®All right.¡¯

    Maetel poured strength into her body as she stood up. If Artpe had seen her, she was sure he would have been happy at how she was handling herself. He would have praised her. This thought allowed her to wade through anything that was thrown her way..

    ¡®A little bit more! Shit! A little bit more!¡¯

    Artpe was panting right now. The girl was floating in the air a little bit as she was continuously showing reaction to the Mana.

    Her skin had turned ck before, but now it was the opposite. She enough white enough to be called pale, and even her hair had turned into a peculiar milk-like color. In truth, the Mana reaction she was experiencing wasrge and fierce. It was an indication that the current situation was unstable. It felt as if the situation could run away from him, and she would go on a rampage.

    ¡°O...oppa.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. You can do this.¡±

    When Artpe saw her, he realized the truth that this wasn¡¯t just an adventure. This was why he couldn¡¯t give up now. The girlbored as she opened her eyes to look at him. He gave her words of encouragement to lift her spirits, and he desperately guided her Mana.

    ¡®The full sense of self that cannot be tampered. A body that isn¡¯t sullied by the demonic energy.¡¯

    He dismantled the Mana that was causing changes to her record and structure. He destroyed the pathid in front of him as he promoted a new path. It was something impossible to do if he hadn¡¯t possessed the Read All Creation ability and the Mana String.

    He was using an Innate Ability and a Unique skill at the same time, so he was consuming an extreme amount of Mana. This was why he was having having a hard time breathing, and he felt dizzy. Still, he didn¡¯t stop.

    This wasn¡¯t simply about saving a girl. The Demon King was trying some bullshit of a n where he was trying to turn humans into demons. This was the first step in destroying the n crafted by that petty and crafty coward!

    The change that was turning Sienna into a demon had been urring at a straightforward manner. The massive flow of Mana had been repeatedly moving forward before it gave way. Now that massive amount of Mana hade to a stop. It was a miracle.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤oppa.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open.

    Someone was grabbing onto the edge of his robe. He didn¡¯t even have to look to know who it was.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you.¡±

    The girl had opened her eyes, and she was looking at Artpe with a very faint smile on her face. Her Mana rushed towards the new path paved by Artpe.

    Sienna had seeding in learning the Mana Control!

    [Sienna]

    [Level : 1]

    [Mana Control Lv1]

    ¡°So if I go this way.... It¡¯ll be fine?¡±

    ¡°Ha. When I read that you were an experiment sess, I recognized.....¡±

    It seemed this girl had some talent in dealing with Mana. Artpe smirked as he had this thought. Silpennon had to pay 210 gold to purchase the Mana Control skill book. He probably would have felt aggrieved if he knew about this. However, this was great news for Artpe.

    At her sense of achievement, he gave her a toothy smile as he spoke to her.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s try this together once.¡±

    ¡°Yes, oppa.¡±

    Artpe showed her the way, and Sienna tried hard to follow him. As her Mana went further down the path, it was changing the density of her Mana and the light within her. Her body was also being affected by the Mana, so small changes started appearing once again.

    In the end, this wasn¡¯t a path that would end with her bing a human. However, the path wouldn¡¯t lead her down the path to bing a demon either. Her free will as a human had been sessfully preserved. The only thing left was for her to confront the curse that was trying to turn her into a demon. When she rejected it, she would be something new!

    ¡®If this is sessful, I pretty much have a thesis that would be a big hit in the human world and demon world....!¡¯

    However, it didn¡¯t matter which side he revealed the information to. He couldn¡¯t tell anyone about this, because he would be the enemy of the world. He felt aggrieved at the fact that he couldn¡¯t reveal this information!

    Artpe took out a Mana Potion, and he drank it. Then he added more fuel into controlling his Mana Strings.

    He activated the Read All Creation to its limit. It revealed the path of the Mana within Sienna¡¯s body to his eyes. He merged this path with the Mana Strings, and he sealed all the circuitry rted to the demon race. Then he guided her Mana.

    Her body writhed, and her hair became luminous. However, Artpe and Sienna no longer paid attention to such changes. Sienna was handling her Mana for the first time, and she was drunk on the experience. Pain couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the joy of the Mana!

    ¡°Oppa.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t too far off. Just a little bit more. You need to take one more step.¡±

    ¡°One step.. I just have to take one more step¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The trace energy of the demon race was slowly disappearing. As the circuitry for the demon race was sealed, a new Mana circuitry revealed itself.

    It was a path that was neither human or demon. As she traveled further down the path, her Mana kept getting brighter as its constitution changed! When Artpe confirmed the changed, he unconsciously clenched his fist.

    ¡®It¡¯s done¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! It really worked!¡¯

    ¡°I did it, oppa!¡±

    It was Sienna¡¯s voice. It seemed she could also feel her curse being blocked.

    In truth, he could no longer feel the energy of the Demon race within her. The only downside was the fact that he could barely feel the energy of a human from her. It was enough for her not to run afoul of the Demon King¡¯s Innate ability!

    ¡°Kyahhhk!¡±

    The circuitry was nowplete. It passed through her entire body, and the Mana started circting within her body at a rapid pace. It created a noisy sound that deafened everyone¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-goo-goohk.¡±

    Artpe groaned as he desperately observed what was going on. It was the method that would allow one to escape the curse that made one into a demon. The method that would allow him to properly fuck over the Demon King was being engraved into Sienna¡¯s body in real time.

    Above all things, It was a very valuable record. Maybe his reincarnation urred, so he could learn this information!

    In the next moment, a bright light was emitted from her body.

    At the same time, a new information appeared in front of Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    [Sienna]

    [Level : 2]

    [Race : Evil Reflecter]

    ¡°Pffft.¡±

    When he found out the name of her race, he let out augh. Evil Reflecter? How can such a childish and obvious name could exist for a race! Was it because she was born by rejecting the Demon race! It made him want to go find god. Artpe wanted to ask what he was thinking when he made the name.

    Still, he was happy. He was unsure if he could be happier than what he was feeling right now. This really was the first step to destroy the ambitions possessed by the Demon King!

    So this was it. This was why everyone wanted to be a hero! Artpe was feeling an emotion that shed with him at a fundamental level, so he became self-absorbed in it. However, at that moment, someone tugged at his robe. Of course, it was Sienna.

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did well.¡±

    Artpe was breaking out in cold sweat as he smiled. He stroked her head as heforted her. Her skin remained pale, and her hair was white too. However, her hair was lustrous. Unlike before, she was full of life energy and magical energy.

    She had white skin, and white luminous hair. Sienna looked very alien, but this actually made look very charming.

    She looked a little bit younger than Maetel, and the girl let out a bright and innocent smile towards her rescuer. She had met Artpe for the first time today, but the smile contained an unlimited amount of trust towards Artpe.

    ¡°Thank you, oppa¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I gained some very good data thanks to you. I should be the one thanking you.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh.¡±

    From the moment Sienna started bing a demon to the moment where she became an Evil Reflecter, he had observed and recorded everything with his Read All Creation ability. Of course, it was still impossible for him, but this record would allow him to research a method to counter the demonifying curse. He might be able toe up with a method that¡¯ll allow him to resist against the Demon King¡¯s ability.!

    ¡°Sienna!¡±

    ¡°Unni.¡±

    Artpe let go of Artpe¡¯s robe, and she rested herselfpletely on the floor. She hugged her unni, who had run towards her.

    Maetel had looked on with a nervous heart. She had been sad at the thought of one more child bing a monster. Maetel and the other children were truly relieved at the sight.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are fine.¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to oppa. Oppa helped me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmmm.¡±

    Maetel had a smile on her face. However, when she heard Sienna¡¯s bright voice and face, she started creeping towards Artpe¡¯s side. She grabbed his robe. There was still a smile on her face, but there was a sense of gloominess that was a small part of her expression.

    ¡°It is a relief that Sienna is fine. Right, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It feels as if there is a smidge of regret in your voice, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°You are mistaken. I¡¯m really happy. I want Aena and Sienna to live a happy life. At the town... Just the two of them...¡±

    Mmm. It seemed he hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Maetel was burning with jealousy towards a girl that was younger than her. Why was the hero wired like this! Artpe flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead as he sighed.

    Anyways, the Quest wasplete. He couldn¡¯t save the children that had already been turned into monsters. However, he couldn¡¯t be sad about the missed opportunity. He decided it was right to be thankful for those that he was able to save with his hands. When he had this thought, he suddenly felt fatigue wash over his mind.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ooh-ah. I want to rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Artpe. I really want to rest too.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s words were heartfelt. Maetel let out a bitterugh as she agreed with him. They looked at each other, and they started giggling. Then they turned to look at the children, who were staring at them in puzzlement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°No. I want to wash myself first.¡±

    ¡°I want to wash myself too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    It seemed the fear that had gripped the children were gone thanks to Artpe¡¯s activities. As if they had made a promise beforehand, the children started expressing their desires. Soon, themunal space descended into chaos.

    At that moment, a person with the all-round ability that could grant all their wishes made her entrance!

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where or when. The Anywherepany is always with you. I am the merchant Mycenae! Please ask me for anything. I will fulfill your desires.... Oh my?¡±

    Mycenae and Artpe looked at each other.

    Mycenae put on a charming smile, and Artpeughed as he asked her a question.

    ¡°Ajumma, did you acquire the cleaning magic as I¡¯ve requested?¡±

 Chapter 39 - Hero VS Kingdom (1)

    Chapter 39 - Hero VS Kingdom (1)

    Fortunately, Mycenae quickly restocked her supply of magic books after selling them in bulk to Artpe. All of them were sold to Artpe once again. It was a total of five books. She was reliable in the fact that she had acquired the Cleaning magic(45 gold).

    ¡°You guys should all gather around me. Cleaning!¡±

    ¡°I was cleaned in an instant!¡±

    ¡°My clothes are so soft and fluffy.¡±

    This was the moment when Artpe took a step forward in bing a lifestyle magician. Of course, a normal lifestyle magician couldn¡¯t clean arge group of over 300 people at once. Mycenae turned pale at the sight.

    ¡°You have a reallyrge amount of Mana. Are you around level 300?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to dig in too much, right?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s current level was 163. If he went by the standard of the Read All Creation ability, his Magic Points was above 800. It was the Magic Points he had in his previous life at level 200.

    By that time, Artpe had already begun serving under the Demon King, and he had learned all the spells avable. Of course, one had to take into consideration that Demon race naturally had overwhelmingly more magical energy. This was why the amount of magical energy he possessed right now was absurd.

    He had been a demon in his previous life, but that was a flimsy exnation as to why he possessed so much magical right now. Artpe had been born with exceptional talent for magic, and it was at a level where the only usible exnation was the fact that he was a hero.

    If he dwelled more on that thought, it felt as if he would be conceited by it. Therefore, he abandoned thinking about that subject. Conceit was the factor that always killed the Four Heavenly Kings! This was why he changed the subject.

    ¡°What did you do with Silpennon?¡±

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m performing a scheduled task, I couldn¡¯t stay away when the customers I am in charge of had just cleared another Dungeon. However.... I¡¯m guessing this wasn¡¯t a run of the mill Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°When did ajumma became in charge of us as clients..... Well, it clearly isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    She was a Dungeon Merchant, but this didn¡¯t mean she had all the information regarding the Dungeon she will visit next. The Dungeon Merchants were given permission to mobilize when a pacified Dungeon had hidden treasures.

    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since the Dungeon Owner was exchanged from a monster to human. He had the Dungeon barrier up¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Since he is dead, it should have dissipated.¡±

    Mycenae looked over the children gathered in this space, and she immediately picked up on what was going on.

    ¡°Ah-ha. So that¡¯s what they were aiming for..... Oh wow. You were able to break it up. I¡¯ll have to revise my opinion of you again.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to revise it. No, just don¡¯t look at me at all.¡±

    ¡°You are too much!?¡±

    Maetel had killed him too quickly, but the ck magician was around level 100. Normally, beginner heroes shouldn¡¯t be able to take down a level 100 being! Maetel had shown enough force to kill a level 200 with a single blow. The ck magician had been unlucky in facing Maetel as an opponent.

    However, even after Maetel had defeated the ck magician, the monsters and the children who could turn into demons were still present. Mycenae was able to make her appearance only after Artpe got rid of all the potential risk factors.

    ¡°Customer, you surely aren¡¯t thinking about ending our transaction after buying the spell books? I¡¯m sure you are going to share in the Dungeon rewards with me, right?¡±

    There were two types of Dungeons. There was the naturally urring Dungeons and the artificial Dungeons. This Dungeon was a naturally urring Dungeon. The magician who took over this ce was proficient at ck magic, but he hadn¡¯t been talented at Dungeon exploration. This was why all the secret traps and rewards remained untouched.

    This was what Mycenae was aiming for. Of course, since she had been able to find the items, Artpe would be able to find them too. This was why she decided to give up on fruitlessly searching further for more items. She wanted to immediately enter into a business transaction.

    ¡°Yes, if so.....¡±

    Artpe looked at his surrounding. The level of the ck magician, who had taken over this Dungeon, had to be discounted. It looked as if the original Dungeon boss had been a weak monster. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if Artpe could not find anypensation using his Read All Creation ability.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°My stomach keeps growling.¡±

    However, there was a problem that he had to deal with before he gathered the Dungeon rewards. He looked at the children who looked as if they could drop at any moment. Artpe sighed as he threw a gold coin towards Mycenae.

    ¡°First, I want you to give them something to eat. The children were starved for couple days, so I want you to give them food that wouldn¡¯t be too much of a burden on them.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. You are so kind. As it happens, I have a consumable item that was developed by the mage tower to be used on war refugees. However, there is a single down side.....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you an additional gold.¡±

    ¡°As always, thank you very much, customer!¡±

    Mycenae distributed the items to the children with the help of Maetel and Aena.

    Sienna had experienced a sudden physical change. She was changed into an existence that didn¡¯t get hungry much. This was why Sienna helped out in the distribution. Of course, Mycenae showed interest in her.

    ¡°Oh my. You have very pretty hair.¡±

    ¡°I want you to give me an artifact that can conceal her identity.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering why you haven¡¯t asked me about that. You always seems to meet people of suspect origin. Or maybe those kinds of people are drawn to you?¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Artpe snorted at Mycenae¡¯s words as he went around themunal space. Every time he disturbed a location a wooden box would suddenly appear out of thin air or the lichen growing in the cracks of the Dungeon¡¯s wall would let out a strange light.

    He went to four locations to gather the rewards, but as expected, they weren¡¯t worth much.

    ¡°It should be around 29 gold.¡±

    ¡°Yes, here is your 29 gold. Also, this is a bonus for my dear customer.¡±

    Artpe handed off all the items, and he received a small hairpin from her. It was a metal adornment shaped like a butterfly.

    ¡°This stops the magical energy reaction from leaking out. The artifact has a very simple function, but it should be enough for the girl.¡±

    Mycenae had decided this item was enough for Sienna. Her hair and skin was unusual, but it could be dismissed as being not too out of the ordinary for a girl of her age.

    ¡°I want one Crystal Ball of Blessing.¡±

    However, Artpe had other ideas.

    ¡°You want that too!? Is it because this child is a demon?¡±

    Mycenae was shocked. She tried to get a closer look at Sienna, but Artpe didn¡¯t allow any further inquiry. In the end, Mycenae pouted as she handed him a Crystal Ball of Blessing for 500 gold.

    ¡°Well, this is the end to our transaction. You should head back for now.¡±

    ¡°How can you push me out so coldly every time like this? Still, I won¡¯t give up. I¡¯ll someday make you the king of the business world! You better be prepared for it!¡±

    ¡°Ajumma, don¡¯t try to steal Artpe!¡±

    ¡°I told you to stop doing that.¡±

    After Mycenae made another loudmotion, he put away the Crystal Ball of Blessing.

    Sienna stared at him as she asked him a question

    ¡°Oppa, what is that for?¡±

    It seemed she had be sensitive to Mana when she was turned into a Evil Reflector. It seemed she was very interested in the artifact.

    Artpe let out a smallugh as he stroked her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it a little bitter.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    A short amount of time had passed. All the children were brought outside, and Artpe returned the children to the townspeople. In a sh, a reunion filled with tears urred....

    ¡°Mommyyyyy!¡±

    ¡°Son! M...my son!¡±

    Fortunately, most of the children taken from this particr town were all safe. The townspeople were deeply moved by the return of the children, so they started praising Artpe and Maetel. However, Artpe gave them a warning as he looked at them with serious eyes.

    ¡°If you spread our name, I¡¯ll put a curse on all of you. The curse will turn you into frogs.¡±

    ¡°Heek!¡±

    Heroes were always targeted by repeat Quests, and these Quests would cheapen the value of their names! Of course, the Demon King had created a perfect recipe in the past where these repeat Quests helped along the explosive growth of the hero as an unintended consequence. However, the current situation differed quite a lot from the past.

    Since he was now aware of the fact that Demon King was hatching such a horrifying n, they would have to move carefully. A disguise and a mask was a must. They also had to be prepared to bury such fake identities in the darkness.

    ¡°The problem is.....¡±

    Artpe gave a stern warning then he turned around. There were still couple hundred children left.

    ¡°Hyung, I want to see my mom too.¡±

    ¡°B...be quiet. We shouldn¡¯t cause more trouble for the magician-nim!¡±

    ¡°Heeng. Mom. Mommy~¡±

    He had no problem with the children who were originally from this town. However, he wondered what he should do with the children captured from the other towns.

    Of course, they would have to be returned to their own towns. If he was like the heroes from the old stories, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. He would have personally returned the children to each town. However, the Quest had ended, so he needed to move onto his next goal.

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤this kind of event always led to a more annoying andrger incidents. The Demon King¡¯s scheme always seemed toe in session!

    Of course, the Demon King was a chef that tried to get a richer vor by cooking an already seared meat once again..... Artpe was well aware of the Demon King¡¯s far-reaching recipes, so he was annoyed at being at the receiving end of it!

    ¡®I have to nip this in the bud. It would be stupid of me to be satisfied with leaving the matter as is when I know more wille from this. Moreover....¡¯

    In the end, Artpe came to a firm resolution.

    If he let his heart make the decision, he would have ended his association with the townspeople here. He wanted to go rest. However, if he didn¡¯t tie this up right now, he knew he would be more exhausted by what stemmed from this event in the future.

    ¡°You guys should move your town.¡±

    In the end, a suggestion popped out of his mouth. The townspeople became dumbfounded at his words.

    ¡°You want us to move our town? Why? No, how?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going around to the towns where these children are from. I¡¯ll be gathering all the townspeople from there. I want to consolidate everyone into forming arge town. You guys will create a small city.¡±

    ¡°W...we can¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be too hard!¡±

    ¡°We are already living a hard life here!¡±

    He expected their objections. However, Artpe¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°If you want your children to be stolen again, you can continue on living here. You all have to stick together right now. You have to stick together to grow your numbers. You won¡¯t be able to win against a country, but at the very least, you will have grown your own presence. You have to berge enough where many people will be aware it if something happens to you.¡±

    If enough humans were gathered in a single location, it might have an effect on other entities. It would be hard for the Archduke to mess with them.

    It would also make it harder for the Demon King¡¯s army to hatch a scheme. They were able to gather and put a curse on the children as experiments, because they were able to steal the children in secret.

    ¡°I...if we move our residences, how are we going to feed ourselves?¡±

    ¡°You already had a hard time making a living here. Do you think much will change if you move? You¡¯ll either farm or hunt for game. That isn¡¯t my problem.¡±

    Artpe had other things to do. He had to ruin the Archduke. Furthermore, he had to ruin the ck magicians that were messing with the entire country.

    At the climax of this Quest, couple Demons would probably make their appearances. However, he was confident that he could kill them. Maetel had awoken to her Innate ability. It would be possible to do so with her help!

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to ruin a kingdom before I kill the Demon King. Mmmm. All right. I kind of feel like a Four Heavenly King again.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was out of joint. However, this actually made him quite happy.

    Maetel looked at him with unshakable trust, and Sienna looked up at him as if he was her idol. Aena and the numerous children looked on with worried eyes. The townspeople looked to be in a state of shock and fear at Artpe¡¯s forceful order.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll start our city construction n from this point on!¡±

    It was at that moment when the first Quest turned into a session of scenario Quest.

 Chapter 40 - Hero VS Kingdom (2)

    Chapter 40 - Hero VS Kingdom (2)

    Under Artpe¡¯s unexpected edict, the townspeople made preparations to leave. They were close to tears. Since they had given up most of their fortunes to Artpe(there wasn¡¯t much aside from Obsidian of Greed), so they only had to pack some clothes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll sleep here tonight, and we¡¯ll head out immediately tomorrow. I want all of you to take care of the children until then.¡±

    ¡°Understood, magician-nim.¡±

    ¡°Ho-ooh. I know magician-nim isn¡¯t wrong, but the prospect of building a new house is frustrating.....¡±

    It would have been better if they had grounds to dismiss Artpe¡¯s ims as total nonsense. However, Artpe had brought back the children even when he wasn¡¯t given much as a reward. This was why they decided to pin their trust upon him..

    This was why they continued their preparation for their big migration even as they shed tears. Their hearts burned as if they had eaten mustard. Still, it was better to be worked like a dog than actually being dead.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Good night, noona!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-uhng, ooh-uh-uhng. Mommy.¡±

    Of course, Artpe knew their pain. How could he not?

    He watched the townspeople people break up as they shuttled the crying children away.

    ¡®If they do band together to grow in size, there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll be able to escape the influence of the demons. Of course, when that urs they¡¯ll try to find other ways to acquire more children....,...¡¯

    Artpe and Maetel¡¯s role was to stop this business from getting anyrger. He would overlooked most cmities. However, he had to get in on this or it might swallow the whole human world.

    ¡°This is the hero¡¯s walk of life. If not for heroes, others wouldn¡¯t be able to sense such enormous crisis, and they wouldn¡¯t know how to ovee it. It isn¡¯t as if the human world doesn¡¯t have strong people. However, the trouble makers are hidden until the heroes can find them. It is like a game of hide and seek.¡±

    When the hero finds them, they proudly reveal themselves as if to say ¡®I¡¯m ready now!¡¯

    They were sons of bitches amongst sons of bitches.

    ¡°Do you think this is happening in other regions, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I hope not, but it is possible. This is why this is so annoying.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s reply, Maetel¡¯s eyes turned menacing. Since this was a problem where his safety wasn¡¯t involved, he had expected her tough off most of his words. She had a very forgiving nature, yet her face was filled with rage right now.

    ¡°We have to beat them up. Everyone who tries to make children into monsters are bad!¡±

    It seemed her mental attitude had gone through a fundamental change after what she experienced within the Dungeon. Artpe was bitter and happy about it at the same time. Still, he had to calm her down right now.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t work yourself up too much, Maetel... You¡¯ll see much worse in the future.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t reply to his words. She extended her hand to firmly grip his sleeve. He extended a hand to stroke her head. At that moment, another girl grabbed his other sleeve.

    It was none other than Sienna.

    ¡°Oppa. Oppa shoulde to our house and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes, magician-nim. Our humble.... It is a very humble house, but if you don¡¯t mind, we will take you in for the night.¡±

    Maetel sent a guarded look towards the two girls. The hand that had been petting her head suddenly turned into a light blow to her head with his knuckles.

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    While Maetel gripped her head in pain, Artpe grabbed Sienna¡¯s offered hand as he gave his reply.

    ¡°We¡¯ll impose ourselves on you guys for a day. As it happens, I have something I have to give you.¡±

    ¡°Really? Yes!¡±

    Sienna let out an innocentugh as she rejoiced.

    Artpe couldn¡¯t help butugh alongside with her.

    He would have to sweet talk another girl with a usible story.

    This was how he came to reside in the two girl¡¯s house for a night. They had lost their parents, so the two girls lived in a very small and old house. It was in disrepair. It would actually be much less work to build a new hut than repair this one.

    After he unpacked his gear, Artpe called for Sienna. He gave her a small crystal ball. It was none other than the Crystal Ball of Blessing.

    ¡°Here, take it. This is yours.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, you bought it for me!?¡±

    Sienna hadn¡¯t figured out the exact use of the Crystal Ball of Blessing yet. However she was sensitive to Mana after she became an Evil Reflector. This was why she was aware that a veryplex structure of Mana was contained within the Crystal Ball of Blessing.

    ¡°Oppa, isn¡¯t this really expensive?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you for free. You have to repay meter with a lot of interests. It¡¯ll be apound interest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡±

    Since she didn¡¯t know how scarypound interest was, Sienna let out a naive smile as she replied. She took the crystal from him. Soon, she had a slightly peculiar expression on her face.

    ¡°Oppa, it feels as if it is exploring inside me.¡±

    ¡°It is a substitute for the priests, and it¡¯ll decide your future path. It¡¯ll make a record of you in this world. You¡¯ll know when it adapts to you.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes.¡±

    After awakening as an Evil Reflector, she had already learned the Mana Control. Of course, he expected her to receive the Magician ss without much problem

    However....

    [Sienna]

    [Level ? 1]

    [Evil Reflector]

    [Warrior Priestess]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Sienna found out her ss, and when he saw it, Artpe¡¯s eyes turned round. Maetel and Aena didn¡¯t know what was going on so they looked on absentmindedly. The only thing different was the fact that the crystal ball was know glinting.

    It would probably be of help in advancing in her high rank ss..... No, that wasn¡¯t important right now!

    ¡°Oppa, what happened¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡±

    If she wasn¡¯t a magician, who on thisnd was actually suited to be a mage! Moroever, she had escaped her humanity to be a new race that didn¡¯t exist in history, yet she was a priestess!

    Artpe was so taken aback by this that he wanted to run out of the house. However, his Read All Creation ability hadn¡¯t malfunctioned. Instead, her record as a Warrior Priestess was show clearly in front of his eyes. There was no double Sienna was a Warrior Priestess!

    Sienna firmly grabbed Artpe¡¯s clothes as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Oppa, does this mean I have to enter into a temple?¡±

    ¡°You must never do that.¡±

    At Sienna¡¯s naive question, Artpe gave an immediate answer. Even if a Warrior Priestess was an upation weed by everyone, she wasn¡¯t human anymore. There was no way she would be able to enter into the very close-minded temples. If Artpe thought about their temperament, it would be fortunate if Sienna wasn¡¯t dissected for study.

    Priests weren¡¯t priests, because they had a good heart. Priests followed a specific way of training that had been passed down through time. People had researched a way to suck up to selfish gods in an attempt to obtain a boon from them. This was how the they awakened to the holy power to be priests!

    This was why she was in a impossible situation.

    ¡®Her Mana has progressed in a special direction. It¡¯s a holy power that directly opposes evil.... It is a likely hypothesis.¡¯

    The name of her race was Evil Reflector, and the name was quite explicit. It also outlined the direction of her development. She had been optimized to fight against the demon race. She was so amazing that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if she had been chosen as hero.

    He wonder what would happen if she was given the opportunity to grow up. She was born from an experiment that had tried to turn her into a demon. She would now stand in the front line in defeating the Demon race. It was the biggest way to screw over the Demon King. Moreover, it would allow Artpe¡¯s original goal to......

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Sienna.¡±

    Artpe felt a small amount of self-hatred as he bit his lips. However, he had already handed over the Crystal Ball of Blessing to her, so he was being hypocritical by wavering between his decision. He kept eye contact with Sienna as he spoke.

    ¡°You probably lived a normal life until now. If this incident hadn¡¯t urred, you would have continued to live a normal life. However, the direction of your life has changed in no uncertain terms. In the process, you gained considerable amount of power and potential. Now that you have that power it¡¯ll be hard for you to lead a normal life.¡±

    At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t be possible until the disturbance caused by the Demon King could be put to sleep. Sienna was a very bright child, so she fully understood what Artpe was talking about.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you, oppa. I also want to live a different life. I want to be stronger like oppa. I don¡¯t want to be abused by bad people any longer.¡±

    It was truly courageous words. Artpe wonder if what she experienced here had hardened her heart.

    Maybe, her mental state was affected when she was changed into a new race. He just had to hope that he had led her down a better path than bing a demon..

    ¡°The problem is the power you possess is different from theirs. The power is unique and alien. This is the reason why I gave you the Crystal Ball of Blessing. People are afraid of those that are different from them. You¡¯ll probably be unable to disy your full power out in the open.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, what should I do?¡±

    She went to the heart of the matter. As Sienna asked her question, it seemed she had an idea what the answer would be. This was why there was a look of anticipation on her face.

    This was why kids these days were scary. Artpe had this though as he turned to look at Maetel. It looked as if Maetel really didn¡¯t like the current situation. In the end, she nodded with a sullen expression on her face.

    She didn¡¯t want someone else to get between Artpe and her. However, Maetel knew Sienna couldn¡¯t be left behind now. Since her feelings were so transparent, it was a bit amusing to see it.

    Artpe smirked as he turned to look at Sienna.

    Then he suggested a way forward for her.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤do you want to join our party?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    As if she had been waiting for this question, she let out a bright smile as she gave her answer. Artpe had asked the question, but he was taken aback by her embarrassingly frank answer.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤your whole life depends on this decision. Are you sure you ok making such a decision so easily?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±

    At that moment, Aena interjected herself into the conversation as she screeched. She had finally been able to recover her younger sister, yet she was now worried that Sienna would go to a distant ce. However, Sienna had anticipated her unni¡¯s objection, so she spoke with a bright smile on her face.

    ¡°Unni, don¡¯t worry too much about it. I¡¯m all right. As time passes, I¡¯ll feel much better.¡±

    ¡°Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°If you are with me, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be difficult for you. You saw it, unni. I¡¯m not normal anymore.¡±

    As her words ended, a white magical energy was emitted at the tip of Siennna¡¯s fingers. Artpe could clearly see a light that was simr to holy power. Moreover, the amount of magical energy possessed by her was disparate from her status as a level 1.

    ¡°I...I...¡±

    ¡°Unni. You can do this alone too, right?¡±

    Aena¡¯s expression darkened, but Sienna¡¯s expression remained clear. There was a thread of resoluteness that could be seen in her bright smile. Aena realized Sienna wasn¡¯t trying to convince her of anything. She was just notifying Aena of what would be happening.

    Sienna had always been a fierce girl that spoke her mind.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be apart forever. I¡¯lle back. I promise. So you have to wait for me. Ok?¡±

    ¡°Sienna.... Are you really going toe back to me?¡±

    In the end, Aena dered her defeat. Sienna let out a brightughter as she tightly hugged Aena.

    ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°This is quite a nice sight, so I¡¯m sorry to have to say this. We are going to travel together until this Quest ends.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Artpe poured vinegar on the situation. The two sisters had embarrassed expressions on their faces. Maetel giggled.

    The night came to an end in a town that¡¯ll be gone tomorrow.

 Chapter 41 - Hero VS Kingdom (3)

    Chapter 41 - Hero VS Kingdom (3)

    He had a dream.

    It was and of despair where everything was dyed with blood and darkness. He stood face to face with her on top of a castle wall made through the pain and suffering of people.

    No, it was a too one-sided encounter to call it a face to face meeting.

    Artpe had already lost to the hero. All his magic spells had been blocked by their magician. He had thrown his daggers in desperation, but an archer with long ears destroyed all of them with her sharp arrows.

    Normally, his subordinates werezy, and they had treated his authority as theirmanding general as shit. However, they acted in a way that was incongruous to their past actions. His subordinates fought desperately to protect him, but in the end, they were easily in by the warrior¡¯s great sword. If they had always done well as they did right now, their actions wouldn¡¯t have felt sudden and unexpected to Artpe. They decided to act in such a way at thest moment, and it almost brought tears to Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Wait a moment. Don¡¯t swing that.¡±

    ¡°Hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The steel knight, who never took off his helmet, refused to stop. He was about to sever Artpe¡¯s head. However, the hero desperately halted his action.

    All the other members inside the hero¡¯s party let out a sigh at the same time. The hero paid no attention to them as she stepped forward. She made a sincere entreaty towards Artpe.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cause any trouble, and surrender to us, Four Heavenly King Artpe Hirtana Kelduke. There is no need for us to fight each other any longer.¡±

    ¡°Hero! You!¡±

    ¡°It is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Everyone be quiet¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Please surrender yourself.¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t been hostile towards the hero from the beginning. She was the only one that was aware of this fact. Artpe had watched over the hero for a very long time, and she was aware of this fact too. If Artpe had wanted to, the hero knew he could have killed her a long time ago.

    This was why they could be on the same side. She was sure they could be on the same side. They.....

    ¡°You speak as if the Demon King¡¯s army isn¡¯t on a campaign to bring peace to the world.¡±

    However, Artpe made light of the hero¡¯s words as he mocked her. His sharp purple eyes were half hidden by his drooping ck hair. It wasn¡¯t just the hero. His eyes twinkled as if he was mocking the entire hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°Why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    She asked the question as if she couldn¡¯t understand him. However, Artpe didn¡¯t give her an answer.

    He didn¡¯t want to stop the hero¡¯s steps. A heavy burden was already on her slender shoulders, and he didn¡¯t want to add more to her burden.

    Instead, he tried to rx her contorted face a little bit. He let out a grin as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡°Hero. I¡¯m pretty sure a very good looking noonim will being here soon, and she¡¯ll be very angry when she sees my corpse. I want you to give her this message.¡±

    His words were veryedic when one considered it to be hisst words. It made the hero¡¯s face scrunch up. Unlike her, the members of the hero¡¯s party thought Artpe was scheming to screw over the hero. This was why they started moving before Artpe could finish his skit.

    The Warrior unsheathed and gripped his great sword. The magician held a staff that looked too heavy for her even if she was holding it with both hands. She prepared a spell. The archer pointed an arrow towards Artpe. The red haired thief rushed towards Artpe with his daggers drawn.

    They all treasured the hero above all else. They wanted to shield her from the fucked up truths that dominated the world.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to confuse her, Four Heavenly King.¡±

    ¡°In truth, I.... Kuh-huhk!¡±

    The dagger scored a clean hit. Artpe had already exhausted his magical energy, and his defensive gear were all broken. His consumable artifacts were all used up. Artpe could no longer put up a fight, so he exposed his heart to the dagger of the thief.

    Yes, he already knew this would happen.

    ¡°In truth, I¡¯m not too fond of older women... Kahk. Please tell her...!¡±

    His vision was being dyed ck. He could feel Etna¡¯s Mana swell from afar. She was themander of the Army of Thieves.

    ¡®Ah, if I was going to die anyways, I shouldn¡¯t have called noo-nim here.¡¯

    He had such useless thoughts as he died.

    ¡°This makes you... It makes you seem like a normal person....!¡±

    He could hear the tearful voice of the hero as he was at death¡¯s door. Her voice somehow made his chest burn.

    However, he couldn¡¯t turn back the time. This was a story that had already ended.

    This was how his previous life came to an end.

    Artpe¡¯s Innate ability had reversed the world, and he opened his eyes from within a small human body. He wanted to hurry up and wake up from the nightmare that rehashed the past events......

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Nooooooooooooooooo!¡±

    He heard a female¡¯s scream. It was the voice that he had heard during thest moments of his previous life.

    Wait a moment.

    Who¡¯s voice of despair was it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    Artpe opened his eyes. His ears were deafened by the sound. It was the worst kind of nightmare.

    He had a harsh expression on his face as he tried to get up. However, his body was strangely heavy, so he looked down. Maetel and Sienna had fallen asleep from exhaustion after they had a territorial fight over his abdomen.

    He looked to the side, and he saw Aena who had gotten up early. She red at him with white eyes. She was looking at him as if he was a convicted criminal.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤well, I¡¯m popr. What can I do about it?¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    Aena¡¯s cheeks were puffed out as she quickly turned her head away. Artpe let out a bitterugh when he saw her. Then he woke up the two brats that clung to him like kos. It was time to head out now.

    When the morning brightened, the townspeople and the children were led out the town by Artpe and Maetel. Since all of them had packs on their backs, it looked as if they were refugees. Fortunately, it waste spring, so the weather was mild.

    ¡°Mmm. We are quite noticeable. That¡¯s great..¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad if we are noticed, Artpe?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked the question. Artpe let out a lightugh as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°That only applies when we are exploring a Dungeon where we have no idea if strong enemies are present or not. However, we know that there are only level 100 cast offs inside this region. This is why it would be more convenient if they scouted and came towards us.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    When their enemies caught sight of the group, they would immediately attack the party. In such a scenario, Maetel would be able to cut them down without being repulsed by what she had to do.

    Artpe didn¡¯t exin any further as he expanded his Mana Threads into a wide. This wasn¡¯t something like feeling an ominous feeling when one was being watched or ambushed. He would be able to know who was going to attack him. At the very least, it would allow him to prepare a counterattack.

    As he controlled a massive amount of Mana, he directed a question towards the nearby Vige Person A.

    ¡°So which vige is closest to this location?¡±

    ¡°The vige doesn¡¯t have an official name.... If we go past that hill, we¡¯ll be there.¡±

    The town didn¡¯t have a name. These towns were so unimportant that it would probably not be recorded in the hero¡¯s chronicle. They went to several of these viges as they gathered more people. Moreover, they cleared out all the soldiers and ck magicians they encountered....

    The Quest Reward would continue to bottom out.

    The thought of it made him sad. However, even if the Quest Reward was garbage now, he had to go through it to get to the next stage of this Quest. This was the charm of a chained Quest, so he had to endure it.

    ¡®Still, I hope this ends before the summer of this year. I want to avoid what always urs in the fall......¡¯

    If he went by the schedule, they had plenty of time. They would have enough time even if they ran in ce going nowhere for four years. Even if such dys urred, Maetel would probably learn skills like Jump and all the techniques associated with it. She was scary like that.

    The problem right now was the fact that the world and the monsters changed depending on the seasons. There were monsters that were calm in the spring, and they would cause trouble in the summer. Then there were the monsters that attacked after the fall harvest in the winter. They attacked to steal the food of the humans. Artpe was trying to proceed on a specific route, and there were those on this route that would be affected by the seasons..

    ¡®If Silpennon is able to grow up quickly, I can use him. No, it might be faster to develop this one. ¡¯

    On one side of him, a lovely white-haired girl was grabbing onto his sleeve like Maetel. He smirked as he looked down at her.

    She was skilled enough to control her Mana, and under his tutge, she was emitting a white colored Mana. She was moving it around with one hand. Her skill level was better than him in his previous life. She had ridiculous amount of potential. Why were there only geniuses around him!

    The genius pouted as she looked up at Artpe.

    ¡°This is tiring, oppa.¡±

    ¡°Mana is nature. If you ept nature as being Mana, nature will soon be one with your Mana. It will fill you up.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll try harder.¡±

    Demons possessed overwhelming more Manapared to humans. After consuming Mana, Demons also had a much faster recovery time. The reason for this difference was the fact that the Demon race looked at Mana in a fundamentally different way than humans.

    No matter how much he exined it, humans were unable to understand the perspective seen by the Demon race. There were magicians in historical records that were barely able to understand this truth after many years. This foundation allowed them to be able topete against Demons.

    In his past life, the magician from the hero¡¯s party understood this perspective. It was thanks to this magician that the Demon race¡¯s strongholds in the human world was all brought down. Any Demon that got in her way had died. In truth, Artpe was more afraid of the magician than the hero in his previous life.

    ¡°Ah. It quickened a little bit. Oppa, it is as if the Mana is smiling at me!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    In this life, it seemed there would be at least one more terrifying prodigy that would be on par with that magician.

    Artpe wonder why such a monster-like prodigy like Sienna hadn¡¯t made a name for herself in his previous life.

    He stroked the head of the girl that was smiling brightly at him.

    ¡°Ughhhh, Artpe. I....I want to learn Mana.....¡±

    ¡°Maetel, you are already pretty good at handling Mana......¡±

    In short order, they arrived at the first town. The town had been in a rut, since they had lost all their children. They rejoiced when they saw the safely returned children. They also cried for the children that would never make it back to them. Then they became shocked at Artpe¡¯s edict to leave their town.

    ¡°I....I can¡¯t do this!¡±

    ¡°Of course, you saved my child, so I¡¯ll give youpensation as thanks. However, I can¡¯t abandon the vige.....¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t force you to do this. However, if you all continue to live like this, the soldiers will steal your children once again. Shall I give you more bad news? They won¡¯t hesitate to torture you for information regarding my party. They will kill several of you as an example.¡±

    ¡°O...our king would never¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°There is a different king on the throne.¡±

    ¡°W...what!?¡±

    The people discussed the topic in a heated fashion, and sides were formed. The people that lost then recovered their children followed Artpe and Maetel¡¯s lead. The rest stayed behind. Since the children obediently followed Artpe and Maetel, the townspeople decided to put their trust in them.

    ¡°If the soldierse asking questions, you guys tell them everything you saw here.¡±

    ¡°I...if we do that, magician-nim will....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You tell them everything. You can even tell me what I¡¯m trying to aplish. It is better than you guys dying just because you hid the information.¡±

    ¡°Magician-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The people remaining behind in the town had rejected Artpe, yet he was being considerate towards them!

    Of course, he didn¡¯t think the soldiers would let the townspeople live even if the townspeople told them everything. However, Artpe had given them a fighting chance. He had done enough for these idiots who had basically forfeited their lives, because they were afraid of change.

    It took several days, but Artpe¡¯s party toured all the nearby viges. Most towns reacted simrly to each other, and the people who lost their children showed strong feelings towards Artpe.

    ¡°My child! What happened to my child!¡±

    ¡°You did it! I bet you killed my child!¡±

    Artpe understood their rage, so he didn¡¯t get mad. Maetel had been restless over the situation, and she had done well holding herself back until now. However, herposure broke when she met the parents of the dead children.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t like that. When we found the children, they were already.....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Maetel.¡±

    They were unfairly cing the me on Artpe. Maetel had emerged from this tragedy alongside him, so it would have been weird if Maetel wasn¡¯t agitated by the current situation.

    However, the truth would ce the people in more danger. If townspeople decided to stay behind, they were told the children were kidnapped, and some had died under unfortunate circumstances.

    He left it at that.

    ¡°I was toote to save them. I¡¯m very sorry. I have no excuses.¡±

    Artpe spoke only those words. Deception and disdain were necessary skills for the Four Heavenly King, but he briefly put away those skills. Right now he had to use an essential skill used by swindlers. He pushed forward with his version of the story. There were omissions, so he wasn¡¯t technically lying.

    It was enough.

    ¡°Eek. Eeeeek......¡±

    ¡°Koo-hoohk..... We already know you aren¡¯t at fault. However, if we ept that as fact then who should we hate!¡±

    ¡°Hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ My baby.... My baby.....!¡±

    In the end, many people rejected Artpe¡¯s offer. He was a being that possessed mysterious powers, and that fact was enough for to be ostracised by them.

    On the other hand, the people who epted his help stuck very close to him. Artpe had to be satisfied with that fact.

    Still, Maetel¡¯s heart hurt as she took in everything.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    ¡°No one here is at fault, Maetel. The people who are dishing out the hate and the people who are receiving the hate aren¡¯t at fault. Sometimes screwed up situations like this urs. In truth, this is some of what happens in real life.¡±

    The war in his previous life was simr. Even if the Demons didn¡¯t want to fight, they had no choice thanks to the Innate ability of the Demon King. A kindhearted girl had to repeatedly fight horrific battles just because fate had chosen her to be the hero.

    What happened in her past life was about to be repeated in her present life. He had no other words he could say except that it was screwed up.

    ¡°Ooh-ooooo. All right.¡±

    Maetel understood the meaning behind his words, so she suppressed her emotions. This in turn increased the frequency of her sneaking into his arms when he slept. Sienna unnecessarily burned with a strong sense of rivalry, so she stuck close to Artpe too. It just made Artpe exhausted.

    There were a lot of words and troubles exchanged, but all the people were gathered in a week. There were around 2,000 people gathered.

    It took them an additional two days to search for and that would be suitable for them to live on. They ended up at the mid-slope of a hill where monsters rarely appeared.

    ¡°So are we supposed to build the town here, magician-nim? No, I guess we have to call it a small city.¡±

    ¡°There are two thousand people here. I wonder if this many people can really live here.....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you build your city. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±

    Arge number of people came here, because they looked up toward Artpe and Maetel. It looked as if Artpe felt a bit abashed when he scratched his nose as he spoke. However, his inner thought differed a little bit from his outward appearance.

    ¡®Since I¡¯ve made a bait thisrge, arge fish should be biting it soon.¡¯

    This was how the city construction started.

    The fish became aware of this without dy.

 Chapter 42 - Hero VS Kingdom (4)

    Chapter 42 - Hero VS Kingdom (4)

    There were 2,000 people, but a thousand of them were children who couldn¡¯t work. Still, they were making great progress in carving out a small city at the middle of the small mountain. All the tasks that couldn¡¯t be done through the power of the people was solved by Artpe. Of course, he used his Mana Strings.

    ¡°T...the mountain is copsing.¡±

    ¡°It is being pulverized.¡±

    ¡°The forest¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ An entire forest is being swallowed up......¡±

    The Mana Strings consumed a lot of Mana. However, therge consumption rate became a problem only in battle where every minute and every second mattered. Since no one had chased after them yet, he had plenty of time. He had the luxury to be able to use the Mana Strings to his heart¡¯s content. This was possible because his Mana recovery rate had increasedpared to his days as a Demon.

    Artpe used his Mana Strings every time his Mana recovered. He carved the mountain, dug up the ground or he processed the trees. He had had cut down the forest in its entirety.

    Naturally, the townspeople started looking up to Artpe as if he was like a godlike figure.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t human.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen magicians before, but they weren¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°Did you just see that? He extended his hand once, and twenty trees just fell.¡±

    When therge-scale construction came to an end, the townspeople firmed the ground, and they started gathering the fallen trees to create building materials. They were doing minor taskspared to what Artpe was doing. This resulted in a city being created at an incredible speed.

    The ground was ttened in a half-day, and buildings started going up after another half-day. The people that weren¡¯t of help in the construction were given the task of gathering food. They were sent out into the mountain.

    Just the same, Artpe filled up the food stores when they didn¡¯t bring back enough.

    How did he do so?

    ¡°Customer, who do you think I am!¡±

    He did it through the veteran merchant Mycenae of the Anywherepany.

    ¡°You are someone convenient to use in various situations.¡±

    ¡°If you were a little bit more circumspect with your words, I might have agreed with your sentiment!¡±

    ¡°Ah. I want you to leave behind your cheapest rations. I need enough for 3,000 meals. Tsk. I don¡¯t have much money left after purchasing the Crystal Ball of Blessing.... I¡¯ll have to empty out another Dungeon soon.¡±

    ¡°You just straight up ignored my words.......¡±

    Dungeon merchants rarely appeared outside of a normal Dungeon. The rules changed a little bit when one bought a voucher from them. It was possible for one to trade with a Dungeon merchant outside.

    In this particr case, Maetel and Artpe had cleared out the Dungeon located within this mountain. Mycenae found out about it since she designated herself as the merchant in charge of dealing with them. She had shown up like a phantom that was haunting them, and Artpe had pulled her outside of the Dungeon to make a deal.

    ¡°You are young, yet I¡¯ve never met a customer with so little manners. In five years, I¡¯m sure you will make many women cry thanks to your unruly heart.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably be the one crying. Maetel would have beaten me with a club before it could reach that point.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Mycenae narrowed her eyes as she red at him.

    ¡°As expected, you like her?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to meddle in the love life of a customer?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have particr feeling towards her, I might put some of my spit on you to call dibs.¡±

    ¡°By the time I grow up, the spit you put on me would have dried up, and there would be no trace of it left.¡±

    Artpe snorted when he saw Mycenae¡¯s ears flutter around. If one tookpliments from merchants at face value, it¡¯ll lead one to bankruptcy in the end.

    However, his face hardened a little bit at her next words.

    ¡°I really want to hold the title of being a lover of a hero at least once.¡±

    For a brief moment, Artpe froze in ce when he heard her words. Should he dodge the statement? Should he deny it? He mulled over it, but there was only one answer he could give from the start.

    She wasn¡¯t fishing for information. She was sure of her own im. He had always had a feeling in the past that Mycenae knew about their status as heroes. If he denied the im, it would cause unnecessary difficulties for both sides.

    In the end, Artpe shrugged his shoulders as he replied towards Mycenae.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We were quite skillful in keeping it a secret up until now.¡±

    ¡°Of course, However, I¡¯ve already realized it from the outset. Haven¡¯t our meetings been quite coincidental after our first meeting? I tried very hard not to unnecessarily arouse your attention.¡±

    ¡°Why are you bringing this up right now?¡±

    He had a decent idea on why, but Artpe spoke in a sullen manner. Mycenae chuckled as she spoke.

    ¡°I believe you have a modicum of trust in me now. I want to establish a firm cooperative rtionship. Moreover... You already know this, right? It doesn¡¯t matter which Dungeon you enter. I drop everything I have going on to beat all the other merchants in showing up in front of you. It was my way of keeping both your identities a secret. In truth, I deserve thanks for doing such a task.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do it to monopolize the trades with us, since we are heroes with bright futures? Wasn¡¯t it an attempt to increase your profit?¡±

    ¡°Of course, that is my ultimate goal.¡±

    Mycenae boldly acknowledged that fact. Then she added more to her exnation.

    ¡°However, I also do not want the Demon King to take over the world. This is why I tried my best to protect the two heroes from being solicited by unnecessary people. It is a task where my practical interests and doing the right thing intersects.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°In truth, I confirmed my suspicions when I saw all of this today.¡±

    Mycenae spoke as she pointed towards the construction site of the small city. Arge number of people were embarking on a new life. Everyone thought the construction of the city would be difficult, but Artpe¡¯splete support had made the job much easier. Thanks to his help there were very few people thatined.

    ¡°I thought you only went around smashing Dungeons, but you are doing very hero-like tasks. Every person here has absolute trust in you, and they rely on you. This also made me confident that I could trust and rely on you, customer.¡±

    ¡°It is very unexpected to hear such words from a Dungeon Merchant. Don¡¯t you guys put profit above all else?¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to put my trust in you¡±

    Mycenae let out an alluringugh as she spoke.

    ¡°Customers like you let out an always radiant light, and many people get tangled in that light. It isn¡¯t a coincidence that heroes are the bane of the Demon King, In a chaotic world, the only ones able to bring the hearts of the people together are the heroes.¡±

    ¡°Hoong.¡±

    Heroes unite the hearts of the people? Heroes weren¡¯t religious leaders. If one discounted their abilities, heroes were normal human beings. Other people did as they liked by relying on the heroes. It was a one-sided and disgusting rtionship. He didn¡¯t have such a rtionship with the people here, so it seemed she was under some delusion.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, it would be convenient to have someone I can trust too.¡±

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t have to go out of his way to shatter such delusions. She could package her sweet words in every which way, but in the end, it was a business rtions.

    This was why this rtionship had to based strictly on profits and losses. Emotions didn¡¯t have to enter into the calctions. He erased the countless thoughts he had been thinking. He let out a lightugh as he extended his hand towards Mycenae.

    ¡°Soul Contract. I¡¯m sure you came here prepared with one.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I had a very hard time, since the efficacy of the contract had to be high. I had a very hard timeing up with a story for the headquarters of thepany......¡±

    ¡°A cost of the contract is usually split between the two parties. However, since you¡¯ve suggested it first, you should take on an additional 10% of the cost. I¡¯ll pay 40%.¡±

    ¡°Your calctions are always precise¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Mycenae pouted as she brought out the contract. Artpe put his index finger on it, and he dragged it across the contract. The basic outline of the contract had already been created. As his fingers scanned over the contract, conditions were modified, added and deleted.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just me. You are forbidden to talk about anyone I deem to be an ally. From this point on, that will me Maetel, Sienna, Silpennon, Leseti and me.¡±

    ¡°However, once you start encountering more and more people, there is a danger of me being in breach of contract without meaning to.¡±

    ¡°If it is a situation where they will find out even if you don¡¯t open your mouth, the contract will make the proper judgement. If you are careful with your words and actions, you won¡¯t be in breach of contract.¡±

    ¡°Then I needed something that would count as profit for me. I want you to sell 10% of the items you gain in Dungeons exclusively to me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Maetel and any of my other party members have to agree to sell it to you. It has to be a unanimous decision. Also, I won¡¯t sell any items that I choose not to sell to you to other merchants. If you don¡¯t have the purchasing power, you have to find a suitable owner to sell the items to.¡±

    ¡°Since this is an exclusive contract, could you give me a grace period toe up with the funds? Moreover, the 3rd use must.....¡±

    Artpe and Mycenae pitted their heads against each other with the contract between them. They were precise in their calctions, and they double checked each use. The townspeople were busy constructing the city, but when they caught sight of the young magician, they thought he was quite talented in picking up women.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤also, I have an additional addendum.¡±

    In a sh, Mycenae raised her head from the contract to look at Artpe. When he met her eyes, her eyes were very serious. They were clear and deep. He was a bit surprised by them. He wondered if the conversation up until now had been a set up for this moment.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The ce is a bit far from the Diaz kingdom, but..... Does customer know about the Forest of Eternity?¡±

    ¡°It is located on the border of Duchy of Tiata. It is the ce of origin for the Elves. Isn¡¯t it centered around the World Tree?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤as expected, you know about it. I heard you guys were in a country town before both of you were chosen as heroes. So how are you so knowledgeable?¡±

    Mycenae let out a sigh at Artpe¡¯s words. He let out a bitterugh when he caught a hint of irritation in her sigh.

    The information regarding the Forest of Eternity weren¡¯t widespread amongst humans. The residents of the forest were zealous in protecting their location. They had cut off allmunications with the outside world. It was as Artpe had said. The residents were none other than Elves.

    ¡°Then do you perhaps know what the Forest of Eternity is facing right now?¡±

    ¡°I can make a guess. The friction between the Duchy and the forest might have worsened. A country that covets the Elves might have sent out an organized group. The monsters might be causing more mayhem. The World Tree might be drying up. Maybe, all of these events are the reason why the Forest of Eternity is being ruined.¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely correct. It is all of the above. The Forest of Eternity is in overall distress. If things continue to head in this direction, it¡¯ll be in ruins soon. It will all be thanks to those that thinks with their lower body instead of their brains!¡±

    Elves were beautiful. It was said that they were born from the vital force of the World Tree, and they were beautiful enough to be called fairies. It was just amongst humans. They wer considered to be one of the most beautiful races amongst races that were capable of rational thought. Of course, many people desired them.

    ¡°Amongst the smut that is circted within the kingdom, 80% of them deals with Elves.¡±

    ¡°Men are the worst¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    If people were just reading books about Elves, it could be considered to be charming. However, in the past, countless number of people trespassed into the Forest of Eternity to kidnap Elves. The Elves had to fight against them over the long years. This was why Elves spat on the ground when other races were brought up.

    ¡°The manhood of Orcs and human men should be severed.¡±

    Mycenae grinded her teeth as she spoke. She expressed her anger as her ears fluttered fiercely. Artpe couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She was speaking very serious words, so he didn¡¯t get why she looked so cute right now.

    Artpe wasn¡¯t into older women, yet she had just delivered an effective blow on Artpe. Sadly, Mycenae was too incensed to realize this fact. He lightly pped his cheek with one hand. He took in deep breaths as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. However, you guys always managed to hang in there.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that¡¯s true. We¡¯ve managed to hold out until now.¡±

    Mycenae nodded her head. Since Artpe wasn¡¯t going to hide the fact that he was a hero, she didn¡¯t n on hiding the fact that she was an Elf. To be more specific, she was a Dark Elf.

    In truth, she possessed a powerful presence. Even Silpennon was able to pick up on this fact. Artpe possessed Observation magic that was ranked higher than what she possessed. There was no way he hadn¡¯t picked up on her true identity.

    ¡°However, it has gotten worse recently. It really seems like something is happening within the forest. Unfortunately, I was reduced into bing a Dark Elf, so it¡¯ll be difficult to give direct help to the forest.....¡±

    ¡°The World Tree is really petty. Whenever one of you makes a little mistake, it reduces them into Dark Elves.¡±

    ¡°I...it isn¡¯t the World Tree¡¯s fault. It was because I was inexperienced! Anyways, that isn¡¯t important. It is the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    Artpe narrowed his eyes when she finally broached the main subject.

    Mycenae looked straight into his eyes as she made a sincere request.

    ¡°At some time in the future, could you ept my Quest which is rted to the Forest of Eternity?¡±

    ¡°All right. You should also put that into the contract.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe had agreed to it so easily that Mycenae was taken aback.

    ¡°Is it ok for you to ept it so easily? I¡¯m not sure I should be saying this, but the situation within the Forest of Eternity is very dire. It might get very dangerous for you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be dragged to that ce anyways if I continue to act like a hero. I have no reason to turn down an extra reward when I know I¡¯ll have to do thister.¡±

    In Artpe¡¯s past life, the Elves living inside the Forest of Eternity had suffered a a really horrible ending. Moreover, if he went by what was happening within the Diaz Kingdom, the current situation would probably be worse than what urred in Artpe¡¯s past life.

    ¡®I have to do something before it is toote. Tsk. I¡¯m already doing something annoying right now, yet I have a future appointment to do another annoying task. This is why I didn¡¯t want to be a hero.....¡¯

    However, he would work diligently from now on. He would do it for the peaceful farm life he would greet in the future.

    ¡°Your counterpart isn¡¯t here, so I¡¯m not sure you should agree for her....¡±

    ¡°Ha. If you were going to say that then you should have something before you took out the contract. Maetel is leaving everything regarding the contract up to me. ¡±

    At that moment, Maetel was with Sienna. They were exploring a Dungeon they had found on this mountain. Maetel was teaching the ABC of battle to Sienna, and they were gathering any items that was worth money.

    Normally, Dungeons were very hard to find, yet it wasn¡¯t a problem for Artpe.

    ¡°So this finalizes the contract?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She had been trembling inside, because she thought Artpe was going to ask for something very big. She nodded her head.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. Oooh. I hate this feeling.¡±

    When the draft waspleted, they put their signatures on it. The Soul Contract split into two, and two pages were absorbed into the body of Artpe and Mycenae.

    It was an incredible magic contract. When there was a breach of contract, the penalty would be inflicted on one¡¯s soul. It was very expensive, but it allowed each party topletely trust each other.

    This was why it was possible for Artpe to ask her questions that he had wanted to ask.

    ¡°Do you have a Skill Book that can be used by a Warrior Priestess?¡±

    ¡°That child was given the upation of Warrior Priestess!?¡±

    ¡°So do you have it or not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it right now. Do you realize how rare a Warrior Priestess ss is? Moreover, most of the Skill Books rted to that ss is under the care of the temples..... Ooh-ah. You are giving me a very difficult homework from the beginning!¡±

    ¡°Please, I beg of you.¡±

    Artpe had on an impudent smile. It was an expression that would never be on a face of someone making a request. When he stood up, Mycenae grumbled at the fact that he left the matter as is..... She smacked her lips when she felt the energy that was being released from the bottom of the mountain.

    ¡°As expected, you weren¡¯t just doing a simple construction job.¡±

    Artpe had a twisted smile on his face. He didn¡¯t have to answer her. The smile was answer enough.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time, ajumma. Please take care of Silpennon and Leseti.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m almost done with that task. If you want to purchased the Warrior Priestess Skill Book, you¡¯ll have to call me a bit sooner next time!¡±

    Mycenae took something out from her pocket. She threw it towards Artpe before she disappeared. Artpe confirmed the identity of the item as he snatched it out of the air.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯s amunication instrument.¡±

    It probably was amunication device that connected only with Mycenae, and it might double as a summoning device.

    It seemed such services came along with making an exclusive contract. Artpe snorted as he put it away. Then he took a step forward as he weighed the enemy force that was busily climbing up the mountain.

    ¡°Magician-nim?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is nothing. You should continue to build.¡±

    The townspeople, who had been busy in their tasks, tilted their heads in puzzlement at Artpe¡¯s movements. Artpe shook his head as he waved them away. If they got involved in this, it would get moreplicated. From now on, the situation would be in Artpe¡¯s domain.

    ¡®So, I just have to exclude the region containing the Dungeon where Maetel and Sienna is traveling towards.....¡¯

    The Read All Creation ability worked fiercely as all the information about this region was injected into his brain. He knew where Maetel and Sienna was heading. He had the information regarding the size of the enemy force, and the terrain they were climbing. He even had the information regarding the structural integrity of the region supporting the small city they were building, and the mess that was left behind when Artpe gathered the ingredients for the construction......

    He finished his calctions.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Artpe extended both his hands as he extended dozens of Mana Strings. All of them burrowed into the ground to cause a weak earthquake.

    He had uprooted all the trees, so the soil was loosely held now. The tremor hit this region.

    ¡°What the hell? I feel a vibration.¡±

    ¡°Vibration? What the hell.... Uh?¡±

    ¡°I...it¡¯s the soil. There¡¯s rocks mixed in with the dirt....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s andslide! Andslide has just urred!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    It was a enormousndslide that was almost impossible to replicate even with high rank magic. It engulfed the soldiers and the ck magicians!

 Chapter 43 - Hero VS Kingdom (5)

    Chapter 43 - Hero VS Kingdom (5)

    Artpe hadn¡¯t chosen the site of the construction on a whim. There was arge open space on the mountainside. It was the ideal ce to build a city. Many people would be able to live there. Moreover, this ce was highly visible. If soldiers and ck magicians were tracking them, it would be quite easy for them to find this ce.

    ¡®This is myst chance to nip this in the bud before this blows up into something big. If their ability to judge a situation is notpromised, they would send their biggest force towards us in haste when they realize what I¡¯m trying to do here. They¡¯ll try topletely bury this in the darkness.¡¯

    This was why Artpe had baited them. Instead of allowing them to increase the casualties of the innocents, Artpe decided to give them a target they can focus on. As if to confirm his thought process, the soldiers immediately gathered towards the mountain.

    That wasn¡¯t all. There was a geographical advantage that inevitably came with being located midway up the mountain. Anyone that discovered and climbed towards the city would all be considered to be enemies.

    Lastly, while he was destroying the mountain to construct the city, Artpe had executed the final touch to his n. It was inevitable for him to upturn the earth when he uprooted the trees. In the process of doing so, how difficult would it be for him to prepare a trap within the terrain?

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°T...the ground is eroding! The soil...!¡±

    For example, Artpe had buried crystal balls that had been about to explode from being stuffed with Mana. He buried them deep in the ground, and he detonated them to cause massive casualties to his enemies.

    ¡°W...water!? My god! The valley! The water ising from the valley!¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    For example, he might have done some funny business while he constructed the waterways. His enemies would be swept away by the sewage.

    ¡°Boulders¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ There arerge boulders¡±

    ¡°Oh, no.... Oh my god.¡±

    ¡°Koo-poo-aht!¡±

    For example, he had stacked up a pile of boulders that he had excavated from the construction work. He sent them rolling as he caused thendslide.

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°R...run away.... Kah-ahk!¡±

    Several thousand soldiers immediately died before they could enter into a battle. They hadn¡¯t even been able to locate their enemies before they were hit with a natural disaster. The road to mountain wasn¡¯t steep. However, a considerable number of soldiers and ck magicians had already suffered horrible deaths.

    ¡°Devil.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a devil here!¡±

    ¡°A devil lives in this mountain! Run away!¡±

    Who would actually want to climb up this mountain? The morale of the soldiers immediately bottomed out. The ck magicians were too afraid of the unknown beings that resided on top of the mountain, so their feet were stuck to the ground.

    ¡°If they are able to use such tactics, what level are these magicians! How many of them are there!¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. This is terrifying. What spell was that? I...I can¡¯t win against that.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s purple eyes let out a steady light as he moved his fingers through the air. The Mana Strings followed the movements of his fingers as additionalndslides urred.

    The structure of all creation was seen through his eyes, so it was possible to know what would happen if certain parts were severed.

    ¡°Kooo-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°H...help me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Oh Demon King!¡±

    The death throes of numerous people rang out. Death upon death was piling on as their blood became ake, and their corpses became a hill. As if to add insult to injury, casualties continued to mount.

    However, they had nowhere else to go. If they were able to act freely, they would have left at the outset.

    ¡°Huhk!¡±

    ¡°L...look at what¡¯s happening down there. What¡¯s going on......¡±

    ¡°I...it¡¯s an earthquake.¡±

    Of course, the townspeople became aware of the fact that something was happening nearby. It was almost miraculous, but their current location was left alone. Still, the rest of the mountain was copsing, so they couldn¡¯t help but notice it.

    ¡°The soldiers below.....¡±

    ¡°The magician-nim is wiping them out.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t making anyrge gestures. He is just waving his hands!¡±

    He was using Mana Strings in conjunction with his Read All Creation ability. He looked like a god to the people around him. In truth, this was all possible, because he had made countless preparations beforehand. The people around him didn¡¯t know this fact. Basically, his abilities were great for bluffing!

    ¡®The difference between a Four Heavenly King and a hero is paper thin.¡¯

    Artpe was pleased as he waved his hands. An additional 100 soldiers died from one wave, and another 80 died at his next gesture. Endless pain, screams and despair filled the bottom of mountain. However, Artpe didn¡¯t pay the slightest attention to them.

    He already knew this would happen from the beginning. This was why he had sent Maetel to a different location. Maetel was now adept at discerning between good and evil. However, she couldn¡¯t put aside her tendency to shoulder every death onto her shoulders.

    ¡®However, I¡¯m able to shrug it off.¡¯

    At the very least, the part of him that was the Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army was better suited for this task than a hero. He was able to kill strangers to aplish his goals. It was something one couldn¡¯t do unless one was able easily forget about such deeds.

    He had lived under the unreasonable orders from the Demon King. He had lived through an unreasonable world. When the numbers of beings he had killed exceeded a million, it was possible for him to forget about their deaths. Therefore, there was no way Artpe would feel much when he was killing those that deserved death!

    ¡°Is it about done now?¡±

    He had waved his hands for an hour. When Artpe confirmed that no troops were entering into the mountain, he retracted his hands. At this point, the mountain lookedpletely different from before.

    ¡°Well, if we can get up and down from this ce, it should be fine.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if we can be prosperous living on this mountain......¡±

    This ce that had been normal mountain A to the vigers. However, this mountain would now be long remembered in history. They had a faraway look as they looked at their residential environment, but they couldn¡¯t make theirints known to Artpe.

    Of course, Artpe knew what they were feeling inside.

    ¡°You should focus on the construction instead of paying attention to me. Do you really think it¡¯ll end with just one attack?¡±

    ¡°Heek!¡±

    ¡°A...a force of that size is going toe again?!?¡±

    ¡°It might be arger force. It¡¯ll be good for you guys if I can take care of them while I¡¯m still here.¡±

    A chill went up their spines when they heard his words. The people meekly went back to work. Artpe snorted as he exited the construction site.

    ¡®So then, let¡¯s.......¡¯

    He had purposefully spared one person. Amongst the ck magicians, there had been one that possessed decent power, yet he had been very passive. He kept looking around at his surrounding in a cautious manner. Artpe buried everyone except him. He let this particr magician run away.

    The bastard probably thought he was lucky. He probably thought that he had survived, because he had more sense than the others. To be precise, Artpe had enticed the ck magician to act this way. Artpe had made the ck magician think that he was clever in his escape.

    However, the ck magician never escaped Artpe¡¯s sight from the beginning to the end.

    ¡®Reinforcement.¡¯

    While Artpe was walking quickly, he used the Reinforcement skill on his boots.

    It immediately allowed him to activate the Blink magic. The ability of the boots had been amplified, so he would be able to use Blink once or twice a day without consuming any of his Mana. It also considerably extended the range of the Blink magic.

    If he could advance in his Reinforcement skill, he could probably use an additional Blink. However, his current capabilities was enough.

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    Artpe used consecutive Blinks as he kicked off the ground. In a sh, he was already running across the base of the mountain. In his previous life, it would have been impossible for him to move like this.

    He never imagined there woulde a day when he would be able to physically exert himself like this. The title of a Hero wasn¡¯t an empty one. As he had leveled up in the past year, he hadn¡¯t just grown in terms of magical energy. His physical stats had also made rapid progress.

    Of course, his physical abilities wereughable whenpared to a level 160 Warrior, but he was on a different level whenpared to a mage of simr level. Artpe looked exactly like a typical magician on the outside. This was why they wouldn¡¯t know about Artpe¡¯s physical capabilities. This gave him an advantage against his opponents.

    ¡°Another Blink and.... Good. I caught you.¡±

    ¡°Kuhk!?¡±

    He had quickly descended the mountain, and he was finally sessful in grabbing the ck magician by the back of his neck. As expected of a cautious and meticulous person, the ck magician was equipped with an Artifact that attacked an ambusher. However, it was effective only if the enemy was unaware of the trap.

    Of course, Artpe knew the activation condition of the Artifact. He also knew its shape, structure and power. When he grabbed the ck magician, he immediately destroyed it with his Mana String. The Artifact didn¡¯t activate.

    ¡°Huhk!¡±

    The ck magician was shocked when he realized this fact. He had already realized that his opponent was on a different level than him. It was enough for him.

    ¡°P...please spare me! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±

    ¡°All right. I was hoping you would say that.¡±

    ¡°Kuhk!¡±

    Artpe moved as if he was about to charge forward, but he used the motion to nt his opponent¡¯s head into the ground If he found out Artpe was a child, he might show some bravado. He had to pressure his opponent from the perch of absolute power. It would allow him to easily extract information out of the man.

    Artpe put his foot on the man¡¯s back as he asked the question.

    ¡°So, which Demon is cooperating with the Archduke?¡±

    There was a limit on how abrupt a topic should be broached. Artpe had already concluded that the Archduke was behind all of this, and he was cooperating with a Demon. He skipped over those parts to ask the next question!

    It seemed the ck magician was taken aback by Artpe¡¯s question, so he carefully opened his mouth.

    ¡°Demon? I don¡¯t know.... Heek.¡±

    Artpe extended his Mana String, and he leisurely ced it around his opponent¡¯s finger. It felt as if the Mana String was sharp enough to sever his finger at any moment. The man gulped.

    Artpe spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°Your life is worth nothing to me, but I¡¯m guessing that isn¡¯t true for you?¡±

    ¡°C...correct.¡±

    ¡°That means your words must change next time you speak. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Y...yes, sir.¡±

    Threat and torture were essential skills for a Four Heavenly King in finding out a secret! Usually, heroes were unable to extract information. They were either too soft-hearted or inexperienced. It usually came back to bite them in the back, but that would never happen to Artpe!

    ¡°I...it was a woman called Tienna. She conscripted some of the kingdom¡¯s magicians. She said she would help the Archduke if he cooperated with her experiment..... I...I was one of the magician that was conscripted.¡±

    He was telling the truth. He hadn¡¯t originally been a ck magician. He had went through a ss change to be one. Of course, he hade here following the orders of the Archduke, so his origin was unimportant.

    However, he had said her name was Tienna. If she had exited the Demon world to work within the human world, she would have to be talented. Artpe had never heard of her name in his past life. It probably was an alias.....

    Artpe let out a sigh as he asked the question.

    ¡°I thought the Archduke was searching everywhere for the heroes. So how did hee up with an idiotic idea of cooperating with a Demon?¡±

    ¡°W...we were told that the Demon King won¡¯t kill the heroes until the heroes attack the Demon King¡¯s castle..........¡±

    Kyahh.

    Artpe never expected them to leak such important information at such an early stage!

    It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t feeling a bit nervous at facing a n that was much more sophisticated than what the Demon King¡¯s army carried out in his previous life.

    It seemed the Demon King¡¯s disposition as a chef hadn¡¯t gone away!

    ¡®Still, the Archduke believed the information, and he gave consent to let the Demon into his country. Then there is the Demon King that refuse to catch the heroes when a really good opportunity presents itself. He continues to follow his recipe......¡¯

    He wondered if it would cleaner to just let the world end. Originally, Artpe had no desire to protect the world. He had done his best to work towards his peaceful retirement, yet problems wereing at him from unexpected ces. It sapped his energy away.

    ¡°I...I¡¯m telling the truth! It sounds unbelievable, but that¡¯s the story I was told! Ipletely understand your reaction. I didn¡¯t believe it the first time I heard it, but....¡±

    ¡°All right. I believe you.¡±

    ¡°Then you are going to spare me!¡±

    ¡°Before I do so, let me ask you thest question. What¡¯s the size of the army waiting on standby? Speak.¡±

    The shortcut to victory was to take the enemies unawares before they could conduct an attack. A smile of triumph appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips. It was best to upturn the table before the game could be set!

    The ck magician gave an answer

    ¡°There is none¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s questioning voice, the man gave additional information with a defeated voiced.

    ¡°That was all of us¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is impossible for the kingdom to spare any more soldiers. You¡¯ve killed over 10,000 soldiers and over 20 ck magicians. How can there be more? The Diaz Kingdom is ruined now. When the Archduke finds out about this, I¡¯m sure he will cry......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe became silent as he heard the ck magican¡¯s words. His ardentmentation reeked of helplessness .

    It was the moment when a hero ruined a country.

 Chapter 44 - Two Heros Party

    Chapter 44 - Two Hero¡¯s Party

    ¡°Well, you can get up now.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ A child!? Kahk!¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to amount to anything much.¡±

    After he extracted the time-sensitive information, Artpe spared the ck magician as promised. The ck magician¡¯s two arms were tied together, and a warm marble was ced near his chest. It would immediately explode if the ck magician tried to use magic. Then Artpe took his gold and artifacts. No matter how he did it, he had spared the ck magician¡¯s life.

    ¡°You are so young, yet how can you be so brutal¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know about the experiments that was carried out by the Demon with the help of the Archduke. Can you say that again? Who¡¯s brutal?¡±

    Did the ck magician rx a little bit when he found out Artpe was young? He had the guts to bad mouth Artpe, but when he heard Artpe¡¯s voice, he immediately shut his mouth. He knew his life could be easily taken away if he spoke carelessly.

    On the other hand, the battle had ended so suddenly that Artpe had a hard time epting the truth. He was barely able to realize that everything wasn¡¯t settled yet.

    ¡°Do you have other locations where you conduct experiments?¡±

    ¡°W...we don¡¯t. There are still ck magicians left in the kingdom, but there are only one or two left....¡±

    Nothing could be done with just two ck magicians. If they were capable of doing something, they were out of Artpe¡¯s league as of now, so he just had to ignore them.

    Did he really solve everything at once?

    Artpe was having a hard time believing in his own aplishment, so he lowered his voice further to give additional threats. However, the only thing he aplished by doing so was to bring about the ck magician¡¯s teary eyed confession. It brought back childhood nightmares for the man.

    At this point, he knew it was true. Diaz really had no answer!

    ¡°Maybe, if all the forces of Diaz could be gathered to attack this ce, it might be possible. However, the whole country isn¡¯t on the side of the Archduke. It isn¡¯t as if he could unterally gather all the magicians within the kingdom. There is also the issue of him receiving help from a Demon to take control of the throne.... The only ones that could be sent to this ce were troops that werepletely under themand of the Archduke. Since all of us are dead.....¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t need to hear any more to know what would happen. In short order, the ownership of the Diaz Kingdom would definitely change again. Or maybe the kingdom itself would disappear.

    Artpe had a far away look as he looked past the mountain. His gaze came to rest on the mountain of corpses and blood that was flowing like an ocean. It was a nice and peaceful view that went well with what Artpe was feeling.

    ¡°All right. What about the demon?¡±

    ¡°The demon trained us, and she left after giving giving us orders. I...I¡¯m telling you the truth. If her presence became known to the opposing factions, the Archduke¡¯s position would have been untenable.... This is the condition the Archduke had to work with.¡±

    Was that really true? What if the Archduke stationed his troops nearby in case something went wrong? Wouldn¡¯t he use the Demon to turn the kingdom on its head when something went wrong?

    Artpe had a habit of always imagining the worst case possible. Then he thought about what he would do in such a situation. He went through that process, and he realized there was nothing that could be aplished by him going to the pce. This fact calmed his heart.

    ¡°Yes, if they are at a dead end, maybe it might be better for the Diaz Kingdom to fall.¡±

    ¡°T....then I can......¡±

    The ck magician slightly narrowed his eyes to look at Artpe¡¯s expression. Artpe had let go of everything, and his heart was feeling lighter. It seemed the ck magician was trying to use that moment to his advantage. He was trying to secure him own safety. Artpe put on a bright smile as he spoke to the ck magician.

    ¡°Of course. I gave you my promise, so I¡¯ll spare you. However, you do realize I¡¯m not going spare you for nothing?¡±

    ¡°S...sure. I¡¯ll do whatever you want. I¡¯ll give up on ck magic to live a peaceful life! Maybe, I¡¯ll go to the countryside to tend some cows?¡±

    ¡°Are you looking down on the dairy industry?¡±

    ¡°Heek!?¡±

    Artpe put him in his ce before he used the Read All Creation to read the ck magician¡¯s information.

    [Deyus von Signema]

    [ck Magician]

    [Level : 70]

    [Strength : 8 Agility : 9 Stamina : 16 Magic Energy : 169]

    Artpe¡¯s magical energy was over 800. Even if one took into ount the almost 100 level difference, the gap was ridiculouslyrge. Moreover, while Artpe possessed magical energy over 800, he also had considerable amount of strength, agility and stamina. Artpe was several dimensions apart from the ck magician, and the difference was unsurmountable.

    However, despite this fact, Deyus¡¯ talent wasn¡¯t too bad. It seemed he had been diligent in his magic studies every time he had leveled up. Basically, he had done tasks that would raise his magical energy. Normally, the simple and honest ones that work really hard didn¡¯t get lured by ck magic.....

    Artpe was tilting his head in puzzlement when he caught the floridst name.

    He realized the truth through intuition.

    ¡°Your parents are nobles from the Archduke¡¯s faction?¡±

    ¡°How did you know that!? My father is the right hand man of the Archduke, so I had no choice..... Huhk!¡±

    Deyus von Signema was so surprised by Artpe¡¯s pointed question that he unintentionally blurted out the information. He flinched when Artpe¡¯s smile turned vicious.

    ¡°Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter. You can¡¯t gain much from using me against my family. I¡¯m ready to sever my rtionship from the family. I¡¯m willing to go live a quiet life in the remote countryside.....¡±

    ¡°No, I was just thinking you have the setting to be a legendary hero.¡±

    ¡°L...legendary? Setting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will spare you, and I¡¯m starting to have an idea on how you can be of benefit to me.¡±

    Deyus von Sigmena had a bad feeling when he heard Artpe¡¯s words. The next word out of Artpe¡¯s mouth pretty much confirmed Deyus¡¯ thoughts.

    ¡°Have you heard of a Soul Contract?¡±

    ¡°Are you ok, Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    When Artpe returned to the site of the construction, Maetel and Sienna were already back after finishing their Dungeon exploration. They had already surveyed what had urred below the mountain, so they had a good idea on what Artpe had done.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt at all, so you guys don¡¯t have to grope me like that.¡±

    ¡°But there are so many corpses here?¡±

    ¡°It was like cutting a bread with a knife. There is no way I would cut my finger doing such a task, so you guys should rx.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s talent made her a genius, but she couldn¡¯t kill ten thousand troops. This was true even if she used her eleration skill, which was a total cheat ability. What he had done was possible, because he was a magician.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m d Artpe is unharmed.¡±

    ¡°Oppa~.¡±

    When the two girls were sure Artpe was unharmed, they clung to his side. Deyus was staring at this curious sight, but he quickly lowered his gaze to the ground.

    Thankfully, Deyus was quick on the uptake. As Artpe had that thought, he spoke quietly towards Maetel and Sienna.

    ¡°I think we should leave tomorrow, so you guys should make preparations.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow!? Isn¡¯t that too fast?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you originally say it would take over a week, oppa?¡±

    That¡¯s right. He had originally allocated around a week for all of this. He had assumed there would be at least two more attacks by troops under themand of the Archduke.

    ¡°My secondary power was stronger than I thought.....¡±

    It seemed the Archduke of Diaz was dumber than he had assumed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about, but does this mean the people here are safe now?¡±

    ¡°For now, they are.¡±

    Of course, even if the townspeople dly left behind their former residences toe to this ce, it didn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be any cmities or threats in the future. Even if the Archduke was ruined, it wasn¡¯t as if his power base would all disappear. Moreover, the Demon King¡¯s army was alive and well. This was why this location was the ideal location to ce this city.

    ¡®We will stay here tonight. However, we¡¯ll have to move on when the day brightens. We¡¯ll have to move as if we are really busy.....¡¯

    Artpe let out a light sigh as he spoke to his party.

    ¡°You two did well in going to the Dungeon. It¡¯ll be busy once again tomorrow. Both of you should wash and rest. Sienna, you have to do a good job saying farewell to your sister.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Sienna hugged Artpe tighter before she disengaged. She turned around as she ran off. Level 28 could be seen clearly above her head. Laughter slipped out of him at the absurdity of it.

    ¡°Howe there are only monsters around me?¡±

    ¡°But Artpe is the most incredible one amongst us.¡±

    Maetel spoke as she red at the retreating back of Sienna. Artpe gave a nonmittal answer as he mussed her hair a bit roughly.

    ¡°You should go rest.¡±

    ¡°But Artpe is going to work again.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve made this mess, I can¡¯t just leave everything as is.¡±

    Maetel had a sullen expression on her face, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She nodded head.

    Maetel nced at the ck magician Deyus, and she asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°This person is a bad guy. Is it ok for you to be with him like this?¡±

    ¡°I gave him my word that I would spare him, so I have no choice. Instead, I¡¯m thinking about using him in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, ooh-ooh.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter what Artpe was saying at that moment. Deyus¡¯ mind was filled with the word Soul Contract. He couldn¡¯t hear anything else. What scary things will he have to do with his soul on mortgage!

    Maetel really didn¡¯t like Deyus, who was letting out a foul energy. However, she saw that he was shaking in fear, so it seemed he couldn¡¯t do anything against Artpe.

    As expected, Deyus didn¡¯t have any allies here. He was destined to shake in fear until he was given an order.

    The night passed quickly . Artpe stood at the center of the construction site, and he did all the tasks that could be done with his Mana Strings.

    He had made a mess of the mountain, so he tidied it up. He gathered materials that would be used for construction, then he searched the mountain for animals that could be used for food.....

    As he used it more, Artpe realized that Mana String was an incredible magic. This was especially true when he used it with his Read All Creation ability. The Mana Strings could gather and analyze all the information in its surrounding. It used the information to move in the most efficient manner. It sometimes felt as if he was moving in all directions at the same time.

    Even the one using the magic was surprised, so how would those watching him feel? Other people couldn¡¯t see the Mana Strings. It was as if Artpe was changing everything just by waving his hands. He looked like a god.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t think he is human.¡±

    ¡°Do you doubt it after seeing all of this? He is a god. A god!¡±

    Thanks to Artpe¡¯s exertion, the city had a foundation by the time morning came. The people felt the truth in their bones. They realized how much construction could be done by working with a magician, who possessed a basic knowledge of architecture.

    ¡°It is possible to create waterways like this? How surprising.¡±

    ¡°This ce is already better than our town!¡±

    ¡°I love our view. It is quite open.¡±

    ¡°This should be good enough.¡±

    Artpe even checked the wooden barricade around the small city. He made sure everything was perfect before he withdrew his magic. He had used Mana Strings every time his Mana had recovered. Usually, it took a long time for Unique Spells to develop, but it had already reached level 10.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤shall we go now?¡±

    He cleared everything. It was impossible to clear a Quest as thoroughly as this. He had finished the base Quest alongside the hidden Quests. He hadn¡¯t intended to do this, but he keptpleting the Quests that had popped up in a row. It was ironic, but he was done now.

    ¡°Magician-nim, are you perhaps leaving already?¡±

    ¡°Magician-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was almost supernatural as to how the townspeople were able to sense his impending departure. They were flustered as they hung onto him. However, Artpe was firm in his attitude.

    ¡°I did all I could do here. No one will be able to threaten you if you stay within this city. There¡¯s no one left to put a curse on you, so you can be at ease and resume your lives. Ah. I want you to forget about my party, and don¡¯t ever speak about us. You should always bear that in mind.¡±

    Artpe had rescued the kids, and he had gathered the townspeople to construct a city on the mountain. They owed him a lot, yet he wanted them to forget about him. They were surprised by his demand.

    ¡°Magician-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    It seemed the townspeople wanted Artpe to live in the city. They wanted him to rule over them, but Artpe didn¡¯t hold any lingering attachment to this mountain.

    He had been forced to carry out this Quest, and he hadn¡¯t received any rewards. He hated those types of Quests the most! Artpe wanted to run out of here as soon as possible. He dragged Maetel and Sienna with him. The people came out in droves, yet he ignored them all.

    ¡°Sienna, you have to be happy!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, unni!¡±

    The most memorable sight was Aena and Sienna. Aena was crying, yet Sienna had a big smile on her face.

    It seemed she didn¡¯t want her unni to worry about her or maybe she really wasn¡¯t sad..... He wanted to think it was the former, but Sienna¡¯s face was way too bright for it to be true.

    ¡°Aena unni will be safe if she lives in this town. It is enjoyable for me to be with oppa. This is what is best for the both of us!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t enjoyable for me if Sienna is with us.¡±

    ¡°Maetel unni, you joke around too much.¡±

    The two brats armed themselves with congenial smiles as they sparred with each other. Artpe decided not to intrude. In fact, he didn¡¯t even like acknowledging it. Deyus was being dragged by the rope, and it felt as if he was staring at Artpe. He also decided to ignore him.

    ¡°Magician-nim!¡±

    ¡°Magiciaaaaaaaaaaaaan-nim!¡±

    He hadpletely turned away from the city, and the gazes of the townspeople was squarely on his back. It stung. What did he actually do that merited them calling after him with such fervor? He was afraid his resolve would weaken if he turned around to look at them.

    ¡®Humans are simple beings. I did all of this knowing this would would happen. What emotion am I supposed to feel when the people react in a the manner I predicted?¡¯

    It was a thought that was unbing of him. Artpe tsked as he shook his head to free himself from those thoughts. He took out themunication device, and he soon had a connection to Mycenae.

    ¡°Ajumma.¡±

    [Hello, customer. My name is Mycenae. Mycenae.]

    ¡°Did you finish their education?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it just finished right now]

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to visit them once, so you should wait for me with them.¡±

    [Did you really contact me for that...]

    Artpe ruthlessly severed the connection, then he turned to look at his party.

    ¡°Silpennon¡¯s party will be in charge of this ck magician. Of course, I will put a fail safe in ce..... After we tell them what to do, we can go on a merry trip to find a magician. Does anyone have a question?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have one!¡±

    Maetel raised her hand high into the air as she spoke.

    ¡°The level difference between Sienna and us isrge. Since we are leaving behind the ck magician in their care, what if leave behind Sienna too?¡±

    It was a weirdlypelling suggestion, but Artpe let out a bitterugh. It was possible for Maetel to be smart when she was trying to eliminate herpetitor! On the other hand, Sienna was flustered as she gripped Artpe¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°I like oppa. I can raise my level quickly, so don¡¯t throw me away. Ok?¡±

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t n on leaving behind Sienna. Unlike Silpennion, she was a cute and honest girl. It was a plus, but there was a fundamental reason why she was different from him.

    ¡°Silpennon is different from Sienna, Maetel. If I want to exin this difference, I¡¯ll have to give you a long lecture on what sses are..... I¡¯ll give you a short exnation for now. Maetel, do you know about those that are called nobles when they aren¡¯t nobles?¡±

    Maetel shook her head from side to side without much strength. Artpe nodded his head in a solemn manner as he gently put one hand on Sienna¡¯s head. Then he spoke to Maetel.

    ¡°We have one right here. You should greet her. She is the noble healer of our party.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Two Heros Party (2)

    Chapter 45 - Two Hero¡¯s Party (2)

    Priests were always stiff-necked. They were all stuck-up. However, there were good reasons why they were able to act that way. The first reason being priests were as rare as magicians. The second reason being they were considered to be talents indispensible in all situations.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if there aren¡¯t any magic spells that could heal wounds. However, the effectiveness of a magician¡¯s Heal is crap. It sucks. Even if the magician had enough Mana to use Heal, one would be better off using scouting, defensive or offensive magic. On top of that, the probability of getting wounded increases as the Dungeons be more dangerous. It is impossible tost just using potions. This is why all parties want and seek the help of a priest.¡±

    Of course, it was a bit of a different story in regards to heroes. They could learn skills from all sses. It wasn¡¯t just the magician¡¯s Healing spell. They could even learn the priest¡¯s Cure spell.

    However, Artpe already consumed an extreme amount of Mana using the Mana Strings. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to learn and use the Cure spell. Maetel was an idiot, so she couldn¡¯t learn the spell.

    However, a priestess with no attachment to any temple had shown up in front of him. He had Sienna, who was naturally gifted with high magical energy.

    Even if she was a Warrior Priestess, she wasn¡¯tpletely dependent on her holy power. Her magical energy was structured in a way where she could stand on her own. Still, she was a priestess, so she would be able to learn the Cure spell!

    ¡°Oppa, my level is low. Will I be helpful to you?¡±

    Sienna felt considerably relieved at Artpe¡¯s words. She looked up at him as she asked him the question. Maetel was explicit in expressing her disappointment. However, Artpe lightly ignored Maetel as he stroked Sienna¡¯s head.

    ¡°Of course, you will be of great help.¡±

    ¡°What a relief.¡±

    Of course, this was under the assumption that she learned the Cure Spell that a Warrior Priestess could learn. He had no choice but to put his trust in Mycenae to make that parte true.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±

    ¡°?? I took a chance in signing an exclusive contract with you, yet ajumma is being very unhelpful.¡±

    ¡°You really are a rude customer! Moreover, you called me ajumma again!¡±

    Mycenae grinded her teeth, but it was true that she hadn¡¯t been able to acquire Artpe¡¯s order. She didn¡¯t know why she was giving excuses. She let out a sigh as she gave Artpe the other item he had ordered. She pushed the Soul Contract towards him.

    ¡°Will this be all, customer? I¡¯m going to go rest. This side venture has made me very tired.¡±

    ¡°You suffered a lot helping us. Take it easy. We¡¯ll see you again next time. ¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elven merchant-nim.¡±

    Silpennon and Leseti gave a courteous farewell. It seemed Mycenae wasn¡¯t totally devoid of feelings. She put on a soft expression as she raised her hand towards them.

    ¡°For this business trip, I¡¯ll consolidate the education fee, and the items expenditure cost. I¡¯m givubg you a 30% discount, so it will be 1,287 gold.¡±

    ¡°Kyahh. I guess we can¡¯t move past that.¡±

    ¡°How can I move past that? Just be a good boy and give me my money.¡±

    Silpennon helplessly paid out her business expenses. After Mycenae was sure she received her dues, she started to move away with her cart behind her. She gazed at Artpe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I acquire the Skill Books. When that happens, pleasee to the closest branch of the Anywherepany.¡±

    ¡°If possible, please hurry it up.¡±

    Sienna was undoubtedly a Warrior ¡®Priestess¡¯, yet there was no one here that could give her the education she needed as a priestess. This was why she was simply learning Mana Control and fighting techniques.

    It wasn¡¯t just Mana. She was pretty talented at controlling her body, so she was making progress on both fronts. However, as herbat skill level and Mana Control level kept climbing, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

    ¡°Ah. I want you to gather Skill Books and Spell Books for all the other sses. I want you to acquire everything you can get your hands on. Do you get what I¡¯m trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You can leave it to me. Also, you should prepare the money you will have to give me.¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Artpe smirked when she mentioned money. She suddenly had the desire to ask him more about it, but she came to the conclusion that he wouldn¡¯t give her an answer. She clicked her tongue as she disappeared.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go after we finish our business here.¡±

    ¡°So why did youe back here again? Huh. By the way....¡±

    When Mycenae exited, there were only six people left inside the Slime Dungeon. Sienna stuck close to Artpe¡¯s back as she warily looked at the other people. Silpennon¡¯s eyes turned round when he caught sight of Sienna.

    ¡°You gained another woman, Artpe. You are young, yet you are already like this. It is terrifying to imagine what you will be like in the future.¡±

    ¡°When you start paying attention to the gender of one¡¯s party member, that is when you have a problem on your hand.¡±

    ¡°Party member? You put her in when you didn¡¯t put us in?¡±

    Silpennon looked aggrieved. As if Artpe understood Silpennon¡¯s feeling, he nodded his head.

    ¡°I know you are disappointed that my party gained a member. I know all about it. That is why I am here to supplement your party. I brought a talent here. You should say hi to Deyus.¡±

    ¡°No, what we want is to join your party..... What did you just say?¡±

    Instead of Sienna, Artpe pushed Deyus towards Silpennon¡¯s side. For some unknown reason, Deyus had his head covered with a hood. However, he couldn¡¯t resist against Artpe¡¯s strength, so his face was revealed.

    At that moment, Leseti instinctively unsheathed her sword.

    ¡°You dare show yourself, insect.¡±

    ¡°Deyus¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°C...crown prince.¡±

    His face turned ashen as he faced Silpennon. Silpennon¡¯s face was cold as his expression hardened.

    It seemed they were acquaintances. Moreover, it seemed they weren¡¯t on good terms.

    ¡°Artpe. I¡¯m sure you brought him here as a party member for us, because you don¡¯t know this man¡¯s identity. I cannot ept this man. His family once swore an oath of loyalty to the king, yet they betrayed us by taking the side of the Archduke. They killed numerous knights that tried to protect me.....¡±

    ¡°Silpennon, I already know who he is.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Silpennon became incensed, but the smile on Artpe¡¯s lips remained. He put a hand on Deyus¡¯ shoulder as he spoke.

    ¡°You should exin it. Tell them what you did, and how you came to be with me.¡±

    ¡°W...will you stop them from killing me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have a use for you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ughh.¡±

    Deyus closed his eyes tight when he saw the Soul Contract in Artpe¡¯s hand. While he was being bombarded by murderous intent from Silpennon and Leseti, he let out a sigh before he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Your highness. In truth, I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The exnation was brief. He hadn¡¯t been on the scene of the revolt, and he hadn¡¯t be a ck magician by choice. However, he had been part of the troops dispatched to destroy the evidence of their crime. It was most definitely a sin that was worthy of death. It was good that he was able to admit that fact, but.....

    ¡°How effective is a Soul Contract? How great must it be for you to spare him?¡±

    ¡°If he breaks it, his soul is up for forfeit.¡±

    ¡°Amazing.¡±

    Deyus wasn¡¯t going to be a regr party member. This truth was quite clear to him. Silpennon stared at Artpe as he asked a question.

    ¡°If it is alright with you, could you include a use of my choosing in the contract for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. However, you can¡¯t kill him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, If I kill him, I can no longer torment him..¡±

    ¡°Heek.¡±

    Deyus¡¯ face turned paler, but there was no one here that would help him. In the end, he had to sign the Soul Contract, which was filled with unreasonable provisions. At that moment, the crown prince¡¯s party gained a low rank ve.

    ¡°There is a limited amount of spells that can be used by a ck magician. Still, unless you can find the help of a priest, he might be your best party member. His talent isn¡¯t too bad, and he will be good at following directions.¡±

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll do anything......¡±

    The content of the contract was bleak. Deyus had a look that could only be seen on those that had lost their country. The onlyfort he could derive from this was the fact that he hadn¡¯t been killed like his fellow ck magicians.

    ¡°I know it is hard for you to emotionally ept him, but you and Leseti will be safer if you use him. This is why you shouldn¡¯t kill him. You should take him along with you guys.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m surprised that you thought so much about us.¡±

    Artpe had retraced his steps to bring Deyus here. It seemed he had been worried about them. Silpennon was moved by the gesture, but in a sh, a twinkle shone in Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°In truth, that wasn¡¯t the only reason I am here.¡±

    ¡°I should have known.¡±

    Silpennon immediately became disappointed. However, he would soon be singing a different tune when he heard Artpe¡¯s next words. He spoke about the main reason foring here. He spoke about why he added Deyus to their party.

    ¡°I came here to give you an offer that you cannot refuse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that from somewhere before¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon narrowed his eyes. Artpe had spoken simr words when he rejected Silpennon¡¯s offer! He waited to see how great this offer was.

    Artpe took out a map.

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ A map?¡±

    ¡°It looks to be of high quality.... It¡¯s the map that wasmissioned by the throne!?¡±

    It was a map of the Diaz Kingdom. Artpe had acquired it when he killed the knights that were trying to assassinate Silpennon. The odd part about this map was the fact that there were circle drawn in various locations. Moreover, there were numbers written starting from 1 in random order.

    ¡°What is this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? What are these circles? No, what does these numbers mean?¡±

    Silpennon cross examined him. Artpe let out a lightugh as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°These are all Dungeons.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°What did you say!?¡±

    ¡°Pardon me!?¡±

    Silpennon, Leseti and even Deyus was surprised. There were 20 or more circles drawn on the map. They couldn¡¯t believe these were all Dungeons!

    However, Artpe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t falter at all as he spoke those words.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Dungeons are here, so you can trust me on that. Of course, several of them have already been discovered. However, if you guys want to smoothly raise your levels, you should visit all of them.¡±

    When he heard those words, a thought suddenly lit up inside Silpennon¡¯s head. It was as if he was having a hard time believing his own thoughts. He carefully asked Artpe the question.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Artpe. The numbers start from one, because....¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you go in order, you won¡¯t have too much difficulty clearing the Dungeons. You will be able to grow as you clear them. This is especially true for you, Silepennon. You have to visit all of them to grow your Seeking skill and your Trap Dismantling skill.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Astonishment was followed behind by shock. Silpennon¡¯s party decided not to think further on the subject. Artpe knew about Dungeons that were not discovered yet, and he also knew what level of monsters would appear within them!

    ¡°Within Deyus joining your party, you are only missing a priest. Aside from that fact, you have the perfect party. Since there are undiscovered Dungeons pointed out here, the reward will be quite lucrative. You can use the leftover money to purchase Mana potions and Stamina potions. Also, if you suffer defeat in a Dungeon, you can use themunication device to contact me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He knew Artpe¡¯s ability was boundless, but his knowledge was beyond bountiful! Was it really possible for a human to know all this?

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It is possible because it¡¯s Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is because he is oppa.¡±

    Leseti¡¯s mouth hung open in amazement, and she just epted the situation as is. However, Silpennon wasn¡¯t dumb enough to believe that. Deyus, who was listenting from the side, wasn¡¯t dumb either. Maetel and Sienna wasn¡¯t just talking about the veracity of knowledge. They believed nothing was impossible for Artpe to achieve in this world, so they naturally epted his words.

    ¡°Hoo.... All right. Whatever.¡±

    For a brief moment, Silpennon had puzzled over it. However, in the end, he decided not to challenge the veracity of Artpe¡¯s im. Artpe would gain nothing from lying to them. If he started doubting Artpe¡¯s ability, he felt as if he would be going down a rabbit hole. It would be better for his sanity to just believe everything Artpe had said.

    However....

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve told us the reward, I¡¯m guessing you will now offer your terms? Right, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I like the fact that you are smart.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he made his deration.

    ¡°I want you guys to give me half of the Dungeon rewards.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Two Heros Party (3)

    Chapter 46 - Two Hero¡¯s Party (3)

    ¡°Half? Are you sure that is enough?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s stiption made Silpennon feel dazed. Artpe was telling them everything about the Dungeons, and he even told them about the levels of the monsters they would face. Despite this fact, he only wanted half of the reward. It didn¡¯t matter what others said, but ording to Silpennon¡¯s standards, it was a very generous offer. It was so generous that it was as if Artpe had given the information away for free. However, Artpe nodded his head as if it was reasonable.

    ¡°You have to think about you, Leseti and Deyus. The most crucial part is acquiring Deyus¡¯ skills, Spell Books, equipments and potions. If you think about thebined cost, I¡¯m pretty sure not much will be left from your half of the reward. You should think of it as improving your chances of survival. Instead of saving your money, you are strengthing yourselves. That is why you¡¯ll have barely enough to pay for my half-share.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon and Leseti was floundering around in a soup of emotions. Deyus was confused. He wonder if this might be good for him in the long run.

    They didn¡¯t¡¯ realize that he nned on using them in his future confrontation with the Demon King. It would allow him to avoid hardship in the future. It had been a while, since he had thought like a Four Heavenly King. Artpe continued to speak.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯ll give you a list right now. You will never sell these items from the Dungeons to the merchants. You have to keep it, and you have to give it to me at ater date. There is the Crown of Wisdom, Scroll of Destruction, Eye of Prophecy, Spring of Tears, Spear of Twilight......¡±

    Silpennon busily wrote down the names of the Artifacts given by Artpe. He tilted his head in puzzlement. He could tell that they were were terrifyingly high ranked Artifacts just by their names. He wondered if they would reallye out from the Dungeons.

    ¡°Then there is the Blood Fragment... All right. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Artpe spoke the name of dozens of Artifacts without hesitation. Silpennon, who had written it down, had a very sour expression on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of these items, yet I can tell they are incredibly valuable. Are you sure these items wille out from such low level Dungeons?¡±

    ¡°This is why I want you to diligently train your Seek skill. Then you¡¯ll be able to find them. No, these items wille out from the Dungeons. You better not leave the Diaz kingdom until you find them all.¡±

    Arte¡¯s expression was alwayposed. Of course, these Artifacts had alle out from the Dungeons in his previous life. These artifacts were worth so much that it was ill-matched to be within the low level Dungeons.

    In the first ce, Artpe had given them the locations of these Dungeons, because he wanted to acquire all those Artifacts. However, Artpe and Maetel¡¯s levels were too high to go there themselves. Moreover, it was an annoying task since the Dungeons were located far apart from each other.

    It was convenient to have others that would do the task for you!

    ¡°I want you put your trust in me, and do what I say.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like yourid back attitude, but.... All right, I¡¯ve digested everything you¡¯ve said. You are saying we should work in parallel with each other.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ If you weren¡¯t here, I... Kyahhk!¡±

    Letseti looked deeply moved as she grabbed Artpe¡¯s hands tightly. She was thrown aside by Maetel and Sienna. Silpennon wasn¡¯t amused with his former guardian knight¡¯s antic, so he red at her. Then he carefully put away the valuable map.

    ¡°This has been a learning experience, Artpe. So this is how you suggest a proposal that can¡¯t be refused. I ept your proposal.¡±

    ¡°All right. Let us go on our separate paths.¡±

    Artpe, Maetel and Sienna.

    Silpennon, Leseti and Deyus.

    No matter how one saw it, they were divided into the hero team and the support team.

    They firmly shook hands.

    It would take them two years to meet again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back after I be strong. Will you ept me into your party at that time?¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll think about when we reach that point.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Why, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you!¡±

    It would be hard for them to meet up again, but Silpennon believed that they would be able to be friends someday.

    The two party dispersed.

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m curious about one thing.¡±

    After leaving the Dungeon, they were walking quickly down the mountainous path. While they were walking, Maetel asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the magician we are going to meet.¡±

    He had exined at ad nauseam about the magician¡¯s abilities, and the reason why they had to bring her into the party. Did she still feel repulsed by the prospect of growing the party? Artpe tilted his head in puzzlement as he turned to look at Maetel.

    ¡°What about the magician?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes narrowed as she asked the question.

    ¡°Is the magician a female?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. The magician is female?¡±

    He never expected her to ask about the gender of the magician. It was a question that had nothing to do with one¡¯s ability! Artpe was dumbfounded as he replied to the question. When she heard the answer, Maetel¡¯s expression turned more sullen.

    ¡°Artpe, did you send the ck magician towards Silpennon, because he was male?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤eh-whew.¡±

    As expected, she was under a massive delusion. Artpe let out a sigh as he flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Gender isn¡¯t important. Silpennon¡¯s party didn¡¯t have a magician, and I had a magician under my thumb. The pieces fit together. That is why I sent him along with Silpennon. I didn¡¯t exclude him from our party, because he is male.¡±

    ¡°Eeesh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What if he had been a young and pretty girl?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what answer you want from me. I would have let the person join Silpennon¡¯s party irrespective of age and gender. Are you done now?¡±

    ¡°Oooh-mmmmm.¡±

    It seemed Maetel wasn¡¯t satisfied with Artpe¡¯s answer. She let out discontented sound as she stuck close to him. It seemed she was trying to use skinship to express the feeling she wasn¡¯t able to articte. When she did that, Sienna stuck to him on the other side as if they were inpetition.

    Yes, he was now used to it. He hadn¡¯t wanted to get used to it, yet he had.

    What should he call the bitter feeling he was feeling right now?

    Artpe was absorbed in self-contemtion as he let out a sigh.

    This time Sienna asked a question.

    ¡°Oppa, where can we find this magician-nim?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The ce is called Aedia. It is a country that is more advanced in magic researchpared to the Diaz kingdom.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in a different country!?¡±

    Maetel suddenly expressed her shock. Artpe smirked when he saw this.

    This small hero possessed incredible abilities, yet her knowledge, experience and intelligence wasckingpared to her capabilities. Still, he couldn¡¯t have her set her sight only on countryside viges. He also couldn¡¯t keep her tied down in the dark Dungeons.

    It was time for her to broaden her horizon. He would be able aplish that task by the time they meet the magician.

    ¡°We have to cross an ocean, so it¡¯ll be a pretty long journey. Of course, I¡¯ve already nned out the route.....¡±

    Artpe took out another map. He had found more than one map of this kingdom on the knights he had killed.

    ¡°Well, look here. Do you see the city at the end of the map? This is a key location that links the Diaz kingdom to the other kingdoms. It is a harbor city named Frate. We¡¯ll travel across the ocean to reach Aedia.¡±

    The distance to Frate was around 300 times the distance they had traveled after Artpe and Maetel ran away from their town at the age of 12.

    To be fair, the incidents with the Hero¡¯s Dungeon and the Curse of the Demon had prevented them from traveling far. Still, Maetel had lived her whole life in the countryside. She would now be traveling an unfathomable amount of distance.

    ¡°Wahh-ahhh. It¡¯s far away. It might take us 3 months to walk there.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we aren¡¯t just going to go straight towards the city. We¡¯ll learn what we have to learn, and we¡¯ll kill the monsters we have to kill. We¡¯ll also buy what we need to buy. There is also the problem of the ocean being uncrossable during the fall and winter. This is why I intentionally n to go there through a roundabout way.¡±

    The ocean was uncrossable during fall and winter only for normal people, but the two girls didn¡¯t argue the point. Their attention was solely on the fact that they were going to hunt monsters. Their eyes shone fiercely.

    They looked as if they were ready to ughter the monsters at that very moment. It wasn¡¯t an expression that should be seen on a 12 and 13 year old girls...... However, when one thought about the path they would have traverse in the future, they had the right attitude.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be on the road heading towards Frate. I intentionally didn¡¯t tell Silpennon about the Dungeons we are going to visit. We have to gather funds for our trip, and he have to increase Sienna¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°You told them about so many Dungeon, yet there are still more Dungeons left? As expected, Artpe is.....¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. I¡¯m amazing.¡±

    There were a total of seven Dungeons on the way to Frate. Most of them were simr to the small Dungeons he had pointed out to Silpennon. However, two wererge Dungeons, and one needed 3 months to clear each of them.

    Of course, it took 3 months for normal people without the Read All Creation ability.

    ¡°If we go through these Dungeons, Sienna should be at a level where she would be able to operate with us in Dungeons. Of course, this is all possible, because she has a special property thates with being a Warrior Priestess.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course. She isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s talent was almost at a genius level.

    Maetel was talented in all things except magic. Artpe was reborn as a hero possessing everything he had when he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Artpe¡¯s talent had been reinforced. Sienna was less talented than Artpe, but if the two of them never existed, Sienna probably would have be the hero. This was how great her potential was.

    ¡°In other words, we just have to provide a smooth flow of ingredients, and Sienna¡¯s growth speed will be ridiculously fast. ¡±

    In the past, the Demon King had used Demons as ingredients to make the hero into a delicious dish.... He made her into a warrior. Now Artpe would use his Read All Creation ability alongside his memories of his past life. He would make Sienna into a fantastic member of the hero¡¯s party. When he followed the Demon King¡¯s orders, he had observed and learned what he the Demon King had done. Even if he was half as sessful, he could turn Sienna into a monster!

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow everything oppa tells me to do! If you want me to do something, I will do anything for you. Anything.¡±

    When he saw Sienna¡¯s blind affection and actions, it was as if he was looking at Maetel. This was why a sigh automatically slipped out of his mouth. When he finished having that thought, Maetel started growling at Sienna.

    ¡°Eeeeeee. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°I like unni, but I like oppa much more!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you!¡±

    In Sienna¡¯s case, she had retained her life thanks to Artpe by being turned into a different race. On top of that, he was teaching her about Mana. It wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t see why she followed him in such an unconditional manner.

    In fact, the more he thought about it Maetel¡¯s attitude felt different from Sienna¡¯s attitude.

    What the hell happened with his past self to make Maetel like this!

    ¡°Both of you are members of this party, and you will have entrust each other¡¯s life to one another in the future.¡±

    ¡°I know I have to hold it back for Artpe, but I can¡¯t get rid of my dislike for her!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to entrust my life to unni!¡±

    ¡°The fact that you like me makes me not like you more. If you act like that, I can¡¯t hate you without feeling unsettled!¡±

    Ah, maybe everything might turn out ok if it was like this. He looked at the growling Maetel, and the smiling Sienna. In the end, they were innocent children. When they grow older, their feelings would mature, and their behavior would get better too.

    It wasn¡¯t as if he hated the flood of honest emotions directed towards him. Still, it would be much better without all this great fuss.

    ¡°I like oppa and unni. It would be great if all three of us could get along.¡±

    ¡°I want to live in peace only with Artpe!¡±

    ¡®By the look of things, it doesn¡¯t seem things will calm down anytime soon.....¡¯

    Artpe kept letting out consecutive sighs as he continued to walk. He still had someints about his party members, but this was the start of the true hero¡¯s party!

    If things went ording to the Demon King¡¯s n, Artpe and Maetel wouldn¡¯t have discovered the experiments uring within the kingdom. Or maybe they would have discovered it toote. It was supposed to be a massive Quest that should have cost them blood, sweat and tears to resolve.

    Unfortunately for the Demon king¡¯s army, Artpe had resolved everything at super speed. Artpe had messed up a long term n that the Demon king¡¯s army nned on exploiting for about 3 years! He had ended it in just one day!

    The Archduke hadn¡¯t even been able to progress much in the experiment that was supposed to turn humans into Demons, yet he had lost most of his troops. His influence had rapidly decreased, and of course, he was unable to receive support from the Demon. Artpe had basically ruined the n of the Demon King¡¯s army in one fell swoop.

    The Archduke had already used an unjust reason to take over the throne, so the nobles that had hated him rebelled against him. In the end, the Archduke was overthrown, and he had been chased out of the country.

    The new king was the cousin of the previous king. Count Hadein was ced on the throne, but he was merely a puppet of the nobles. Still, the chaos within the Diaz Kingdom calmed down, so it was still a fortunate oue.

    It took them exactly one year.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. It seems trade has beenpletely restored. Shit. This is why I wanted to get here earlier.¡±

    ¡°There are so many people here, Artpe! There are more people here than the people I¡¯ve seen in my entire life!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, are we going to ride that ship?¡±

    After a year, the hero¡¯s party arrived at the harbor city of Frate.

 Chapter 47 - Two Heros Party (4)

    Chapter 47 - Two Hero¡¯s Party (4)

    There was no business in this world that always worked out as nned. Artpe¡¯s party was so off course from his original n that the only thing right was the fact that they were traveling in a straight line. The travel was filled with sighs,ints and shouting.

    Still, nothing significant happened during their one week march.

    He had bought the highest quality bedrolls from Mycenae for each of the party members, but all three of them had to squeeze into one. It was a very tight fit, but it was also very warm and cozy. Maetel was in charge of harvesting herbs, while he started the fire. Sienna was in charge of cooking. This was how the daily chores were divvied up. It was a fantastic yet simple setup.

    They didn¡¯t possess many clothes, so washing them was quite simple using Artpe¡¯s magic. There probably were few in this world that could travel as easily andfortably as them.

    They had traversed an incredible amount of distance in one week, so they had arrived at the first Dungeon one week ahead of schedule. The problem started when they entered the Dungeon.

    It was a Dungeon where beast-type monster Gnolls appeared. They were humanoid monsters with a dog-like head. It was supposed to be a Dungeon with five floors with a variety of Gnolls ranging from level 30 to level 50.

    Sienna was level 28, and she was of a race that could use powers that exceeded her level. This was why Artpe and Maetel merely had to make sure she didn¡¯t die. Aside from that fact, Sienna had free reigns tobat the Gnolls.

    The Gnolls had simr build to a human, and they were quite clever. It allowed Sienna to gain a variety of battle experiences. Her level rose steadily as they traversed through the five floors, and the asional high level monsters made it easy to increase Sienna¡¯s level.

    Artpe had assumed it would be this way, and everything went as nned. A week passed after they entered the Dungeon, and Sienna bravely reached the 5th floor as she increased her level to 47.

    ¡°Huh, Artpe? Didn¡¯t you say this Dungeon has five floors?¡±

    The problem started from that moment.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡®In my past life....¡¯

    If it was Artpe¡¯s words, Maetel trusted him implicitly even if there was no evidence to back up his words. Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked the question.

    ¡°So why is there a staircase leading further downwards?¡±

    ¡°That is a really good question.¡±

    Artpe red at the secret staircase that had appeared as if it had every right to be there. He spoke with a fed up voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.....¡±

    This was one of the Dungeon cleared by the past hero! He was sure it ended on the 5th floor. The items dropped here had been poor, but the weak hero had been able to develop her basic martial skills here. Artpe had found out this information when he researched the records.

    Even if the Silpennon of that time had poor skills as a thief, Artpe never expected him to miss such an obvious secret staircase!

    No, maybe the god was giving them something extra since there was an additional hero present?

    He had researched about the human world and the hero, but he hadn¡¯t been able to visit all the sites himself. This was why he waved the white g. He had no way of determining which theory was correct.

    Still, how could he retreat when a Dungeon¡¯s secret had been revealed? Traditionally, heroes entered into suspicious ces first before asking any questions. They opened suspicious boxes first to see what is in it, and they stepped on suspicious traps first to see what happened.

    They were psychopaths!

    It wasn¡¯t as if they had extra lives to spare, yet they did things that were considered to be absolutely crazy. It seemed Artpe¡¯s party would be doing simr tasks that followed in the footsteps of those heroes!

    ¡°Sienna, the monsters we are going to face from now on will be a bit too hard for you to handle. This is why you have to be ready to retreat when I tell you to retreat.¡±

    As they got ready to head down the stairway, he made a strong entreaty towards Sienna. However, Sienna let out a bright smile as she tightened the fists equipped with the Battle Knuckles.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m strong now!¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to me!¡±

    Mycenae had a bright smile on her face as she stood behind Sienna with a money pouch in hand. She had finally seeded in acquiring the Cleric¡¯s Cure spell and the Holy Battle spell. Artpe snorted as he shooed her away with his hand.

    ¡°You were barely able to acquire the basics. If possible, I want you to acquire weapon skills that are primarily for the Warrior Priestess ss. Then there are the active skills......¡±

    ¡°You probably want skills and spell books that both of you can learn too?¡±

    Mycenaeughed as if she already understood everything.

    ¡°I never dreamed there woulde a day when I would be able support the hero. Anyways, please wait for me. Everything jumps in price when one wants to acquire goods so suddenly. I¡¯m trying very hard to gather as many items at the cheapest price in the shortest amount of time possible..¡±

    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll put our trust in ajumma, and we.....¡±

    Artpe spoke as he took a step onto the stair leading down to the 6th floor of the Dungeon.

    ¡°We are going to go make some money now.¡±

    It was as Artpe had expected. High rank Gnolls over level 60 started appearing in droves on the 6th floor. The Gnolls were equipped with decent armor and iron mace. These were opponents that was a bit overwhelming for Sienna.

    Still, Artpe made a resolve to push her forward.

    ¡°When I think you are in danger, I¡¯ll restrain them with my Mana Strings. Of course, your contribution would decrease, so you won¡¯t be able to gain the full experience. The reward you will gain is ridiculously lowpared to the danger you will face.... Still, you will surely grow faster than before.¡±

    ¡°Oppa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    If he just made sure she didn¡¯t die, this environment would be a blessing for Sienna. Of course, she had to ovee the fear, pain and powerlessness she would feel facing such powerful enemies. Still, the fruit that would be waiting for her at the end would be very sweet.

    ¡°This is simr to the first Dungeon I experienced with Artpe. I had a lot of shorings, but Artpe helped me.¡±

    ¡°Now I can provide a much more precise and faster support.¡±

    Artpe became more proficient at using Mana Strings as he used them more.

    The Mana Strings were very sensitive and reactive to the movement of his fingers. He could use up to 10 strands. In the yground called a Dungeon, he could use them to search, deter, attack and defend. In the space controlled by his Read All Creation Ability, nothing could escape his will.

    ¡°Oppa.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s expression remained bright.

    ¡°If oppa says I can do it, then I can do it!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right.¡±

    He experienced facing too many opponents that were much higher in level with Maetel in the past year, so this all seemed par for the course. However, amongst the adventurers that explored Dungeons, their actions were beyond reckless. This situation was considered to be something that should never be done.

    On top of that, Sienna wasn¡¯t a hero, yet she had to go through such tribtions. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t worried about all of this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    However, Artpe had confidence in Sienna¡¯s talent and will. He was also supremely confident about his own abilities. This was why he decided to go forward with her. The Gnolls shrank away at the presence of Artpe and Maetel, but they became emboldened when they caught sight of Siena. They howled as they attack Sienna as a pack.

    [Ggae-gae-gaeng!]

    [Koo-hwahk!]

    Two thirds of the pack was instantly ughtered by Maetel¡¯s bastard sword. The remaining Gnolls flinched as they tried to run away, but Artpe prevented them from doing so with his Mana Strings.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhng?]

    [Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    Some unknown force was preventing them from running away, so they became confused for a brief amount of time. However, when they realized there wasn¡¯t an additional strikeing as a follow up, the Gnolls once again turned their attention to Sienna.

    Artpe gave an exnation.

    ¡°The dog head of Gnolls isn¡¯t just a decoration. They are very dumb.¡±

    ¡°I think they are more stupid than the Skeletons with no brains.¡±

    It was the worst insult that coulde out of Maetel¡¯s mouth. However, when one saw the Gnolls keep attacking with increased fervor as if nothing had happened, it was an apt observation.

    ¡°Koo-oohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I can do this!¡±

    Sienna was the only one fighting them, and she had a hardened expression on her face. Her fists were still weak, and her self-healing ability wascking. However, she didn¡¯t back down as she red at her opponents. At this point, Artpe would have already given her a passing grade.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhng!]

    [Ah-ooooooh! Gah-roo-roo-roo-roo!]

    The Gnolls mindlessly howled as they swung their maces. Sienna quickly assessed their attacks, and she nted her fists into their abdomens. She couldn¡¯t avoid all the maces, yet she was showing excellent body movement for someone that wasn¡¯t level 50 yet.

    ¡°All right. We did it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I dont¡¯ think she¡¯ll die.¡±

    Sienna was effectively fighting amongst the pack of Gnolls. Artpe let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed this. Her growth n had to be tweaked, but he also judged that she would be able to be much stronger in a shorter time frame.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Sienna was striking out with powerful punches. Her fist cleanly lodged inside the eye of a Gnoll as she was able tond a Critical Hit. At that moment, the flow of the battle started turning towards her favor.

    [Kwehhhhhhhhk!]

    [Koo-hee!?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hooo.¡±

    Humans were supposed to be weaker than them, yet one of their own had been killed. This truth made the Gnolls rage....

    However, a marvelous smile on Sienna¡¯s face greeted the Gnolls.

    Sienna just had an epiphany about the flow and momentum of a battle.

    After two days within the Dungeon, Sienna safely raised her level to 50.

    She used the Crystal Ball of Blessing to acquire the high rank ss as a Warrior Priestess.

    From that point on, there was a jump in her growth.

    As time passed, Artpe had to step forward less with his Mana Strings. It was proof that the degree to which she was contributing to the battle had increased. When they ughtered all the monsters and found all the hidden treasures on the 6th floor, her level had reached 60.

    ¡°Still, we are fortunate that this ce is easier than the Hero¡¯s Dungeon, Artpe. Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Just the thought of that ce makes me grind my teeth. Don¡¯t talk to me about it.¡±

    ¡°Where the heck did unni and oppa go that you guys speak of it that way.....?¡±

    The Dungeon slyly extended into the 8th floor. Fortunately for them, the floor didn¡¯t reach double digits like the disaster that was the Hero¡¯s Growth Dungeon.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Hahp!¡±

    In the Boss Room on the 8th floor, Sienna safely killed the level 75 Gnoll Chieftain in a one on one battle. Sienna proudly took its Sledge Hammer as a trophy.

    The head of the ck steel hammer was unusuallyrge and sharp. It wasn¡¯t something a level 75 Gnoll should be using. At this point, Artpe once again felt that the luck of the hero¡¯s party was a cheat.

    ¡°Oh my, customer. Could it be that the metal used to make that helmet was.....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not selling it.¡±

    ¡°Customer, you are too much!¡±

    Mycenae appeared once again with impable timing. This time she hadn¡¯t just acquired hand to handbat skills. She had brought weapon skills too.

    Mycenae was about to say something, because she felt sorry for the small girl carrying around such arge hammer. However, her words dried up when she saw Sienna swing it around with both hands.

    ¡°I thought it would take us one week to clear this Dungeon, yet we spent one month here. Mmm. Perfect. This is such a perfectly fucked up situation.¡±

    ¡°Because of me.... I¡¯m sorry, oppa.¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll fight harder next time!¡±

    ¡°No, you were fine. Actually, you really overdid yourself. The only reason why this situation is fucked up is because of god.¡±

    ¡°If so, I¡¯ll kill god for oppa!¡±

    He thought he had heard that line from somewhere before. He let out a big sigh.

    Maetel once again showed herpetitive spirit when she heard Sienna¡¯s words. Sienna kept letting out a bright smile.

    Afterwards, a simr pattern emerged.

    Fortunately, there was no changes to the second Dungeon. However, they found a secret tunnel inside the third Dungeon that continued until the 14th floor.

    While they were traveling towards the fourth Dungeon, they encountered a cursed olddy living in a small city. They had to waste time in curing her. Then the 5th Dungeon was a Dungeon filled with Undeads, and Sienna stumbled into a secret prerequisite by being a Warrior Priestess. A path of suffering opened up that led the party down to the 20th floor.

    They encountered simr harsh difficulties on the sixth and seventh Dungeons. At that point, Sienna hadn¡¯t just grown enough for a single person. She grew enough for three to five people to be an superb Warrior Priestess.

    She smashed through all tribtion, which seemed to have been prepared for her, with her hammer. If she couldn¡¯t handle a boss monster, Maetel and Artpe smashed it.

    They had entered the Dungeons to help the development of the little Warrior Priestess.

    However, the difficulty of the Dungeons were all over the ce that even the heroes increased in their level. The word chaos was insufficient to describe their situation.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s the ocean! It really is amazing! Pretty!¡±

    ¡°This is also my first time seeing the ocean, unni. Wa-ahhhh.¡±

    At the end of the tribtion, they finally reached Frate. At thetest, he had nned on arriving here during early spring. However, they had arrived during summer when the warm winds could be felt. Thankfully, they hadn¡¯t arrived here during fall. Artpe kept wiping away at the sweat that kept trickling into his eyes as he spoke to his party.

    ¡°Well¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Shall we go rest a little bit?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    It was the day they entered into Frate.

    Maetel was level 191, and Artpe was level 187. Sienna had reached the level 159.

 Chapter 48 - Frates Festival (1)

    Chapter 48 - Frate¡¯s Festival (1)

    The inn owner gave Artpe¡¯s party a once over. He tsked as he spoke.

    ¡°A single night in the guest room will cost 5 silvers. The cost of the meal and bath water will have to be paid separately.¡±

    In the past year, the three of them had been under the influence of Maetel¡¯s Innate ability. They had grown a lot, so they no longer received questions like ¡®Are you kid alone?¡¯ or ¡®Where¡¯s your guardian?¡¯

    The fact that they didn¡¯t hear such words was a blessing, but.....

    ¡°Why is it so expensive? This inn doesn¡¯t look so grand that it should be charging 5 silvers!¡±

    It was too expensive! A cheap inn in a big city should cost a silver. At most, it should cost two silvers! At Artpe¡¯s righteous indignation, the innkeeper snorted as he gave a retort.

    ¡°Do you not know what kind of a situation Frate is in? The numerous countries connected to Diaz by the ocean are participating in a limited-time auction right now. This auction was stopped three years ago, but it is being opened once again this year. The merchants from Diaz kingdom as well as other kingdoms are all gathered here. The streets are packed with people that came to spectate this auction. You should be thankful that there¡¯s at least one room left.¡±

    ¡°It was stopped 3 years ago!?¡±

    If that was true, it was no wonder people were all gathering here. When Artpe let out a sigh, the innkeeper took advantage of that moment. He started acting in a condescending manner.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been saving that room. I was going to rent the room to someone that could pay a higher price. However, I¡¯m being very considerate towards you and the two women. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be annoyed if you take them to somewhere that is more run down than this ce.¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t wanted unwanted attention, so they were wearing robes. The Artifacts they possessed was influencing how their appearance was perceived, and it was supposed to make them look average. However, it didn¡¯t allow them to hide their appearance. It was bing more troublesome especially for Maetel as she got older, because she was bing more and more beautiful. He wouldn¡¯t go into the trouble it had caused.

    ¡°Ah, yes. You were being considerate.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not joking. You should go out right now to search for another room. No one will give it to you as cheap as me..¡±

    Artpe could read what the owner was thinking. Basically, Artpe hade in here with two beautiful women(It was still more fitting to call them beautiful girls) on both arms, and he was jealous of Artpe.

    This was why he was being verbose. He was trying to get the beauties to say thank you to him. He was old, but he was acting a bit cute. If everyone was as innocent as him, it would be worth living in this world.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll pay the 5 silvers.¡±

    ¡°Each meal costs 30 bronze per person. A single tub of bath water is worth 1 silver. Have you tried our store¡¯s buttered corn cob? It is absolutely amazing.¡±

    ¡°This is the first time in my life visiting this inn, so how could I have tasted it? All right. I¡¯ll try in once tonight. I don¡¯t really need the bath water. So...¡±

    Artpe handed over 5 silvers and 90 bronze as he asked a question.

    ¡°When¡¯s the auction, ajusshi?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°The timing is uncanny.¡±

    He had to spend a lot for lodging because of the auction, but in the end, this was a golden opportunity for Artpe.

    Originally, this auction used to be held periodically in the harbor town of Frate. It had been the gathering ce of various items ranging from specialty items made in Frate to Artifacts. Loot gathered from nearby Dungeons and ocean were had been gathered here. The auction had been the confluence of treasures!

    It was very difficult to have aplete assessment of the worth of specialty items when one went into an auction. However, Artpe could clearly and urately assess the worth of any items that was viewed through his eyes.

    In his previous life, he had participated in auctions in the human world. He had cleared out all the treasures that the humans had failed recognize.

    Of course, it had all ended up in the hands of the Demon King. The very thought of it made him wake up at night. It made him grind his teeth. However, it was no longer like that! He could pocket everything now!

    ¡°Why? Are you going to participate?¡±

    ¡°It is a festival that hasn¡¯t happened in 3 years, so shouldn¡¯t we take the opportunity to look around?¡±

    ¡°If so, you should take good care of thedies. Gangsters always gather in ces where there is money. If you go out with the pretty girls, you could probably fill an ocean with the men that¡¯ll try to pick a fight with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already experienced it plenty, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Artpe snorted as he took the key from the innkeeper. As always, Maetel and Sienna behaved as they watched him speak to the innkeeper. It was the absolute rule of the party. They had to leave the negotiations with other people to Artpe.

    ¡°Ooh-wah. It is really small.¡±

    The room had a single bed, and there was a lot of dust covering it. There was also a chair in the room. That was it. First, he used his cleaning magic. It took him two seconds to make the room look like it was new. Then he ced his bedroll on top of the bed to make it cushy. Next, he took out an enormous wooden tub that could easily fit two people with room to spare from his Dimensional pouch. He created water and fire at the same time, and he filled the tub with hot water. He created a cozy bathhouse where no one would disturb them.

    ¡°There is nothing Artpe cannot do.¡±

    ¡°You guys wash up first. I¡¯m not sure about myself, but you guys are really dirty.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wash together!¡±

    Maetel yelled out energetically, but Artpe pushed the two towards the wooden tub. Then he closed the curtain. Maetel and Sienna continued toin loudly, but hepletely ignored them.

    They were now at an age where such proprietary had to be observed. Their level was high, and they possessed warrior type abilities. So their development was much faster than the girls their age. Artpe decided to omit that line of thought.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±

    While the two girls were taking a bath, Artpe carefully leaned back on the chair. The chair was so weak that it felt as if it would give way at any moment. He gently closed his eyes as he stretched out his Mana Strings into the surrounding.

    The Mana Strings went past the inn towards therge roads. Then they went past therge roads to the square. From the square, the Mana Strings extended out to the whole city.

    That¡¯s right.

    He was surveying the entire city from within the small room of the inn.

    In the past year, the party had focused on Sienna¡¯s growth rather than the development of Maetel and Artpe. Above all else, their goal was to arrive at Frate, so they hadn¡¯t bee able to raise their levels too much.

    However, Artpe had focused on gainingmand over his Mana String until he was sick of it. He also focused on increasing his proficiency in other magic spells. There were the basic everyday magic like Fire and Aqua. Then there was the Hyper Rubbing, which had been unexpectedly helpful in decisive moments. Obviously, Mana String had developed into being his main spell.

    He had used all his spell whenever he had Mana to spare, so most of his spells had exceeded level 40. Amongst his spells, Mana String had reached level 51. No words need to be said, but the power and effectiveness of his spells couldn¡¯t bepared to before.

    It wasn¡¯t just the level of his spells. Whenever he gathered money, he used Dungeon merchant Mycenae to gather spell books for all sses. He used them to increase his Magic stat. It resulted in his Magic stat reaching 1,200 when he was at level 187.

    In his prior live, Artpe had gone past the 1,200 mark when he had reached level 300. His magical energy reached a realm where his level couldn¡¯t be use to gauge his power. Moreover, he possessed enough magical energy to ovee disparities that should be impossible to ovee. He possessed that power within his hands.

    His spell level was over 50, and he possessed a massive pool of magical energy. It had reached 1,200. It would have been strange if he wasn¡¯t able to search a mere city with his magic.

    His Mana Strings had started out as several dozen strands, but now it had branched into hundreds than thousands. In a sh, his Mana Strings had nketed the entire city. The Mana Strings were able to observe everything near their vicinity, and all the information was delivered to their owner. Nothing could escape Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    Nothing.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    However, when hepleted his search of the city, he wanted to deny the validity of his absolute ability. It felt as if he learned an information that should be present in this city.

    ¡®There is no way¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ There is no way she¡¯s here.¡¯

    He denied the reality of the situation as he strengthened his Read All Creation ability. Artpe was so taken aback that he had almost fallen over backwards in his seat.

    Afterwards, the curtain was put aside, and the naked form of the two girls was revealed to Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Artpe, you should wash now!¡±

    ¡°You guys should put on some clothes.¡±

    Artpe had one Mana String ready in preparation. He used it to close the curtain again. His reaction speed was on par with the speed of a goblin shooting its poison dart. Maetel clicked her tongue quietly from behind the curtain. He ignored her as he gave them instructions.

    ¡°Once yous put on your clothes, you guys should rest after eating dinner. Later, you should tell me what the buttered corn cob taste like.¡±

    ¡°What about oppa!?¡±

    Sienna, who was putting on her clothes from behind the curtain, asked in surprise. Artpe let out a sigh. It seemed his body was now used to making that sound. He got up from the chair.

    ¡°I have something I have to do. I have to go do it right now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±

    ¡°You guys will blow my cover.¡±

    In this city, it might have been better if Silpennon had been with him. In his past life, Silpennon had been awesome at sneaking around.

    Unfortunately, Maetel and Sienna were incapable of moving around quietly. Maetel had used the authority as a hero to learn a thief¡¯s skill called ¡®Covert Steps¡¯, yet it failed in making her able to move around quietly.

    However, Artpe was different.

    [Artpe]

    [Level : 187]

    [Stealth Lv19]

    Even in his past life, there had been too many powerful beings around him. He had to learn how to move around quietly without being noticed. Now that all the skill restriction was lifted when he became a hero, his talent for being ndestine blossomed!

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t something he was proud of at all!

    ¡°That is why you shouldn¡¯t follow me.¡±

    ¡°Chet.¡±

    First, Artpe retracted all his Mana String before he stepped out of the inn. As he walked amongst therge poption, he naturally activated his Stealth ability. He melted into the crowd. Then he closed his purple colored eyes as he took off his ring.

    The hair and eye colors, which had been changed into different colors, returned to their original coloring. His appearance, which had gone through minor changed to make it average, returned to its original form. Of course, he had his stealth activated, so no one noticed the change of his appearance.

    ¡®As the throne kept changing hands, the efforts to find the heroes had died down considerably. They¡¯ve already forgotten the names and description of the heroes. At a certain point in time, it became more about hiding our unique appearances rather than hiding our identities with the artifacts.¡¯

    Of course, they had been able to avoid considerable amount of conflict using the artifacts. Still, he had worried about the possibility of facing someone that could see through the artifacts. He would have the tackle the issue of exining why he was hiding his appearance using an artifact.

    ¡®Mycenae was confident that anyone below level 250 would be unable to see through it. I came to the same conclusion when I evaluated the artifact.¡¯

    This was why he had to take off the artifact right now.

    His opponent was over level 250.

    ¡®It might have been better to have ignored her......¡¯

    Still, it would cause him way more trouble if she developed a weird misconception of him. This was why Artpe took the risk to assess his opponent¡¯s situation. It should be fine if he didn¡¯t get too close. It would probably be ok if he observed from afar......

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    He had been walking as he had such thoughts. As he walked amongst the countless people, his eyes met a woman¡¯s eyes as if by a miracle.

    When their eyes met, Artpe realized his Stealth ability had been seen through in an exceedingly easy manner. However, that wasn¡¯t the only problem he faced.

    ¡°Ah, hello. Are you here by yourself?¡±

    When the woman discovered Artpe, she approached him. Her cheeks were slightly red. She had long red straight hair, and she had striking blood-colored eyes. She was taller than most most man, and she possessed a voluptuous body that 100 out of 100 men would turn to look at her. She was a beautiful woman.

    Moreover, Artpe knew this woman better than anyone in the human world.

    [Etna Carlyfate Mirecarde]

    [Demon race]

    [Level :376]

    [She is bound by the Innate ability Absolute Control.]

    ¡®I nned on observing her, yet I was caught on the outset. This is crazy....¡¯

    Artpe let out a sigh

    It was the moment when he encountered the woman, who had been the 2nd ranked Four Heavenly King in his previous life.

 Chapter 49 - Frates Festival (2)

    Chapter 49 - Frate¡¯s Festival (2)

    Etna, who was the leader of the army of thieves, had her eyes fixed on Artpe. As he met her red-hot eyes, Artpe kept cursing the gods inside.

    ¡®This situation has be a big headache for me now. I wanted to move as quietly as possible, yet I was discovered by Etna. This happened despite the fact that she doesn¡¯t have any Thief type abilities. Either god ced a curse on me or the Demon King ced a blessing on me. It has to be one or the other. I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯

    In his estimation, it didn¡¯t seem she was here on the orders of the Demon King. He assumed she wasn¡¯t here for a mission. She probably hade here, because she wanted to participate in Frate¡¯s festival. She didn¡¯t have any of her underlings or equipments with her. There were other evidences that also pointed towards this conclusion. However, there was one decisive fact that gave the most credence to this conclusion.

    The Demon world¡¯s greatest chef would never send a midboss so early in the process!

    ¡®Should I have ignored her? No, she would have found me once I decided to stay in this city.¡¯

    Of course, his opponents couldn¡¯t find out he was a hero unless they had the help of a high ranking priest. However, it was also true that Artpe couldn¡¯t hide his massive reservoir of magical energy.

    She was at the pinnacle of the Demon race, so she probably realized how talented he was as a mage. It really was something annoying, but the meeting between them was inevitable.

    ¡®I have to get out of here without raising any suspicions. I have toe up with an idea. I have to think....¡¯

    ¡°I...if you aren¡¯t with anyone, would you like to go have a drink with me?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ehng?¡±

    Artpe had been very tense, but he came back to his senses at that moment. No matter how he thought about it, she was using a line to pick him up. When he looked at her expression, he realized, she wasn¡¯t paying attention to his magical energy. She was focused on Artpe himself!

    ¡°No, I¡¯m here with my girlfriends.¡±

    While Artpe lived with Maetel and Sienna, he had be proficient at deftly turning aside their pursuit of him. He had instinctively turned down Etna. It was toote by the time he realized what he had done. He came to his senses, but Etna already had a sullen expression on her face.

    ¡°Is that so¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Women theses days have great eyes. They already ced dibs on you despite you being so young....¡±

    ¡®It seems she thinks I¡¯m young....¡¯

    If she hadn¡¯t been one of the Four Heavenly king, she could have been the waitress A of the neighborhood¡¯s pub. This was how friendly she was towards humans. Even in his past life, she had been very attractive, so she was easily able to make a favorable impression on others. Moreover, she had an outgoing and sociable personality. This was why she had been given periodic assignments to scout the human world on top of her own heavy responsibilities.

    ¡®Once I start thinking about my past life, the memories are endless. She isn¡¯t the Etna from my previous life. I wanted to focus on this present life, so she is the number one person I had to avoid..... Shit.¡¯

    ¡°I do have a moment.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    She was in low spirits as she turned away from him. Artpe could have left Etna¡¯s deste figure alone. However, he thought it would be a great opportunity to be able to gather information about the current Demon King¡¯s army from her. He couldn¡¯t miss out on this opportunity, so he stopped her.

    ¡°A cup of tea should be fine. This is my first time visiting Frate, so it would be great if you could tell me about this ce.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    The beautiful woman¡¯s expression had been filled with disappointment, but now a smile blossomed on her face. How could she show her feelings so overtly? It was a wonder.

    Etna didn¡¯t realize Artpe was already viewing her as a half idiot. She had on a bright expression as she spoke.

    ¡°Yes, you should leave it to me. I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±

    She was the past and current Four Heavenly King. He was the former Four Heavenly King turned into the current hero. It was the start of a weird couple¡¯s date.

    Both of them had already done a cursory search of their surrounding. Soon, they decided to head towards a nearby pub.

    The pub would have alcohol and other types of beverages. There would be no better ce to talk, since they would be within a crowd of people.

    ¡°The auction that urs periodically in Frate is called Frate¡¯s Festival. The size of the people gathered here, and the various specialty items and artifacts that shows up here makes everyone go wild for this festival.¡±

    ¡°So are you here to participate in the auction?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, you can call me Etna.¡±

    Etna told him her real name as a Demon. She acted as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. If all Demons were as innocent as her, Artpe thought the Demon King would have been killed at the outset.

    ¡°I¡¯m Artpe.¡±

    Since she told him her real name, Artpe did the same. First, Artpe wasn¡¯t a rare name in this world. The second reason being it would raise major red gster on if she discovered he had given her a fake name.

    ¡°Oh my. Even your name is cute.¡±

    ¡°You should continue with your exnation. In truth, I just heard from the innkeeper that it has been 3 years since thest festival.¡±

    ¡°You do know that the Diaz Kingdom was in turmoil recently? That turmoil has died down somewhat, so Frate¡¯s Festival was rmenced. When the kingship of the Diaz kingdom changed hands, the humans followed the king¡¯s example. They went nuts as they shed a massive amount of each other¡¯s blood. Naturally, in the process.....¡±

    Countless legends were born during this time period, and a curse had spread within the kingdom. On top of that, the Artifacts became strengthened. Humans, monsters, Demons and even Artifacts consumed the records of others to grow.

    ¡°So you are saying all those Artifacts will show up here to be auctioned.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. These items were reborn through the blood of the people. The people who made such horrors will gather here in excitement......¡±

    It was called a festival. He didn¡¯t know who made up the name, but he had a great sense for naming it that way. Artpe and Etna shared a bitterugh. It was as if they¡¯ve promised beforehand tough at the same time.

    She smacked her lips as she asked him a question once again.

    ¡°Do you want to have a drink?¡±

    ¡°I really want to, but I¡¯m still underaged.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be the only one drinking. One beer!¡±

    He was 14 years old, but his outer appearance didn¡¯t fit his age. He looked pretty mature for his age. Still, he had a youthful face, so he couldn¡¯t boldy order alcohol for himself.

    While Artpe became shy about drinking alcohol, Etna tried to down the alcoholic beverage she ordered in a refreshing manner.... She tried.

    ¡°Ooh-ehhhk. It¡¯s warm.¡±

    She nched as she put it back on the table. It hadn¡¯t been her intention, but her action evoked another memory from Artpe¡¯s past life.

    ¡®She¡¯s the youngest daughter of the Phoenix, and she had been blessed by hell fire. She was the pure one amongst the thieves. All mes obey her, but this means the cold rejects her..¡¯

    Anything she grabbed started to heat up. This was why she went looking for cold things throughout the year. This was also why he had gifted her an ice sculpture in his prior life. The ice had originated from the first winter of this world. It alleved her need a little bit.

    Of course, he hadn¡¯t given her the present, because he had liked her. He had wanted another Four Heavenly King as an ally. However, the gift had been a little bit too effective. It was one of the choices Artpe had made that he always regretted.

    She had misunderstood his intentions. Her affection towards him became much more intense when she thought he had liked her..... It also meant that ¡®his¡¯ jealousy had also intensified.

    ¡°The alcohol is too warm!¡±

    ¡°No way. Our beverages are very cool and refreshing!¡±

    When she voiced herint, one of the waitress got angry with her. At that moment, Artpe smirked as he ced his hand on her cup. A faint light sparkled, and in the next instant, frost covered her cup.

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯llst until you drink it.¡±

    ¡°No way¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Uh?¡±

    When Etna put her lips on the cup, she became surprised. Her scorching magical energy was still being transmitted into the metal cup, but a cold energy from the cup was neutralizing the heat.

    While the heat and the coldness fought a tug of war, her alcohol maintained a cool temperature. It flowed down Etna¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Oh my¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Etna felt the cold alcohol travel down her throat, and it elicited a deep smile on her face. She moved her face towards the still beaming face of Artpe. Her voice hardened slightly.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to hide what you are?¡±

    ¡°I felt a powerful magical energy from you. It was strong enough to make it hard for me to breathe, so I know you are a higher caliber of magicianpared to me. I¡¯m sure you are able to see me more clearly than I see you. So what would I aplish by hiding what I¡¯m capable of?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just that fact. He knew Etna was level 376, and she was themander for the army of thieves. She was also one of the Four Heavenly Kings from the Demon King¡¯s army. He knew all of it.

    Despite all the knowledge he possessed, Artpe was exceedingly excellent whenpared to those his age. He was weaker than her. This was why he decided to act like a magician that was naive about the outside world. He nned on being faithful to this role. He activated a skill he developed as the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly kings. He activated his Method Acting skill.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Etna approach me because of that? You got close to me after seeing my magical energy, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh? Ah, uh. Huh? Yes!¡±

    He made up a valid reason for her. He gave her an out where she would be able to justify her own actions. However, she had be flustered by his words. It was a very cute sight where it did not befit her age. Still, Artpe wasn¡¯t into older women, so it had no effect on him! He drank the lemonade in front of him as he waited for her to calm down.

    ¡°Yes, your magical energy is absurdly outstandingpared to those your age! That is why I was surprised. Yes!¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, it seems you don¡¯t n on bullying me after learning that information.¡±

    ¡°There is no way I would have bullied you! Never!¡±

    The surprised Etna started waving both her hands in denial. Even in his past life, Etna had avoided taking a single human life unless she was explicitly given amand by the Demon King. He was confident that she didn¡¯t hold any evil intent towards him. Still, he had asked the question as part of a n! He was trying to exploit a weakness with his next attack!

    ¡°Please I hope you understand where I¡¯ming from. Suddenly, a strong and pretty noona like Etna approached me. Isn¡¯t it unreasonable to expect me to not to be on my guard.¡±

    When she heard his words, Etna¡¯s smile stretched from ear to ear.

    That¡¯s right! She was weak against ttery!

    She kept grinning as she nodded her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by it at all. It¡¯s fine. Yes, I just thought Artpe was coo...... I had a favorable impression of you! Of course, age and skill doesn¡¯t always match up. Still, it doesn¡¯t matter how talented you are. You¡¯ve reached a stage that can¡¯t be reached unless you go through several life-or-death crisis. I just thought that was incredible.....¡±

    ¡°You look young to me, Etna.¡±

    ¡°Hee¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Naturally, Artpe enacted a second wave of ttery. He didn¡¯t even need to see the result. It was a critical hit.

    ¡°Is that so? I look young. Mmm. Ooh-mmm.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if it was a human or a demon. After a certain age, the ultimatepliment that could be given to a woman was that she looked young! The effect of this phrase was amazing! Her weakness had been assaulted, and the gap in Etna¡¯s defense was revealed!

    Etna was so happy that she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. Artpe¡¯s emotion remained cold as he watched her. He was using all kinds of methods to avoid bing suspicious to her, and he was buying her good will. He was going to use the advantage he gained to acquire first hand knowledge about the Demon King¡¯s army. This was the only thought going through his head.

    ¡°So you really just talked to me out of curiosity?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right .....of course.¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh? He thought he saw a single cloud cross her constantly smiling face.

    Was he mistaken?

    He tilted his head in puzzlement as he continued his conversation with Etna. He had to find out what had caused the conflict of emotion on Etna¡¯s face, so he had to keep her here as long as possible.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll put my trust in you. So you should tell me about other sights worth seeing in Frate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will..... By the way, if I order another beverage, will you cast another spell to keep it cool for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I want another ss of highball!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s assertion, a smile akin to a full moon was stered on Etna¡¯s face.

    He had done something so simple, yet she was truly happy. She really wasn¡¯t fit for the role of the Four Heavenly King. He let out a bitterugh inside as he faced her.

    Her mouth opened easily.

    ¡°If we are talking about what you should do in the harbor town.....¡±

    Around two hours passed from that point.

    Their conversation started with Frate, but their conversation naturally moved onto other topics. Etna didn¡¯t talk about the specifics of her circumstances to Artpe. Still, she talked about her everyday life, and she talked about stories that was reminiscent of what happened in their past lives.

    Of course, he already knew her identity, so it was easy for him to decipher the current situation of the Demon King¡¯s army through her stories.

    ¡®It seems there isn¡¯t another Artpe in the Demon king¡¯s army. I¡¯m sure about that.¡¯

    He had wonder if there would be another existence like Artpe, but with a different name. He also wondered if there was someone different with the same name as him. Neither case was true. It seemed no one in the Demon world was given the same position as what he was given in his previous life. Moreover, there was no one who had possessed a simr ability as his.

    He also learned something knew. Unlike Etna¡¯s ranking in her previous life, she was ranked 3rd amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.

    She mentioned three beings that were above her. He was sure by the speech and behavior she describe that two of the three was the Demon King and ¡®him¡¯. It was the being that was ranked number one in his previous life. The remaining third figure must be the other Four Heavenly King!

    ¡®My existence waspletely erased. However, it seems someone else was inserted as the new Four Heavenly King in my ce. I wonder who it is? It was someone that was able to reach a higher rank than Etna. It seems nothing is turning out like my previous life.¡¯

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t ask her more detailed questions. It would basically reveal the fact that Artpe knew Etna was a Demon, and that she was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Instead, he let out augh befitting his age as he spoke his next words.

    ¡°Etna, you are so strong, yet there are others that are stronger than you? I don¡¯t know which country¡¯s magic tower you are from, but it interests me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not from a normal ce. It is as you¡¯ve said. I¡¯m strong, but there are others that are stronger than me..... It isn¡¯t a ce where a person with a normal heart cannot survive.¡±

    Etna¡¯s voice was as serious as it could be. When he heard her words, Artpe couldn¡¯t hold back a sigh.

    It was something he had repeatedly felt in his past life, but he couldn¡¯t believe howx this woman was. If he wasn¡¯t careful, she would probably reveal that she was from the Demon world by mistake.

    Artpe tried very hard not to dig any deeper into Etna¡¯s words. He was barely able to focus the topic on her.

    He could see the anguish she had possessed from the moment she was dominated by the Demon King to thest moment he had died in his previous life. It was so clear to him that it was as if he could grasp them with his hand. He didn¡¯t know it, because of his Read All Creation ability. The anguish she was feeling was simr to what he had felt in his previous life.

    Maybe, that precipitated it.

    He gave up on trying to act like a child. He spoke with words that held a good amount of his true feelings.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many that is special from the beginning. One starts out with a normal heart, but it gets continuously chipped away by one¡¯s environment. In the end, it takes on a shape that looks special to other people. Others may think think it is special.... In truth, it is something that is egregious hurtful and sad.¡±

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Etna¡¯s eyes turned round in surprise when she heard his words. Then she started chuckling. Her expression looked as if she had been sucker punched. Artpe realized he had made a very serious mistake.

    He might have made a mistake that exceeded the ice sculpture he had gifted her in his past life.

    ¡°You are an angel sent from the heavens to soothe my heart. What should I do? I¡¯m conflicted. Should I just wrap you up and take you away with me?¡±

    ¡°Please refrain from doing so. You will make my girlfriends cry.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, I¡¯ll refrain. However, when I meet you again, I really might not be able to hold myself back.¡±

    As she spoke those words, she got up from her seat. Her chest sensually jiggled, and every male eyes were on her. Her chest wasrge enough that it made one wonder if they were a burden to her slender body. Of course, Artpe was unfazed.

    He was unfazed.

    ¡°Artpe, I went through the effort of talking you about Frate, so I¡¯m sorry about this.¡±

    ¡°H..huh?¡±

    ¡°I want you to leave this city as soon as possible. You should do so with your precious girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Goodbye for now.¡±

    Herst farewell contained a teaspoon of regret, and two teaspoon of anticipation. Artpe knew she had a secret she was keeping. Etna didn¡¯t say anything further as she suddenly disappeared from her sesat.

    Since she hadn¡¯t left the city, Artpe could find her with his ability. However, he didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. He had heard everything he needed to hear.

    ¡®She wants me to leave the city? That means Etna hadn¡¯te here for sight seeing. That can¡¯t be. There is no way the Demon King would use her at this juncture in time. This city doesn¡¯t have any weird items or people. Maybe, it has something to do with something on one of the boats that will influx into the city......¡¯

    However, Artpe couldn¡¯t continue down that train of thought. He was so inwardly focused that he hadn¡¯t been able to properly activate his Read All Creation ability. This was why he didn¡¯t notice the two people that had moved stealthily towards him.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, where did you go go by yourself?¡±

    These rascals.... He was sure that their inability to move stealthily had all been an act. Artpe let out a big sigh as he got up from his seat.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I spend some quality time alone?¡±

    ¡°Then why is there a cup on the other side? Ah, I also smell a sweet citrus type perfume! Woman! It was a woman!¡±

    ¡°Wow. Unni is amazing!¡±

    Maetel made a sharp observation. At such times, she didn¡¯t seem dumb. She even showed qualities that would make her a great detective. Artpe absent-mindedly had such thoughts as he was interrogated under the clutches of Maetel.

    Of course, he had no intention of leaving Frate.

    This stage would truly be his from now on.

 Chapter 50 - Frates Festival (3)

    Chapter 50 - Frate¡¯s Festival (3)

    Artpe had died. His life hade to a absolute end when he had been stabbed by the thief¡¯s dagger.

    The thief clicked his tongue. He retrieved his dagger as he let out a sigh. The hero looked on with dazed eyes as she spoke with a voice devoid of strength.

    ¡°Silpennon¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Why....¡±

    ¡°There is no way that man had any intentions ofing to our side. He¡¯s our enemy. We have to kill our enemies. It will endanger you If you hesitate.¡±

    ¡°No. That isn¡¯t it. That can¡¯t be true, because he.......¡±

    Before she could continue her words, the Mana in the atmosphere started to burn up in me.

    The magician had already sensed their enemy approaching, so she had quickly thrust her staff forward to cast a defensive spell.

    However, the enemy¡¯s Mana exceeded what the mage could block. In the end, the hero¡¯s party all suffered from burns. The warrior acted tough by crushing a potion bottle with his hand, and he sshed it over the party to heal them.

    ¡°Unforgivable.¡±

    A seething yet earnest voice of a woman rang out from the top of the castle wall.

    ¡°You bastards... There is no way.... I won¡¯t forgive you.¡±

    ¡°F...Four Heavenly King.¡±

    ¡°Fire Witch Etna!? He really called her here!¡±

    ¡°Look, Maetel! That bastard never intended to side with the humans!¡±

    The warrior was appalled, and the thief yelled out as he grinded his teeth.

    However, the hero no longer heeded their words. The only thing she had eyes for was the sight of the witch clutching the corpse of Artpe. She easily pushed aside the thief with the brush of her hand.

    There was a deep blood colored me surrounding the entire body of the witch. However, it couldn¡¯t evaporate the tears that were falling from eyes.

    ¡°How dare you do this to my Artpe. He was my only remaining hope, yet you guys.....!¡±

    ¡°Howughable, witch! You¡¯ve killed thousands to hundred thousands of humans. You¡¯ve ended the lives of family members and lovers!¡±

    ¡°We are past the point where we can persuade her with logic. Everyone raise your magical energy. Let us kill our enemy.¡±

    The hero had be despondent at Artpe¡¯s death, so the archer calmly tried to lead the party. The archer had an arrow drawn back, and there was a thick cold energy hovering around the tip of the arrow.

    The witch possessed extremely strong power of fire. This was also why her weakness was the most well defined amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. Even though she was a much more powerful exististance than the Four Heavenly King they had just defeated, there was a chance that they could win against her.

    ¡°Please help, Regina.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The mage calmly nodded her head, and she started chanting her spell. Despite them being overwhelmed by the witch¡¯s spirit, the fight would start now. She had trained too much as a magician to give up and back off so early in the fight.

    Instead of changing the nature around her, she changed herself to be closest to ice. She reinforced the change as she created a new technique to resist against the heat. Then she ced the blessing of the Winter Queen on the members of the hero¡¯s party. It especially strengthened the cold energy ced on the archer¡¯s arrow to the extreme.

    However...

    ¡°Ridiculous. Howughable! You cannot endure my wrath with just the blessing of the Winter Queen. You would have to bring the Winter Queen here if you want to do that!¡±

    While she clutched Artpe to her, the Witch started to unleash a torrent of her power. It was as if she controlled all the mes of this world. From the depths much deeper than the foundation of the castle wall, magma started erupting from the ground. The magma quickly covered several hundred meters to hit the hero¡¯s party.

    The heat emanating from Etna spread to the entire castle wall. In a sh, the whole region turned into a magma field. The party barely had enough ground to stand on. The sky was thick with clouds, yet it started to part. The gray colored sun of the Demon world appeared from between the clouds as the sunlight created a pir of fire.

    Several hundred thousand Fire Spirits cackled as they revealed themselves.

    ¡°Koohk. That monster.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll win this.¡±

    The thief let out a curse, and the magician calmly made a deration. Her words were echoed by the members of the hero¡¯s party, and it buoyed their power.

    ¡°It is too hot. I can¡¯t approach her.¡±

    ¡°You idiot. You should take off that can of an armor.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this armor off. It is cursed.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤who did it?¡±

    The hero¡¯s party was trying to resist the heat in one way or another as they got into formation. The witch quietly opened her mouth. There were enormous fireballs floating around her. Dozens, hundreds, thousands, hundred thousands..... They floated into the air to assault the hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°Who killed Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It was me, witch!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no.¡±

    Finally, the hero took a small step forward at that moment.

    She had barely been able to steady her wavering eyes. Strength returned to the sword she was gripping.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one that killed Artpe Hirtana Kelduke.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you did, hero?¡±

    The witch twisted her mouth. She had lost Artpe, and things couldn¡¯t go back to how it was. The violent mes matched her anger as it swirled around her body.

    ¡°Yes, I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you, so that I can hate without reservation.¡±

    All the Fire Spirits turned to look at the hero. It was as if half of the world was against her, but the hero calmly opened her mouth in front of such a sight.

    ¡°He wanted me to tell you something at the end..¡±

    ¡°What did Artpe say! What was hisst words!¡±

    ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t particr like older women.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The hero had a small smile on her face. It was a smile that was holding back her tears.

    ¡°It seems you are a bit slow. You were ditched.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hoo, hoo-hoo.¡±

    Surprisingly, the witch Etnaughed when she heard the hero¡¯s words. For a brief moment, the anger of the me Spirits lessened a little bit.

    ¡°Artpe, you idiot. I already knew that from the beginning. You should have left some other words behind, you dummy......¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Etna quickly stole a hand towards her eyes to wipe at her remaining tears. Then all the Fire Spirits gathered to revolve around her arms.

    ¡°In the end, it was me. In hisst moments, he thought about me. Yes, that in itself makes me happy. That is why......¡±

    The mes exploded.

    The daughter of the Phoenix gave a proclomation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you all to a painless death. It will only take an instant.¡±

    ¡°Bring it on!¡±

    The hero also wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes. She wlessly entered into her battle mode. She bravely charged towards the me. The warrior and the thief followed behind her. The mage lifted her staff, and the archer notched another arrow.

    The victor of the battle was the hero.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Artpe slowly opened his eyes. Maetel¡¯s face was close enough where their noses were about to touch. Maetel¡¯s eyes were round as she kept puckering her lips. She was slowly narrowing the distance between him and her. The Mana String appeared out of nowhere, and it impacted on her forehead. She pulled away in pain.

    ¡°You are too much, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Artpe ignored her as he reyed the scene he saw within his dream. In front of Artpe¡¯s death, the Witch of me Etna had gone berserk. Then there was the hero Maetel. She refused to back down as she charged forward with a sad smile on her face.

    This was obvious, but he didn¡¯t remember seeing such a sight. If he did, it meant Artpe was an Undead.

    ¡®Was it really what happened after I died..... There¡¯s no way that can be true.¡¯

    After Artpe had died, his Read All Creation ability had immediately sent him into the past. This was why there was no way he possessed the memory of what happened after his death.

    It had been a very long time since he had met Etna. Maybe he had created a dream with her personality and actions as a basis. He decided to ept that theory as the truth.

    It was merely a false dream, yet he couldn¡¯t easily forget what he had seen.

    Etna¡¯s scream continued to ring inside his head.

    ¡®I was herst remaining hope.... If she herself told me that at the time, I might have fallen for her. I was also exhausted by everything at the time like her.¡¯

    It seemed his meeting with Etna had been a shock to his system. He kept telling himself that he hadn¡¯t liked her, but he might still have some lingering feelings left for Etna.

    ¡®Even if I do have some feelings for her, I have to throw it away. I won¡¯t have to fight her right now, but since a madman like the Demon King still exists, I¡¯ll eventually have to face her. I¡¯ll be in a simr situation as what I saw in the dream today.....¡¯

    A bitter smile automatically formed on his lips. On his opposite side, Sienna was still sleeping as she grabbed onto him. She mumbled in her sleep as she tried to find Artpe¡¯s body heat again. He put the nket over her, and he got out of bed. Maetel had woken up early like Artpe. She got up from the bed as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Artpe, what are you going to do today?¡±

    ¡°Originally, I nned on sightseeing various locations, and I wanted to participate in the auction..... Still, I don¡¯t think things will turn out so well like that.¡±

    He inferred it from what Etna had said to him yesterday. The Demons had inflicted a curse on the human world a year ago. It seemed the stage for the second assault on the human world would ur in Frate. He had no idea why, but the Demon King¡¯s army always seemed to show up in the path of the hero. Still, he didn¡¯t n on running away now that he knew something was going to happen here.

    ¡®In the first n hatched by the Demon King¡¯s army, the highest level opponent was level 100. Even if they hatched two or more secret schemes in the past year, the one in charge of this n should be around level 150. The variable here is the Four Heavenly King Etna. It seems she¡¯s aware of the n, but the chances of her participating in the n is low. I can say that with 100% surety.¡¯

    Why?

    This was the Demon King¡¯s style. If the Demon King wasn¡¯t such an unreasonable idiot, the human world would have already been wiped out from the outset. In terms of magical energy and martial prowess, the human world couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the Demon world.

    ¡®Still, Etna already had a rough idea of how much magical energy I possessed, yet she told me to get out of the city. Mmmm. If I see myself as an outside observer, I would judge myself to be around level 300.¡¯

    Of course, he didn¡¯t have any proper area of effect magic spells. His magical energy was really highpared to his level, but his true skill level was well below that of a level 300 magician. However, from the outside, he would look like a level 300 mage. This fact was important. It would allow him to use one of the indispensable skills of the Four Heavenly King. He would be able to use his Bluff skill.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think the Demon world would have invested a strong enough force to be able to stop a level 300 magician.......¡¯

    This meant there was only one answer left.

    ¡®They¡¯ll invade in a manner that would make one feel dirty just observing it.¡¯

    Artpe furrowed his brows as he thought about the experiments in Diaz. They had tried to turn humans into Demons. From the start to thepletion of the Quest, Artpe¡¯s party had never been in danger. However, the Quest had been annoying, and it had done a lot of damage to the psyche of everyone involved.

    He assumed it would be the same this time around. It seemed the Demon King was using a significantly different approachpared to his previous life. He was using a method that would put Artpe in the foulest of moods.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    At that moment, Maetel had seen him frown. Maetel spoke as she grabbed his cheeks. She kneaded it as if his cheeks were y. She tried to get his face to rx.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Artpe. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens. I¡¯ll protect Artpe.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t me I¡¯m worried about. Other people will be in danger.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll save those people!¡±

    She was second to none in the human race in terms of being dependable. It was als true that he felt much better at her boasts. Artpe smirked as he petted her head.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll put my trust in you, hero-nim.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you should trust only in me!¡±

    That¡¯s right. Artpe and Maetel were heroes, who possessed Innate abilities. Thanks to Etna he was able to get a basic idea on what might ur here.

    If he had the time to worry, it meant he should use that time to better use. It would be more productive to make preparations.

    ¡®All right. First things first....¡¯

    If he was to point out what troubled him the most, the first thing toe mind was the curse.

    It could make people act crazy. It could spread a disease. It could turn the water foul.

    All of this could arise from cursed Mana.

    He was absolutely certain that a curse was included in the n of the Demon King¡¯s army.

    Thankfully, Artpe had a method of defeating curses. It was the Obsidian of Greed, which had turned into a first grade item during the first Quest.

    If he used it in conjunction with his Read All Creation ability, he would be able to extract curses. It didn¡¯t matter if the curse had been activated or not. It possessed a cheat-like ability.

    There was still a good amount of wiggle room before the Obsidian would be upgraded into S Rank. If this venture wasn¡¯t enough to push the Obsidian into the next rank, he could use his Reinforcement spell to advance the Obsidian. He had trained the Reinforcement spell as much as the other spells for the past year, and it had reached level 43.

    ¡°If I have this, all curses will...... Uh?¡±

    He had used his Read All Creation ability to frequently check his surrounding, but he hadn¡¯t checked anything within his clothes. He finally realized a serious change had urred within his robe.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not there, Artpe? Hesitation?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have scruples in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Your love for older women?¡±

    ¡°I never had that in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you kiss me!¡±

    He pushed the hero far away, since she was pestering him. Then he conducted a thorough search of his robe, yet he couldn¡¯t find the Obsidian of Greed. The only thing toe out from his robe was the Demite¡¯s Gemstone, which had refined about 1/50 of itself, and the Chaos Egg.

    No, it was no longer the Chaos Egg.

    [Beast of Greed¡¯s Egg]

    [From within the chaos, it hadbined with a cursed item. It created the Beast¡¯s Egg, which is waiting to be born. It covets all negative energy, so it might hatch immediately if negative energy is provided. ]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this Artpe and my love¡¯s......¡±

    ¡°If this is the fruit of our love, I don¡¯t want such a love..¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    Artpe finally realized the reason behind the disappearance of his Obsidian of Greed. However, he couldn¡¯t ask the egg why it had eaten the obsidian. He let out a short sigh as he raised themunication device.

    ¡°Uh, ajumma¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Do you have artifacts, potions, or items that originated from evil.....?¡±

    Since he couldn¡¯t ask the question to the egg, he had no choice but to ask it when the being inside egg was hatched.

 Chapter 51 - Frates Festival (4)

    Chapter 51 - Frate¡¯s Festival (4)

    [Customer, I told you you just have to find the nearest branch of Anywherepany. Jeez.... If you just wanted to hear my voice, you didn¡¯t have toe up with such a strange request. I would have picked up the call. Of course, I would do so if you paid me a bronze coin per second!!]

    ¡°We are currently at Frate.¡±

    [Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    It was as if he could see Mycenae tilt her head in puzzlement by the tone of her voice. Artpe smirked as he continued to speak.

    ¡°Ajumma, you are in Frate right now. Right?¡±

    [Huhk. How did you......]

    Obviously, he had thoroughly searched Frate yesterday, and in the process, he became aware of everyone that resided within the city. He didn¡¯t have to remember the record of strangers, but when he did find someone he knew, there was no way he would forget that person.

    [How did you know that!? It seems you are pretty good at stalking too!]

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense. You should ready the items I need then you should contact me. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to contact me.¡±

    [Aht. Wait a moment, customer.......]

    Artpe ended the transmission, and he got up with a refreshed feeling in his heart. Maetel was giving him an odd look, but he knew she was going to start spouting some nonsense. He decided to ignore it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be a bit busy going around the city. Will you be ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not tired at all.¡±

    It was to be expected. If a city could bottom out Maetel¡¯s stamina, it probably shouldn¡¯t be called a city.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s wake up Sienna, then we can head down.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Sienna still too young? Since we will be doing something arduous, let¡¯s let Sienna rest. The two of us can do it.¡±

    A ridiculously thoughtful words hade out of Maetel¡¯s mouth. However, Artpe knew why she was saying such words. Arte let out a sigh as she flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ah-yaht.¡±

    ¡°Even if I sent out Sienna by herself, she would be able to take care of most of what we are going to do today by herself. So you don¡¯t have to worry about it being too tough for her.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is an idiot who doesn¡¯t know how I feel!¡±

    The three of them ate soup and bread before they went out into the streets.

    Artpe already knew they of thend, and he knew about the poption residing within the city. The information was registered in his mind when he explored the city yesterday. Now he just had to gather information regarding the additional people that wille into the city. He also had to find where the trouble would start today within the city while gathering the items he wanted to acquire.

    ¡°Huhk.¡±

    ¡°Look at those women.¡±

    ¡°They still look very young. What is the worlding to?¡±

    It was as the innkeeper had warned. When the three of them walked the streets, everyone¡¯s gazes were on them. They appropriately took the precaution of wearing a hood, yet it hadn¡¯t mattered.

    ¡°Oppa.¡±

    ¡°Heek. Why are they all staring at us?¡±

    Sienna and Maetel were tense as they stuck close to Artpe. At this point, Artpe had no idea if they were sticking close to him, because they were afraid or they just wanted skinship.

    Maetel tried to keep Sienna in check by acting this way, but she was bing a role model for Sienna on how to act around Artpe.

    Did she realize this fact?

    If someone saw them, they would think they were sisters. Then there was Artpe, who was between them....

    Of course, he would receive disapproving gazes.

    Artpe desperately wanted a male member to join his party as soon as possible, but when he thought about the past hero¡¯s party, he knew it was a dream that would be hard to achieve. His only salvation was Silpennon, but for some reason, Maetel hated Silpennon as if he was a bitter foe.....

    He let out a sigh as he reassured them.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m pretty sure not many people will approach us.¡±

    Of course, it was true that it was hard to hide the appearance of the party members with a robe and a hood, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason why they were the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.

    Maetel had two swords hanging from her waist, and Sienna had the Sledge Hammer strapped to her back as her main weapon. They were intimidating for most people on the streets.

    It was said that beautiful flowers had thorns.

    When the men saw the especiallyrge thorns in the form of a hammer and long sword, no one was brave enough to approach the girls. Even if someone approached them, they would show the men the taste of their thorns.

    ¡°I did a cursory search of this ce, and ording to a reliable informant, something will happen here today. Let¡¯s nip that in the bud, so we can enjoy the auction. That is our main goal.¡±

    ¡°An informant you trust¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel had a sullen expression on her face. It seemed the citrus perfume from the day before still worried her. Artpe stroke her head as he soothed her.

    ¡°When we meet that trustworthy informant again, there is a high probability that she¡¯ll be an enemy. That is why you don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if you can¡¯t fall in love with an enemy......¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much free time, yet you seem to be crafting a pretty decent novel.¡±

    ¡°I...I¡¯m ok with having one more unni.¡±

    At what point did their education go wrong? Artpe let out a sigh as he created his Mana Strings. He didn¡¯t do a widespread search like yesterday. He expended a small amount of Mana, but at the same time, he increased the efficiency of his search. However, it was a fruitless effort.

    ¡°There are a lot of ships docked at the harbor.¡±

    ¡°The really rare items should being in today. They aren¡¯t justing over the ocean. They¡¯ll be traveling here overnd, and the Dungeon Merchants will be using their Teleportation magic.¡±

    It would be disappointing if the Dungeon Merchants didn¡¯t participate in such arge auction. They mainly traded within the Dungeon, but the Frate¡¯s Festival was a market they couldn¡¯t ignore. They could sell the loot they acquired in Dungeons at an exorbitant amount of price, and it was a great opportunity for them to stock up on items that would be required by adventurers, who explored the Dungeons.

    ¡°This is why Mycenae is here too. She¡¯s probably choosing which items she wants to put up for auction.¡±

    [Customer?]

    Mycenae contacted him at the exact moment when he talked about her. He wondered if maybe she was the one stalking him. He was a bit nervous as he raised themunication device to answer her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    [As a veteran merchant, I¡¯ve rarely had to say these words..... However, I think it¡¯ll be a bit tough for me to acquire those items.]

    ¡°Are you really a veteran merchant, ajumma?¡±

    [You really are able to say such rude words without batting an eye! However.... Koo-ooooooh.]

    After a brief amount of time had passed, she spoke with a voice drained of energy.

    [The artifacts and the potions of evil origins are strangely out of stock. I contacted the headquarters, and they are also out. Usually, such foul items have a limited market... Even the really useless ones have all been sold. However, the really powerful ones are being auctioned today.... Ah. The Death Knight¡¯s helmet, and the Blood Gold Halberd I purchased from you will be auctioned today!]

    ¡°Ajumma, you are my exclusive merchant, yet you aren¡¯t being of much help to me. Shall we nullify the contract?¡±

    [If you really need such evil artifacts, you can purchase them at auction! There will be a loting out today!]

    ¡®There is a high probability that something will ur at the time of the auction.¡¯

    Artped didn¡¯t give any additional exnation to her. Instead, he asked her a question.

    ¡°So do you have items like the Obsidian of Greed?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤oh my. The timing of your request is quite strange. All the Dungeonpanies including the Anywherepany is out of that item.]

    When he heard those words, a lightning struck within his head.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤could you repeat that?¡±

    [All thepanies are out of the Obsidian of Greed. Thepanies gradually ran out in order. Yesterday, thest two Obsidian left in the Anywherepany was sold. I don¡¯t know who bought it, but they paid a premium price for them. They purchased each of them for the obscene price of 10,000 gold.]

    Artpe thought about it. This meant that he didn¡¯t have to make preparations for other possibilities.

    No matter how he thought about it, it seemed the main n of the Demon King¡¯s army was to use a curse!

    Shit! No wonder!

    Since the n had failedst time, the Demon King¡¯s army must have done a thorough analysis on why their n had failed. Now they had gotten rid of the mainponent that had interfered with their n!

    It was a very cute tactic!

    ¡®The number of artifacts with evil origins is abnormally in demand. The curse has to be connected to the items. This means it might be a curse rted to a human¡¯s greed, and the desire to ughter others. No, wait a second. Now that I think about it....¡¯

    Artpe recalled the conversation he had with Etna yesterday. What was the topic they discussed with each other?

    She said the Frate¡¯s Festival was being held after a 3 year hiatus. Didn¡¯t she say the artifacts that were strengthened through blood and tears shed in Diaz would be featured as part of this event?

    Artpe had brought up the topic first, and the flow of the conversation had been very natural. This was why he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. However, he remembered that she kept sighing as she showed regret when discussing the topic.

    If so, the underlying cause of her behavior hadn¡¯t simply been about what she had experienced up until now in Diaz. It was an emotion born out of knowing the n that was being hatched here. He had thought her behavior arose, because she was overly humane. However, this new theory was moreplling to him.

    All the cursed,menting and evil artifacts were gathered in this festival. Then there was the curse prepared by the Demon king¡¯s army.....

    ¡®The thing that immediatelyes to mind is the strengthening of a curse. Or maybe it might be a charm. Either way it¡¯ll rile up the emotions of the people. If it activates within this city full of desire......¡¯

    The only thing that would arrive would be a festival of death and madness. The people excited about the revitalization of Diaz¡¯s economy would all tremble in fear.

    Since the n had exquisite timing, he couldn¡¯t tackle it. Artpe wanted topliment the Demon King¡¯s army, since they outdid themselves this time.

    However, he would have done so only if he still held the position of Four Heavenly King!

    [Customer? Customer? Please answer me! You have the honor of being able to talk to me directly, yet you seem to not realize the worth of having such an ess!]

    ¡°Thank you for the good information, ajumma.¡±

    [I¡¯m not an ajumma! Please call me Mycenae!]

    ¡°Mycenae.¡±

    [Oh my¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Mycenae¡¯s voice immediately melted.

    [Look at how nice that is.]

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve received good information from you, I¡¯ll give you a good piece of information to you as a bonus.¡±

    [Oh my. You are even able to abide by the ethics ofmerce.]

    ¡°You should withdraw all the items you submitted for today¡¯s auction.¡±

    [You tricked me, you chatan!]

    ¡°I warned you.¡±

    Artpe ended the connection. It was up to her to make her own choices and actions now. The only thing that was important to him right now was finding a way to stop the disaster that was going to ur today using the information he just learned right now.

    ¡°Etna said I should get out of the city as fast as possible.¡±

    Maybe, this was Etna¡¯s way of asking for help. Since she couldn¡¯t go against the will of the Demon King, she had searched out Artpe, who had high amount of magical energy and knowledge. Maybe, she wanted him to recognize her secret signals, so he could stop the Demon King¡¯s n.

    Maybe, he was reading too much into her actions.

    It didn¡¯t matter which scenario was true.

    It didn¡¯t change what Artpe had to do.

    ¡°Originally, I wanted to solve this in awful manner, but I have no choice now. Let¡¯s go, Maetel and Sienna.¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to use awful method, how are you going to solve this, Artpe?¡±

    Artpe grinned as he gave an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use the way of the hero.¡±

    ¡°The way of a hero is an illegal method!?¡±

    ¡°This is unexpected.¡±

    Maetel replied in shock, and Sienna giggled.

    Artpe ignored them as he valiantly walked forward.

    His destination was already decided.

    It was the main square of Frate. It was where the Frate¡¯s Festival would take ce. There would be countless people gathered there. It was where the artifacts and greed was all gathered.

    The auction house would be at the center of the Demon King army¡¯s n.

 Chapter 52 - Frates Festival (5)

    Chapter 52 - Frate¡¯s Festival (5)

    ¡°Waaaa. There a lot of people here.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of security too. It seems our job might not be as easy as I thought.¡±

    At this point in time, all humans were focused on what was going on in Frate. Of course, a massive number of people would be gathering here at the auction located at the main square.

    There were booths selling food that they had never heard of before, and there was a decent amount of vendors selling children¡¯s toys. The eyes of Sienna and Maetel twinkled everytime they walked past a vendor. They looked like grown up youngdies on the outside, but at times like this, they were without a doubt still kids.

    He had already expected it to be like this. He let out a sigh as he spoke.

    ¡°You guys can each pick out one thing you want to eat.¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho! I love you, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I want to eat thoserge candies!¡±

    The hero and the Warrior Priestess started chewing on the candy-coated apple candies they bought from a vendor. They were quite innocent as they showed simple pleasure at eating the treats. Artpe took the precaution of trying not to draw attention of the people around them as he led the two girls towards the auction.

    ¡°Can anyone participate in the auction?¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that participation will be denied unless you cane up with at least 3,000 gold.¡±

    ¡°Three thousand gold! There must be amazing items being sold if we have to prepare 3,000 gold!¡±

    An enormous public auction house had been constructed in the shape of a circle, and there were a lot of people milling around it. Even if someone was murdered with the auction house, he didn¡¯t think people would pay much attention to it. Artpe turned around to look at the dummies swinging and ying around with the stick that had held the candy.....

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-boohp.¡±

    Maetel had pushed the candy towards his mouth, so he decided to take a bite. It was a clean bite where the crunchy fruit within and the candy on the outside entered into his mouth. He tasted an almost unbearable amount of sweetness. However, that wasn¡¯t what was important here....

    ¡°This candy is cursed.¡±

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    Sienna and Maetel expressed their shock at the same time. It was to be expected. The candy had been so delicious that they were each having a second helping. They had no idea something was wrong. Artpe gave a light blow to the heads of the two girls. They were looking at him with round eyes, so he gave an exnation.

    ¡°You are a hero, and you are an Evil Reflector, who¡¯s also a Priestess. Our existence itself gives us immunity from most curses. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t keep an eye out for curses. You guys have to develop your senses.¡±

    ¡°As expected, oppa is amazing.....¡±

    The curse was one of the ones he had assumed would show up. It was a curse that would cause rage and madness. It didn¡¯t matter how much one ate the food infused with the curse. For a fixed amount of time, the curse would stay hidden within the body, and it would only activate when a certain prerequisite was met.

    Of course, the items that met this specific prerequisite were busilying towards the auction house through various routes.

    ¡®Most of the vendors on this street are selling such products. Moreover, it is cleverly hidden, so one won¡¯t pick up on it unless one posses a decent detection skill. Even if one became aware of it, it isn¡¯t something that can be easily dispelled. It is a veryplicated curse....¡¯

    As expected, the situation was moving along in a way that he had predicted. The more important point was the fact that the curse of anger wasn¡¯t the only one spreading across the city.

    If he just looked around right now, he could see the curse within food and drinks. There was even a curse spreading through air. There were all kinds of curse that amplified emotions, and there were ones that turned humans into monsters. He even saw one that weakened people through his Read All Creation ability.

    It seemed they nned on taking over the whole city. By looking at the size of the n, it seemed they started preparing for this n as soon as the kingship exchanged hands.

    Moreover, the hero¡¯s party arrived right when therge event was prepared to go off! It was to be expected.

    Shit!

    ¡®However, I can¡¯t deny the fact that I¡¯m able to move around more freely.¡¯

    Artpe waited for them to eat all their candies before he gave them an order.

    ¡°I want you guys to destroy this auction house right now. I want you to act crazy as if the curse of rage had been activated.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    The eyes of Sienna and Maetel turned round. However, Artpe repeated his instructions verbatim, so they knew they hadn¡¯t heard his words wrong. Maetel was taken aback, so she shouted out her words.

    ¡°That¡¯s a crime!¡±

    ¡°Moreover, that isn¡¯t something a hero should do.¡±

    ¡°What kind of image do you actually associate with a hero!?¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to exin that part to them.

    ¡°I want you to make your appearances a little bit more indistinct with the artifacts. I want you guys to pretend fight, while destroying the auction house. However, I don¡¯t want you to make it seem you guys are intentionally destroying the ce. You have to show no interest in the auction house. What do you think? It¡¯s easy, right?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°...y...yes¡±

    At such an absurd request, Maetel was at a loss for words. Sienna was barely able to answer him. Artpe continued his exnation.

    ¡°Currently, there aren¡¯t many people within the city that will be able to stop you guys, so you¡¯ll be able to cause a ruckus for a long time. People will solely pay attention to the two of you, and when youpletely destroy the auction house, I¡¯ll be able to achieve my goal too. When I finish my work, I¡¯ll give you guys a singal. When that happens, you must get out of there without being detained.¡±

    ¡°But, Artpe, wouldn¡¯t the auction be stalled if the auction house is destroyed?¡±

    ¡°Of course. However, if they use all the avable resources, they¡¯ll have no trouble starting the auction on time.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the point of us destroying the auction house?¡±

    ¡°That is a very good question.¡±

    Artpe let out an evilugh. He was holding the egg of the Greed beast that was waiting to be hatched. As if it could sense the curse in the air, the egg twitched. It was a pitiful sight.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±

    There was an amazing amount of people gathered at the central square.

    In the midst of them, Maetel¡¯s anger filled voice (she was acting) rang out.

    ¡°You thieving caaaaaaaaat!¡±

    What kind of intro was that!?

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just one or two days. You are quite persistent in trying to get at my man! I can¡¯t forgive you!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s powerful kicknded a direct hit on Sienna¡¯s stomach. Sienna flew several dozen meters in the air before she impacted on the wall of the auction house.

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°A...a person flew!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    The angle of her flight was beautiful. Miraculously, no one except Sienna was hurt. The impact was powerful enough to push the people crowded around the auction house backwards in fright.

    ¡°Dieeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    Before the worried people could approach Sienna, Maetel came forth for a second round of attacks. Sienna didn¡¯t even have time pick herself up before Maetel attacked.

    She was gripping the enormous bastard sword with both hands, and she was focusing the strength of her entire body on that swing. Sienna was barely able to dodge it, and the bastard sword impacted on the wall of the auction house. The strength of the strike was transferred into the wall, and she easily toppled the wall.

    ¡°T...the auction house!¡±

    ¡°You are dodging like a little mouse!¡±

    ¡®When did Maetel¡¯s way of speech get so rough?!¡¯

    She¡¯s acting, right?

    After she indulged herself by making up a novel in her spare time, she gained this acting ability, right?

    Please tell me I¡¯m right!

    Don¡¯t tell me she is pouring out her real feeling by exploiting this opportunity!

    ¡°Hoo. Unni is a real scaredy cat.¡±

    Maetel had made the entire city tremble in fear, and Sienna finally started her counterattack! She didn¡¯t care if the people around her retreated in fear. She nted her main Sledge Hammer on the ground as she grinned.

    ¡°It seems unni is really scared that oppa will fall for me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°However, you do know that oppa likes younger women, right? Unni, you are already done. Oppa is mine now!¡±

    ¡®You guys are only 1 years apart!¡¯

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll kill you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Maetel finally activated her Berserk! At this point, she didn¡¯t care about the defenseless people or the auction. The soldiers and the fighters associated with the merchant association could only look on in fear!

    ¡°B...Berserk.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a Berserker.¡±

    ¡°A Berserker¡¯s blind passion is making her fight! She is expressing it through physical violence!¡±

    ¡°This is the end! The city is ruined!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhhng!¡±

    Maetel activated her eleration ability, and she charged forward at a crazy speed! Sienna desperately dodged the attack. Instead, another meless wall of the auction house was hit by the bastard sword. It crumbled under the assault.

    ¡°Unni is acting this way, because you aren¡¯t confident in yourself. Aren¡¯t I right? Recently, I noticed oppa isughing more for me than unni!¡±

    Finally, Sienna let out her first attack! The Sledge Hammer was the ideal weapon when one wanted to destroy something. It was also under the influence of her destructive magical energy. The alreadyrge hammer becamerger as she swung it!

    ¡°Hooht!¡±

    There were few in the human world that could measure up to her speed, but she had lost her sense of reason through Berserk. This was why Sienna was able to dodge the attack easily, and the meless auction house took the blow in her stead!

    ¡°At this rate, everyone within the auction house will die!¡±

    ¡°Stop yelling! You don¡¯t want to be the target of the Berserker!¡±

    ¡°S...someone go get the head of the auction house!¡±

    ¡°Dungeon Merchants... Where are the Dungeon Merchants!¡±

    ¡°Customer, we want 7,500 gold to intervene in this fight! Ah, no. We require 8,000 gold! We require 8,500 gold! T...this is idiotic! The cost needed to intervene is incalcble!?¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    The ce was a crucible of chaos. The people there wondered if this was how hell looks like. Shouts, screams and Mana was all mixed all in as everything in the surrounding was being destroyed!

    ¡°I...if it wasn¡¯t for you, it would have been just the two of us for the past year!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if I want him only for myself, unni. You can share him a little bit! I want him too!¡±

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! He is mine! I won¡¯t give him up to anyone!¡±

    Maetel and Sienna was speaking with such venom and anger that it was hard to think of it as acting. As they spat out their words, the bastard sword and the hammer were swung at each other. Each blow narrowly missed each other¡¯s body every time. It only destroyed the mess surrounding.

    The officials of the auction were trembling with fear. The Dungeon Merchants, who were talented in magic and martial prowess, hesitated. They wondered if they could really stop this fight.

    Then there was Artpe. He wondered if he should just abandon the n before Maetel really killed Sienna. He was conflicted as to whether he should just retrieve and run with the two girls.

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive yoooooooooooooou!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhk!¡±

    At some point in time, Maetel finally got in a critical hit. Sienna was kicked to the floor, and Maetel had stolen her Sledge Hammer. Maetel imbued a massive amount of Mana as she brought it down!

    Sienna thought she really might die if things progressed any further. She desperately rolled on the ground to avoid the blow. Maetel¡¯s hammer blow was magnificent. It destroyed the stage. The traces of an auction house was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°H...huh, huhk.¡±

    ¡°That is a technique that can be learned by a small number of Berserkers called Earth Break....!¡±

    It was just a normal Bash skill.

    ¡®Since the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for is here, I should do what I came here to do.....¡¯

    Artpe had been watching the sight from afar, and he activated his magic as he had a heavy heart. He imbued his Mana String with stealth ability. It held tightly to the egg of the Greed Beast. When everyone¡¯s attention was on Maetel and Sienna, he used that moment to secretly sneak in the egg.

    He moved it towards the absolute center of auction house¡¯s stage. It was where Maetel had made a big hole with her hellbent attack!

    He made sure the egg was buried, and he put dirt over it.

    His task ended perfectly.

    ¡°S...stop immediately! I...I order in the name of the l...lord, Count Melud!¡±

    At that point, the one in charge of Frate finally stepped forward. He was a noble, yet his safety wasn¡¯t guaranteed. His legs were shaking, but he had shown up himself to stop the crazy girls.

    It was admirable.

    Artpe decided to give him high marks for it. Of course, the count himself didn¡¯t look too happy~

    ¡°Uh. Firework¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Beautiful.¡±

    As if he had been waiting for the lord to step forward, a pretty firework bloomed in the sky. Of course, it was a signal from Artpe that signified the sess of his n.

    ¡°Aht.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel and Sienna was panting to gather their breath. They hesitated as they looked at the firework. Both girls clicked their tongue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Hoong. Do you think unni will win just by changing the venue?¡±

    The two left as they provoked each other until the end!

    Of course, the power they disyed was so terrifying that no one dared to stop them. It was possible for Maetel, but there were a good number of people amongst the Dungeon Merchants that would be able to stop Sienna. However, they weren¡¯t going to intervene unless it was profitable for them. The Dungeon Merchants abstained from doing anything.

    The two criminals sessfully walked out from the scene of the crime!

    ¡°This... What the hell happened....¡±

    ¡°We were unlucky, lord. Of all ces, those monsters decided to fight here....¡±

    ¡°How can a man be worth all of this!¡±

    ¡°It seems this person is receiving the love of those two women. I don¡¯t know who he is, but I¡¯m jealous¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Jealous? It is obvious that man will suffer an early death.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmm. That....¡±

    Artpe cleared his throat as he released his Stealth spell. He appeared in front of the lord. Of course, he still had his disguise on through his artifact.

    As expected, everyone turned their attention to him. Artpe felt like dying from embarrassment, but he opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ They are mypanions.¡±

    ¡°You are the one receiving the love of those two women!?¡±

    ¡°Uh. That¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He was thankful that their fight had attracted attention away from him, but why the hell did they have to fight over such a topic! Artpe kept sighing as he pushed one hand forward. A white magical energy burned at the tip of his fingers.

    ¡°This important location was destroyed thanks to my party members. I¡¯m not sure if this will be enough topensate for everything. I¡¯ll want to help you restore the auction house. Ah, of course, I¡¯ll also give you money for reparations.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The lord let out a acmation when a rare mage made an appearance. Moreover, unlike his terrifyingpanions, he was full ofmon sense!

    How could the lord turn him down?

    The lord weed him. He even gave a promise to not chase the two girls if Artpe helped with recovering the auction house.

    This was how Artpe joined in on the work of reconstructing the auction house.

    They were able to restore it back into excellent shape.

    The auction would be heldter that night as scheduled.

 Chapter 53 - Frates Festival (6)

    Chapter 53 - Frate¡¯s Festival (6)

    ¡°You were quite bold in your actions, customer!¡±

    It was Anywherepany¡¯s veteran merchant Mycenae. It had been awhile, since they had met outside of a Dungeon. Mycenae pped a file against her knee as she yelled out in agitation.

    ¡°I had no choice.¡±

    ¡°You had no choice? Bullshit!¡±

    She was wearing an artifact that hindered recognition, so she looked a bit indinstict. However, Artpe and Mycenae knew each other very well, so they acted very familiar with each other.

    The auction house also kept the identities of the participants a secret, so each of them were wearing a mask that also hindered recognition.

    However, all they did was affect the outer appearances, so if one wanted to know the other¡¯s identity, it could be discerned.

    The auction, by its nature, couldn¡¯t publicly reveal the identities of its participants. So everyone kept their eyes down as they participated with this unspoken understanding.

    Artpe grinned as he asked her a question.

    ¡°So did you withdraw your items?¡±

    ¡°There is no way I could have pulled all of it out!.... Fortunately, I was able to take off the ones that were going to be entered under my name beforehand.¡±

    She called him a swindler and other bad names, but in the end, she obediently followed Artpe¡¯s words. It was pretty cute.

    When Artpe had a broad smile on his face, Mycenae pounded her chest as if she was about to suffocate from the frustration she felt. Soon, her eyes turned sharp as she made calctions.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you needed my items? Will you be purchasing my helm and halberd?¡±

    ¡°Nope? I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±

    ¡°I knew it¡¯ll be like this! How did I end up in an exclusive contract with such a customer!¡±

    Mycenae felt so indignant that she threw a tantrum in her seat. Her ears fluttered fiercely. He ignored Mycenae as he raised his head. The sun was setting, and the moon was starting to peek out. He caught the sight of a cloud that changed its outer appearance as the ownership of the sky exchanged hands. It was a really splendid sight.

    However, when he brought his gaze down, he caught sight of the stage of the auction house. He saw the numerous people surrounding the stage.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    They were hiding their outer appearance with artifacts, and their faces were covered with masks However, they couldn¡¯t hide their greed and madness.

    He could see them so clearly that it was as if Artpe could grasp them with his hands. The curses looked like something that would detonate by itself. The fuse wouldn¡¯t have to be lit. In his past life, Artpe had always been surrounded by such twisted beings.

    They were disgusting and pitiful.

    ¡°You.... Ah, you¡¯ve probably seen this sight quite often.¡±

    ¡°You are being shameless by changing the topic like this.... Yes, I¡¯ve seen it so much that I¡¯m sick of it. Still, I¡¯m one of them. I¡¯m just able to hide my greed a little bit better than them.¡±

    ¡°I like your honesty. Truthfully, I¡¯m the same.¡±

    They were currently sitting in the upper seats where only the VIPs amongst the participants could enter.

    Artpe was invited here, because he had been instrumental in restoring the auction house. Before he knew it, Mycenae came and sat besides him. He had thought she had been exaggerating with her words about being a veteran merchant, but it seemed she held a pretty high position.

    ¡°Ooh-mmmm?¡±

    For a long time, Artpe checked the seats around him. Mycenae tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Where are the other two.....?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they went.¡±

    It was a lie. He knew where they were. He had worried they would go outside to fight a life or death battle. Fortunately, they had hidden themselves as they returned to the inn. They were probably resting right now.

    Yes, their mission had ended. It was now Artpe¡¯s stage.

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤well, if he needed something from them, he just had to call them back.

    ¡°Hoo-hooht. That means I¡¯ll have you to myself tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it really is a great ce for a date.¡±

    Mycenae put on her business smile, and Artpe responded with a rotten smile. Mycenaeughed as if she knew meaning behind his words. Artpe looked behind her, and he caught sight of a woman sitting not too far away.

    She wore a very fancy red butterfly mask. It could not hide her bewitching beauty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤bbah-doo-doo-doohk.¡±<sub>1</sub>

    It was the sight of Etna Carlyfate Mirecard, who was fully charged with anger.

    ¡°Heek.¡±

    She had taken a big risk in giving him a warning. Instead of leaving the city, he was being shameless bying to the most dangerous location within the city. Moreover, he wasughing it up besides a woman, so of course, she was angry!

    ¡°Uh, this might be dangerous. Someone might die.¡±

    ¡°Did you suddenly catch a fatal disease, customer?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about myself. I¡¯m talking about ajumma.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    Artpe quickly looked away from Etna, but he knew her gaze hadn¡¯t faltered. He could feel her gaze on him. Soon, Mycenae picked up on the eyes upon them.

    ¡°You really are talented in picking up women.... You really outdid yourself by getting such an amazing beauty.¡±

    ¡°If someone else hears you, they¡¯ll be under the wrong impression.¡±

    Of course, the most messed up part was that her words weren¡¯t a mischaracterization of this situation.

    No, he knew she loved Artpe in her past life, but even if he looked mature for his age, he was only a 14 year old brat! He was well aware that she had lived over several hundred years at the very least, yet she had her heart stolen by a 14 year old brat! Was that woman really of sound mind!

    ¡°What are the guards doing? They should be arresting such a woman.¡±

    ¡°Even at a nce, she looks really strong. Is she perhaps stronger than you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a thousand of me could attack her at once, and we won¡¯t be able to win against her.¡±

    ¡°If she is that strong, guards...no even a nation would be unable to detain her. .....huh?¡±

    At his words, Mycenae¡¯s eyes turned round.

    ¡°Does that mean that woman is a D.....¡±

    ¡°It is great that you are quick on the uptake, but you shouldn¡¯t say it out loud.¡±

    ¡°My god. Does this mean this auction has Dem-ah-ooop-oop!¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    As expected of a veteran merchant, Mycenae had quickly assessed the situation, and she expressed her shock. Artpe quickly put a hand over her mouth. If someone heard her, the timeline of the chaos that would erupt here would be elerated.!

    ¡°Ooh-oop-oop! Oop!¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be quiet?¡±

    ¡°Oop!¡±

    Mycenae desperately nodded her head, so he took his hand away from her mouth. She immediately grabbed his arm, and he yelled out in a small voice.

    ¡°We have to run away immediately, customer!¡±

    ¡°Why the hell would I run away? The Quest is already in progress. I can¡¯t run away.¡±

    ¡°This Quest has no reward. Let¡¯s abandon it! You should run away quickly with me!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by there is no reward?¡±

    Artpe tilted his head in puzzlement over that portion of her words. Mycenea¡¯s expression turned nk when he answered her. Even at this moment, countless artifacts filled deceit and evil was gathering here. Then there were the energy from humans and the Demons he was aiming for. It would all be his. He had a satisfied smile on his face.

    ¡°They are all mine.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    If it was all for Artpe, what would happen to the people gathered here to participate in the auction?

    She was sure Artpe didn¡¯t have that much money. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t just steal the items through brute force. She had no idea what he was thinking, but Mycenae suddenly remembered the brutal act of destruction he engineered not too long ago.

    ¡°Customer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I still haven¡¯t heard the reason why you destroyed the auction house.¡±

    ¡°The one that destroyed the ce was Maetel and Sienna. I know nothing.¡±

    Artpe easily ignored Mycenae¡¯s eyes, which was filled with suspicion, as he whistled to himself. He was being so impudent that she wanted to bit him hard. It was time for Artpe to persuade her to his side.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident my obsession with money is on par with any merchant here, but I value my life over all else. Even if you possess a Unique skill and great talent in magic, you won¡¯t be able to contend with the Demon race. That is why you should give up on the idea of acquiring those items and run away.....¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    ¡°Even if you drop such a cool line, it doesn¡¯t mean that scary woman is going anywhere!¡±

    While Mycenae and Artpe spoke in an intimate manner, the participants of auction continued to stream in. There were the nobles of the Diaz kingdom, and the movers and shakers of the market. Then there were the nobles and merchants from other countries, who had diplomatic ties to Diaz.

    If everyone in this auction house was killed, it would cause mass confusion. The confusion that was sowed when the Diaz kingdom exchanged hands one year ago wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a candle to what would erupt. If the worst case scenario urred, Frate¡¯s Festival would never be held again in the future.

    ¡°This way, master.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one serving you today, your excellency.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡±

    Of course, these people were well aware of their own importance. This was why they traveled with guards that were around mid-100s in terms of level.

    The problem was the fact that every single one of them had the seed of a curse hiding within their body. When the curses were triggered, they would basically be excellent steeds that could be used by the Demon King¡¯s army. No one here would be able to escape.

    So what would happen if Artpe stepped forward and said, ¡®This festival should be canceled¡¯?

    Would the people retreat?

    He would tell them the Demon King¡¯s army is aiming for the human world, and they should disperse.

    Would they retreat while saying, ¡®Ah. Is that so! It took us two months to get here, but since it is the Demon king¡¯s army, we¡¯ll go wash our feet and sleep in our home!¡¯?

    Would they really go back to their home?

    No way.

    Artpe would be fortunate if the people don¡¯t use him of being a minion of the Demon King¡¯s army. Then there was a chance that these curses were nted over a long period of time, and if he caused a ruckus, it might act as a catalyst in stimting the curse. It might set off the curses for sure.

    This was why he chose to overturn the board. He would act as if he was dancing to their tune, and at thest most crucial moment, he wouldpletely reverse the cause and effect.!

    ¡°Are the two other customers going to bust up this ce again.....?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t use such lowbrow methods. Actually, that is the worst way to go about doing things.¡±

    Artpe answered Mycenae¡¯s words with a snort.

    Mycenae wondered what Artpe was aiming for. She kept thinking about it, but she had no idea what it could be. She groaned as she moved her head into gear.

    ¡°It has something to do with the reconstruction of the auction house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 60 points for that answer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a failing grade¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are strict.¡±

    ¡°Eeeek. Artpehhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    On the other hand, Etna¡¯s gaze continued to be nted squarely on Artpe. Mycenae and Artpe (from the outside) looked as if they were sharing an intimate conversation. The sight made her anger boil.

    At first, she had been worried and nervous about Artpe, who hade here by ignoring her words. However, such docile emotions continued to erode away as she watched him y with another woman. Her anger grew!

    She was being like this even though Artpe wasn¡¯t her man!

    At first, Artpe thought she was inserted into the field to put down anyone that tried to interfere with the n. However, her attention was marked solely on Artpe, so this didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Or maybe she was staring at Artpe, because she decided he was the most dangerous person here.....¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Anyways, it seemed she wouldn¡¯t get anything done today.

    ¡®It is unfortunate that she is staring at me, but she won¡¯t be able to stop my n. I am the puppet master today.¡¯

    Even as Artpe smirked, he felt his inner heart be a little bit heavier.

    If Artpe hadn¡¯t been here, the n of the Demon King¡¯s army would have proceeded without a hitch. Since she was at the heart of the site where the n would be carried out, she would witness all the atrocities.....

    She had an unusually weak heart, so she would be wounded by this event. It happened quite often in his past life.

    She never had the time to recover. She continuously became wounded, and as her level climbed, her soul rotted away to a point that there was no way to recover it.

    ¡®She really is the type of woman that would do well living in the countryside while feeding cows.¡¯

    In fact, the problem was with god, who gave them such twisted destinies. It would be great if Maetel and Sienna grew up fast, so they could kill god!

    ¡°However, today will be different.¡±

    ¡°Yes, customer? What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for waiting so long!¡±

    Mycenae seemed to have picked up the meaning behind the words Artpe had mumbled to himself. She was about to question him when the auctioneer appeared on stage with exquisite timing. The greed of all the humans gathered in the auction house was focused on the auctioneer.

    All the artifacts had been gathered inside the auction house. The Demons didn¡¯t enter the auction house. They were spread all of the city and port. They smiled as if they were waiting for something. As if it was blessing the hell¡¯s banquet that was about to start, the moon let out a bleak light.

    [Ba-dump]

    It was a very faint heartbeat that could be heard by Artpe. Artpe was sure he caught the sound, so he let out augh. The auctioneer, who hadn¡¯t heard the sound unlike him, let out a sonorous shout.

    ¡°The auction will start now!¡±

    The curtain rose on the stage.

 Chapter 54 - Frates Festival (7)

    Chapter 54 - Frate¡¯s Festival (7)

    ¡°Two thousand gold.¡±

    ¡°Two thousand five hundred.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got 2,500 gold. For reference, this amulet¡¯s prior owner was Sir Patra. He had won every battle he had participated in. He was executed after the rebellion when it was found out that his cousin had been involved with the archduke¡¯s faction. The ability and luck of this item made its owner victorious in battle. At the same time, it has the curse of false usation over it. In the hands of a good craftsman, its performance can be overwhelmingly improve!¡±

    ¡°Sir Patra..... I¡¯ll express my admiration towards him by bidding 3,000 gold.¡±

    ¡°Three thousand three hundred gold.¡±

    The greed of the people were used as firewood. The auction heated up. Most of the artifacts and treasures were sold for an exorbitant amount of price. People paid several thousand gold for each item. The crowd as a whole were going nuts.

    The artifacts that were rtively low priced, bulk items and specialized items with no controversial stories behind them were all sold during the day. The ones that were being put up for auction were the absurdly expensive items, and the artifacts with questionable stories behind them.

    ¡°Next is Marquis R¡¯s wife¡¯s private......¡±

    ¡°Five hundred thousand gold!¡±

    ¡°Seven hundred thousand gold.¡±

    How could people get excited and pay a high price for a simple piece of cloth that holds no magical energy? Even if the owner was a beautiful woman, it doesn¡¯t mean a piece of cloth would gain some kind of special significance.

    Artpe thought humans were truly foolish as he turned his head. When he did, he found that Mycenae was staring at him with displeasure. Artpe decided to make an excuse.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Even if you are young, I guess you are male.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that. I wasn¡¯t looking at it, because I wanted to buy it. I was curious as to the thought process behind the scoundrels that want to buy the lingerie.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you were doing that. You are at an age where you should be very curious about such things, so it isn¡¯t as if I can¡¯t understand it.... However, you should refrain from putting your hand on your party members. It won¡¯t end with a joke.¡±

    ¡°I already know, ajumma. I don¡¯t want you to even joke about such a subject.¡±

    Currently, Artpe didn¡¯t fear the Demon king the most. He worried Etna or Maetel woulde at him at night. He was worried they would assault him by throwing their body at him. He knew he would be on the losing end if he lingered on this topic, so Artpe changed the topic by force.

    ¡°Anyways, they already know each other¡¯s identity, yet they don¡¯t hesitate to buy such items.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it happens only in Frate. Everyone bes a bit freed from their rank and power. If people be restrained when they enter the Frate¡¯s Festival, it would cause an immense negative impact on Diaz¡¯s economy. This is why no one is objecting when they know the underwear of someone¡¯s wife is being traded.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, it has been 3 years since thest festival, and the power of the throne is as weak as it has ever been. This is also after the rebellion...... It holds all the ingredients that is needed to make things worse¡±

    Moreover, the spoon of the Demon King¡¯s army had been ced in this pot. They had fantastic timing.

    Artpe felt the upsurge in the atmosphere inside the auction house, and the curse was slowly being activated. Artpe could feel it through his entire body as the cursed artifacts started resonating with the activating curse. He let out a deep sigh. When Mycenae saw this, she must have had a slight misunderstanding.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so do you want the underwear of Marquis R¡¯s wife?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°If it is underwear, I can give you mine. It¡¯ll be 1,500 gold.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t ept it even if you give me 1,500 gold.¡±

    ¡°Customer, you are very rude!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m better than the immoral merchant, who is trying to sell me her underwear for 1,500 gold.¡±

    The tension within the auction house continued to build, and it felt as if it would explode if a single spark was introduced. At that moment, a new cart was brought in. It was ced on the auction house¡¯s tform.

    Artpe unconsciously looked at it, and he became a bit surprised at what he saw.

    ¡°Next item is.... This is quite surprising! It is the longsword of Sir Edward Meletin, who ended the rebellion!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Sir Meletin!?¡±

    The auction house was overturned once again. There were individuals that suddenly stood up from their seat. Some even unmasked themselves by mistake.

    Artpe had been surprised by the artifact itself, but the people here were clearly surprised by the name of the artifact¡¯s owner.

    He asked Mycenae a question.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Edward Meletin?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just hear what he said? He¡¯s the one that ended the rebellion. He was a knight employed under a nameless marquis, yet his sword was able to emit strands of fire aura. He burned the ck magicians and knights that were under the Archduke¡¯s faction. When he captured the Archduke, everyone was shocked! They thought a new powerhouse had made his presence known. It was spected that he was one of the top-ranking knights with a level over 250. They wondered how and why this man had been unable to distinguish himself before.....¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see....¡±

    So that¡¯s how it was. Artpe answered without much energy as his eyes took in the longsword.

    Theplete information about the item was reflected in his eyes.

    [Netherworld me Sword of Madness]

    [The Fire Spirit Meltia was born from a volcano in the Demon world. She lived freely for tens of thousands of years before she was forcefully imprisoned by the power of a curse. Three types of metal mined from the volcano in the Demon world wasbined to make a sword where she was imprisoned. The sword can emit an outrageous amount of fire, and it can burn everything it cuts. As a price for using this power, the user¡¯s magical energy will be depleted, and in the end, the soul will also be harvested. The soul once again turns into the chain that keep Meltia imprisoned. This in turn increases the artifact¡¯s power.]

    ¡°Of course, he wasn¡¯t known until he acquire that sword......¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do you perhaps know something about it? Aht! That¡¯s right! If it is you, you should have the information regarding that sword.....¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooooooooooh.¡±

    The sight of the description of the sword made him feel disgusted. He felt dumbfounded by it, and at that moment, he heard a groan from nearby.

    He didn¡¯t have to turn around to know the owner of the voice. It was none other than Etna.

    She was born from fire, and she held domain over all fire. A Fire Spirit was trapped within a mere item through a curse, so he didn¡¯t have to ask her to know what emotions she was feeling right now. Did she perhaps enter into this auction with the purpose of recovering this item? It made him wonder.

    However, that was impossible. That sword was the trigger that activated the curse of the Demon King¡¯s army. He was sure of that point.

    ¡°Koo-oohk. Kooooooohk.¡±

    ¡°Etna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe carelessly spoke the name of Etna. He quickly took control of his own mouth. What would be aplished by calling her over? She couldn¡¯t go against the Demon King¡¯s orders. It wasn¡¯t as if Artpe could step forward in her stead to overturn the board.

    ¡°This sword of fire contains the valor of Sir Edward Meletin! We¡¯ll start it at 5,000 gold!¡±

    ¡°Seven thousand gold!¡±

    ¡°Eight thousand gold!¡±

    The highlight of the auction was probably this me sword. It didn¡¯t matter if one was a count, marquis, baron or a viscount. Everyone became excited as the price of the sword kept increasing.

    ¡°I have to buy that!¡±

    ¡°Sir Edward Meletin¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m sure it was that sword!¡±

    As soon as they entered Frate, the curse that had been secretly building within their body started to reveal their teeth. The curse started to encroach on their body.

    There were the participants bidding on the items, the people that were guarding the bidders, and the people that didn¡¯t have the money to bid. The ones without money couldn¡¯t speak out, so they were burning with desire. It didn¡¯t matter who they were. The curse influenced them in an impartial manner.

    ¡°Nine thousand gold!¡±

    ¡°Ten thousand!¡±

    ¡°Eleven thousand!¡±

    ¡°Twelve thousand!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll changed the minimum amount you can raise the bid to 2,000.....¡±

    ¡°Fourteen thousand!¡±

    ¡°Huh. This is weird. This is too....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it has started.¡±

    Artpe realized the trigger had been pulled at some point. It was as the Demon King¡¯s army had intended. The desire of humans within the auction had reached its zenith, and it caused the curse to thicken. It was thick enough to be seen with one¡¯s eyes.

    Then another curse was activated, and the curses started to stack. It was something even a level 200 magician wouldn¡¯t be able to escape easily. The trap was encircled around everyone¡¯s neck.

    Then the Demons that resided in the port and the outer city started to make their move. Everyone was focused on the auction house at that moment. The Demons unhesitatingly emitted a vast quantity of magical energy to trigger another curse. In a sh, the curse reached its zenith, and it covered the entire city!

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    Artpe had recognized it early on. The magical energy was formed into the shape of a magic circle. Everything and everyone gathered within the auction house was being used as ingredients. It was a magic circle that embroiled the entire city!

    There was no turning back now. The whole city would be imbued with the curse. A very small spark could burn the city to the ground!

    ¡°Twenty two thousand!¡±

    ¡°Twenty six thousand!¡±

    ¡°My god.¡±

    Mycenae was a Dungeon Merchant. As a basic requirement, her level was high, but her understanding of magic was also deep. Of course, even she didn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong within Frate. However, she was well aware of the fact that the people were acting in an abnormal manner.

    ¡°C...customer, this is.....¡±

    She wondered if she should just run away from here. At this point, she didn¡¯t care about her reputation as a merchant or the Anywherepany. She looked ready to cry, and by instinct, she grabbed Artpe¡¯s hand.

    From the beginning to end, Artpe continued to remain in his seat. He grinned as he looked at Mycenae¡¯s expression, then he firmly held her hand.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯ll protect you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Mycenae shut her mouth. The hand that was holding her hand was so dependable that she forgot that he was younger than her for a brief moment! She acted silly, because she had suffered a surprise attack by Artpe. However, at that moment, the situation was approaching its climax.

    ¡°Thirty six thousand¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°I said thirty six thousand first!¡±

    ¡°Then thirty eight......¡±

    ¡°Fifty thousand!¡±

    ¡°Fifty thousand¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!? Eeeeeeeeek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money. I don¡¯t have that much money..... Shit. The treasure is right in front of eyes, yet I¡¯m going to lose it!¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t solve this with money......¡±

    ¡°You dare!?¡±

    It was very natural as to how the spark would be lit. Someone just had to unsheathe his sword or chant a magic spell, and it would spur the magic circle intopletion.

    The curse would be spread towards the city, and if things went well, it could spread to the entire country. It could even spread across the border to burn everything. It was a clean and bold strategy that wasn¡¯t seen even in the legends or myths.

    It seems the Demon King really put effort into this n. If he acted this way in the previous life, Artpe wouldn¡¯t have died!

    ¡°This is my revenge, you damn bastard.¡±

    Artpe smirked as he mumbled to himself.

    It happened at that moment. It felt as if blood was about to be shed inside the auction house when the sound of a roar rang out.

    [Mwahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Koo-ooooooh-ook!¡±

    ¡°What the hell¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    The nobles and their knights had been about to confront each other for the Netherworld me Sword of Madness. However, they all fell to the floor at the same time.

    It wasn¡¯t just their movement being suppressed. The yell that hade from an unknown source hadpletely dominated their mind and body. The energy that had been making them act crazy was dispersed. It was as if they had just woken up from sleep. Their eyes turned round as they looked at their surrounding.

    ¡°What am I doing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°M...my god. Tomas, I want you to put your sword away! We are supposed to fight with money, yet you are trying to show off with your martial prowess. This isn¡¯t an action that is befitting a noble!¡±

    ¡°However, his lordship.... His lordship gave the order.... Mmmm? What the hell?¡±

    ¡°Die!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    While some people were confused, the ones that were still unable to breakpletely out of the curse were still in an agitated state. They were about to attack the confused people that had stopped in ce! Once again, the roar filled the auction house.

    [Mee-oh-ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    No, it wasn¡¯t just the auction house. The yell rode along the energy of the curse that was gathered inside auction house, and it spread into the magic circle formed by the Demons.

    Of course, most of the curse¡¯s energy that was boiling up in the city was being ¡®eaten.¡¯ The trigger and the fuel was being consumed before it could explode. This was why the curse lost its energy before the people residing in the city had any idea something was wrong.

    ¡°W...what the hell is this.....?¡±

    As a Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army, Etna had to polish her senses over the countless number of years. This was why she was the first one to realize something was wrong. Her eyes turned round.

    She knew that the auction house had been destroyed and rebuilt that day. However, she only sensed a strengthening spell that reinforced the structural integrity of the auction house. She hadn¡¯t sense any other trace of Mana. Who could have done this? Someone had casted a intricate spell that had tricked even Etna!

    ¡°No, the only one culprit that could have pulled this off was Artpe.....¡±

    Etna looked at Artpe with dumbfounded eyes when her gaze met his. Artpe had such a mischievous smile on his face that she wanted to pinch his cheek. However, Artpe opened his mouth before she could say anything. He just shaped his words without vocalizing it, but his message was delivered to her.

    ¡®I¡¯ll get it back for you.¡¯

    ¡°Get back what......¡±

    She unconsciously spoke the question out loud, but in the next moment, she shut her mouth. Artpe had casted a spell over the auction house. To be precise, it was a ¡®Spell Modification Spell¡¯ that he casted using the Greed Beast and his Mana Strings. There was still another step that had yet to ur.

    [Kyahhhhhhhhhhhk!]

    [Koo-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

    ¡°T...this sound!?¡±

    The first stage of the spell was to let the Greed Beast suck in the curse that was supposed to spread into the city using the magic circle. However, the curse hadn¡¯tpletely dissipated. The second stage of his n was to send the remaining curse energy into the Demons on standby using the magic circle.

    [Auction house! It is at the auction house!]

    [Koo-hahhhhhhhhhhk! It is mine! I¡¯ll have it!]

    All of the city¡¯s greed was focused on the auction house. Of course, the cursed Demons unhesitatingly headed towards the auction house.

    The auction house had been at the center of the magic circle. In the process of reconstructing the auction house, he had used his Mana Strings to make a fundamental change to the magic circle!

    ¡°Demons! It¡¯s the Demon race! Demons appeared from all over the city, and they are rushing the auction house!¡±

    ¡°Then the abnormal state of our mind from a moment ago.....!¡±

    ¡°Demons! It¡¯s the Demons! We are being raided by the Demons!¡±

    Everyone within the auction house came to their senses as they stood up. Artpe let out a leisurely smile as he watched this sight.

    He had made fixes to the Record link, and he had transformed Sienna¡¯s curse. In the process, he had be quite good at modifying spells. He had ess to the heart of the magic circle, so of course, he was able to make changes to this curse! It wouldn¡¯t have made sense if he was unable to do so!

    ¡°Customer, this is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It was supposed to be humans vs humans. I just changed it to Demons vs humans.¡±

    Artpe spoke in a nonchnt manner as heughed. Mycenae had no idea how he was able to use such a method. All she could do was stare at him with her mouth wide open.

    ¡°I had my eyes wide open, yet you got me ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Amazing.¡±

    Moreover, it was the same for Etna. She possessed abilities that was close to what a high rank magician possessed, but she didn¡¯t deal with highly difficult spells. Her ability was focused on making powerful magic using fire. Of course, Artpe was well aware of this fact. This was why he was able to use such a bold strategy.

    The items in the auction house was supposed to cause conflict amongst the humans, but the humans automatically lost interest in the items when they were faced with the prospect of facing Demons. Of course, those items were.....

    [Mee-ahhhhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°Yes. You should eat a lot and grow rapidly.¡±

    As its owner, he could vaguely see its form. The Greed Beast was eating the energy of the curse that was filling the auction house.

    The egg was able to be hatched, because countless requisite was gathered and ovepped in this ce. It was busy eating the curse and evil mana that was right in front of it. It would probably be able to materialize fully when it was able to eat everything here.

    ¡°Well, I should.....¡±

    Artpe let out a truly satisfiedughter as he turned around. He could feel the explosive energy of the Demons on the other side. They were all bundles of EXP that would be good for him.

    ¡°...put the finishing touch on this.¡±

    From the start to the end of the second Quest, everything had progressed ording to his calctions.

    It was time for him to acquire his reward.

 Chapter 55 - Lunatic Wave (1)

    Chapter 55 - Lunatic Wave (1)

    Fortunately, the humans had one advantage on their side. The strongest people in Frate were all gathered within the auction house.

    ¡°What about the guards within the city!¡±

    ¡°The Demons aren¡¯t an opponent that can be stopped with just the guards! Fortunately, it seems the Demons are mesmerized by something within the auction house. They areing straight for this ce.....¡±

    ¡°Mesmerized¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Wait a moment. Weren¡¯t we also.....¡±

    The humans realized that they had also fallen fallen prey to the scheme of the Demon King¡¯s army. They vaguely realized this truth. Of course, they had no idea that the n had been broken and changed by Artpe. Fortunately, they were well aware of the fact that they would have been screwed over by the Demon king¡¯s army if they hadn¡¯te back to their senses.

    ¡°Auction... We are stopping the auction.¡±

    ¡°We have to move the artifacts to safety¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste our time on that! We have to face the Demons!¡±

    ¡°No, the artifacts are already gone! Was this also a part of the n hatched by the Demons......¡±

    ¡°How many times do I have to say that facing the Demons are more important than the artifacts!¡±

    Of course, there were still some foolish people that desired the artifacts despite being freed from the curse. However, the Greed Beast had been busily eating the artifact, and in turn, it had forcefully canceled the confusion being felt amongst the humans. Some had wanted to take advantage of the confusion to slip away with the artifacts, but the artifacts were missing. This was why they had no choice, but to focus on the Demons!

    ¡°This is all thanks to me!¡±

    ¡°Customer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ For once, could you answer my question properly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. My secretary handled everything for me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a secretary!¡±

    He didn¡¯t mind continuing the banter with Mycenae. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t leave everything to the humans. The situation was too desperate to do so.

    Even in such a disordered atmosphere, he scanned over the people getting ready for a fight. The guardian knights were pushed to the forefront by the nobles of Diaz, and there were the figures dispatched from other countries and merchantpanies. Unbeknownst to him, Etna had approached him, and she was ring at him. He turned to look at her.

    ¡°Are you going to participate? If you help, it would be reassuring.¡±

    However, Etna didn¡¯t even bother turning down his offer to join the party. She tackled a different subject.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe, did you perhaps know this would happen?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You were the one that gave me the hint.¡±

    ¡°But you.....¡±

    He was right. She had taken a risk in giving Artpe a warning. She did it knowing that her identity might be revealed.

    However, she had taken a liking to this human despite it being their first meeting. She had been taken aback at how deep he had burrowed into her soul. The human had left behind a mark in her soul. That was why she hadn¡¯t wanted to see Artpe get hurt.

    No..... If she was being more truthful, she didn¡¯t want him to leave her behind in this scene of violence.

    Artpe was a talent that was rarely seen in the human world. She had wished Artpe would pick up on the hint she dropped. She had wanted him topletely foil the n of the Demon king¡¯s army.

    She knew she had been wishing for the impossible.

    She was under the yoke of the Demon King, so she hadn¡¯t been able to give him a proper hint. It would be ridiculous for her to expect him to have aplete grasp of the situation. There was no way he could have made preparations for this event. Even a hero wouldn¡¯t have been able to aplish it.

    ¡°Yet I was able to aplish something so hard to aplish?¡±

    ¡°You can read my mind!?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I just made an educated guess. I thought you would be shocked at my damn fine abilities.¡±

    Etna was at a loss for words. Even if he had the ability to back it up, it was hard to act like this big of an asshole. If he was a Demon, she would have wanted to recruit him to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings. This was how big of an asshole he was being. As if Artpe could understand what she was feeling, he smirked as he once again asked her for her help.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about such nonsense for now.... So, are you going to help us?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m unable to do anything.¡±

    Yes, even if she wasn¡¯t given explicit orders not to do so, she wouldn¡¯t be able to side with the humans against the Demon king¡¯s army. At this point, she had basically acknowledged that she was a Demon with her own words.

    ¡°Yes, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    If he was like any other human, he would have said, ¡®You bitch! You are a Demon!¡¯

    Or it was the perfect time to say, ¡®¡®You filthy bitch! I knew it from the time you proudly swung your big chest in front of me!¡¯. However, he didn¡¯t say anything along the same line. On the contrary, it was Etna, who became surprised.

    ¡°How are you able to ept everything so easily!¡±

    ¡°I want you to get out of here quietly, Etna. No one here can identify your magical energy. ¡±

    ¡°So why are you able¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe activated his Read All Creation ability, and he saw the dark magic shackles around Etna¡¯s neck. It was something only he could see. After he nced at it, he spoke.

    ¡°Sir Meletin¡¯s sword. That¡¯s the item you want, right? Just give me a location that¡¯ll be convenient for you. After everything ends, I¡¯ll look you up, and I¡¯ll bring the sword along.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    Even his parting shot was perfect. Etna felt as if she had beenid bare and thrown in front of him.

    She wondered if her feelings for him was also revealed to him. She was angry, taken aback and a little bit happy. Her face turned red from feeling those emotions.

    ¡°How much do you know about me!¡±

    ¡°Everyone that heard you grind your teeth when the item came out coulde to the same conclusion.¡±

    ¡°Ughhh.¡±

    It was a lie. He probably knew all the secrets regarding the sword.

    Despite this fact, he was going to do this for her....! Why! Her confusion kept mounting, and it was getting hard for her to think straight. Etna was close to tears.

    However, she had no choice, but to listen to him right now. She had lived for over 200 years, yet at this moment, she felt as if had reverted into being a child.

    ¡°The Demons areing. Hurry, Etna.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll be at Jaime¡¯s Inn. It is in sector C.¡±

    He memorized the information then he nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°Also¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Etna hesitated for a brief moment. She was barely sessful in picking out a word that she would be able impart to him.

    ¡°Ocean.¡±

    ¡°Ocean? What about the ocean... Huh? Wait a moment.¡±

    The word hade out of left field, but Artpe suddenly had a thought. He quickly turned his head, but Etna was already gone. This hint was direct and pertinent to the current situation, so he had no difficulty discerning the meaning behind it.

    ¡°This is nuts. It wasn¡¯t just a one and done.....?¡±

    ¡°What does she mean by the ocean, customer?¡±

    ¡°It is an annual event that urs in the ocean! You should already know about it.¡±

    ¡°Annual event..... Ah!?¡±

    At that point, Mycenae had aplete grasp of the situation.

    There was a reason why the Frate¡¯s Festival had always been held early in summer. There was a reason why ships couldn¡¯t traverse the ocean during fall and winter. As a merchant that was part of a merchant association, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t know about it.

    ¡°Lunatic wave!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Her eyes turned round.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be worried about the Demons right now! We haven¡¯t put up the barriers yet, and there are several dozen ships docked at the port!¡±

    ¡°That is why we have to bring down the Demons as soon as possible. Shit!¡±

    Artpe quickly moved towards the entrance of the auction house. The lord of Frate and his knights were already stationed there.

    ¡°Magician! Are you going to help us?!¡±

    ¡°Lord, once I help you defeat the Demons, will you wipe the te clean for me and my party members of all our wrongdoings? It is your call.¡±

    It was a deal that took care of the past and what was toe! The lord unhesitatingly nodded his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡±

    ¡°All right. Then I want you to take all the guards to the port. I want you to shut down the port, then I want you to put up the barriers!¡±

    ¡°Barriers? What the hell are you talking.....¡±

    It didn¡¯t take the lord too long to pick up on what Artpe was implying.

    ¡°Are you trying to say the Luatic Wave is about to start now!?¡±

    ¡°I want you to think about the people and artifacts that were gathered for the Frate¡¯s Festival. Then there is the curse that was ced here.... This was their n from the start!¡±

    Lunatic Wave.

    It was a phenomenon thatsted from fall to winter. The monsters residing in the ocean invaded ind.

    All of creation was infused with Mana, and this included the ocean. However, the quantity of Mana within the ocean waned during the fall, and as a consequence, the Mana onnd swelled. The monsters within the ocean was sensitive to this change, so they ventured ind.

    Of course, ships couldn¡¯t travel the waters during this time period. All the regions with ess to the ocean were sealed off before the fall arrived. Tall barriers were raised to block the monsters. This was also the reason why Artpe had wanted to cross the ocean before fall.

    However, that n been all for naught!

    ¡°It seems the Demon king¡¯s army can cause changes even to the rules of nature!¡±

    ¡°The conditions needed to precipitate this was sufficient. Currently, the problem we face right now is the fact that the city is an overwhelmingly attractive target!¡±

    This particr Frate¡¯s Festival had been excessively grand. This resulted in arge number of humans gathering at this location, and in turn, it had also attracted a lot of sea monsters to Frate. Then the Demon race used various curses to amplify the amount of Mana within Frate, and all these factors induced the Lunatic Wave.

    There was a chance that their curses had extended into the ocean!

    ¡®It was a single n that caused two effects. Splendid. It was an excellent n, you demon king bastard! Shit....¡¯

    What grinded Artpe¡¯s gears the most was the fact that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to prevent this situation even if he had known about this beforehand. Artpe had the ability to tangle up a magic spell, but he wasn¡¯t able to cancel the magic spell.

    Artpe had firmly been under a misconception. He had thought the n was to cause the humans to fight each other. He thought it was a ploy to cause confusion within Diaz.

    Wrong!

    It didn¡¯t matter what method was used to precipitate this event. The goal was to activate the curses. The amount of Mana within Frate had to explode upwards. Even the Greed Beast that was going nuts right now had be a very good ingredient in inducing the Lunatic Wave.

    He had done his best, yet it felt as if he had been yed by the Demon king. It was a dirty feeling. It had been a long time since he felt the taste of defeat. He hadn¡¯t felt it since he was chosen to be a hero in this reincarnated life.

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Get out of here, lowly Demons! Get out!¡±

    ¡°You dirty Demons! You dare invade humannd!¡±

    ¡°You will never be able to look down on the power of humans again!¡±

    The humans gathered here didn¡¯t realize that a bigger cmity was about to hit them in the near future. This was why each of them were spouting one liners in an attempt to look cool. Then they started fighting with the Demons. Blood and tears were being shed by the brave people. It would probably be a fodder for a future heroic tale. Maetel would probably look at this sight, and she would have said ¡®Humans are amazing!¡¯

    However, Artpe had already expanded the range of his senses, and he could feel the ocean vibrate and heave. He could feel the sea monsters rushing towards them. He didn¡¯t care about some shitty hero¡¯s tale. At this rate, Frate would meet its end. There was a chance that Diaz might fall!

    ¡°Hurry, lord!¡±

    ¡°But this ce¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop them with myrades!¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Understood!¡±

    If Artpe hadn¡¯t unted his power earlier, the lord wouldn¡¯t have listened to his words. However, Artpe had shown his overwhelming ability and leadership in the reconstruction of the auction house, so his words made the lord move.

    ¡°Please take care of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us!¡±

    The lord nodded once towards Artpe, and he quickly gathered his knights before he left the auction house. Artpe let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Etna¡¯s warning hadn¡¯t been toote. They might be able to avoid the worst case scenario.

    ¡°The only thing left is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He stretched out both hands as he activated his Mana Strings. He let out a sigh.

    The fact that he was able to twist the curse was great. Thanks to his efforts, several dozen Demons were out of their minds as they rampaged. However, if he had known the Lunatic Wave had been waiting for him in the near future, he wouldn¡¯t have twisted the curse in this fashion!

    ¡°What are you going to do, customer? There are way too many Demons here that are close to level 200.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to help us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it isn¡¯t just me. The other merchants are making preparations to do the same. It seems we¡¯ll somehow live past this, but..... Customer.¡±

    This woman should have lived a fair amount of years, yet she was scared of a lot of things. If she was like Maetel and Sienna, he could have just stroked her head. Unfortunately, it was impossible, since he was still too short.

    Instead, he firmly held Mycenae¡¯s hand once more as he spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Maetel will somehowe through for us. ¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to reassure me by saying, ¡®I¡¯ll somehow figure things out!¡¯ It would have made me fall for you for sure!¡±

    ¡°What do I gain from seducing you, ajumma?¡±

    Artpe snorted as he raised themunication device. He had one that connected him to Silpennon¡¯s party, and he had one that allowed him tomunicate with Mycenae. Of course, he made preparations in case his party was split up. He had purchased amunication device, so he would be able to contact Maetel.

    ¡°Maetel, I want you toe towards the auction house as fast as you can with Sienna right now.¡±

    [Yes!]

    He liked this about Maetel. He didn¡¯t have to exin the tiresome details to her. He could end things just by saying one word!

    [I¡¯ll be there, Artpe!]

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    She was so dependable that it made him almost want to fall for her. After he heard Maetel let out an energetic reply, he ended the call. Artpe once again turned his gaze towards the battlefield.

    The humans were weakpared to the dozen Demons present, yet the humans were putting up a fight. He had seen this several hundred...several thousand times in his previous life.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    He was now on the other side, yet he had to put on the same mental attitude he had in his past life.

    ¡°DIe, you sons of bitches!¡±

    As he let out out rough words that didn¡¯t befit a hero, Artpe joined the battle between Demons and the humans!

 Chapter 56 - Lunatic Wave (2)

    Chapter 56 - Lunatic Wave (2)

    ¡°Kyahhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Humans, those items are not meant for you. It is meant for us to wield!¡±

    ¡°Koohk. You bastards......!¡±

    ¡°These bastards are overtaken by madness! They were already strong, but now they are impossible to stop with the madness afflicting them.....!¡±

    Artpe had flipped the curse, and it caused the Demons to reveal themselves to the humans. At the same time, Artpe had prevented the Demons from running away. He wanted to create a situation where the Demons would have to confront the humans.

    His n had worked very well. The Demons didn¡¯t even think about hiding their presence as they ran full tilt towards the auction house. However, even Artpe couldn¡¯t do anything about the strengthening effect the curse had on the Demons.

    ¡°Fortunately, the Demons aren¡¯t casting any magic spells.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t of sane mind, so how can they calcte and castplicated magic spells?¡±

    Artpe snorted as he raised a finger. Mana Strings started to appear from the tip of his finger. One strand, two strands, four strands....

    In a sh, several dozen strands were emitted, and they started to coil around each other. They formed into something that resembled a rope.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t end it there.

    ¡°Hyper Rubbing.¡±

    ¡°You really are persistent about using that magic spell.¡±

    After several dozen strands of Mana Strings were twisted into one, Hyper Rubbing was applied. In a sh, an immense amount of friction was caused. The Mana Strings heated up as Mana was consumed.

    Artpe swung it horizontally. The several Demons that were trying to jump over the line created by the knights were all flung backwards. The level of these Demons ranged from mid hundreds to early two hundreds, yet they couldn¡¯t put up much fight against the attack. They were sent flying.

    ¡°Kyah-hahk!¡±

    ¡°Kooo-ahhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh! As expected of the Magician!¡±

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    Artpe wasn¡¯t swinging a weapon with substance. It was a magic whip. This was why he could swing it tirelessly as he attacked the Demons from a distance.

    Hyber Rubbing was applied to the several dozen Mana Strings, so even a short contact would create a violent bacsh. It was as if the defensive gears and the skin of the Demons weren¡¯t event there. The Mana Strings broke through everything, and it even caused the flesh underneath to burn.

    There was the damage caused directly by the friction, and the damage caused by the heat created by the friction. It was a result that couldn¡¯t be achieved through a simple fire spell.

    ¡°You can¡¯t see it when I¡¯m using a single strand, but when I use several dozen strands at the same time, the Hyper Rubbing bes much more beneficial to use!¡±

    ¡°If you have the time to leisurely give suchmentaries, you should swing the whip more!¡±

    Mycenae also had a weapon. She took out a long bow that looked familiar. Artpe realized that it was the bow he had sold to her after acquiring it from the Slime Dungeon.

    ¡°You bought that for your own use!?¡±

    ¡°Temporary! It is temporarily in my care! If I clean and repair it, I can sell it as a new item!¡±

    Mycenae was nonplussed as she spoke words that made her sound like a scam artist. Then she changed the form of the bow. It was reborn as a ballista that was normally used in siege warfare. Arge bolt made out of magical energy appeared. It was letting out a subdued silver light.

    ¡°You have to ensure that I¡¯m safe, customer!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You should ask Maetel to do it.¡±

    ¡°You are being hateful!¡±

    Mycenae fired the arrow through the ballista. She followed Artpe¡¯s example by attacking the Demons from a distance. The damage was secondary to the fact that their attacks were restricting the movements of the Demons. It was of big help to the humans.

    ¡°Ballista!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is. The time is now!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Please let me send this as business expense to the Anywherepany!¡±

    ¡°Just shoot your arrows, dummy.¡±

    There was one Demon, who hadn¡¯t suffered under the full effects of the madness. Artpe¡¯s whip shot out to surround the Demon¡¯s neck, since it was about to chant a magic spell.

    ¡°Kahk. Kuh-huhk!¡±

    ¡°Good bye.¡±

    When they received hismand, the Mana Strings untied itself. It caused a powerful rotation. The already powerful friction increased precipitously as the several dozen strands of Mana Strings started to rotate. This was a marriage between magical energy and physical force. It was the strongest offensive attack Artpe could use right now.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    It did have the downside of rapidly consuming his Mana, but the power of the attack was peerless. The Demon¡¯s chant was canceled, and his life was also canceled. Artpe naturally absorbed the record of the Demon, and he sensed a natural swell of Mana surge forth within him. Artpe smiled.

    ¡°All right. It seems I went up a level. The Demons lose some of their power when they enter the human world, but their EXP remain highpared to the other monsters.¡±

    ¡°You are probably the only one in this world that treats the Demon race as a good source of EXP.¡±

    The two of them swapped endless banters. Artpe kept swinging his whip, and Mycenae kept shooting the ballista.

    The other humans were desperately fighting the Demons, but all the humansbined couldn¡¯t touch the number of Demons they had killed. In a short amount of time, Mycenae had killed two Demons, and Artpe had killed three.

    ¡°I somewhat expected this, but it seems you are special even amongst the Dungeon Merchants.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, you probably had an idea of how strong I am, right?¡±

    ¡°I did have some idea as to how strong you were.¡±

    Of course, he was lying. He had more than a vague idea of her power. From the moment he saw her, he had aplete understanding of her fighting power.

    [Mycenae]

    [Dark Elf]

    [Dungeon Merchant]

    [Level : 199]

    [Archery Lv59]

    [Mana Control Lv38]

    If one was strictly talking about level, she was superiorpared to Artpe and Maetel. She also lived longer than humans, and the Elven specialty skill level was extremely high.

    The only problem she had encountered was the fact that she had advanced to level 199 two years ago. It basically meant that she hadn¡¯t been able to advance to a high rank ss.

    If one wanted to be a Dungeon Merchant, it wasn¡¯t just about one¡¯s potential to be a merchant. One had to possess inclination towards fighting and magic. One had to be talented in abination of multiple disciplines, so it was a very tricky ss to advance in. Many merchants let out blood, sweat and tears, because they were deficient in terms of fighting ability or magic. They were unable to advance for a very long time.

    However, Mycenae was the opposite case. Her cultivation in fighting and magic was sufficient. She was overqualified. However, shecked in her talent as a merchant. It was the only thing that was holding her back. She probably went around touting herself as a veteran merchant, because of her inferiorityplex regarding this issue.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤customer. I know you find me to be pretty, but could you focus on the Demons?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    ¡°You snorted at that!?¡±

    Artpe retracted his thoughts as he focused on the battle in front of him. There were around 30 Demons left. Artpe and Mycenae were in a great spot. They were fighting from the safest location possible. On the other hand, many humans had already died at the frontline.

    It wasn¡¯t as if there weren¡¯t any Priests residing in this city, but they weren¡¯t able to heal everyone and dispel the curses. There weren¡¯t anywhere near enough of them.

    ¡°Koohk. Is this how the humans will fall¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Lord! Where¡¯s the lord! That coward ran away!¡±

    ¡°We have to make do with what we have. Don¡¯t falter and endure!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    The humans let out a resounding shout as they resisted against the Demons. It was a decent looking picture, but Artpe could only let out a sigh.

    ¡°These humans are really weak.¡±

    ¡°Shhh, customer! They might hear you!¡±

    There were only three humans that were over level 150. If they were inferior in terms of level, they should have learned how to work in concert with each other. However, they were brutes. The only method of fighting they knew was to throw their body at their enemies. They were basically on the same level as the grunts of the Demon king¡¯s army! This was why these two groups always killed off each other!

    ¡°Please support this side, magician!¡±

    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t said anything, I was going to send an attack!¡±

    Artpe checked his remaining Mana. He still had 70% of his Mana left, but the real threat wasn¡¯t the group of Demons. It was the Luatic Wave! While he was controlling his Mana Strings, he turned to look at Mycenae, who was throwing fire balls towards the Demons. He was checking up on something.

    ¡°Ajumma, do you have some Mana Potion you kept back in reserve?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I can¡¯t sell it to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it allter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve received your order!¡±

    After unloading her ballista, she had a brief moment when the ballista was reloading. She used that brief moment to hand over the Mana Potion. He held it in his mouth as he increased the number of Mana Strings.

    ¡°Die, you maggots!¡±

    One swing of the whip pierced through three Demons. He kept rotating the Mana Strings, and the whip kept letting out heat. It was almost preternatural as to how the whip found only the most vulnerable spots on a Demon¡¯s body to cause damage. The Demons suffered critical wounds.

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahk!¡±

    Artpe was prioritizing his attacks against Demons that were of simr or lower level than him. This was why he was able to pierce them easily. There wasn¡¯t much resistance against his Mana. The humans had no real understanding about Artpe¡¯s ability, so it looked as if Demons were being killed every time he swung his whip. Their morale rose as they cheered.

    ¡°The peerless magician is helping us! The Demons are so scared that they aren¡¯t able to attack us properly!¡±

    ¡°Rush them! It is time! Don¡¯t let this opportunity slip away!¡±

    The knights and Dungeon Merchants shouted at the same time as they faced off against the Demons. However, the Demons were still dying at the same rate, yet the human force was getting smaller at a faster rate. Basically, the humans were too weak!

    ¡®This won¡¯t do. How ridiculous would it be if we can¡¯t defend against the Lunatic Wave, because of this?¡¯

    Even if it would disadvantage himter on against the Lunatic Wave, should he kill all the Demons right now by pouring out all his magical energy? It happened when Artpe was dithering.

    ¡°Hooo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahk!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ohhhhh!?¡±

    Finally, Maetel and Sienna had arrived at the battlefield!

    ¡°Huhk. Those girls were the ones that caused the big ruckus earlier.......¡±

    ¡°Berserker! That girl is a Berserker! Is she perhaps a Demon.....¡±

    The nobles and knights, who were in the midst of fighting against the Demons, flinched in surprise. However, the two girls didn¡¯t pay any attention to the gazes they were receiving from the other humans. They charged towards the Demons.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-oohp!¡±

    Maetel gripped her long sword as she used eleration. It was as if she was sliding across the surface of the ground. Each time her swordshed out several Demons were cut down. Sienna threw her Sledge Hammer. It crushed the head of a Demon that was about to break through the line of humans.

    ¡°She¡¯s strong!¡±

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ She wasn¡¯t part of the Demon race!?¡±

    Once she invoked her power, Maetel didn¡¯t stop. She activated Berserk to push the power of her muscles to the extreme. She nted her foot into the ground, and she shot forth like an arrow. She pierced through the body of a Demon.

    ¡°Koo, hahk......¡±

    ¡°Next.¡±

    The Demons that were left were all over level 200. They were strong, yet even in Artpe¡¯s past life, the hero had easily ignored the level difference. The Demons were cut down with a single strike.

    ¡°No one here was able to face a Demon one on one, yet she killed it with one blow!?¡±

    ¡°Strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ They are too strong!¡±

    ¡°Hooooooo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    At that moment, Sienna had reached the spot where she had thrown her hammer. As soon as she retrieved it, she filled herself with magical energy, and she stomped on the ground. The wave of magical energy had a widespread effect as it impacted against the Demons. At the same time, it imparted healing energy towards the humans. It was a main skill used by the Warrior Priestess. It was called the Divine Ground.

    ¡°Ggooh-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°What is that cursed ability!¡±

    ¡°Priestess! She¡¯s a Priestess!¡±

    ¡°That girl was a Warrior Priestess!¡±

    ¡°The girl that was having a fight of passion with the Berserker was a Warrior Priestess.... It seems the temple has gone full monty.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter where she was or what point in her development she was in. Artpe knew Maetel was crazy strong. The unexpected one was Sienna. She hadn¡¯t reached level 160, yet the Demons were unable to anything against her attacks. It was a shocking sight.

    No, she¡¯ll probably move past level 160 soon. Around half of the Demons here would be turned

    Into her EXP.

    ¡®Evil Reflector¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I knew that her race was created as an antagonistic force towards the Demon race, but I never expected it to be like this.¡¯

    Sienna¡¯s magical energy rebuffed the Demons, and all her skills contained her magical energy. This meant all her skills had the effect of dispersing magical energy of the Demons. Artpe had known all of this, yet it was entirely different to see her in action.

    ¡®Can¡¯t I just make her the hero?¡¯

    One thing was for sure. The decision to ept Sienna as a party member was one of the finest decisions he had made in his life.

    ¡°That weak brat became so strong in just one year.¡±

    It seemed Sienna¡¯s performance had also left behind a big impression on Mycenae. He smirked when he heard her express her admiration. He weighed in on the situation with his words.

    ¡°Humans normally change really quickly just like that.¡±

    ¡°That is the strength of the humans.....¡±

    ¡°Strength¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t nned on praising the human race as a whole. The fact that humans changed rapidly was a strength, but it was also a crucial weakness.

    ¡®Since she¡¯s a priestess..... Nope, that¡¯s fine.¡¯

    His mind had wandered during battle. It seemed he couldn¡¯t let go of the habit he picked up as the Four Heavenly King. Artpe clicked his tongue as he swung his Mana String.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly. The night has just begun.¡±

    ¡°That is also my wish, customer.¡±

    Mycenaeughed as she answered him. When her Mana arrow was reloaded into the ballista, a loud sound of an explosion was heard from the port.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he mumbled to himself. At that moment, humans and the Demons under the influence of the madness curse stopped what they were doing for a brief moment.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°This is nuts..... Can it be? It¡¯s happening right now?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    [Zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    Afterwards, an ear-splitting sound rang out through the entire city.

    It was an rm magic that warned of an impending Lunatic Wave.

 Chapter 57 - Lunatic Wave (3)

    Chapter 57 - Lunatic Wave (3)

    After the ambush by the Demons, the Lunatic Wave had arrived. It was said that unfortunate events happened in series. It perfectly described what Frate was facing

    ¡°Luantic Wave! I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the Lunatic Wave! Lord! Where¡¯s the lord!?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already at the port¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I see! The lord had already foreseen this!¡±

    ¡°I believe a Lunatic Wave happened during the summer time several hundred years ago at a different port city!¡±

    All the port cities had guidelines for what to do in a Lunatic Wave. Even the guests visiting the city knew it.

    However, even if one wanted to follow the guideline, it was impossible to do so with the Demons in their way. The knights finally realized the intent of the Demon King¡¯s army, and they quivered in anger.

    ¡°My god. Did the Demons use the curse to induce the Luantic Wave!¡±

    ¡°The Demon King is sacrificing his subordinate Demons to bring Diaz to ruins? Howughable!¡±

    Of course, the Demon King had no intention of sacrificing his subordinate Demons.

    However, there was no need for Artpe to step forward, and say something like ¡®In truth, I¡¯m the one that made the Demons go crazy!¡¯

    ¡°Koohk. Those damned Demons!¡±

    ¡°Die! Die! We won¡¯t let you do as you like! You won¡¯t bring ruin to Diaz!¡±

    The people were going to die by the Lunatic Wave, while they were fighting off the Demons. Of course, their heart was in the dumps.

    Artpe had all killed all the Demons that were weakly affected by the curse. Those were the Demons that would have gone off script. Now the remaining Demons surged forward as they matched the intensity disyed by the humans. The Demons rampaged as if they had lost their minds.

    ¡°I was hoping the Lunatic Wave would be dyed, but those were merely hopeful thoughts.¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he looked over the battlefield.... When Maetel and Sienna had joined the fight, the battle had tiltedpletely towards the humans. After he confirmed this truth, he nodded his head.

    ¡°It¡¯ll all work out somehow. As expected, Maetel is a cheat.¡±

    Since Maetel and Sienna was at this site, everything would wrap up quickly. It would be good for him to stay here and earn EXP from killing the Demons, but Artpe¡¯s abilities would be more effective elsewhere. Instead of the small confines of the auction house where he couldn¡¯t move without getting into a fight, he would be able to borrow the power of nature to create a miracle at the port!

    ¡°Ajumma, I¡¯ll be going to the port.......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ooh ooh.¡±

    After he made a quick n of action, he was about to move when Mycenae firmly grabbed the sleeve of Artpe¡¯s robe. She had her head turned away to avoid facing Artpe, yet she had a firm grip on him. Artpe was dumbfounded, so he asked her a question.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Shouldn¡¯t we move after we wrap things up here....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was a busy situation where every second counted, so why was she acting as if she was weak? He was about to yell at her, but he caught sight of Mycenae¡¯s ears. Her ears were fluttering delicately. Artpe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡®She¡¯s been weirdly afraid, since a while ago. Maybe....¡¯

    Did she perhaps have Demon-phobia?

    Artpe tested his theory as he took a step away from her. She let out a gasp, and she gripped him tighter. It was apletely different sight from the brave figure that had been firing her ballista by his side.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can take me with you? Yes?¡±

    ¡°Ajumma, how were you able to function as a Dungeon Merchant until now¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh. The tremble in her ears became worse when he moved away from her and when the screams of the Demons increased in loudness. He knew he couldn¡¯t do anything about this.

    ¡°Yes, I guess nothing will change if you leave this ce. All right. We¡¯ll go together.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooooh.¡±

    She let out a sigh of relief as she put away the ballista. Afterwards, she looked over the auction house onest time. There were people screaming their hearts out as they fought with their lives on the line. Then there were the people that couldn¡¯t exit the auction house. They couldn¡¯t fight, so these people were hiding.....

    Then there were the pathetic humans that were trying to find the missing auction items with bright eyes. She also caught sight of the Greed Beast that let out a happy cry as it ate all the curse and evil energy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    [Mee-ahhhhhhhhng!]

    Artpe whispered in a low voice, and the Greed Beast gave a rumbling answer. He had feared the worst case scenario might havee true. He had wondered if the Greed Beast would consider Artpe, who was the owner of the egg, as an enemy. Fortunately, the Greed Beast had acknowledged him as its master.

    ¡°Hooo.¡±

    When he heard its reply, he smirked as he grabbed Mycenae¡¯s hand. Then he lightly pushed off the ground.

    In the next moment, the two arrived at a location far away from the auction house.

    ¡°Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Mycenae blinked her eyes when her surrounding suddenly changed. She looked around as she spoke in an usatory tone towards Artpe.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to sense you activating your magic.¡±

    ¡°Usually, the magic spells infused into Artifacts can be activated in a stealthy manner.¡±

    ¡°Customer, you have an artifact with Teleportation magic..... Uh-muh?¡±

    Mycenae felt Artpe grip her hand again. He once again pushed off the ground, and they traveled a distance of several hundred meters. Her eyes widened when she saw this.

    ¡°Did you perhap use Blink right now!?¡±

    ¡°After I reinforced it, I¡¯m able to move bring along another person.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense. Blink was a spell developed as a means for a caster to escape from danger by himself-kyahhhhk!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t give Mycenae time to reply as he used it once more. For reference, the boots worn by Artpe had reached this state.

    [Blessing of the Wind Spirit¡¯s Boots+2]

    [The ck leather boots is infused with wind. It was reinforced twice with a special skill to be made into a legendary artifact. The user can use Blink five times a day without consuming any Mana. The Blink can also be activated when the user is being attacked, and anyone in contact with the User can be moved too. Additional Mana can be used to activate Blink. The additional Mana increases the travel radius by a significant amount.]

    ¡°It would be great if I can reinforce it one more time. However, if I want to reinforce it further, I¡¯m going to need a Magic Stone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the legends regarding enchanters. There are so many types of reinforcement enchanting skills. They can be temporary or permanent. There are ones that requires the user to fulfill a special requirement to activate it. There also ones that can be used on humans, inanimate objects, the environment..... Then there is the reinforcement skill that is above all other reinforcement skills. It allows one to ¡®ovep the reinforcement skill¡¯ on the same item.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Reinforcement skill I earned was that type of Reinforcement skill..¡±

    Of course, he had gained this great Reinforcement skill in the Hero¡¯s development Dungeon. It really was a bitter experience, but he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Maetel and he had gained many important things in there.

    ¡°In that sense, I¡¯m going to Blink two more times.¡±

    ¡°Wait a m-kyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    The boots¡¯ Blink activated, and he was used to using it now. It really took them two Blinks for Artpe and Mycenae to arrive on the port¡¯s barrier wall, which was facing the ocean. The monsters were crawling in front of them. There were more monster than there were high waves.

    ¡°We are here.¡±

    ¡°How can this be Blink? What the hell is....¡±

    ¡°Huhk! Magician! Also, weren¡¯t you the merchant from the Anywherepany?¡±

    ¡°As always, I am in your care....ah-yaht.¡±

    The lord was tirelessly moving along the wall to encourage the soldiers. He became surprised when he saw Artpe. Even in such a desperate situation, Mycenae was trying to go into her business mode. Artpe poked her in her side, so she would back off. He surveyed the situation.

    ¡°Fortunately, we are still at the early stages of the Lunatic Wave, so the weak ones areing to shore.¡±

    ¡°Y...you are correct! However, we are faced with a problem. This isn¡¯t the only region where the monsters will try to invade. Somehow we were able to raise the 1st tier barrier wall around the whole ce....

    ¡°You encountered a problem when trying to raise the 2nd tier walls.¡±

    They had built 3 stages of barrier walls to stop the sea monsters from entering the city.

    Normally the 1st tier of barriers were buried deep within the water. It was raised when the Lunatic Wave was about to happen. It was easy to put in ce, but it also meant that the wall was low. Basically, it could take care of the minor monsters, but the monsters above them would break through it.

    The ships in the dock had to be isted in specific locations for the 2nd tier of barrier walls to be activated. It was a barrier made out of magic. It was a barrier made out of arge concentration of Mana, so it also had the effect was attracting the monsters to stay near the wall. It was a fantastic barrier, but....

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s ships are docked at the pier.¡±

    ¡°That is a problem.....¡±

    They didn¡¯t have the time to iste the ships into their designated locations, so the barrier couldn¡¯t be put up. The fact that they were even able to raise the 1st barrier wall was an effort to bemended. The lord let out a deeper sigh.

    ¡°We tried to skip the 2nd barrier to raise the 3rd barrier. However, the ships that were parked between the 1st and 3rd barrier prevents us from raising the 3rd.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ From my perspective, it doesn¡¯t sound like a big problem.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Before Artpe spoke again, he turned his head to survey his surrounding. Everyone was busily moving around in an attempt to do their assigned tasks, so no one would be able to hear their conversation.

    ¡°Lunatic Wave is a natural disaster. Even if all the customers here lost their possessions, they won¡¯t be able to lodge aint against you. Isn¡¯t there a treaty between countries that specify this stiption?¡±

    ¡°A...as expected of a magician, you are well informed.....¡±

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t defended against the Lunatic Wave aggressively like you are doing right now, it might be a different story. However, you are doing your best right now, so they won¡¯t be able to ce the me on you. Isn¡¯t it so? You are working your heart out right now.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s wordspletely untied the knot within the lord¡¯s heart. A small smile returned to the face of the lord.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You are right. Yes, I was worried for nothing. The lives of our people are the most important! Absolutely! Then we have to put up the 3rd tier barriers....¡±

    ¡°No, why are you jumping to that conclusion?¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    The lord tilted his head in puzzlement. If the gesture was done by a cute girl, it was forgivable. However, an old man was making such a gesture, and it was really creepy. Artpe pushed down the urge to beat him up, and he continued his exnation.

    ¡°It is as I¡¯ve said, lord. If we do our best, no one willin even if we destroy all their possessions.¡±

    ¡°That is why I said we should ignore the boats to put up the 3rd tier barriers.... Ooh-mmm?¡±

    At that moment, the lord finally understood what Artpe was getting at. The raising of the 3rd tier barriers weren¡¯t their best option.... If they did their absolute best, they would be able to raise the 2nd barrier!

    The lord¡¯s face was filled with shock. At that moment, Artpe smirked as he continued speaking.

    ¡°In the process of us fighting hard, we can destroy all the ships. We can sink them all, and they wouldn¡¯t be able must up aint. Aren¡¯t I right?¡±

    ¡°Y...you.¡±

    Devil! The Devil was right in front of him! The lord¡¯s face turned pale as he shook his head. There had been a hint of a smile on Artpe¡¯s lips, but now that smile deepened. The words that drove the final nail in was spoken by Artpe.

    ¡°If we are to do this, we have to do it now, lord. The figures from the foreignnds are all gathered at the auction house.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤d...did you perhap put all of this into your calction!¡±

    When Artpe heard his words, the corner of his mouth lifted as he smiled. Yes, this was the moment he had been waiting for. From a deep ce inside his soul, the instincts of the Four Heavenly king boiled up to the surface. He started bluffing hard!

    ¡°Of course! From the beginning to the end, I¡¯ve calcted everything!¡±

    Of course, he was lying.

    The lord¡¯s whole body shook at such ruthless and evil calctions made by the magician.

    However, it didn¡¯t take him too long to nod his head.

 Chapter 58 - Lunatic Wave (4)

    Chapter 58 - Lunatic Wave (4)

    ¡°Since we are going to do this..... We have to be as discreet as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are trying to say. I said the possessions of the guests would be damaged during the heat of the battle, but I never said I would do something myself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The lord had hardened his heart. He finally convinced himself to go along with Artpe¡¯s suggestion, yet Artpe had given him such a shameless answer.

    When the lord was about to answer him, an enormous merchant ship that was docked near them started to sink

    This was happening despite the fact that the monsters were still being held back at the 1st barrier walls!

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Amazing! I never expected to a sea monster that can attack from long distance would make its appearance!¡±

    ¡°There is no way anyone would believe such bull....hoohp.¡±

    The lord was using his reasonable part of his brain to tackle this issue. However, he shut his mouth when Artpe gave him a sharp look. Mycenae acted as if she had already stopped listening to the conversation. She started mounting her ballista on the wall.

    ¡°Ee-yah. It is an incredibly strong monster. That, that and that.... Those boats are all sinking.¡±

    ¡°Customer, it looks as if you are enjoying this more than anything I¡¯ve seen you do before. Am I mistaken?¡±

    ¡°I...it is a terrifying monster. It¡¯s a terrifying monster. Yes, a monster....¡±

    Everything could always be justified by using force. The lord was holding back tears. He knew the truth, yet he couldn¡¯t reveal the truth. Artpe ignored him as he used his Mana Strings to sink the ships in order.

    He made holes in the hull of some ships, and he capsized others. Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability, so he could clearly see the internal structure of the ships. He was able to easily sink a ship by lightly swinging his Mana Strings.

    ¡°W...what the hell is going on¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°T...the attacks areing from unexpected ces! Everyone be prepared!¡±

    ¡°The ships are all sinking..... How are they doing that!¡±

    The soldiers and knights had been busily running around on top of the wall when they caught sight of the sinking ships in the coastal waters in front of Frate. The sight boggled their minds.

    What would happen if a monster with such overwhelming power attacked them instead of boats? Strangely, this particr monster was focused on sinking ships rather than killing humans!

    ¡°The ocean is already crawling monsters, so we can¡¯t run away through that route. However, they are specifically targeting the ships......¡±

    ¡°The Lunatic Wave came much earlier than expected..... It will be hard year. However, we gained something when they sunk all our ships! Isn¡¯t that right, lord!¡±

    ¡°Lord!¡±

    Everyone on the 1st barrier wall turned to look at the lord. He knew the dirty and evil truth, so he didn¡¯t have to fake his bitter expression. He raised his voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll activate the 2nd tier barrier wall! Everyone aside from the members manning the 1st barrier should alle with me!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°We will follow our lord!¡±

    The fighting spirit of the humans were boiling upwards. The lord had a heavy expression on his face. It was as if he was asking himself, ¡®Is it really alright to do this?¡¯

    However, it was true that they had gained more time by following Artpe¡¯s instructions. The extra time was precious in defending against the monsters. The lord let out a bitterugh as he lowered his head towards Artpe.

    ¡°Magician, may I leave the 1st tier of barrier walls in your care?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You should withdraw everyone from here. You should divert them to the 2nd and 3rd tier barrier walls. No, it isn¡¯t just the barriers. Don¡¯t you have a lot to do within Frate?¡±

    ¡°The fact that you are here during a crisis makes me feel very reassured..... Then I¡¯ll leave this all to you.¡±

    They had gained a lot of time thanks to Artpe, but this didn¡¯t change the fact that they were still in a desperate situation. The lord hastily gathered all the soldiers and knights. They left to activated the 2nd tier barriers.

    This meant the only ones facing the ocean on the 1st barrier wall was Artpe and Mycenae. No one else had stayed behind.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Artpe was flustered as he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°He really took everyone!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for bluffing and acting high and mighty.¡±

    Mycenae grumbled as she loaded and shot her ballista. It pierced several monsters that surged up from the surface of the water. However, there were so many monsters that one could hardly notice the loss of these monsters.

    ¡°Anyways, you¡¯ve already spoken those words, so you have to take responsibility. This might be obvious, but I cannot hold them back by myself.¡±

    ¡°Still, I never expected him to pull out everyone....¡±

    As it was noted before, the 1st barrier wall was low in height. Since the Lunatic Wave had started not too long ago, the monsters they could see were small fries. However, monsters that could easily jump over the barrier would show up soon.

    This was especially true for monsters that had the upper body of a human, and the tail of a fish.

    When these monsters surged out of the water, their lower body changed into human legs. The merfolk were the greatest threat during the Lunatic Wave. When the merfolks made their appearance, it was fair to assume that the 1st tier of barrier was useless.

    ¡°I have to cover thisrge area by myself...... Whatever. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    He had been unable to break the habit of bluffing. It had carried over from his days as the Four Heavenly King. He could me no one, but himself!

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t have a n he could use for this scenario. Artpe admonished himself as he vowed to be a little bit more humble in the future. Then he activated his Mana.

    ¡°Customer, it isn¡¯t toote to talk to the lord.....¡±

    ¡°No, just wait.¡±

    Artpe had an aggrieved expression on his face as he ced a hand on top of the barrier wall. He activated his Read All Creation ability, and he was meticulous in finding out the exact structure of the barrier wall that was separating the ocean and Frate. Mycenae had no idea what he was trying to do, but she was getting more and more anxious.

    ¡°Customer, there are so many monsters gathered at the base of the wall that they¡¯ll form a mountain.¡±

    ¡°Just wait.¡±

    ¡°Customer, I caught sight of mermen and mermaids in the distance.¡±

    ¡°Just wait.¡±

    ¡°Customer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It is done.¡±

    When Mycenae thought the barrier wall was going to fall in its entirety, Artpe was able to confirm the structure of the barrier wall. We seeded in gathering all the information. When he raised his head, his frightening purple eyes shed.

    ¡°Customer, that monster is about to cross over the barrier....¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t be able toe over now.¡±

    As he confidently made the deration, he activated a single magic. It was aimed at the point of contact between the barrier wall and the ocean waters. Basically, Artpe¡¯s magic would be applied when the monsters tried to climb over the wall. It was the Hyper Rubbing spell. It had developed during the fight with the Demons, so it had reached an overpowering level of 49.

    ¡°Customer, did you just use that right now.... Mmmm?¡±

    ¡°There are two ways of activating the Hyper Rubbing. The first method is to rub against a target. The second method is to impart the power of rubbing on a target.¡±

    In the past, he had rubbed the floor to make it slick. He had used the first method to do this. The second method was used when he imbued the power of rubbing onto the soap during the shower.

    Of course, it was possible tobine the two methods. This was seen when he used his Mana String whip. However, the method he was using right now was the second method.

    ¡°The ocean water¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ No, it¡¯s the monsters!¡±

    When he first learned Hyper Rubbing, all he could do was to rub his target in a vigorous manner. Even if he put in a lot of Mana into the spell, he couldn¡¯t created a magic that could change one¡¯s environment.

    In the past, magicians thought about researching the Hyper Rubbing spell, but it was useless in practical life. No one dared to use it in battle. This was why most could raise it to level 20 on average. Level 30 was the highest someone had developed it before. Artpe had also thought that level 30 was the limit of Hyper Rubbing.

    [Koo-goo-rooooooooooo!]

    [Kee-ahhhhhhhhhk!]

    However, he didn¡¯t have any of the spells that had been avable to him in his past life. He had no choice, but to rely on the Hyper Rubbing spell. In turn, he had found ways to use the magic spell in real battles, and it had widened his repertoire. He realized a truth about the world through this meaningless magic, but his biggest achievement was the growth of the Hyper Rubbing spell. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration if one called him the Emperor of Friction.

    ¡°T...the waves.... New waves that seems to be resisting against the waves of the oceans are forming!¡±

    ¡°The friction causes vibration. As I control the Mana, I can control the cycle and intensity of the vibration.¡±

    The waves started small, but the waves kept adding to each other as the size of the waves grewrger. Artpe was raising the barrier wall as he controlled the vibration caused by the friction. He even controlled the waves that were forming as he grew the size of the waves.

    [Kyahhhhhhhhhhhk!]

    [Kee-heeeeek! Kyahhhhk!]

    This was urring everywhere the barrier wall was installed!

    ¡°Amazing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are too incredible, customer! Still, it would have been simpler if you used the magic spell that creates waves!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it! I don¡¯t have such magic!¡±

    Artpe threw a tantrum as he created a bigger wave. Most of the weak monsters could not ovee the waves. They were pushed backwards. Even if monsters were strong enough to push past the waves, they couldn¡¯t withstand the incredible amount of friction being created by the barrier wall. They were repelled.

    In other words, Artpe was really defending the 1st tier barrier walls by himself.

    ¡°L...look over there.¡±

    ¡°Magician-nim has control over nature.¡±

    ¡°W...we shouldn¡¯t be doing this right now ! While Magician-nim is buying us time, let usplete the 2nd tier barrier walls.!¡±

    However, Artpe wasn¡¯t done yet. He had somewhat recovered the magical energy he had expended when he ced the Hyper Rubbing spell on the entirety of the barrier wall. He once again ced his hand on the barrier wall.

    ¡°Customer, you should help me now to snipe the monsters.... What are you doing now?¡±

    ¡°Reinforcement.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s hand shed, and a massive amount of Mana flowed out of him again. All of the Mana was put into the barrier wall. The barrier wall slowly started to vibrate more as it let out a purple light.

    ¡°Wait a moment. This isn¡¯t an artifact. How are you going to use Reinforcement on a regr barrier wall....kyahhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    Mycenae had been doubting Artpe until the barrier wall started to shake. He easily took her by surprise again.

    The 1st tier barrier walls were about to be obsolete, since the troop of mermen could easily ovee the low barrier walls. However, when the 1st tier barrier walls received Artpe¡¯s Mana, the wall evolved at a fundamental level. Of course, its sturdiness had increased, but it also increased in overall size!

    ¡°All right. I think I can use Reinforcement twice on the wall in one sitting.... I¡¯m going again.!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    Another round of purple light burst forward, and in a sh, the barrier wall surged upwards! It was over 10 meters in height!

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhh! Magician-nim breathed his magic into the barrier!¡±

    ¡°It grew! It is about the same size as the 2nd tier barrier walls! Oh my god! What is his level!¡±

    [Vibrating wall infused with the will to protect Frate+2]

    [This nameless and in barrier wall had been touched by the hands of a magician. The records of the people, who had fought in the past Lunatic Waves, were absorbed. The wall was born again, and this process affected the power of the special spell that was ced on the barrier wall. It turned into arge artifact that can emit vibration.]

    Artpe let out an embarrassedughter when the artifact was born. He hadn¡¯t expected it to work.

    ¡°Ha ha ha. I¡¯ve done it again.¡±

    ¡°Customer, you always cause trouble, but.... The scale of this is too big!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t need to maintain his Hyper Rubbing any more. The barrier wall had been given the power of vibration, so it could repel the weak monsters with waves by itself. Even if monsters could approach the wall, it could increase the intensity of it vibration to cause damage to the monsters. And to top it off, the barrier wall was too tall now. Monsters couldn¡¯t even attempt at jumping over the wall.

    ¡°Ah, therge troop of mermen are here.¡±

    ¡°You are right. They areing.... They were a step toote.¡±

    The troop of monster mermen had confident expressions on their face as if to say, ¡®We¡¯ll just climb over that low barrier wall!¡¯

    They had an exquisite timing in making their appearance. It made one want to ask them if they were the main characters of this story.

    [Goo-rooo-roo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ooh-uhng?]

    [High! It is high!]

    They finally arrived at the 1st tier barrier walls. However, these weren¡¯t the human made walls that they had heard about from their mothers and fathers. They were baffled. The mermen froze as they came face to face with the massive barrier wall.

    It was supposed to be a wall they could easily jump over.....

    [Ggoo-uhhhhhhng! Wall! It hurts!]

    [We can¡¯t cross it! The wall is insurmountable!]

    [I want to go home!]

    The troop of mermen and mermaids despaired at their twisted reality. Naturally, they took steps to avoid the reality. However, Artpe wouldn¡¯t let them do so. Mana Strings were emitted from the tip of his fingers. He no longer needed to maintain his Hyper Rubbing spell. He could ughter them to his heart¡¯s content now!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    [Keeeeeeek!]

    ¡°You aren¡¯t even worth much EXP, yet you dare toe here! Come back with stronger monsters!¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It seems we no longer need the 2nd and 3rd tier barriers.....¡±

    Mycenae carefully observed her surrounding as she raised her ballista.

    After two hours, the nobles from the other countries that had been upied with the battle against the Demons came running towards the port. They despaired when they found no traces of their boats. They realized their ships had all sunk.

    Even at that moment, not a single monster was able to cross the 1st tier barrier wall.

 Chapter 59 - Lunatic Wave (5)

    Chapter 59 - Lunatic Wave (5)

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    The moment Maetel neatly annihted all the Demons she came running towards the port. In a sh, she used her amazing jumping ability to climb atop the vibrating wall. It took her a single leap, and when she arrived at the top, she clung to Artpe. As if Sienna didn¡¯t want to lose to Maetel, she tried to jump onto the wall, but her physical ability was inferiorpared to Maetel. She had to push off once more midway up the wall.

    ¡°Artpe. You did this, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°It is really high up here!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s Mana detection had always been exceptional, but it became much more sensitive as she traveled with Artpe.

    She was like a hound that could smell anything that possessed Artpe¡¯s Mana. When she saw the unique wavelength of his Mana being emitted in droves from the barrier wall, she knew his hands had touched the wall.

    [Keeeeek! Come down here, humans!]

    [L...listen to my song! Hear me sing!]

    The more important fact right now was the fact that numerous monsters including mermen were unable to invade the territory of humans. This was thanks to the barrier wall being in the way.

    Artpe and Mycenae were killing a massive amount of monsters, but the number of monsters present in the ocean was growing. It was said that the ocean was a treasure trove of life, and this phrase was being proven right by the massive number of monsters that was continually growing.

    It made one wonder if there was an end to this monster rush.

    ¡°We are fine for now. We¡¯ll be able to rx until the barrier walls falls. ¡±

    ¡°Ah. So that is why I saw people carrying out tasks all over the city instead of manning the wall.¡±

    ¡°I found it particrly reprehensible that they left everything to you..... If an outsider saw this, one would think you were Frate¡¯s lord.¡±

    The residents of Frate had many tasks to do if they wanted to face the Lunatic Wave. Food had to be put away as reserve. Then they had to close several roads that could be used by the monsters once they entered the city. More barriers had to be erected on the roads.

    However, this year¡¯s Lunatic Wave had arrived so suddenly that they would have had to endure it with nothing but their body. However, Artpe had executed an effective n that had given all humans within the city some time. It had given the humans some breathing room. It was unintentional, but Artpe was carrying out tasks that befit a hero.

    ¡°Artpe is too kind.¡±

    Maetel had no idea how a wall could continuously vibrate and make waves without an outside source of Mana. However, she understood that many people would be saved thanks to what Artpe had done. However, Artpe decisively shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kind. I just want to smash all the ns hatched by the Demon King. Moreover, I want to kill all the monsters, so I can monopolize the rewards.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoo.¡±

    Whenever he got embarrassed, he always uttered such silly things. Maetel found that part about him to be endearing. Maetel was having such thoughts to herself. Artpe snorted as he avoided her gaze. As consequence, the meless monsters were cut into pieces by the Mana Strings.

    Instead of flirting with Artpe, Sienna had decided to kill the monsters. However, when she caught sight of the mermen, she tilted her head in confusion. She asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Oppa, they look like humans. They aren¡¯t humans?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I guess this is a good opportunity to give you this exnation.¡±

    The mermen had pushed through the wave to approached the barrier wall. However, they couldn¡¯t do anything, because of the vibration caused by the wall. Unlike the dog-headed Gnolls, the mermen had the ability to adapt. They gave up on trying to climb over the wall, and they focused on directly attacking the humans on top of the wall.

    Their upper body looked human above the surface of the water, and their lower body was under the surface of the water. It made it very difficult to differentiate them from humans.

    ¡°In the case where monsters look like humans, it is mostly a ploy to take the humans off their guard. Since they look like humans, it causes humans to have a sense of kinship with these types of monsters. It drops the guard of the humans. These types of monsters use this weakness to attack their opponents.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I see. Is that how it is?¡±

    Maetel was a cruel hero. When she determined her opponents were bad guys, it didn¡¯t matter if her opponents were humans or non-humans. She ruthlessly cut them down. She tilted her head as she asked a question. Artpe brushed off her words as he continued to speak.

    ¡°There is nothing strange about monsters resembling humans. The dominant race of thisnd are humans. The important thing isn¡¯t the appearance of the monsters. It is more about our mental attitude towards the monsters.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for us, right?¡±

    Maetel once again let out a bright smile as she butted into the conversation.

    ¡°When they do bad things, we kill them. However, that doesn¡¯t mean all monsters do bad things!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    She got half of the answer right. Despite this fact, Artpe let out a bitterugh as he nodded his head. He acknowledged her anwer. For Maetel and Sienna, the depth of this answer was sufficient. The rest could be taken care of by Artpe.

    ¡®It would be great if good and evil can be determined in such a simple manner... The problem arises from the fact that not all monsters are evil. There are monsters that have developed their intelligence, so they have the self-control needed to suppress the urge to harm other creatures. Sometimes it is hard to determine the line between monsters and other foreign races. This problemes up for discussion sometimes between humans and even the Demon race... Tsk. I can think about thister.¡¯

    Artpe retracted such thoughts as he raised his head. Many mermen had thrown their body against the vibrating wall early on, so their body was dyed with their blue-colored blood. All their eyes had turned red, and they were throwing spears towards Artpe and Maetel. It seems these mermen were unable to control their base instincts.

    There were many individual differences between Mermen. They were simr in that facet as the humans! However, none of them should have been affected by the Lunatic Wave. So they didn¡¯t have to think too hard before acting against the mermen!

    ¡°That is why we can just kill them all.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood, oppa!¡±

    Sienna let out a bright smile as she extended both her hands. She possessed a special Mana that was unique to her. She was the only person on this world, who possess it. Her Mana flowed through her body, and it gathered at her fingertips.

    ¡°Divine Punishment!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t jump into the ocean to wage an underwater warfare. This was why she chose to use the attack magic of a priestess! She possessed a high rank ss of Warrior Priestess, yet she hadn¡¯t been able to learn much specialized skills of her ss. However, she had learned a simple spell where she could smite her enemies by gathering her holy power.

    ¡°Divine Punishment! Divine Punishment! Divine Punishment!¡±

    Normally, this attack magic was used to keep others in check. However, Sienna was able to ovep this weak attack magic multiple times to expand its power and area of effect. She was able toe up with a powerful magic on the spot, and the attack struck the ocean.

    It was the same concept of waves adding to other waves to create an enormous wave. Shebined several attack magic into one. She was able to cause meaningful damage to her targets!

    [Kee-ahhhhhk!]

    [It hurts! I want to go home!]

    [Koo-hahk!]

    Sienna¡¯s overpowering magical energy washed was the ocean, and it inflicted stun effects to the monsters. If one didn¡¯t know she was a Warrior Priestess, one would mistake her for a magician.

    ¡°She really does have talent for magic.... Huh?¡±

    Artpe wasmenting the fact that Sienna had been unable to traverse the road suited for her when he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned to look behind him. It was none other than Maetel. Her cheeks were puffed out.

    ¡°Artpe, what should I do? There are too many monsters to target each of them with my long sword!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything here. You should make preparations. I¡¯m sure the higher ranked monsters will show upter. You should eat and recover your stamina.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet!¡±

    ¡°Over here!¡±

    ¡°Everyone gather over here! The inner wall isn¡¯t vibrating. ce thedder here!¡±

    Maetel was sulking in a major way as she stamped her feet. At that moment, humans were climbingdders to climb up the 1st tier barrier wall. The number of humans on top of the wall was steadily growing. These were foreign nobles, merchants and knights. They had just finishedmenting the fact that their boats had sunk to the bottom of the sea. Afterwards, they had hade to the barrier wall with their fighting equipments.

    Even if they were foreigners, they couldn¡¯t ignore the danger being face by Frate!

    ¡°I¡¯ll help in the defense, magician-nim!¡±

    ¡°Magician, thanks to you this city...no, this country was saved. From now on, I will help you with everything I got!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤could you point out which son of a.... Could you point out which monster sunk our ships?¡±

    Artpe put on a suitable business smile as he assigned them to various parts of the wall.

    Maetel finally came to a big decision as she raised her head.

    ¡°I understand now..¡±

    ¡°You should go there.... I told you I don¡¯t know which one did it. Salvage? You should ask your own country about that.... Huh? What did you just say, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been my dream of mine to enter into the ocean!¡±

    She had suddenly made an offbeat announcement, Artpe was going tough it off. However, Maetel didn¡¯t give him the chance to reply to her words. She took couple short breaths before jumping off the barrier wall.

    ¡°Ee-yahhhhhhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    She didn¡¯t jump towards the inner part of the wall. She jumped outwards where it was teeming with hundreds of thousands of monsters! She jumped towards the location crowded by an overwhelming number of monsters.

    ¡°Oooh-ahhhhhhhh, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Huhk! The berserker jumped into the ocean!¡±

    ¡°As expected of the berserker...! I¡¯m sure of it. She is trying to just end her life through this fight!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she lost to the priestess in the quarrel for the magician¡¯s love.¡±

    Crazy nonsense were being spouted by the people around him. Artpe wondered if he should drop them all into the ocean, but he decided it wasn¡¯t time to do that.

    ¡°Maetel, you idiot! Come back up here right now! If you had an artifact that allowed you to walk on water, you might.......¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhp!¡±

    As always, Maetel extinguished Artpe¡¯s worries. When she was about to hit the surface of the water, she took a violent swing with her long sword. Three mermen were cut open, and she used the recoil of the attack to jump once again into the air!

    ¡°Eh-eet, hahp!¡±

    [Koo-ahk!]

    [Kyahhhhhhk!]

    It would have been disappointing if it had ended with a single attack. However, Maetel once again swung her sword right before she fell in a different location. This times she cut open four monsters.

    She kept repeating it again, again and again!

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had been about to use his Mana String to fish her out, but Artpe froze halfway in an awkward position. She said it had been her dream to enter into the ocean, yet there wasn¡¯t a single drop of water on Maetel¡¯s body. It was as if she was ying on dry ground. She was hopping across the water!

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Uh.......¡±

    ¡°Customer, what am I supposed to say when you look at me as if to say ¡®how is that possible?¡¯.......¡±

    ¡°Unni is amazing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The fact that she was able to move around lightly without feeling the weight of her armor was the norm for her.

    However, she currently had to take into ount of the location of the monsters, their resistance to her attacks, the power of her swings, the recoil of her attacks hitting the surface of the water...... The fact that she was able to calcte all of that factors before moving.....

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you want to try that, Alfred?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, lord. I¡¯ll die if I try that.¡±

    Artpe had wondered if other knights had Skills that would allow them to jump into the ocean. Fortunately, no swordsman or warrior was able to do so. Everyone was absentmindedly watching Maetel go ham on top of the ocean.

    ¡°Yes, it is as expected. She¡¯s the one that is strange. It is only her.¡±

    ¡°This scene is worthy of being recorded in the history books. However, it does look unsightly!¡±

    It really would have been a interesting sight if around 100 knights jumped into the ocean by following Maetel¡¯s example. He was a bit disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it, but he tamped down on such thoughts.

    At that moment, he saw an enormous shadow appear in the distant ocean.

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He felt an atmosphere that could only be felt when the final boss came out. Artpe hoped it wasn¡¯t the case, but when the enormous shadow entered into the range of his Read All Creation ability, his hope was dashed into pieces.

    [Kraken]

    [Level : 267]

    ¡°My goodness. This is nuts.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, customer? If we can hold out like this for several days, everything will be fine.....¡±

    Artpe let out a brightughter as he answered Mycenae¡¯s question.

    ¡°The Kraken has surfaced.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤customer, you are really good at making a joke.¡±

    If she really thought he was joking, she wouldn¡¯t have put away her ballista. She was getting ready to run away. If it was Artpe¡¯s words, Mycenae always trusted it to be true before asking any questions. It was a somewhat praiseworthy and cute.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Let me go!¡±

    However, that was a separate issue. He wouldn¡¯t let her run away. Mycenae had quickly packed her items. However, he firmly gripped her should when she turned away.

    ¡°Mycenae. Since, we¡¯vee this far together, let us meet our end together.¡±

    ¡°You only say my name in an attentive manner in situations like this! Let me go! I have to live!¡±

    ¡°If you run away to the city, I¡¯m sure there are Demons waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhh! Customer, you are bad! You are a bad guy!¡±

    Mycenae let out a cry. In the next moment, it was as if the monster was responding to her. A enormous tentacle appeared in the distant ocean.

    The boss wave had begun.

 Chapter 60 - Kraken (1)

    Chapter 60 - Kraken (1)

    Kraken.

    It was a monster that existed since the distant past. It was arge monster of the ocean. Over the numerous years, it had eaten itspetitors to grow in size. It had thebination of overwhelming size and massive amount of magical energy. It was a cmitous monster. Sailors, who lived their entire life on the ocean, couldn¡¯t even catch sight of its shadow. Still, when it did show up, it destroyed everything and everyone in the region. This was why no one knew if it was a squid, an octopus or a crustacean. Still, this monster appeared frequently in legends.

    [Kraken]

    [Level : 267]

    [Oooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Moreover, this Kraken had shown itself in the ocean in front of Frate. It was still very far away, so Artpe could discern only two facts. The first fact was its level, and the second fact was that the Kraken was a squid.

    ¡°It has impable timing!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, is that edible?¡±

    ¡°Nope. However, we usually eat their kind.¡±

    The humans had been about to coalesce into a unified front in an effort to face the monsters. It was supposed to be a tale of brotherhood and bravery amongst the humans. However, the final boss had shown up at that moment!

    ¡°There is no doubt about it! It¡¯s the real Kraken!¡±

    ¡°Its legs are incredible big!¡±

    ¡°C...can it be?¡±

    ¡°Kraken!? It really is that dreadful being!¡±

    The current situation was so unfair that it verged on being immoral. It wasn¡¯t the case where a final boss made an appearance to scare its opponents. It had locked in on Frate as its target, and it was making a beeline from the deep sea to the coast!

    [Kee-heeeeeee!]

    [It¡¯s here! That bastard is here!]

    Humans weren¡¯t the only ones to shake from fear in the presence of the Kraken. The sea monsters had lost their mind as they coveted the ind, but they felt fear when they realized the Kraken was approaching them.

    [We follow its words. Obey!]

    [If we don¡¯t listen to it, we¡¯ll die. We¡¯ll all die.]

    This was especially true for the mermen and mermaids. They spouted some nonsense about obeying the Kraken. It seemed there was a clear hierarchy between the Krakens and the mermen.

    It was extremely rare for a monster of Kraken¡¯s caliber to appear in a Lunatic Wave. It seemed this Kraken was aggressive as it ruled over the mermen of this region. It seemed the Kraken was the leading this Lunatic Wave!

    ¡°Why did it have to show up this year!¡±

    ¡°Customer, let me go! Please!¡±

    ¡°No way. If we are going to stay alive, we do it together. If there are going to be any deaths, you will die alone.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a roundabout way of saying you¡¯ll throw me out as bait, while you guys run away! I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? Let me go!¡±

    Mycenae was on the verge of tears as she fell to the floor.

    In truth, she was well aware of the current situation. Once she decided not to run away, she couldn¡¯t escape the clutches of the Kraken.

    Moreover, there was a record of her entering Frate. If she left solely on the basis that the city was a dangerous ce to be, a huge crack would form in her qualification as a merchant. She would have thrown away her wares and customers in pursuit of her own safety. Even if she was able to survive through running away, it would be tough for her to be a merchant in the future.

    ¡°On the other hand, if you survive this, it might count as an Achievement.¡±

    ¡°Achievement¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s words stopped Mycenae¡¯s tears. A thought came to her when she heard his words.

    ¡°When you say Achievement..... Are you perhaps.....¡±

    ¡°When one is trying to gain a high rank ss, this requirement is more important than one¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°I have to put my life on the line if I want to move forward?¡±

    ¡°It is up to you to make the choice.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know how she felt about being a merchant. Since she was a Dark Elf, he was sure there was some backstory as to why she became one. On the other hand, she wouldn¡¯t be able to drop the ss easily. This was true even if her life was in danger.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤how? Is there a method that¡¯ll allow us to win against such a powerful monster?¡±

    In the end, she put strength into her two legs to stand up, and she carefully posed the question to Artpe. He let out a sigh as he gave an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m working through that problem right now.¡±

    Obviously, the humans in this ce were of no help. The highest level amongst them was lower in level than Sienna. None of them couldst a second against the Kraken. Moreover, there were only a very select number of people that could use magic. Artpe and the Dungeon Merchants were the only ones that could use magic.

    ¡°If the Kraken hits this barrier wall with its full strength, it¡¯ll eventually fall.¡±

    ¡°Barrier wall.... Reinforcement... That¡¯s right! Wait a moment, customer!¡±

    It seemed Mycenae hade up with an idea. She desperately clung to him as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Customer, didn¡¯t you say you could duplicate the effects of Reinforcements if you had Magic Stones?¡±

    ¡°I was talking about small items like my boots. If I want to further Reinforce such arge barrier wall, the amount of Magic Stones I would need.....¡±

    Artpe stopped mid-speech. Mycenae was looking straight at him with incandescent eyes. This was the first time he had seen such sincere eyes since she had talked about the Eternal Forest with her Soul Contract in hand.

    ¡°Is it possible, customer?¡±

    Was that the reason?

    Artpe acted out of character by talking somewhat seriously towards her.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ording to my calctions, the Kraken won¡¯t be able to destroy or cross the barrier if I Reinforce it twice more.¡±

    ¡°Is it really possible for you to calcte the amount of Magic Stones you need?¡±

    ¡°I would need around 500 Magic Stones that is over level 200. It doesn¡¯t matter what properties they possess. It just has to be a high rank Magic Stones that is over level 200.¡±

    Magic Stones were rare drops from monsters. It was a crystallization of pure Mana.

    Each Magic Stone possessed different properties, and since it was the purest form of Mana, it was often used as supplementary ingredients for artifacts. Of course, it was traded at high prices. As the level of monster it had dropped from increased, the price also increased precipitously.

    Moreover, if one was talking about 500 Magic Stones that only dropped from level 200 monster and above.....

    ¡°We could have bought every item put up for auction with that amount.¡±

    ¡°Even if we empty all of Diaz, I question as to whether that much Magic Stones could be found.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll show up. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll show up.¡±

    Mycenae spoke with strong conviction behind her words.

    ¡°Money can even summon ghosts.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I need to go and negotiate, customer. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll be sure to bring all 500 of them.¡±

    Mycenae immediately turned around as she jumped off the barrier wall. However, it wasn¡¯t the sight of someone trying to run away. The sight of her retreating figure was something that could be seen only with a person that had put their life on the line.

    ¡°She¡¯s only an ajumma, yet she is trying to act cool¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    However, at that moment, he was sure of one thing. If they were able survive today¡¯s ordeal safely, Mycenae would be able to advance to the high rank Merchant ss.

    ¡®Yes, if we are able to survive today.....¡¯

    The humans were running about in confusion at the appearance of the Kraken. Alongside the humans, the monsters were plunged into a state of confusion too. They were acting as if the world was ending today. As expected, the irresistible urge to run away tempted everyone.

    At that moment, Maetel realized that the Kraken had made its appearance, so she hopped across the surface of the water. She returned to Artpe¡¯s side.

    ¡°Artpe, what should we do to catch that thing?¡±

    ¡°If we make the ocean boil, wouldn¡¯t it cookpletely on its own?¡±

    ¡°Wa-ah. I bet that¡¯ll be delicious!¡±

    Maetel let out an innocentugh at Artpe¡¯s joke. In the next moment, her lily-white hand pinched Artpe¡¯s cheek. Even in the corner of her smile, there was a small piece of rage that was infused within it. It was a rage that was suited for a Berserker.

    ¡°Ah-ya-ya.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious right now. Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious too. It would be great if someone would make the ocean boil.¡±

    ¡°How can there be a person in this world that can make the ocean boil!¡±

    There weren¡¯t¡¯ any humans that could do it, but there were Demons that could pull it off. Artpe let out a sigh as he kept that answer to himself.

    If Etna stepped forward to use her magic, she could solve this easily with one attack. However, she was under the Demon King¡¯s shackles, so she couldn¡¯t get directly involved in this matter. He frowned as he thought the world was really fucked up. Artpe spoke towards Maetel.

    ¡°I trust Artpe, but I also know that there are things that are impossible to aplish in this world. Artpe, that is why.....¡±

    Maetel whispered in a small voice. It was small enough that Artpe and Sienna was the only ones that could hear her words.

    ¡°You have to tell me if we have no chance of winning. I¡¯ll run away with Artpe and Sienna in tow.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll leave everyone to their certain death?¡±

    ¡°The fact that people will die makes me sad, but if Artpe dies, my world loses meaning. Artpe is the one that taught me to choose what is more important to me.¡±

    It seems she received unnecessary specialized education from him!

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he flicked her forehead.

    ¡°I can¡¯t win against it, but I can make it retreat. So don¡¯t even think about running away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll put my trust in you. Just tell me what I have to do, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I¡¯m ready too!¡±

    Maetel and Sienna had killed Demons in the auction house earlier, and their levels had risen thanks to it. Maetel was level 195, and Sienna¡¯s level rose to 174.

    If a little bit more time had been given to them, they would have easily broken through level 200. This was to be expected of Maetel, but Sienna had also gone through an explosive growth. It was thanks to her power to dominate and kill strong enemies.

    However, this didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t in danger.

    ¡°Since this is an absurdly dangerous task, a single mistake could kill you.¡±

    ¡°What do I have to do?¡±

    ¡°You have dy the Kraken as much as possible. You have to dy him as much as possible. You have to hit it with meaningful attacks to attract its attention, and you have to decrease its speed.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She knew it was a possibility, but once he gave the order for a direct assault, Maetel turned absentminded for a brief moment. She turned her gaze towards the ocean. The Kraken was still a long ways away, but it was charging towards them at terrifying speed. The sight of the Kraken filled her eyes.

    She replied with a vacant voice.

    ¡°That guy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In this ce, you are the only one that can pull this off.¡±

    Maetel had a high rank ability called eleration. The only one that could match the reaction speed of the vicious Kraken was Maetel with her eleration skill activated. Maetel was a genius where she could move on instinct. He confirmed this fact when she moved across the ocean.

    ¡°Let¡¯s link our Mana. It¡¯ll allow you to use eleration to your heart¡¯s content. It¡¯ll allow you to stall for enough time.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡±

    Artpe had told her to stall for time against a level 267rge monster, and she epted his request. Both of them were already halfway crazy. However, the most crazy thing here was the situation they found themselves in.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. I¡¯ll go right now.¡±

    ¡°The most important thing here is your life, Maetel.¡±

    Artpe took off Maetel¡¯s battle boots, and he put his ck leather boots on her feet. When the artifact epted the will of its owner, it shrunk in size to fit Maetel¡¯s feet.

    ¡°If it gets too dangerous, I want you to run away immediately . At that point, I¡¯ll abandon this ce.¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooooooh.¡±

    He told her the instructions on how to use the boots. Unfortunately, none of Artpe¡¯s words were reaching Maetel at this point.

    ¡°I...is this heaven? Ah-ooh! Heaven!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s actions had broken through the the threshold of Maetel¡¯s happy meter. He had ced her in heaven. When she didn¡¯t move, Artpe tapped her shoulder.

    ¡°Maetel? Hey!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤haht. Yes! I can do any tasks you ask of me now!¡±

    ¡°Are you all right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely fine! It feels like I¡¯m walking in heaven!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem all right at all!?¡±

    Maetel was facing Artpe, and her face was glowing. If the Kraken tried to take the boots off of her, she would probably use her superhuman strength to rip the Kraken into pieces. Artpe became worried. He was unable to pinpoint what he was worried about. Maetel left him behind as she quickly turned her body towards the ocean.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go right now! Artpe? Do you mind if I kill it?¡±

    When he heard her words, his worry started to spike uncontrobly!

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t kill it. Run away! I told you to run away!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s energy had been fully charged. She didn¡¯t listen to Artpe¡¯s words as she jumped towards the ocean. She didn¡¯t bother killing any monsters. She charged forward as she used either the head of the monsters or the head of the spears as stepping stones! She was charging with such ferocity that it made one wonder if she would really just kill the Kraken.

    ¡®However, there is always a gap between reality and ideals.....¡¯

    The fact that heroes overcame all impossible situations was something that was only possible in old stories.

    If one wanted to turn the impossible into possible, one had to turn one¡¯s eyes away from one¡¯s ideals to face the ufortable reality.

    He turned around with a hardened expression on his face. He faced the other girl, who was waiting for her orders.

    ¡°Just tell me what to do, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Sienna.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Sienna spoke with a dependable voice. If he asked her for the stars in the night skies, she would have gotten them for him. It was probably safer for her if he had asked her for the stars. Instead, he asked her to do a task that was much more dangerous.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤actually, you¡¯ll have to face someone that is more dangerous than Maetel¡¯s opponent.¡±

    ¡°Huh? There is a more dangerous opponent here than the squid?¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t our enemy right now, but that¡¯s right.¡±

    In truth, Artpe had told Mycenae a single lie.

    He would need to consume 500 Magic Stones from monsters over level 200 if he wanted to Reinforce the barrier wall twice. He told the truth up until that point.

    However, the two additional Reinforcement had no chance of holding off the Kraken. He needed to Reinforce it one more time. Moreover, he had to Reinforce the barrier wall with a property that waspletely opposite of the Kraken. Artpe would have to execute the world¡¯s strongest and splendid Reinforcement.

    The supplementary ingredient needed for this Reinforcement was simple.

    ¡°I want you to take this letter to Jaime¡¯s Inn located in C Sector.¡±

    ¡°Jaime¡¯s Inn located in C sector.....¡±

    Sienna repeated his words as she took letter he had written during the few minute break. Then he spoke with a deste smile on his face.

    ¡°You will find a woman waiting there for me. Tell her that I want to hold her hand once.¡±

    The third supplementary ingredient for the Reinforcement was none other than the magical energy of the Fire Witch Etna.

 Chapter 61 - Kraken (2)

    Chapter 61 - Kraken (2)

    ¡°Magician-nim!¡±

    After he sent off the two girls to different locations, it didn¡¯t take too long for Artpe to be surrounded by numerous people. They came in waves. The inner city should be safer than the top of the wall, yet people were convinced that the safest ce was near Artpe.

    ¡°Magician-nim, please look at the Kraken!¡±

    ¡°Do something! I beg of you! We don¡¯t have the power to do anything against the Kraken, magician-nim!¡±

    ¡°Magician-niiiiiiiiiiim!¡±

    When he saw the people blindly cling to him, he thought about what happened one year ago in the mountain vige. At that time, they begged for his help. They had looked at him with desperate eyes.

    They didn¡¯t care what price Artpe and Maetel would have to pay in order to help them. Even if they knew it, they had acted as if they were ignorant of that fact. Since the two of them had the power, the people had acted as if it was a given that Maetel and Artpe would have to help them..

    ¡°Stop sticking so close to me. Get off of me.¡±

    Artpe dislodged them using his cold voice, and he extended a finger. He pointed towards the location where the 3rd barrier wall was being erected. The lord of Frate was standing near it, and it looked as if his soul had been sucked out by the appearance of the Kraken. One could also see the Dungeon merchant Mycenae, who was trying to hold the lord¡¯s attention as she gave a desperate speech.

    ¡°Even if you guys pool all your powers together, you won¡¯t be able to do anything against the Kraken. It is the same for me. I have no chance of mixing it up with the Kraken with my bare body. If you want to survive, you have two choices. You can try to avoid the Krakening ashore by running away towards the mountainous regions. Or you can give that merchant what she needs.¡±

    ¡°However, that merchant is spouting nonsense! We are in a dangerous situation, yet she is trying to make profit off of the trade.....¡±

    The man went into a lengthy speech.

    However, the argument could be simplified into this.

    Level 200 Magic Stones were items in high demand, yet the supply was extremely limited. This was why many sellers of Magic Stones colluded with each other to fix the price. However, their rivals were present here, so it would be impossible to fix the price.

    ¡°So what price will you be satisfied with?¡±

    ¡°Money isn¡¯t important! We are talking about my family¡¯s Magic Stones. It isn¡¯t something that should be sold in bulk. I have to find the proper owner......¡±

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°I...I would have to receive 15 thousand gold each......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    It was idiotic to boost the price of an item that was hard to trade. However, Artpe was sure of one thing. There was no way a level 200 Magic Stone was worth over 5,000 gold.

    Mycenae told him she would take care of everything with money. However, she probably never expected the nobles to act like this. Even Artpe thought it was ridiculous.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked her to acquire the Magic Stones. You all probably know this, but it is impossible to fight off the Kraken with the power gathered within this city. The best way to stop its charge is through the barrier wall. However, a barrier of this caliber can¡¯t withstand the Kraken. I have to Reinforce it using a lot of high rank Magic Stones. If not, this city and the people within it will be smashed into pieces.¡±

    ¡°Still, you are talking about 500 Magic Stones¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That is why you aren¡¯t cursing out the merchant. You are bad mouthing me. Well, let me ask you this. Am I the one trying to profit from this dangerous situation? Or is it you guys? ¡±

    Artpe¡¯s gaze was bottomless. It was hard to thinking of him as a 14 year old. He was oozing with charisma, and it prevented the people from arguing with him. They shut their mouths. This was an ability that existed only in true heroes. Artpe was really annoyed right now, so he didn¡¯t realize this fact.

    ¡°But.....¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmmm. Kmm, kmmm....¡±

    Despite his words, they refused to open their mouths in the end.

    Some wondered if the magician was lying to screw over the foreigners. Others wondered if Reinforcing the barrier wall was really the only way out of this. There were countless excuses running through their heads, and Artpe could clearly see through all of them. He wasn¡¯t using his Read All Creation ability. In the past, he had countless encounters with such people, so his prior experience let him know what they were thinking.

    A bitter smile appeared automatically on his lips.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.... Humans really the same whenever or wherever you encounter them.¡±

    ¡°But magician-nim......¡±

    ¡°Fuck off. Get out of my sight.¡±

    If he acted on his emotions, he would have thrown the lot of them into the ocean. However, Mycenae asked him to leave it all to her. He wouldn¡¯t step forward until she asked for his help.

    Artpe turned his head away. These humans refused to give anything, yet they still expected protection from Artpe. He looked at the battle that was uring on the ocean.

    It was said one should be thankful for small mercies. After the Kraken had made its appearance, the other monsters became timid. There were monsters that were barely able to move in the presence of the Kraken. Even as the humans were running about in confusion, no monsters were able to cross the vibrating wall.

    ¡°Maetel......¡±

    After he finished assessing the situation, his eyes naturally turned towards her.

    Maetel was speeding across the ocean. She was quickly approaching the Kraken. Once Maetel decided to do something, she showed no hesitation or fear.

    If she wasn¡¯t a hero, no one was qualified to be a hero. Even though he was still in a dangerous situation, he chuckled.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    Kraken let out a roar. The wave containing its Mana spread across the ocean, and it attracted more and more monsters to the shores of Frate.

    A portion of the monsters were swept up by the Kraken¡¯s tentacles, and they were eaten. The rest followed behind it.

    It seemed the Kraken wasn¡¯t nning on dragging this out. It was filled with the will of wanting to end this quickly.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    At that moment, Maetel bravely got in its way. While she kept the momentum of speeding across the ocean surface, she put her magical energy into her long sword. She shot out a beam of energy!

    She decided to take this approach, because she came to the conclusion that she would bounce off the Kraken if she attacked head-on.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhh!]

    She was a hero approaching level 200, so her strike was effective against the Kraken. She had worried the Kraken would just shrug off her attack. She had worried it would continue to charge forward. Fortunately, it stopped moving when it received Maetel¡¯s attack!

    ¡°Not yet! Stay there!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhng!]

    The Kraken was pissed off. It swung its house-sized tentacle towards Maetel. However, Maetel followed Artpe¡¯s advice as she used her eleration skill to avoid its attack. Then she used her beam again!

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The energy construct was emitted from the tip of the long sword, and it traveled in a straight line. It split open the forehead of the Kraken as dark blood started to flow.

    Everyone had given up when they saw the overwhelming size of the Kraken. However, the people of Frate let out a cheer when Maetel¡¯s attack wounded the Kraken.

    Artpe coldly assessed the damage, and he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°The damage is akin to being pricked on the finger with fish bone.¡±

    ¡°You speak in such hopeful terms.¡±

    He had spoken those words to himself. He hadn¡¯t wanted anyone else to hear it, yet someone replied to his words. Artpe let out a sight. An out of breath woman had just climbed up to the wall. He raised his hand towards Mycenae as he asked a question.

    ¡°Did you gather all 500?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve gathered around 180. I contacted the Anywherepany¡¯s headquarters, and the oue was positive. Moreover, I was able to receive support from the Diaz kingdom¡¯s nobles. However, it was as you¡¯ve said. The problem came from.....¡±

    ¡°There is a limit to the supply of Magic Stones that could be gathered in Diaz. I knew this would happen. In the first ce, the appearance of monsters over level 200 is very low here.¡±

    Still, the nobles and the merchants from foreign countries that could make up the insufficient supplies were also gathered here. Artpe took the pouch containing the 180 Magic Stones. It was unfortunate, but it might still be possible to aplish the 1st Reinforcement.

    ¡°So what are you going to do? These pigs are refusing to sell their Magic Stones.¡±

    ¡°No, they will sell it to us.¡±

    There was still a bright light twinkling within her eyes. Her eyes swept over the nobles and merchants gathered atop the barrier wall. She just noticed that most of them were from foreign countries. It seemed the greedy ones had sharp eyes for assessing the situation. They decided not to hide in the city. They were on the front line, yet they decided they were safest near the strongest being within Frate.

    ¡°Everyone. Please I beg of you once again. Themunication magic and the item summoning magic will be provided by the headquarters of the Anywherepany. We promise to help you out in gathering the items. We are willing to buy the Magic Stones of level 200 monsters for 6,000 gold. You aren¡¯t selling it for a loss.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to demand this of me! I can¡¯t sell it at that price. It will drop my family¡¯s name into the mud!¡±

    ¡°Six thousand gold? Ha! If the participants of thest Magic Stone auction within the capital heard of that price, they would have all mocked you! Fifteen thousand gold! There is no way I can go under fifteen thousand gold!¡±

    Fifteen thousand gold.

    It seemed this was the highest price the Magic Stones had sold in their country. He couldn¡¯t believe how foolish these people were. Artpe was looking around the crowd when he had a realization. The ones asking for a high price for the Magic Stones were part of the leadership group that represented each country¡¯s trade administration. The nobles and the merchants knew their future were up in the air right now, but even if they wanted to make the sale, they were afraid of crossing these important figures. They couldn¡¯t easily step out of line.

    ¡°Hoo. I see. Is everyone of the same opinion?¡±

    ¡°So you want us to take all the loss?¡±

    Even if they had ideas of selling the Magic Stones for less than 15 thousand gold, they couldn¡¯t do so if some were able to sell it for the price of 15 thousand gold. Greed would naturally rise from within them. That was why all the humans gathered here nned on sticking together. They nned on insisting on the price of 15 thousand gold.

    Even the Anywherepany would go bankrupt if they bought 320 Magic Stones for the price of 15 thousand gold. Mycenae no longer tried to convince the nobles and the merchants. She looked straight at Artpe as she spoke.

    ¡°Artpe-nim.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Until now, she had always referred to him as customer. He had no idea what changed her mind, but he willingly went along with her request.

    ¡°It seems their argument hinges on the fact that they don¡¯t believe the barrier wall could be Reinforced again. If you show them the evidence, they might take my words a little bit more seriously.¡±

    ¡°Do you really believe that? Even if I use Reinforcement in front of their eyes, it looks as if they¡¯lle up with a different excuse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it somehow once we reach that point.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Good.

    She was showing a backbone that befits a hero¡¯s exclusive merchant.

    Artpe didn¡¯t reply to her words. He just grinned as he threw the pouch containing the Magic Stones into the air. The string on the pouch loosened, and the 180 Magic Stones letting out prismatic radiance scattered into the air.

    ¡°W...what the hell!¡±

    ¡°Each of them are treasures worth over several thousand gold.....!¡±

    ¡°M...magician-nim! What are you trying to do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Watch this well. You won¡¯t be able to act ignorant after this.¡±

    Artpe ced one hand on the barrier wall. The scattered Magic Stonesnded all over the barrier wall, and he activated his Reinforcement skill.

    ¡°W...wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°It really¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    In a sh, the barrier wall let out a brilliant purple light as the wall started to vibrate. The 180 Magic Stones started to turn into pure magical energy in ones and twos. They were being absorbed into the barrier wall!

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    The purple light swallowed all the Magic Stones, and for a brief moment, silence nketed the surrounding. The people on the wall were dumbfounded. They had just witnessed Magic Stones worth several hundred thousand gold disappear in a sh. It happened when they were about to speak.

    ¡°Magician-nim, what are youuuuuuu-uhhhhhhhhh?!?¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    All the light was absorbed into the barrier wall, and it shot up several dozen meters!

    ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t fall over the wall!¡±

    ¡°T...the port is being destroyed! Everyone grab onto the barrier wall!¡±

    ¡°My god.... Even the corpses of the monsters.....¡±

    In the process of Reinforcing the barrier wall, the wall absorbed everything it wascking from its surrounding. It absorbed the Records of its surrounding to expand its size. It hardened and consolidated the change, and a much stronger power of vibration emanated from the wall.

    It resulted in forming an overpowering barrier wall. The 2nd and 3rd tier barrier walls couldn¡¯t hold a candle to this one. Originally, the barrier wall was simply made out of stone. However, after it went through three Reinforcements, the wall was infused with a ck purple light. There was a metallic sheen to the wall. It disyed its dignified presence.

    [Frate¡¯s Guardian Wall+3]

    [Owner : Artpe]

    [The desire of the people wanting to protect the country and city was consolidated through the power of the great magician. A jumbo artifact was created by him. Most monsters will be unable to approach the wall thanks to the the powerful vibration emitted by the wall. If the owner desired it, the wall can decrease in size to increase its strength.]

    ¡°My god.¡±

    ¡°T...the barrier wall did get higher....¡±

    ¡°The Magic Stones... All those Magic Stones are gone. It seems the merchant wasn¡¯t lying!¡±

    Of course, the power of the Reinforcement skill was amazing. Still, Artpe never expected to be given the ownership of the wall!

    Still, he felt tearsing to his eyes when he thought about the amount of Magic Stones he had to consume to aplish this!

    ¡°It¡¯s high.¡±

    ¡°The monsters moring below look like trash from up here......¡±

    Not even the mermen....no, even the Mer-King would be unable to approach a barrier of this caliber. The past Lunatic Waves would have had to pack up and retreat if they had to face this barrier wall.

    However, even this barrier wall could onlyst 5 minutes against the Kraken.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°No! You can¡¯te this way!¡±

    Maetel was still holding out against the Kraken. However, the Kraken refused to stop its charge as it dealt with Maetel. The distance between the Kraken and Frate was contracting. If it wasn¡¯t for Maetel, the Kraken would have already reached ind.

    ¡°You saw it, right! If he Reinforces it one more time, he can stop the Kraken! We aren¡¯t forcefully taking your Magic Stones away for you! We are paying a fair price for them! Your Magic Stones can save your own lives! It can save this city, country and even the continent!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmm. However, there is no guarantee he¡¯ll be able to seed in replicating this effect again....¡±

    ¡°Magician-nim, it isn¡¯t as if I don¡¯t trust you..... It is hard to believe that such a vast amount of Magic Stones were consumed.¡±

    ¡°Even if the wall bes sturdier, can it really hold off the Kraken?¡±

    Mycenae grinded her teeth. Even in such a situation, the humans were trying to find a way to weasel out of everything. They were being threatened with death, yet these dim-witted people were unable to let go of their possessions!

    ¡°This auction has already been a bust! Still, you can think of it as your money saving your own lives! It isn¡¯t a situation where even one of us should be backing off! How long are you all going to take a back seat!¡±

    ¡°The ship I took to get here was sunk. I¡¯ve already taken a massive financial hit. That¡¯s right Sir Frantz hasn¡¯t taken any losses yet. I also heard that his family has a pretty good amount of Magic Stones.....¡±

    ¡°Ah, it isn¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t possess any of them. The head of the family has it firmly within his grasp, so I don¡¯t possess the authority to...¡±

    The nobles had nowhere to run anymore, so they started selling each other out. If 320 Magic Stones were gathered, the rest of them would be off the hook from selling their Magic Stones. Each of them struggled desperately to be in thetter group. It was hard to listen to their words.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I now know all your intentions. I¡¯ll give up on purchasing the Magic Stones.¡±

    Mycenae was cold and firm with her words. It stopped the bickering between the nobles and the merchants. When a brief silence descended, Mycenae took couple breathes before she raised her head. The light in her eyes was terrifying.

    However, she didn¡¯t look at the other people gathered atop the wall. She looked straight at Artpe as she asked a question.

    ¡°Artpe-nim. I will be sure to give you the moneyter with interest. Do you have any interest in selling your product?¡±

    ¡°What product?¡±

    If an answer akin to a soul came out of her mouth, it would have horrified everyone. However, she spoke the name of a more terrifying product.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about this barrier wall. In truth, I spoke to the lord of Frate beforeing here. I¡¯ve confirmed with him that he decided to give the ownership of this barrier wall to Artpe-nim.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ho-oh.¡±

    A single strand of smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips when he heard her words. He now knew Mycenae and the lord of Frate hade up with this ploy. They had guessed things might turn out like this with the nobles and the merchants. It seemed things were rolling along as she nned!

    ¡°What price do you think I should ask for it?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°I like how you think.¡±

    Everyone could only watch as the negotiation continued between Artpe and Mycenae. They didn¡¯t even have to ask to know what would happen in the future.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll sell you this wall. I¡¯m assuming the Reinforcement fee will be given separately?¡±

    ¡°If I do agree to pay that price, will you help punish those that infringe upon my private property rights?¡±

    ¡°Private property rights. I like that word.¡±

    Artpe and Mycenae looked at each other as they smiled.

    The nobles and the merchants finally realized that they had no choice from the start.

 Chapter 62 - Kraken (3)

    Chapter 62 - Kraken (3)

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll sell it for 6,000 gold.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sell it too. You cheap and dirty....!¡±

    The nobles and merchants finally changed their attitudes when they became afraid. There was a real possibility of being thrown off the barrier wall now. They¡¯ve been trying to convince Artpe that their main houses didn¡¯t possess any Magic Stones, or they talked about not having the authority to sell the Magic Stones. In a sh, they had changed their tune. It was as if they had convinced the head of their families through telepathy.

    However, the price of items changed in a fluid manner. In fact, there were cases where the role of buyers and seller could switch. The nobles and merchants were still unaware of this possibility.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one that¡¯ll be selling.¡±

    ¡°W....what are you selling?¡±

    ¡°What am I selling?¡±

    ¡°Have you finally lost your mind?¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s cold voice entered into the ears of all the humans gathered atop the barrier wall. Her words flowed like water. It was as if she had prepared her words beforehand.

    ¡°I¡¯m selling the rights to be protected by this barrier wall. All the citizens, nobles and merchants of Diaz had helped in acquiring the Magic Stones. They are also carrying out various tasks like cleaning up the city. They have paid the price. As it so happens, the foreign nobles and merchants gathered here haven¡¯t contributed anything.¡±

    ¡°What? This is a structure that is part of they of thisnd. How can you im rights to it.....¡±

    ¡°Ah, this isn¡¯t just a structure.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he ced his hand on the wall. The enormous barrier wall started to slowly contract in size. The nobles felt the change, and they were taken aback.

    ¡°If I wanted, I can reduce the size of the barrier wall. It is possible for me to install this anywhere I want. That¡¯s right. I can move this barrier back to where the 3rd tier barrier is right now, so I can protect only the people that has the rights to be protected.¡±

    ¡°M...my god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense! How can you decrease the size of the enormous wall through just your will!¡±

    ¡°You want to test me?¡±

    Artpe¡¯sughter deepened. The barrier wall decreased further in size, and it reached a point where the monsters moring in the ocean could realistically think about jumping over the wall.

    [Kyahhhhhhhk!]

    [They areing towards us. We have to produce some kind of result or we will be punished!]

    [Kill them! We have to kill them!]

    It was unknown as to what kind of connection there was between the Kraken and the mermen, but they started throwing their spears towards the top of the wall. It was hard to tell if they were screaming or yelling as they threw their spears! A lucky throw of the spear hit a knight on his helmet. Everyone on the wall ducked.

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll buy it! I¡¯ll buy the right to be protected by this wall!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it too!¡±

    In truth, he was already at his limits as to how small he could make the barrier wall. As the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, his Bluff skill had pierced the heavens as to how good it was. He had activated his skill, and he had delivered a critical hit. Everyone present really believed he could move this wall to wherever he wanted!

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take 3 level 200 Magic Stones from each of you. I will provide themunication magic and the transfer magic for free. Let us start the trade.¡±

    This was how Mycenae was able to acquire Magic Stones needed to Reinforce the barrier wall without making any payments. She was actually able to acquire more Magic Stones than the number he needed. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he watched the people desperately try to contact their home country and main family.

    ¡°It really seems humans can¡¯te to their senses unless they are pushed to the edge of the cliff.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? They are really detestable.¡±

    ¡°It is also true that you tried to make a profit when the possibility of a trade became assured. You are the same as them.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for Artpe¡¯s bluff, Mycenae¡¯s n would have been blown into pieces. He rolled his Mana String into round ball, and he gave a light blow to Mycenae¡¯s head. She grumbled as she pouted.

    ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve already invested into this venture? If this deal hadn¡¯t worked out, I might have had to give up on being a merchant. I would have had to run away. In my attempt to gain Achievement for my high rank ss, I might have lost everything. If it hadn¡¯t worked out, I would have been so depressed that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to shove bread down my throat.¡±

    When he listened to her, he realized she had a point. It was true that he had been able to acquire 500 Magic Stones thanks to her. That was why he decided not to interrogate her any further.

    ¡®There is only one problem left.... Etna isn¡¯t here yet?¡¯

    When he sessfully used his Reinforcement again, everyone believed that they would be saved. In truth, this was a dud if Etna wasn¡¯t here.

    ¡®Etna, let¡¯s hold hands this once. I was so careful as to not go against the conditions of the Absolute Control.....!¡¯

    The Kraken was close enough to Frate that the civilians within the city could see it. Artpe watched as Maetel desperately tried to block the Kraken. She was giving it all including using her eleration and Blink. He unconsciously clenched his fists.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.... Hooht! Ha-aht!¡±

    [Goo-wuhhhhhhhhh!]

    Usually, the user of the eleration ability suffered from the enormous aftereffect that came with using the ability. The aftereffects increased when one used it more and more. Currently, Maetel hadn¡¯t just used the ability once or twice. She had used it over several dozen times, and she was using it in rapid session.

    Even if he was providing her with his Mana, the damages caused when using the ability couldn¡¯t be shouldered by Artpe. It was clear to Artpe¡¯s eyes that Maetel was slowing down.

    ¡®Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I guess it really was too much for us. Should I just run away with them? All right. If she doesn¡¯t show up when Maetel uses two more eleration, I won¡¯t look back......¡¯

    At that moment, a mature voice of a woman could be heard in his ears. She wasn¡¯t the main character, yet she had made her entrance with exquisite timing!

    [Artpe.]

    [Etna, you.... Message magic?]

    Artpe¡¯s expression crumpled. As soon as he heard the message magic, he activated his Read All Creation ability. He confirmed that she hadn¡¯te anywhere near the barrier wall. She was using a long distance method to deliver her message. In the end, it meant that she wasn¡¯t going to show herself here!

    [I want to make this clear.... I might be able to do so after all of this concludes. However, I can¡¯t step forward right now. If youe to me, I can hold your hand. However, it is impossible for me to approach you first. It is impossible for me to hold your hand.]

    ¡°......shit.¡±

    It seemed the Demon King¡¯s Absolute Control ced on her had be moreplex than the one from his previous life. Artpe grinded his teeth as he tried to figure out what he should do. Then he picked up on a clue from her words.

    [Wait a moment. I can hold your hand if I go to you?]

    [......yes]

    Of course, Artpe couldn¡¯t leave his ce atop the wall. However, it seemed being observed by other people was the only reason why she couldn¡¯te here. If there was a way to bring her magical energy to him......

    ¡®Can I do this through the Mana String?¡¯

    Until now, he had used his Mana String to connect himself to an item or someone else. He had never made a connection between two separate entities. He had never attempted it in the past, but it was possible.

    [All right. I¡¯ll send it to you.]

    [Huh? Send?]

    First, he made several dozen Mana Strings, and he connected the ends to the barrier wall. He sent the other end straight towards where Etna was hiding.

    [Oh my? This contains your Mana. It was generated using your Mana.... What the hell is this? It is an incredibly high rank magic!]

    Artpe knew Etna had sufficient ability to be able to identity the Mana String. As expected, she reacted immediately.

    Artpe sent her a firm and short message.

    [I want you to grab that.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe, I thought you wanted to hold my hand?]

    Had she expected some kind of romantic gesture? Etna answered him, and he could hear disappointment in her voice. Still, she obediently grabbed onto the Mana String. Artpe felt a thrill when the Demon King¡¯s innate ability didn¡¯t activate.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, I brought the rest!¡±

    ¡°You have excellent timing. This is very good.¡±

    He already had prior experience of doing two Reinforcement at once! He immediately took the pouch from Mycenae, and he threw it into the air. At the same time, Etna¡¯s oppressive magical energy of fire rode along the several dozen Mana Strings. It was being transferred into the barrier wall!

    However, it didn¡¯t end there. Maetel was desperately calling out his name from across the wall!

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m at my limits! I can no longer stall it!¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Kyahh. That side has impable timing too! Shit!¡±

    The Kraken sensed a massive amount of Mana being concentrated at the barrier wall. It gave up on killing Maetel, and it charged straight for Frate. The Kraken hadn¡¯t been too far from the port, so its enormous body rammed into the barrier wall before Artpe could activate his Reinforcement skill!

    [Koo-ahhh-ohhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhk! Ah, Artpe-nim! Hurry! Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Magician! Magicia-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The effect of the attack was amazing! Just a single charge from the Kraken put a crack in the barrier wall, which had been Reinforced three times. The Kraken¡¯s tentacles were thick, and it was dozen meters long. They shot forward like waves as the tentacles threatened the people atop the wall!

    ¡°Uh. Uh-hoo.¡±

    ¡°Kraken. T...the Kraken is right in front of our noses.¡±

    ¡°Magician-nim! Magician-nim!¡±

    Its truly devastating destructive ability and the visual it presented drove the people out of their minds. Artpe bit his lips when it looked as if the tentacles were threatening to climb over the wall.

    ¡°I can¡¯t move while I use Reinforcement. Maetel, do something!¡±

    ¡°Eeek. I understand. I¡¯ll try!¡±

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [We follow its order!]

    [We cannot refuse. Kill the human!]

    Maetel dragged her tired body forward as she tried to desperately interfere with the Kraken, but the school of mermen got in her way.

    ¡°You dare! You guys should all disappear!¡±

    [We won¡¯t sink alone.]

    [We will take you down with us, human!]

    Maetel had raised her Berserk to its peak state, and she was cutting down everything in her path. However, the number of mermen crowding the coastal waters were overwhelming. She kept swinging her sword, yet there was no daylight.

    ¡°Eeeeek!¡±

    ¡°Shit. It¡¯s shaking¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe was so frustrated that he was about to lose his mind. He was sessful in incorporating Etna¡¯s Mana and the Mana of the Magic Stones. Everything had been going smooth, and he just needed toplete his Reinforcement Skill. However, he was having a hard time progressing in his Reinforcement when there were interruptions.

    ¡°A little bit faster.... Shit....!¡±

    Artpe was repairing the shaking wall in real time as it took the Kraken¡¯s full powered attacks. At the same time, he was trying his best to continue the Reinforcement. It wasn¡¯t enough. At this rate, the wall would fall before he could finish his Reinforcement!

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there, oppa!¡±

    Sienna had been tasked to lure Etna. She had been sessful in her mission, and she arrived at that moment. She jumped atop the barrier wall in one fell swoop, and she let out a sonorous shout. Her two hands were filled with magical energy, and she was holding up a sledge hammer that was letting out light.

    ¡°Unni did it, so I can do it too!¡±

    ¡°Sienna... You... Hey!¡±

    It was reminiscent to what Maetel did earlier. Sienna dived towards the ocean! Fortunately, the mermen were focused on Maetel, and the Kraken was focused on the barrier wall. No one was paying attention to her.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    It was surprising as to the degree in which no one paid any attention to Sienna. When she was about to collide, she focused all her magical energy into her sledge hammer. She brought it down on the Kraken¡¯s head!

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    At that moment, the Kraken had been filled with the thought of destroying the barrier wall. It suddenly came to a stop as all its tentacles writhed in pain. Sienna hadn¡¯t reached level 170 yet, but she had caused a debilitating pain to be felt by the Kraken. It was a surprising turn of event. She might have caused more damage than Maetel.

    ¡°Good job, Sienna!¡±

    If he had his Read All Creation ability activated, he could have seen how this was possible. However, he had more important things to do! Artpe didn¡¯t lose this chance to further his Reinforcement. Etna was still connected to the barrier wall. She gritted her teeth as she sent him a message.

    [How much of my magical energy are you nning on taking!]

    [I just wanted to hold your hand, so I have no idea.]

    [We aren¡¯t holding hands, you swindler!]

    His magical energy, Etna¡¯s magical energy and the magical energy of 320 Magic Stones coalesced into one. The magical energy morphed into a state that was suitable for the Reinforcement skill, and it spread throughout the barrier wall. In a sh, two sessful Reinforcement had urred!

    [Hellfire Sentinel+5]

    [Hellfire was infused toplete the barrier wall. Any being below level 200 cannot damage the wall. In the case of water or ice type beings, one would have to be at least level 300. The barrier wall¡¯s durability can be consumed all at once to execute a powerful fire type attack with area of effect.]

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±

    Artpe let out a cheer in an ungentlemanly fashion. Everyone, who had been watching him, had a confused expression on their face. Until now, the Reinforcement had been apanied by light, and loud changes. No changes were seen.

    ¡°Magician, nothing has changed.....?¡±

    ¡°Did you perhaps cheat us!¡±

    ¡°M...my Magic Stones! Give me back my Magic Stones! It is worth 45 thousand gold!¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    He smirked when he saw the unenlightened get mad. Afterwards, Maetel used her final eleration to grab the unconscious Sienna, who was plummeting towards the water. Then she went straight towards the top of the wall.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    The Kraken had taken a serious hit from Sienna, so it had fallen into a Stun status. The school of mermen tried to catch them in its stead, but it was impossible to catch up with Maetel, who was using Berserk and eleration. In the end, she was sessful innding on the wall with Sienna in tow.

    ¡°Did you seed, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You did well, Maetel. Also, Sienna.... Good. She is unharmed.¡±

    She had fallen unconscious, because she had expelled all her magical energy at once. Aside from that fact, she was fine. Artpe brushed her head once. Sienna was breathing evenly. He extended his Mana String, and he wrapped them around the body of his party members.

    ¡°Everyone should be prepared.¡±

    [Koo-rooooo-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Kraken was a beat toote ining to its senses. It let out a roar as if the world was ending. The Kraken¡¯s preys were snatched away. Its rage was on par with Maetel¡¯s rage.

    Artpe spoke.

    ¡°This round of vibration will be pretty strong.¡±

    Afterwards, the Kraken charged towards the barrier wall, and there was a terrifying collision.

    This was the me created by the daughter of the Phoenix. It manifested itself in this world through a proxy.

 Chapter 63 - Kraken (4)

    Chapter 63 - Kraken (4)

    When the Kraken collided with the barrier wall, hellfire came into existence. It shot out as if was about to burn the whole world. The hellfire burned as it crawled all over the body of the Kraken. It was a me from a bygone era where humans of this world weren¡¯t able to face it.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhk! Koo-ahhhhhhhh!]

    The me ruthlessly pierced through the Kraken¡¯s thick skin as it started to burn flesh, blood and innards. The murderous hellfire was trying to roast it alive. The Kraken lost all of its reason as it went berserk.

    [Kee-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    As its struggles became fiercer, the barrier wall responded with more mes. It was unforgiving towards the attacker. The mes flooded forth, and it encircled the Kraken¡¯s entire body.

    It was as if the me had a will of its own. It was as if the me was punishing the monster that had invaded the human territory.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°If that really was created through the magician¡¯s power.....¡±

    ¡°I have to concede the fact that 500 Magic Stones was worth investing in this barrier wall!¡±

    There were enough monsters here to easily wipe out a single country, yet their charge was being blocked by a single wall. Of course, the barrier wall was Reinforced with fire, and it worked in concert with the vibration. The boiling ocean and churning the waters inflicted continuous damage to the monsters. The Kraken was also taking continuous damage. It couldn¡¯t bepared to the damage inflicted on it by Maetel and Sienna.

    [Kee-heeeeee!]

    [W...we have to run away!]

    The other monsters were swept up in the Kraken¡¯s rampage, and they were dying before they could even put up a fight. The vibration and heat emitted by the barrier wall couldn¡¯t be ovee by monsters under level 200. All the monsters in the vicinity of the Kraken died by being swept up in the Kraken¡¯s rampage.

    ¡°Mmmm?¡±

    Several dozen monsters were being killed each second. This was the consequence for being near the mighty fight between the Kraken and the barrier wall. Artpe was looking at these monsters when he suddenly realized something. The Record and EXP of the dead monsters were being sucked into him.

    ¡®Is it because I was acknowledged as the owner of the barrier wall¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    He had talked about transferring the ownership of the barrier wall to Mycenae, but this was a human matter. The wall wouldn¡¯t care about trade since Artpe had Reinforced the wall.

    ¡®In my past life, I¡¯ve never benefited from using this type of Artifacts so I had no idea..... However, I can feel it right now. There is a firm connection between me and the Hellfire Sentinel.¡¯

    The Mana String connecting the wall to Etna was severed long ago. Currently, the supersized artifact was solely under the jurisdiction of Artpe.

    Moreover, the number of monsters killed by the heat and vibration emitted by the barrier wall would soon reach 10 thousand. Many of these monsters were well below level 100, but at this number, Artpe¡¯s level would rise.

    ¡®Maybe I should just live up here until the Lunatic Wave ends.¡¯

    His level was increasing even as he did nothing. The experience was so sweet that he was having thoughts that were slightly off. However, Artpe quickly gave up on the idea he was having.

    A single level rose from the death of 10,000 monsters. By the time he reached level 200, he would barely be able to raise a single level even if he could gather all the monsters of the ocean to crash against the barrier wall.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°T...the Kraken is continuing its attack.¡±

    ¡°Everyone get down from the barrier wall! It will overtake us soon!¡±

    ¡°That monster!¡±

    The Kraken¡¯s thrashing was bing more severe. The Kraken suffered excruciating pain and burns on each attack, but it didn¡¯t back down. Either its body would fail or the barrier would fall. The choice was binary. It wouldn¡¯t stop until the end.

    ¡°Ah, Artpe-nim. Are you really sure the wall can stop it?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    He hadpleted this wall with the help of Etna, so this wall wouldn¡¯t fall. The Kraken was probably aware of this fact, yet it didn¡¯t stop.

    Why was this?

    Was the Kraken normally this stupid?

    That couldn¡¯t be it. The Kraken had gained a good amount of intelligence over the years. The wall wasn¡¯t something that could be easily ovee. It should have retreated after one or two attacks. The Kraken was supposed to be a sensible monster. It should have put its own survival over all else.

    So why was it acting like this? Its body was sorge that he couldn¡¯t find the answer initially. However, his Read All Creation was bringing in bits and pieces of information in real time. In the end, he found his answer.

    [Kraken]

    [Level : 267]

    [Irregr Status: It is spellbound by the curse of Madness.]

    The curse of Madness had been ced on the Kraken.

    [Koo-haaaaaaa!]

    [We follow the Kraken!]

    [W...we¡¯ll follow it. We¡¯ll destroy the wall!]

    There were a good number of monsters inflicted by this curse. They knew their deaths were assured, yet they rabidly crashed into the wall. The monsters met their promised deaths. The sight reminded him of what happened within the auction house not too long ago. He had fought against Demons that weren¡¯t of sound mind. He now knew who had ced the curse on the Kraken and the monsters. The answer was quite obvious.

    When the Demons activated the cursed magic circle within the city, the magic must have traveled towards the monsters of the ocean to trigger a simr magic.

    They weren¡¯t just trying to induce a Lunatic Wave. The Demon King¡¯s army had decided to bury Diaz. The n was meticulous, and it had been well executed.

    If Artpe hadn¡¯t been here, it would have been a horrible massacre. The thought made him shudder.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s army is moving for real now.....¡±

    The artifacts rted to the curse, the magic spell that was activated within Frate and the Lunatic Wave meshed together in an intricate manner to create this situation. No matter how he thought about it, something was definitely off about the chef! The Demon King¡¯s army didn¡¯t move in this style!

    It seemed the information he gained from Etna wascking. He let out a sigh as he had this thought.

    Everyone was still looking at him.

    ¡°What? You should all go do your assigned tasks. Why are you all standing around like this?¡±

    He was taken aback at their unexpectedly undivided attention. He tilted his head in puzzlement. When they saw this, Mycenae acted as the representative for the group. She asked him a question. The light in her eyes was truly earnest.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, how long do we have to hold out like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I guess we¡¯ll do this until their madness end, and they get tired.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you kill it....? As it stands, the people will continue to live in fear.¡±

    ¡°Ajumma, can you truly ask me in good conscience as to whether I can kill it when you look at the size of that bastard?¡±

    An extrarge monster of Kraken¡¯s caliber had significant amount of recuperative powers. It was no joke.

    He had pooled together everyone¡¯s power to create this barrier wall, but it only had the power to deter the Kraken. Over half of the damage received from the wall was recovered through its natural recuperative powers. It would probably take one or two month for it to die. Even that timeline was overly optimistic.

    ¡°That is why we have to give up on the idea of killin......¡±

    ¡°Magician, we have to kill that Kraken.¡±

    Someone interrupted Artpe¡¯s words. He looked towards the noble. This particr noble was someone that held a lot sway amongst the foreign nobles. If Artpe had to guess, he probably was a count or a duke.

    ¡°At this rate, we will have no excuse we can give to our respective countries. Just my country alone lost around 100 Magic Stones. At such a cost, we can only expect to hold out and hope for the Kraken to turn back? Of course, I am well aware that our survival itself is a miracle, but you have to think about what our respective countries will think.¡±

    ¡°So what you are saying right now is.... You need some result that would justify the use of the Magic Stones?¡±

    ¡°As expected of a magician, you are wise. You hit the nail on the head.¡±

    The noble let out a bitterugh. Since they had already surrendered the Magic Stones, they needed a result that matched what they spent. It was a valid line of reasoning, so Artpe heard the noble¡¯s case.

    However, that¡¯s as far as he went.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, you are asking for impossible. The only thing I promised was the safety of the city and your lives.¡±

    ¡°It really will be tough for all of us. I¡¯m sure this will affect Diaz¡¯s rtionship with the other countries. Can¡¯t you do anything about this?¡±

    The noble spoke those words thinking Artpe was a citizen of Diaz. It was basically a threat. The noble was implying that Diaz would be put in a disadvantageous position if Artpe didn¡¯t step up.

    Artpe snorted when he heard the nobleman¡¯s words. He was a Demon that was reborn as a human. The emotional attachment he had towards the country he was affiliated was almost nonexistent.....

    ¡°Look here, ajusshi. It is truly regrettable that it has to be this way, but I have no method avable to me that would allow me to kill the Kraken. This will end in sorrow if you threaten someone who doesn¡¯t have the ability to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already create several miracles already!¡±

    ¡°That was all done through my ability. Those weren¡¯t miracles. They are called miracles, since it never happens!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    As if it was responding to Artpe¡¯s annoyed voice, the Kraken rammed into the barrier wall once again. At that moment, something that made him question his eyes urred.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhh! Goo-oh-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The rampaging Kraken had thrown its entire body towards the barrier wall, and a very small crack formed on the wall.

    ¡°Uh.......¡±

    The cracks were so small that only the owner of the Read All Creation ability was sure of what had happened. The wall had cracked. Moreover, once a crack forms, there was a high probability that the crack would widen.

    Cold sweat started flowing down Artpe¡¯s back.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°A miracle that is slightly disadvantageous towards us has urred......¡±

    In the case of Ice type and Water type monsters, there was no way in hell it could have caused any meaningful damage to the wall unless the monster was over level 300.

    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.

    So how could a level 267 Kraken aplish this? How? Until now, its strikes hadn¡¯t done anything to the barrier wall!

    ¡®Wait a moment. Now that I think about it.....?¡¯

    In an instant, something shed within his mind.

    A normal Kraken was always categorized as pure Ice type monster or a Water type monster. There was no exceptions to this rule.

    However, the Kraken had flinched when it took an impact wound from Sienna. It was the reason why Artpe hadn¡¯t beente inpleting his Reinforcement.

    Why did it do that?

    A mere curse of Madness shouldn¡¯t have caused such repulsion from Sienna¡¯s magical energy!

    As he held this question in his mind, Artpe turned to look at the Kraken. He once again activated his Read All Creation, and he finally figured it out.

    [Kraken]

    [Level : 267]

    [The experiment for Demonification had failed. Several curses rted to the mind had been stacked. The Demonic gene is out of control.]

    ¡®My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ This is connected to the Demonification experiments conducted in Diaz!?¡¯

    The Kraken was a pure Ice or Water type monster. However, the failed experiment had imbued twisted properties of a Demon unto the Kraken, and it was boosting the Kraken¡¯s power. When he realized this fact, Artpe unconsciously mumbled to himself.

    ¡°I have to kill it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! It is possible!¡±

    ¡°There is a fundamental difference between a task one can do, and a task one must aplish even at the risk of one¡¯s life. Anyways, you guys should get out of here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The nobles were enraged by Artpe¡¯s harsh words. Artpe snorted as he spoke.

    ¡°The wall will fall soon. If that is fine with you, you can ride on your high horse by staying here.¡±

    ¡°Why would this wall fall......¡±

    [Koo-oooooooohng!]

    At that moment, the Kraken rammed into the wall again. The Hellfire Sentinel sent out stronger me and vibration. As a price, it couldn¡¯t avoid the fairlyrge crack from forming. This time other people realized what had happened.

    ¡°T...the wall is...¡±

    ¡°Run away! Everyone get down from the wall!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to help them. He didn¡¯t owe them anything. Aside from Artpe, Mycenae, Maetel and Sienna, everyone quickly clung to the wall. It took them less than a minute to evacuate from the wall. They practically jumped off the wall, and they ran towards downtown.

    Artpe was in awe when he saw this.

    As expected, humans were able to perform superhuman feats when their lives were on the line. It would have been great if they could have used some of that superhuman ability in fighting the Kraken. The fact that they couldn¡¯t do so was a shoring that couldn¡¯t be fixed.

    [Ka-hahhhhhhhh! Kee-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    When it realized there was a crack forming in the wall, the Kraken¡¯s rampage became increased in intensity as time passed. The corpses of dead monsters filled the ocean. There was so many bodies that they were starting to stack up. As Artpe¡¯s level grew, his restlessness grew alongside it.

    ¡°I trusted in you, Artpe-nim!¡±

    The one to take this development the hardest was Mycenae. If the Kraken couldn¡¯t be defeated, it would be the end for her!

    ¡°You learned a great lesson, ajumma. You shouldn¡¯t trust people so easily from now on.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    He spoke in a yful manner, but Artpe¡¯s head was still churning toe up with a way to defeat the Kraken.

    Fortunately, he had an outline of a n that would allow him to kill the Kraken. It was the Hellfire Sentinel. The wall¡¯s durability could be consumed at once to inflict a powerful area of effect fire attack. The wall¡¯s final attack still remained.

    ¡®The problem remains that I have no idea if that single attack will kill the Kraken.¡¯

    If it died from the final attack, it would create a happy ending. If not, they would be in a far worse situation. If the Kraken was still alive, it didn¡¯t matter how critical of a wound he could inflict on the Kraken. The Kraken would easily destroy the 2nd and 3rd tier barrier wall constructed by the humans.

    ¡®I have to find some way to weaken it..... But how? Shit. I haven¡¯t learned any proper magic yet!¡¯

    Magicians were beings that possessed unfathomably strong powers. Unfortunately, most of the great magics that could turn the tide of the battle could be learned after level 200. Artpe¡¯s level was stillcking, and such precious magic spells rarely came on the market.

    This was why Artpe wanted to cross the ocean to Aedia as soon as possible! He wanted to be in thend of magicians!

    ¡°I have no choice. Somehow, I¡¯ll¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    Artpe was grinding his teeth as he was about to quickly yank free his Mana Strings.

    At that moment, he heard a strange voice ring in his ears. Artpe repeated the voice he heard. It just slipped out of his mouth. Maetel looked at Artpe with sparkling eyes. Her eyes said she was about to perish from the cuteness of his action.

    ¡°Artpe, we are in such a desperate situation, yet you are ying such a prank! Jeez! You are too cute!¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.......¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    Artpe immediately closed his mouth. Just in case, he quickly turned around to see if it was Etna. However, she was hiding within the shadow of the streets. She had her eyes firmly closed as she sped both her two hands together. She was earnestly wishing for his victory. She looked suited for the role of a holy maiden rather than a Demon.

    ¡®Then who.... Ah?¡¯

    Fortunately, he found the answer shortly.

    No, it was more urate to say the answer came to him.

    [Nyaa! Nyaan!]

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Something flew at lightning speed through the air, and ittched onto Artpe¡¯s arm. Then it rubbed its head against his robe.

    It had ck fur, and its purple eyes shone much brighter from within the darkness. It was shaking its tail in a threatening manner, and it fearlessly stretched its four legs..... Artpe activated his Read All Creation ability, and he was able to confirm its identity.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You were a cat?¡±

    [Nyahhhhhh!]

    It stood 20 centimeters tall, and if one included its tail, it was 40 centimeters long. The cat let out a fierce cry.

    After stuffing itself, the Greed Beast had finally came to see its owner.

 Chapter 64 - Kraken (5)

    Chapter 64 - Kraken (5)

    [Nyaaaaaaaa.]

    There was an intruder on top of the barrier wall. Despite the fact that they they were in a desperate situation, the atmosphere amongst the hero¡¯s party was shaken for a brief moment.

    ¡°What is that ck cat, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the cat. We have to do something about the Kraken right now, Artpe-nim!¡±

    ¡°Everyone be quiet for a moment.¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa-ah-ah-, nyaa-ooh-ee-ooh-ah!]

    When the Greed Beast was born, there had been a feast prepared right in front of its newly opened eyes. It seemed a deep impression had been created on the Greed Beast. It started talking about which one was tasty, and it went into the topic of how some curses were sweeter than others. It started describing its impression of what it ate. This was useless information to Artpe, but it seemed there was a different taste to each curse and evil energy.

    [Nyahh, nyaa-oooh, nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m d you were able to eat such delicious foods.¡±

    As Mycenae had pointed out, he couldn¡¯t leisurely y with the cat right now. However, he couldn¡¯t hide the smile that had formed on his lips when he saw it. The Greed Beast had sought him out.

    It felt as if he had just unearthed the final key that would solve this situation.

    ¡°So are you a bit full now?¡±

    [Nyaaaaa.]

    ¡°You ate that much, yet you are still hungry. Yes, all right.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Artpe can understand what it is saying?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m its owner.¡±

    Everyone else heard cute criesing from the cat, but Artpe clearly understood the intent behind the noises it created. There was a powerful connection between Artpe and the Greed Beast. It was something that couldn¡¯t be replicated even with a Soul Contract.

    This was also something that was unique to the Magician ss. It was the power of ¡®Familiar Control¡¯.

    Normally, magical energy was imbued into a living creature to form a contract. When animals be familiars, they were given superior abilities and intelligencepared to the normal animals.

    Most magicians chose birds for its ability to fly, but there were entric magicians out there that chose cats, mice or even bugs as familiars.

    However, there was a rule.

    ¡®Monsters couldn¡¯t be made into familiars. The only thing close to such a skill is the Demon race¡¯s Control skill.....¡¯

    However, this wasn¡¯t a normal monster. It was a beast that was in charge of one of the 7 Deadly Sins, and he had unwittingly created a Familiar contract with it.

    Was this possible because he was a hero!

    This shouldn¡¯t be possible even if he was a hero!

    However, that wasn¡¯t important right now.

    The important fact was that the cat was still hungry.

    ¡°Look at that.¡±

    [Nyaa?]

    The cat climbed up his arm, and he willing allowed the cat to perch on his shoulder. He raised a finger to point at the Kraken. Its gluttony had originated from consuming curses, so of course, the Greed Beast could recognize what he was pointing out.

    ¡°Can you feel it?¡±

    [Nyaa!? Nyahhhhh!]

    There was an appetizing curse energy infused within the Kraken¡¯s enormous body. The Greed Beast had purples eyes that resembled Artpe¡¯s eyes. Its eyes shone from excitement. The cat was showing signs of wanting to attack the Kraken at that very moment. He calmed the cat by speaking in a level manner.

    ¡°I want you to eat all of that. However, that bastard is a scary monster, so you have to be careful. If not, you might get hurt.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaa!]

    The Greed Beast snorted at Artpe¡¯s words, which was tinged with worry.

    If it was hit by the big brute, it would no longer call itself the Greed Beast. It would call itself the Groan Beast. When the cat gave such a reply, Artpe nodded his head in a solemn manner.

    ¡°All right. Come back after you are done. When you seed, I¡¯ll give you a pretty name.¡±

    He had given the cat its first instruction.

    [Nyaaaaaa!]

    After it received its orders, the confluence of evil Greed energy hidden within the small cat manifested itself in the form of a ck fog. It charged towards the ocean. The eyes of Maetel and Mycenae turned round when they saw this.

    ¡°I knew it had too much magical energy, but it wasn¡¯t a cat in the first ce!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a living organism!? Aht! Now that I think about it, I saw the trace of its Mana within the auction house....¡±

    ¡°Shhh. Curiosity killed the Dark Elf merchant.¡±

    ¡°You are too selective in giving details!¡±

    Mycenae wanted to ask him about what happened to all the items that had been inside the auction house. However, she knew they would all be in trouble if she voiced such thoughts out loud. This was why she firmly bottled up the urge.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but can we win now, Artpe?¡±

    Maetel asked the question instead of Mycenae. Her eyes were brilliant as if they were emeralds, and her eyes were filled with her trust towards Artpe. Artpe grinned as he answered her.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t win with this gambit, we have to break this off cleanly. We¡¯ll run away. Everyone should gather your stuff, so we can run away at any moment.¡±

    He spoke in a dependable manner, but his words had turned towards a cowardly direction!

    ¡°Artpe-niiiiiim!¡±

    ¡°That is why I told you all to get down from here.¡±

    Artpe ced a hand on top of the barrier wall. It was a familiar sight. He had done the same thing several times as he Reinforced the wall. However, the Mana emanating from him was different. It was very sharp and destructive.

    The Mana was refined for purely destructive purposes. It looked as if he was making a set of Mana Strings before he returned it to pure Mana.

    ¡°Hurry. You should take Sienna along with you.¡±

    If Sienna had been conscious, she might have been helpful against the Kraken, who was polluted by the Demonic gene. However, she had been put into unconsciousness through unnatural means. This was why Artpe had to do this somehow with the help of the Greed Beast!

    ¡°Go right now.¡±

    He once against ordered the party members to head down, and his voice had taken a turn for the worse. However, Maetel pouted as she shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°I¡¯m staying here with Artpe. Ajumma can take care of Sienna.¡±

    ¡°All right. You can stay here, and ajumma can take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeek. I¡¯m pretty sure I had a pretty active part in all of this not too long ago. Now you want me to meekly retreat with a party member in tow as if I¡¯m some kind of an extra. I can¡¯t stand it!¡±

    Mycenae grumbled, but unlike her words, she obediently took Sienna down from the wall. Even if she was rotten, she was a Dark Elf. She didn¡¯t need to rely on adder. Even with a person in tow, she bounced down the wall. The sight of her back looked really cool, but Artpe didn¡¯t even nce at her. She was treated like an extra until the end.

    [Koo-oohhhhng!]

    [Nyaaaaaa!]

    On the other side of the wall, the Kraken showed no signs of tiring as it continued its rampage. It was feeling pain from the me and vibration, but it was using pain to fuel its anger. The curse of madness and the Demonic gene was a greatbination. As time passed, the ckened flesh exfoliated from the Kraken¡¯srge body, and its skin was getting tougher.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if I let things go on any further, a new race like the Evil Reflector might be born here.¡¯

    However, the Kraken was unable to create such an anomalous event, because the Greed Beast was present. The Greed Beast was able to consume curses within Demons and humans. Of course, it would be able to extract the curse from a big dumb squid!

    As a the owner of the Read All Creation, he wanted to see a new Record being made. However, he wouldn¡¯t jeopardize his life to see it.

    Artpe spread his Mana into the entirety of the barrier wall as he sincerely wished for the Greed Beast to finish its mission safely. He couldn¡¯t drag this out any longer. He had to end this by striking a decisive blow.

    ¡°Artpe, there are more cracks forming on the wall.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯ll bes easier for me to attack as it breaks the barrier wall. My attack procedure is already in ce. It¡¯ll immediately engage as soon as the wall falls. The remaining problem is the timing of the attack.¡±

    Best timing...

    He had to wait until all the curse and evil energy to be taken by the Greed Beast. The Kraken had to be in a structurally unstable state. Artpe was using his Read All Creation ability to hone in on the right moment. An endless light emanated from him as he continuously monitored the status of the Hellfire Sentinel and the Kraken¡¯s body.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaa, nyaaahhhhh!]

    The Krakken was obsessed with trying to break the Hellfire Sentinel, so it didn¡¯t notice the Greed Beast invading its body. It was as the Greed Beast had guaranteed. The cat leisurely burrowed into various parts of the Kraken¡¯s body, and it stuffed itself of cursed Mana. It didn¡¯t take too long for a change that was visible to the eyes to ur.

    [Koo-ha-ahhhh, kee-ooh-ahhhhhh!]

    The Kraken charged once again, and an enormous collision urred. At that moment, a part of its thickened skin, which had formed over time, to fall off!

    ck blood erupted from where the crust used to be, and it lessened the power of the curse within the Kraken. It let out a cry of pain, and the Greed Beast shouted with joy.

    [Koo-oh-ahhhhh!]

    [Nyahhhhhh! Nyah-ooh-oh-ahhh!]

    ¡°Is that cat trying to copy the scream of the Kraken?¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhh!]

    The Kraken was feeling pain, yet it looked as if it was trying to forget the current pain by producing a bigger pain. It madly rammed itself into the barrier wall. The vibration was caused naturally by the wall, but the tremors caused by the Kraken¡¯s attack amplified the vibration. It was bad enough that a normal person would immediately fall.

    ¡°A little bit more.... Just a little bit more¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    [Koo-oh-ahhhhh!]

    As the wall kept losing its durability, Artpe carefully inspected the wall. He mumbled to himself in a dejected manner. The Greed Beast started to consume the curse at a much rapid pace as instructed. The blood mixed with the curse flowed from various parts of the Kraken¡¯s body, but the Kraken was showing no signs of slowing down.

    ¡°I made a mistake. The Kraken is devoid of its soul. It might be the curse or the effects of the Demonification experiments, but there isn¡¯t a single ounce of conscious thought left in its mind.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, the wall.....¡±

    ¡°I know! Shit!¡±

    The Kraken¡¯s power was much stronger than expected, so the wall was falling much faster than expected. Artpe was spreading his Mana to try to slow down the copse. He was trying hard, but there was a limit to what his Mana could do.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaaaaaaaa!]

    The Kraken intertwined several dozen tentacles, and it struck a powerful blow against the wall. The sound of the wall cracking could be heard, and one could see an unrecoverable wound form on the heart of the barrier wall. It was as if a lightning had struck the wall. The wall cracked in half from top to bottom. It formed right bewtween Artpe and Maetel.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Maetel, you should get down before it is toote!¡±

    ¡°But!¡±

    ¡°Right now!¡±

    Artpe sensed that the moment hade. It didn¡¯t matter if it hadn¡¯t been weakened all the way. Even if a single attack couldn¡¯t kill it, he had to use the attack right now. If not, the barrier wall would copse, and that would be the end to everything.

    ¡°I ask his favor of you, Etna....!¡±

    He was hoping Etna¡¯s prayer would reach the gods! If it did reach them, that would be a problem too! Artpe struck the wall with his mana-infused fist. He let out a shout that carried his anger!

    ¡°Dieeeeeeeee!¡±

    It happened when his magical energy spread to the entirety of the wall! The wall broke into countless fragments as it showered down towards the ground. Each of them were surrounded by hellfire, and they looked likeets falling from the sky.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaa!? Nyaaaaaaahhhh!]

    The Kraken¡¯s body had a lot of surface area, so he was being pelted by the meteors! It let out a wretched scream. The Greed Beast was burrowed inside the Kraken¡¯s body, so it didn¡¯t receive any damage. However, it made a fuss by asking why Artpe was attacking the Kraken when it wasn¡¯t finished eating. However, that was of no concern to Artpe.

    ¡°You should eat as much as you can then you should retreat!¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa-ah! Nyaa-ah-ah!]

    Artpe bit his lips as he slowly fell through the air. He was checking how critical of a damage each of the massive amounts of rocks were causing. He came to the conclusion that it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The Kraken was refined by the life energy of the ocean, and the demonic energy. It had be extremely hard, strong and durable. The attack would destroy 70% of the Kraken¡¯s body, but the remaining 30% could easilyy waste to Frate.

    It wasn¡¯t enough. Even if it was half dead, he couldn¡¯t win against it. He couldn¡¯t kill it.

    They had to run away.

    When he came to that conclusion, augh came out unbidden. He finally grasped his station in the world. It was so pathetic that he couldn¡¯t stand it.

    ¡®The skill of running away with exquisite timing is one of the skills needed for the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. Heroes are the only one that could fight a fair fight until the end toe out on top. I¡¯m a fake, so this was impossible from the start. I should just run away, and they could curse me for doing so. This is obvious to me now.¡¯

    He fell slowly towards the ocean as countless fragments either grazed or hit the Kraken. In that short amount of time, he took some time for introspection.

    The sense of defeat filled his body, and it couldn¡¯t be erased. Who the hell did he think he was? Why did he step forward in a battle that couldn¡¯t be won? Did he unconsciously be drunk on the respect given to him by other people?

    It was truly funny. No, it wasn¡¯t funny at all.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have any right to deride the humans. It seems I was born as a human, and I¡¯ve been influenced by the way of humans. All right. I realize this now. We have to run away. I¡¯ll run away with Maetel and Sienna. This time I¡¯ll do it the rightway from the beginning. I will never stepforward again. I¡¯ll do everything from the back. It is sufficient for Maetel to be the only one in the front line. Yes, this is it.¡¯

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    Someone interrupted Artpe¡¯s thoughts, which was expanding in an uncontroble manner. Artpe was relying on the gravitation pull to descend. When he dumbly turned to look, he identified the owner of the voice. He caught sight of Maetel. She was relying on the Blink Boots he had put on her feet to run towards him.

    ¡°Idiot, we have to run away now.....¡±

    ¡°I got you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Record Divide!¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t listen to Artpe¡¯s words as she used Blink. When she grabbed his robe, she activated her Unique skill.

    She was trying to share her magical energy through her skill, but what would that aplish? He was about to snort when he felt the magical energy flow into him. His insides became numb.

    ¡°You... How¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Maetel¡¯s magical energy.

    This was obvious, but it wasn¡¯t Artpe¡¯s magical energy either.

    ¡°Artpe, can you do it now?¡±

    He was taken aback by Maetel¡¯s question, but he firmly nodded his head as an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s my Artpe!¡±

    Maetel let out a bright smile, and Artpe couldn¡¯t help but snicker. His whole body had been dominated by the feeling of helplessness. Now it felt as if energy and hope was surging up within him.

    The magical energy flowing into him was the type of magical energy that absolutely negated the demonic energy.... It was the magical energy of Sienna, who was still unconscious.

 Chapter 65 - Kraken (6)

    Chapter 65 - Kraken (6)

    Maetel had used Record Divide to deliver magical energy to Artpe. It wasn¡¯t her own magical energy. She had brought Sienna¡¯s magical energy. In the process of experiencing the Record Link and Artpe¡¯s Mana Link, she had perfected her unique skill!

    Originally, it was a skill that allowed her to share spells and abilities with Artpe. However, she had brought along Sienna¡¯s ability too. Something iprehensible had happened.

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t ask how this was possible. He used that time to think about how to kill the Kraken using this new factor.

    The conclusion was simple. He just had to Reinforce the fragments that were still falling towards the Kraken.

    If the Hellfire Sentinel was intact, it would have been impossible. However, it had broken apartpletely, and each fragments were basically akin to a high rank consumable artifact. This was why it was possible for him to pull this off. He would have to consume a massive amount of Mana, but Artpe would be able to pull it off by squeezing out every ounce of Mana from within his body.

    ¡°Reinforcement.¡±

    Artpe activated his skill, and at the same time, he took out the Demite¡¯s Gemstone. It couldn¡¯t be used as it was originally intended, since it wasn¡¯tpletely refined. Despite this fact, it could be used in the manner he had used against the Slime. It could receive and amplify Artpe¡¯s magical energy.

    ¡°When I made the resolve to retreat, I never expected to be pushed back into another risky venture like this.......¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t risky. Artpe can do this.¡±

    After transporting Sienna¡¯s magical energy, Maetel clung to Artpe. She gave up her remaining magical energy to him. The two were clinging to each other, so they were falling faster towards the surface of the water. It was a desperate situation, yet she looked at Artpe with absolute conviction.

    ¡°We can do this.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, you really can¡¯t help but be a hero.¡±

    The hero insisted on ¡®we¡¯. It was as if she was scoffing at Artpe, who had thought about doing all of this alone. She truly looked like the hero he had seen in his past life. It made himugh. Theughter was a mixture of admiration towards her, and the derision he felt towards himself. It was a fifty-fifty mix.

    Until now, he had recklessly tried to do everything by himself. When he found himself unable to seed, he hadbeled himself as a ¡®fake hero¡¯. He did as he pleased, and his thoughts were like a self-fulfilling prophecy. He had been ready to run away. Artpe had been under a misconception. Even in his past life, the hero had never tried to aplish tasks by herself!

    She had always hadpanions by her side. In his past life, Artpe couldn¡¯t understand the reasoning behind it.

    One plus one was always equaled two. Usually, conflict urred when you put people together. There was a far greater chance of encountering a Dragon than to find people one was able to work synergistically with.

    As a Demon, Artpe took no heed of others. He considered them to be hindrances, and he considered it fortunate if he wasn¡¯t hurt by them. It wasn¡¯t as if he liked being by himself. However, the situation, the era and the state of his mind at the time made him fly solo.

    This was why he couldn¡¯tpletely discard his old habit even after his reincarnation. He was with Maetel and Sienna now. However, he had assessed their abilities, and he had put them in separate categories. He had acted as if he was being rational, and he had done everything his own way. This was why he had only thought about sending away Maetel and Sienna from the front line. He had considered their roles to be done.

    However, that wasn¡¯t true. Heroes had the ability to make the impossible possible. They made things that shouldn¡¯t exist together to be able to coexist with each other. The proof was right in front of him right now. Sienna¡¯s magical energy was being absorbed and amplified within the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.

    Sienna¡¯s magical energy was being transferred through Maetel, and it was manifesting from Artpe¡¯s hands.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t a chimera. What the hell is this? It makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. I didn¡¯t think it would work. However, when I tried really hard, it worked.¡±

    ¡°How can youe here with such a mentality? You really are the worst.¡±

    She really was the worst. She was so ridiculous that he couldn¡¯t get annoyed with her. He could onlyugh. He was happy. He would have to question herter on, but it was fine for now.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Artpe spoke in a whisper as he unleashed the magical energy. It was transferred to all the fragments of Hellfire Sentinel that existed in this world. He activated his Reinforcement skill to Reinforce all of them again. He coated Sienna¡¯s magic around the fragments, and the mes were Reinforced. Their speed was increased, and a target was set.

    His merciless eyes shed as if he was the Demon King that would bring about the destruction to this world. In the next moment, his mouth opened once again, and he spat out fire with his words.

    ¡°Blow up the head of that damned squid!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    Kraken wallowed within its pain as it roared, and it sent out its ckened tentacles.

    Before they could reach Artpe and Maetel, white mingets hit the Kraken¡¯s body.

    The attack was theplete opposite to the Kraken¡¯s attribute. Unlike the previous attacks, this attack melted the body at a fundamental level!

    [Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhk!]

    [Nyaa!? Nyaahhhhhhhhhh! Nyaa nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah-ah!]

    The Kraken let out a desperate cry. The Greed Beast was taken aback. If it continued to be greedy, it might die alongside the Kraken. It quickly retreated. A twisted smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips when he heard the Kraken¡¯s roar and scream. It was a horrible shriek filled with a curse towards him.

    ¡®It is done. We won.¡¯

    When he was sure his Reinforcement was sessful, he was dominated by the feeling of delight and aplishment. They hadn¡¯t retreated. They had won. He didn¡¯t want to help those damn humans, but he was thrilled that he was able to finish all of this without holding himself in contempt.

    It felt as if the parts that he felt deficient about himself was made whole. The one to fill that deficiency was the hero, who was falling with him.

    [Koo-ohhhhhh, koo-ahhhhhhng!]

    All the Mana within Artpe was emptying out, and he was steadily losing consciousness. He wondered if he was going to die after achieving victory. If he was hit by an errant tentacle, it would be the end of him. There was no way he could be that unlucky. At the very least, he wished Maetel to be safe.....

    Countless thoughts crossed his mind. Even as they were plummeting towards the ocean, he caught sight of the hero. She refused to let go of his hand. He wasn¡¯t thinking anything. He instinctively called out the name of the hero.

    ¡°Maetel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel had also exhausted all her Mana, so she was in the same boat as Artpe. She was close to losing consciousness. There wasn¡¯t a single ounce of energy within her voice as she responded to the tired voice of Artpe. He extended his hand to hold her lightly, and he spoke as if he was in a dream.

    ¡°Hurry¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He was moments away from losing consciousness. It was the moments after the victory. He wasn¡¯t of sound mind at that moment. Artpe spoke words that he would regret for the rest of his life.

    ¡°Grow faster... You.... ¡±

    ¡°Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh!?¡±

    Maetel was also losing consciousness like Artpe, but at his words, she instantly regained consciousness as she replied to his words.

    He wanted her to grow faster? Why? Of course, there was only one reason why he would want this!?

    ¡°Ah. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaartpe? Wait a moment. Can you say that again! Say it one more time!¡±

    ¡°Hooo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    However, Artpe couldn¡¯t finish his words as he lostplete consciousness. His body became ck. There was a good chance he wouldn¡¯t be able to remember his words even after he woke up.

    ¡°Eeeeek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ All right, Artpe! I¡¯ll grow up as soon as possible!¡±

    However, Maetel had clearly received his words, so Maetel didn¡¯t care what happened!

    ¡°Faster... If I grow up faster¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Artpe will....!¡±

    Her eyes were burning with resolve and determination. It wasn¡¯t up to her as to how fast she could grow, but such a small problem wouldn¡¯t get in her way. It would be of no problem to her!

    She¡¯ll grow up fast. Artpe said he wanted her to grow up fast, so she would grow up fast! She would grow up fast, and.....

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhht!¡±

    She used her transcendent will and the power of love to regain full consciousness. She clutched Artpe¡¯s unconscious body to her. In the next moment, the two plunged into the ocean together.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°Oooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s worries hadn¡¯t been unfounded. The Kraken did execute a final attack, but it couldn¡¯t scratch the burning will of Maetel. After squeezing out its least strength, the Kraken died in vain.

    Maetel had used the power of her will to transcend everything. As she watched the end of the Kraken, she felt a massive and overwhelming amount of EXP flow into her and the members of her party. She was finally able to let go of her consciousness. It was the moment where the hero¡¯s party had achievedplete victory against the Kraken.

    [Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Nyaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!]

    The only one conscious until the end was the Greed Beast. It let out a roar of delight as if it owned the world.

    As if it wanted to prove its own existence, it let out an evil cry that was filled with greed.

    When Artpe opened his eyes, he saw two girls clinging onto him as they slept.

    ¡°This again?¡±

    It was something that always happened, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. He let out a sigh as he raised his hand towards his head. However, he realized something was there. He felt soft fur that flowed dowards. He felt a warm sensation, and he felt a head rubbing against his palm in a cute manner.

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°It was you?¡±

    Artpe gripped the Greed Beast by the back of the neck, and he brought it up in front of his eyes. It looked like a cat, but its fur was ck as ebony, and it possessed purple eyes. No matter how one looked at it, it looked simr to Artpe.

    ¡°Did you get influence by me during your birth?¡±

    [Nyaaa.]

    ¡°Yes, I see. You protected us while we slept? Thank you.¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa-ah-ah. Nyaaah!]

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I did say I¡¯ll give you a name......¡±

    Artpe thought about it for a brief moment before he opened his mouth.

    ¡°All right. How about Amethyst?¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]

    It answered by saying it would rather be called the Greed Beast if it had to answer by that name. It seemed the cat wouldn¡¯t allow him to half-ass this. Artpe clicked his tongue as he spoke the next candidate.

    ¡°How about Roa?¡±

    [Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Nyaa, nyaa-ah!]

    The cat said it wouldn¡¯t give the name a 100 points. It was mediocre, but it decided to ept the name. It nodded its head as it licked Artpe¡¯s cheek. It seemed the Greed Beast was fully mimicking a cat. Its rough tongue licked him, and it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.

    ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhh.]

    ¡°Two days?¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    After expending a massive amount of Mana, he had fallen unconscious. Even if he had experience multiple level ups, he had been prepared to be unconscious for a week. However, the answer that came back from Roa was encouraging. A slight smile formed on his lips.

    ¡°Maetel and Sienna..... Good. It seems they will wake up soon too.¡±

    Maetel and Sienna probably pushed themselves more than he did. Still, the level 267 Kraken held massive amounts of EXP. It was divided into three... no, it was divided into four if Roa was included. Their levels had increased in a crazy manner. This was why the aftereffects of the fight had been reduced by an overwhelming amount.

    Artpe felt truly relieved when he realized the girls weren¡¯t hurt. He was surprised at this emotion, but he epted it. He brushed the head of the girls, who were acting spoiled.

    ¡°Ooh-mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Artpe. Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Still, level 215 is a bit much, Maetel.¡±

    He spoke such words, but Artpe¡¯s level was 216. It seemed his role in this venture had been muchrger than Maetel, so the share of the EXP was skewed more towards him. He wondered if there had been a time when his level had been higher than Maetel¡¯s level. He realized this was the first time it had happened. Once Maetel finds out about this, she probably would be incredibly happy.

    ¡®Sienna is also at level 199. When she regains consciousness, I¡¯m sure she will progress into her level 200 high rank ss.¡¯

    In killing the Kraken, she surely would have gained her Achievement. If she wasn¡¯t able to acquire her high rank ss, no one in this world was qualified to get it. He was sure of it.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaaa!]

    ¡°Yes, yes. You were born not too long ago, yet you are level 150. How much curse did you eat?¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the curses? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Uh?¡±

    It spoke the truth. The Greed Beast or Roa hadn¡¯t just eaten the curse energy like the curse of madness. It had eaten all the evil thoughts of other beings, and it even ate the Demonic gene of the Kraken. It had eaten everything in a greedy manner!

    ¡°Nothing is wrong with your body, right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? If you suddenly be a thrall of the Demon King, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa! Nyaa nyaa!]

    Roa spoke out in anger at Artpe¡¯s cold words. It said there was no way it would be controlled by such trivial energies. Still, there was a limit to how valiant one could be.

    ¡°It seems that wasn¡¯t the only thing you ate. Can you spit them back out?¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    ¡°You can digest anything I don¡¯t need. You just have to give me the important stuff.¡±

    [Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Nyaa. Nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Yes, you are a good girl.¡±

    She was a smart beast that knew the reality of her current situation. She had no choice, but to obey Artpe¡¯s words. Artpe scratched the back of her neck at her praiseworthy act. It seems it was quite pleasurable. She purred. She waspletely a cat.

    ¡°You are awake, Artpe-nim!¡±

    He was enjoying a rare moment of peace when the door suddenly opened. Mycenae charged into the room. Her ears were trembling with anger.

    ¡°If you are awake then please hear me out, Artpe-nim! Those assholes outside are talking about how they should divvy up the Kraken¡¯s corpse!¡±

    ¡°What? They want to divvy up the Kraken¡¯s corpse?¡±

    Artpe answered with a dumbfounded voice. Mycenae vigorously nodded her head in anger.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! They im they had contributed in killing the Kraken by donating their Magic Stones. They are iming they have partial rights to the corpse.... They only cooperated, because they had no choice if they wanted to live. They are being shameless!¡±

    ¡°First, calm down, Mycenae.¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooh-ooh.¡±

    When Mycenae heard Artpe speak her name, she reflexively calmed down. He waited until the fluttering of her ears lessened. Then he nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°So they looted the Kraken? Did anything of significancee out?¡±

    ¡°No, if someone dared to touch it, a fight would have broke out. Therefore, no one has touched it yet.... No, that isn¡¯t the important part! They are talking about divvying up the corpse when the person responsible for killing the Kraken isn¡¯t present! It is uneptable.....!¡±

    ¡°I see. They haven¡¯t tried to loot it yet. That is why everyone is still excited.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Normally, Artpe would have been hopping mad, but his expression was as calm as it could be.

    Mycenae had no idea what was going on, so her ears drooped. She had a dumbfounded expression on her face. Artpe petted the Greed Beast Roa, who was clinging to him. He nodded his head.

    ¡°Sure, they can divide it amongst themselves. It¡¯s all right. It isn¡¯t much.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Did you perhaps do something before you lost consciousness?¡±

    ¡°Me? Nope. I was unconscious, so how could I have done anything?¡±

    Artpe smirked. Roa, who was nestled against Artpe, also smirked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaa.]

    There was no need to interpret what Roa¡¯s meow meant.

 Chapter 66 - The Quest Isnt Done Yet (1)

    Chapter 66 - The Quest Isn¡¯t Done Yet (1)

    As Artpe had predicted, Maetel and Sienna regained consciousness in short order. They were surprised at how much they had gotten stronger after they had woken up. This was especially true for Sienna. She was dazed.

    ¡°Oppa was able to kill the Kraken unscathed. What a relief..... Still, I think I received to much EXP. Also, my skill is strangely more powerful now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you contributed the most in killing the Kraken..... Huh? It seems you aren¡¯t aware of this fact. Maetel, did you really get Sienna¡¯s consent before you brought her magical energy?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s question was sharper than Maetel¡¯s long sword. Maetel turned up her smile to 120% as she answered him.

    ¡°My feelings and thoughts for Artpe is the same as Sienna! Of course, my feelings are much strongerpared to hers.¡±

    Basically, she hadn¡¯t received consent from Sienna. She was able to take and use someone else¡¯s magical energy as she pleased. Artpe was having a hard time figuring out the skill called Record Divide. Before he did anything, he flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead several times.

    ¡°I told you countless times that there is a close rtionship between Mana and one¡¯s life. If she hadn¡¯t leveled up, Sienna would have been put in a precarious situation.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, Artpe would have died!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!? You almost died!?¡±

    At Maetel¡¯s words, Sienna freaked out as she reacted to the news. Maetel knew this was her chance. She told Sienna all about what Artpe and she had endured, while they faced the Kraken. After hearing theplete story, Sienna pped her hands saying they had been fortunate.

    ¡°This means I was able to have a deep understanding with unni! I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯m so happy that I was able to help oppa.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a deep understanding between the two of you? When did you two develop.... Ah.¡±

    There was that incident. They had fought in broad daylight at the auction house. They spoke about squishy feelings that sounded as if they were revealing their hearts.... No, they were probably acting.

    Artpe didn¡¯t want to dig into it any further, so he shut his mouth. Instead, he grabbed Roa, who was perched on top of his head. She had been ying with his hair. He introduced Roa to them.

    ¡°This is Roa. She¡¯ll be with us from now on. As you can see, she isn¡¯t a normal cat. She¡¯s the Greed Beast.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Roa lifted a paw as she gave her greeting. Even if they were told that she was the Greed Beast, she looked like a dignified ck cat on the outside. Sienna was at an age where she loved cute stuff, so her eyes shone. She sounded pleased.

    ¡°You are too cute! You are very very cute!¡±

    However, Maetel tackled the issue from a totally unexpected direction.

    ¡°Artpe, is Roa a female cat or a male cat?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a female cat. Are you trying topete even with a beast?¡±

    ¡°Grrrrrrr¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    When Maetel heard that the cat was female, she started growling. Maetel became guarded. Roa, who had to face Maetel¡¯s hostility, was taken aback by it.

    ¡°She really is cute..... No, Artpe-nim! This isn¡¯t the time to be doing this!¡±

    There was a cordial atmosphere amongst the hero¡¯s party. Mycenae couldn¡¯t stand it, so she express her anger.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go out. I¡¯ming. Tsk.¡±

    Artpe wasckadaisical as he got up. He put his robe around his body. No one instructed her to do so, but Roa entered into his robe out of her own ord. She hid atop his head.

    It was the corpse of an enormous level 267rge monster. It was something rarely seen in the human world. Artpe felt depressed at the thought of facing the humans demonstrate their greed.

    He got out of the bed first, then he waited for Maetel and Sienna to equip themselves. After they were done getting ready......

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Oppa~ I want to eat buttered corn.¡±

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s eat before we go.¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    ¡°Ah ah! Really! Artep-niiiim!¡±

    They decided to go eat first.

    ¡°You are finally up?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you, magician.¡±

    It was as if they had been trying to eat all the meals they had missed for the past two days. They enjoyed their meals thoroughly before they went to the square. It seemed all the foreign nobles, nobles of Diaz, the lord of Frate and the merchants were all gathered here. If things went a little bit awry, a much dirtier and thicker greedpared to what was seen in the auction house yesterday would emanate from them.

    ¡°Wow. It looks really big seen in this light....burp.¡±

    ¡°You dummy, don¡¯t speak and burp at the same time. Where did your dignity as a human go to?¡±

    ¡°It really is big. Oppa killed this. Oppa is too cool.¡±

    Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones there. The Kraken was sorge that he wondered how they moved the corpse ind. Moreover, the Kraken¡¯s corpse had been kept intact. It was being guarded by an awe-inspiring number of guards..... Artpe was baffled by all of this, so he asked the lord a question.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only killed the Kraken. The Lunatic Wave has started, so it won¡¯t end until the winter ends. Is it ok for you all to be here doing nothing?¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve killed the Kraken, the size of the Wave has decreased. Two days has passed, yet the size of the Wave barely increased in size. We still have time. This is all thanks to you....¡±

    ¡°The more important thing right now is the Kraken!¡±

    ¡°Magician! We want to talk to you about divvying up the Kraken¡¯s loot!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The foreign nobles were jumping up and down in excitement. The only one that was subdued amongst them was Frate¡¯s lord, count Mrd. He probably also coveted the Kraken¡¯s corpse, but the defense of Frate was more important to him.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t raise your voices, the magician will understand your words. Everyone should calm down, and we should wait for him to speak. This will allow us to do this quickly, and it¡¯ll finish without any conflict.¡±

    ¡°How can I do that! These bastards are trying to steal my share of the Kraken through unfair reason!¡±

    ¡°Who are you using of theft? I acquired the share to the barrier wall through the merchant over there! I bought it with my Magic Stones early on! I¡¯m different from you guys, who held out giving the Magic Stones until thest moment. You only gave it up, because you didn¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡°Everyone should calm down! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of your behavior as nobles!¡±

    ¡°How can we calm down right now!¡±

    This was why the count had remained here. If he vacated his post of watching over the corpse of the Kraken, he was worried a fight would have broken out. He was at a point where he wished the corpse of the Kraken would just disappear.

    ¡®Thankfully, the lord has a good head on his shoulders. If people like him didn¡¯t exist, the country would fall into ruins.¡¯

    Artpe shared a bitterugh with the lord before he stepped forward. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him. He let out a deep sigh, and he looked over the Kraken¡¯s corpse. He had nned on talking about everyone¡¯s share after he made an urate assessment of the worth of the Kraken¡¯s corpse.

    ¡®Huh.....¡¯

    However, he found an information that he hadn¡¯t been able to catch with his Read all Creation ability when the Kraken was alive. During the fight, he hadn¡¯t been focused on analyzing what was within its body. He had focused on its health and overall status of the Kraken. It was understandable as to how this had happened.

    The Read All Creation was a god-like ability that allowed it to discern all information that could be seen through his eyes. However, there was a limit on how much information Artpe could receive and process. This was why he had trained his ability to show him information on topics he was focused on.

    In conclusion, he had done a thorough search of the Kraken¡¯s inner anatomy, and he was barely able to find an entity within it.

    ¡®Besides the fact that there is something within it..... It is still alive? Moreover, this being belongs to the race of..... Wait a moment. This smells like another Quest.....¡¯

    He had thought he had nothing to hide. Greed Beast Roa had looted the Kraken once already. The only thing that could be gained from the Kraken was its big body. Of course, the parts of its body were useful, but it wasn¡¯t anything he coveted. This was why he had been ready to give away most of it after he gathered the important items..... However, the story had changed once he found ¡®another possibility¡¯ within its corpse.

    ¡°All right. I am a magician that is second to none in this world in terms of fairness. I¡¯ll make my verdict now. My three man party will take 50% of the loot.¡±

    ¡°You want 50%?! That is too high!?¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim! You only want 50 percent.....¡±

    If one was being frank, the hero party had done everything in this fight. Five hundred magic stones was worth an enormous amount, yet the Reinforcement of the barrier wall couldn¡¯t have been done without him. Moreover, Sienna and Maetel wouldn¡¯t have been there. The barrier wall wouldn¡¯t have been used to defeat the Kraken.

    He had every right to take the entire corpse for himself, so he was being generous by announcing his 50% cut. Of course, the generosity was influenced by the fact that Roa had already looted the Kraken.

    A portion of nobles couldn¡¯t hide their anger and discontent. They were barely able to keep their cool, but the nobles started making snidements. Artpe snorted as he spoke in a disinterested manner.

    ¡°Next, there is the merchant that yed a huge role in making the barrier wall, which blocked the Kraken. Mycenae¡¯s share is 20%.¡±

    ¡°That merchant tried to cheat us out of our items, yet you are giving her a 20% cut! Are you out of your mind !¡±

    ¡°If this particr merchant wasn¡¯t here, we would have all died. So shut the hell up!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s rough rebuke, the nobles shut their mouths.

    Since Artpe wasn¡¯t a noble, they couldn¡¯t bend him to their wills through political pressure. He was also a powerful magician, so they couldn¡¯t subdue him through violence. If Artpe had tried to coerce them all through his magic, they could have shouted with righteous anger. They could have invoked the name of their countries. However, Artpe was speaking as the most aplishedbatant in this battle. He also spoke about the contributions made by the other people in battle. There was nothing they could gain by raising their voices.

    ¡°Then there are the nobles and merchants of Diaz, who provided 180 Magic Stones for the construction of the barrier wall. They sold it at a ¡®cheap¡¯ price. I believe 20% share is fair for them. The rest will take the 10% share. These are the foreign nobles and merchants, who paid 320 Magic Stones, in exchange for the right to be protected. That is it. Are there any objections?¡±

    ¡°T...ten percent..... You want us to share 10 percent amongst the 100 of us? Y...you bastaaaaaaaard!¡±

    The noble couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, so he unsheathed his sword. He pointed his sword at Artpe. However, neither Maetel and Sienna stepped forward to help Artpe. They knew how much strength and martial force he possessed.

    Artpe¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he looked over the noble.

    ¡°I split it up fairly. Do you have a problem with it?¡±

    ¡°How is this fair! I¡¯ve never experienced meeting such an obstinate person! I gave up three Magic Stones, and I want a fairpensation!¡±

    ¡°You should speak the whole truth. You¡¯ve already received a fairpensation.¡±

    Artpe extended his hand to grab the sword. The Mana Strings erupted like vines as it climbed up the sword. The Mana Strings reached the man¡¯s neck. The nobleman couldn¡¯t see the Mana Strings, but he could feel the pressure caused by them. He squeaked as his body tensed.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about your life. The rest is just a bonus. Am I not right?¡±

    ¡°Y...you bastard.... You dare to threaten a marquis of the Diatin Kingdom!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you were the one to threaten me first. I¡¯m pretty sure we made a clean transaction, yet you are going back on the terms of the deal. You are trying to double dip. If that isn¡¯t a form of threat, what is?¡±

    ¡°T...that wasn¡¯t a fair trade......¡±

    When he added strength into the Mana String, the nobles sword broke cleanly. The bastard finally realized that he was facing someone with unfathomable abilities. He finally realized this fact.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like the price you paid for your life, I can take it all back. Shall we settle our ount after nullifying our previous agreement? I¡¯m ready to do so.¡±

    Artpe was trying to prevent more annoying incidents from urring. He spoke as he gathered his Mana. The noble¡¯s face paled.

    ¡°M...my country won¡¯t allow....¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that your northern country will be able to find me? No.... If I decide to do something to you here, do you think I¡¯ll leave behind any witnesses? You were shaking in fear behind the wall, while we killed the Kraken. It has only been two days, yet have you forgotten this fact?¡±

    ¡°Koo, kuh-huhk.....¡±

    Artpe¡¯s imposing presence was mounting. It was as if the Demon King¡¯s Four Heavenly King had made his appearance. The murderous intent rose until it choked their throats. It was hard to breath in this atmosphere.

    ¡°Such fearsome Mana.....¡±

    ¡°He probably became much stronger after defeating the Kraken. He might be the strongest human in this world.....!¡±

    No one there could say anything. They could only feel sorry for the marquis of the Diatin Kingdom, who was feeling the full brunt of Artpe¡¯s killing intent. Nevertheless, Artpe spoke words that held more venom than before.

    ¡°I¡¯m ying along with you guys, since I don¡¯t want to create more annoying incidents. If I kill you, it will be inevitable. I will have to destroy your country at some point in time. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so how do you want to y this? Are you going to create trouble for me?¡±

    No one there couldugh off Artpe¡¯s words as a lie. They believed that Artpe was capable of destroying a nation. This was also true for the marquis of the Diatin Kingdom.

    ¡°N...no. I...I¡¯m not going to¡±

    ¡°What about you guys?¡±

    The nobles and merchants had been showing a bold front until a moment ago, yet they avoided meeting Artpe¡¯s gaze right now. When he saw this, Artpe felt truly appalled by it.

    If they knew they were going to end things like this, why did they all raise their voices? Why did they have to force Artpe to growl and show off his power? This was why he considered humans to be no better than dogs. However, it was also true that Artpe had humored them, and he yed on their level. Artpe was the same as them. He was also pathetic.

    Still, he had to continue this pathetic farce to achieve his goal.

    ¡°All right. Since we¡¯ve concluded our discussion, let us start distributing it. Since we no longer need to guard the corpse, you should quickly send the guards to the 2nd tier barrier wall. Those with no ims to the corpse of the Kraken should also go. You should be vignt against the murderous intent of the monsters, not the greed of humans.¡±

    ¡°I...I understand!¡±

    ¡°Understood, magician-nim!¡±

    The square became quiet. There were greedy people still present, yet no one had the fortitude to reveal their greed.

    ¡°Let us start the looting.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes sir.¡±

    The marquis of Diatan couldn¡¯t withstand Artpe¡¯s killing intent, so he had pissed his pants. Artpe discarded him, and he approached the Kraken¡¯s corpse. As he approached it, he gave orders to Roa in a low voice.

    [When I mess with the corpse, I want you to y along by pouring out the worthless items.]

    [Nyaa-ahhhh.]

    Artpe messed with the Kraken. Roa opened her mouth.

    The coboration between the master and servant was perfect.

 Chapter 67 - The Quest Isnt Done Yet (2)

    Chapter 67 - The Quest Isn¡¯t Done Yet (2)

    When Artpe started going through the motion of looting the corpse, Roa followed her master¡¯s directions. She spat out a massive number of items. She had worked hard to gather all these items, so she felt aggrieved. There were unshed tears in her purple eyes.

    This was for the benefit of the people gathered around the Kraken. It looked as if the Kraken was pouring out Artifacts thanks to Artpe¡¯s looting.

    ¡°T...there are so many of them!?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve seen this spear from somewhere before......¡±

    ¡°It was said that the Kraken swallowed whole ships that sank to the bottom of the ocean. I¡¯m sure there are numerous weapons from each kingdom mixed in there.¡±

    Since the items from the auction house were mixed within the pile, it was reasonable to make such an assumption. However, as expected of a highly intelligent magical beast, Roa taken out all the unremarkable items. She was able to urately gauge the amount of curse energy and evil energy within the items. This was why she was able regurgitate the items that were considered to be unremarkable. The sense of disharmony between the humans quickly dissipated.

    ¡°However... Mmmmmmm.¡±

    ¡°Shit.... My three Magic Stones came back as shit!¡±

    It was a legendary monster that was over level 250. The Kraken had been the tyrant of the ocean, yet the loot looked extremely ordinary. They couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. It was to be expected. Roa had eaten all the corrupt energy within the items.

    ¡°Are there any Artifacts that was newly formed through the Kraken¡¯s Record and Mana?!¡±

    ¡°I guess not. Shit. I heard this happens sometimes. Why did it have to ur at this moment!¡±

    ¡°Maybe, this is a blessing in disguise. Even if such items existed, it would have ended in the hands of the magician. We would have been unable to do anything about it.¡±

    Artpe had been worried Roa might have spat out something of high value. His eyes were fierce as he looked over the items. However, there was no way Roa would make a mistake. She had executed her task wlessly. She was so thorough that Artpe wondered if it would have been better if she had spat out more items.

    ¡°This should be enough to cover your share. You guys can take it and divvy it up.¡±

    ¡°No, I think I¡¯d rather want the Kraken¡¯s corpse than these items....¡±

    ¡°What? You want me to take weapons and equipments that¡¯s useless to a magician? Or are you trying to say you find equipments of mypanionscking?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that...¡±

    When Artpe put some strength behind his re, the noble quickly shrank into himself. Artpe was acting like a gangster, but since they didn¡¯t know the specifics of what Artpe had done, they were unable to argue with him!

    ¡°Your share will be covered by this spear. You can have this shield.......¡±

    ¡°How.... How can this be! How! This can¡¯t be possible! Why!¡±

    ¡°If I knew these items would drop, I wouldn¡¯t have given up my Magic Stones.... Shit!¡±

    This was how the merchandise that were submitted by the nobles and merchants were returned to them as their share of the loot. The weapons and items were clean. There were no curses or evil energy imbued within them. No further troubles would arise from this! Mycenae already knew what was up. The white of her eyes were disyed as she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°This was why Artpe-nim said those words towards me earlier......¡±

    ¡°The Kraken¡¯s corpse solely belongs to my party and Mycenae. People, who received their shares, should join the front line. Even if you are foreigners, you entered into the Diaz Kingdom, so you all have obligations to help out against the Lunatic Wave. I¡¯m sure you are aware of that fact?¡±

    ¡°There still might be something left within the Kraken¡¯s corpse!¡±

    ¡°So what if something remains within it?¡±

    Artpe smirked as he questioned the nobel.

    ¡°What are you going to do about it? You qualify for 1/1000 share of the loot, so what right do you have to make such a demand?¡±

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll go to the barrier wall.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is too cool¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe was sessful in chasing off the nobles and merchants. If he took the entire Kraken for himself, they would have be suspicious. This was why he used his Mana Strings to slowly remove the tentacles. He was working on the 20% of the Kraken he would have to give to Mycenae.

    Mycenae looked worried as she watched the humans leave. They were grinding their teeth in frustration. She grabbed his sleeve.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, it is truly satisfying to see you act this way, but it also means Diaz won¡¯t be able to avoid the bacsh....¡±

    ¡°You are probably right. They can¡¯t do anything to me, so that¡¯ll pick on people they will have better odds against. They¡¯ll lodgeints against the nobles of Diaz.¡±

    ¡°I see. You are right.¡±

    ¡°This will lessen the influence of the nobles, and it would give the puppet king some breathing room. Even if the nobles try to lessen the damage by shifting the me to the puppet king, the result will be the same. Either the nobles will get weaker or the puppet king will be weaker. It is an either-or situation. In either case, it¡¯ll help Silpennon recover his kingdomter on.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Mycenae received an unexpected answer, so she was at a loss for words. She hadn¡¯t the faintest idea as to how far ahead Artpe was thinking about. Of course, Artpe wasn¡¯t thinking too seriously about his answer! He was just noting the fact that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad if things turned out like that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut them up for you roughly at this size. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to exin to you on how to process a Kraken?¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim seems to know everything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know everything. I just know what I know. I¡¯m pretty sure I told you this before.¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s share was quite generous. She was given half of the tentacles, and a good amount of the Kraken¡¯s body was carved out for her. It was more than enough for the Anywherepany to celebrate her return. The only problem was the fact that she still had to haul this big body parts back.

    ¡°I heard the body could be used as ingredient to create a Mana reagent. It can also be used to make nutritious tonics. It is the part of the body with the most use.¡±

    ¡°However, the most coveted part is the tentacles.¡±

    Roa had absorbed all the curses and the Demonic gene, so the Kraken had been weakened. Still, a Kraken was a Kraken.

    The tentacles became tougher in death. Each tentacle had tens of thousands of suction cups, and hooks on the surface. The tentacles were frightening. Many weapons could be made with just one tentacle. Amongst all the weapons that could be made, the most famous one was a whip made from the Kraken¡¯s tentacle.

    ¡°There are parts we can sell from the head. You can look forward to that. Ah, you should give up on the ink. I¡¯m going to use it.¡±

    Artpe knew he was very lucky. The Kraken had been gripped with madness, so it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see the Kraken swivel its head in all directions to spray its ink. He didn¡¯t know if the Kraken liked to fight only with its body or if it was unable to expel any of its curse. The Kraken hadn¡¯t used its ink during the battle. It either rammed the wall with its body or it swung its tentacles.

    ¡°This is the Kraken¡¯s ink? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I can see why. It is usually used for curse magic. Moreover, there¡¯s also the fact that not many people survive an encounter with a Kraken to spread such information.¡±

    ¡°E...even if you want to sell it to me, I won¡¯t buy it!¡±

    Maybe this was the aftereffect of what had gone on in Frate. Just the mention of curses made her face turn deathly pale. Mycenae¡¯s ears fluttered as she backed away. He cackled when he saw this.

    He changed the subject.

    ¡°Actually, it isn¡¯t only used with curses. It is used in creating high rank magic books. A massive amount of pure Mana was infused deeply within the ink through the years, so a Magician could easily create a magic book with this ingredient. These magic books won¡¯t be absorbed into one¡¯s Record after reading it once. It¡¯s like the Demite Gemstone. It absorbs Record to evolve. It support the Magician as it bes enriched.¡±

    ¡°That has nothing to do with curses! Eeek. You are making fun of the trauma I suffered¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s body and ears trembled from the indignation she felt. Artpe cackled once again when he saw this. Maetel was watching Artpe from behind him. There was a slightly withdrawn look in her eyes.

    ¡°Artpe, let¡¯s hurry up and take what is ours. Then we can go rest. I have something I want to talk to you about.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Maetel, your voice sounds a bit scary.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just too tired right now. I¡¯ll be better soon if you are by my side. If you are near me....¡±

    ¡°Your voice just turned scarier......¡±

    Artpe lost his nerve at the odd energying from her. He could no longer open his mouth. Mycenae also felt as if she would be murdered by Maetel if she remained here. Under such fears, she called forth the staff from herpany. She quickly ran away after she gathered everything she could gather.

    The butchering of the Kraken continued. There were still some people left. These particr humans still held lingering attachment towards the Kraken, so they had remained to watch.

    However, they soon realized Artpe was just butchering the Kraken. There was nothing new that could be gained from the Kraken. They had no choice but to leave. This was how Artpe passed the time as he waited for everyone to disappear from this ce.

    However, the lord of Frate continued to wait until the end. It was quite unexpected.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen of you, I thought you would be the first to run to the top of the barrier wall.¡±

    Artpe paused from his task of butchering the Kraken, and he spoke towards the lord. As if he had been waiting for this, the lord nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°Of course, the Lunatic Wave is important. However, I thought this would be the only time I would be able to talk to you. ¡±

    When he heard those words, Artpe paused for a brief moment. It was imperceptible. Artpemended the lord inside for figuring that out, but his outer appearance remained calm.

    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m in the same boat as you. I can¡¯t get out of here until winter.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I got the impression that you were going to leave immediately. That is why I wanted to express my thanks before that happened. Even if you aren¡¯t leaving soon, I¡¯ll give you a token of my appreciation. Thank you.¡±

    The lord spoke those words as he pushed a small pouch towards Artpe. The pouch was imbued with fairly deep magic. It was none other than a Dimensional Pouch..

    ¡°I would have liked to have repaid you with a better item, yet this is all I have left. Still, in terms of how much it can hold and its ability to reduce weight, it was evaluated to be the best in this country. It should have plenty of space to put in the Kraken.¡±

    Artpe had been listening half-heartedly to the lord¡¯s exnation as he took the item. His eyes turned round in surprise. He couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°What the.... You weren¡¯t exaggerating. This really is an amazing treasure.¡±

    Dimensional Pouches were somewhatmon. However, when one tried to find the better functioning Dimensional Pouches, the price increase was very steep. Then there were the ones that couldn¡¯t be bought with money. This pouch was part of the collection of items that were made by Archmages from the distant past.

    If a Dimensional Pouch was able to contain the incrediblyrge Kraken, which was several hundred meters in length, it was well beyond the realm of being a normal Dimensional Pouch.!

    ¡°You know you will be taking losses from the result of my actions, yet you are giving me such a precious item......?¡±

    ¡°Loss?¡±

    The lord smirked at Artpe¡¯s reply. He looked at Artpe with kind eyes as he spoke.

    ¡°Countless lives within the city were saved, because of you. When I think about the weight of the blood and tears that could have been on my shoulders, I canugh off any threats those bastards cane up with.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t expected such a great response from the lord. Artpe became silent. In his past life, he had seen a lot of hypocrisy and pretense from humans. This was why he knew the lord was speaking the truth.

    ¡®Yes, I saw so many disgusting humans that I forgot about people like him. They are very small in number, but there really are humans like him in this world.¡¯

    It felt as if he was hit on the head. When he was faced with the endlessly selfish humans, he had fought fire with fire. He acted only in his own interest as a response. This was why this sudden attack by the lord had hit its mark.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The lord wasn¡¯t done. He continued to speak.

    ¡°We truly fell short. We made such a foolish mistake by trying to protect the wrong things. We were able to avoid an irreversible cmity thanks to you. However, it seems humans are creatures that can¡¯t help but make the same mistake over and over again. We once again showed such crude behaviors in front of you..... Still, I want to make sure that you know this truth. There are a lot of people out there that are of of like mind as me.¡±

    In his past life, Artpe had lived for several hundred years. This human had lived not even one fifth that number, yet he was able to see through Artpe. Artpe felt he still had a long way to go. He couldn¡¯t stop hisughter froming out.

    A crinkle started to form at the edges of the lord¡¯s eyes. The lord¡¯s intelligent eyes reflected his years of experience. He looked straight at Artpe as he brought his words to a close.

    ¡°We know the worth of what you have done. We cannot do what you can do, but there are many people out there that respect what you have done. Please continue to help the other humans. I know you are disappointed in humanity, but there wille a day when you will find hope from humanity. I truly believe this.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was aplete defeat.

    However, it didn¡¯t feel too bad.

    Artpe took the Dimensional Pouch being offered. He nodded his head as if it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°I¡¯m just one human. The fact that I be disillusioned and disappointed by humanity doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll greatly affect the human world..... All right, lord. I¡¯ll be sure to remember your words.¡±

    ¡°It is very fortunate that you think so.¡±

    The lord was past being middle-aged, and he was at the cusp of entering histter years. When he saw the spite within Artpe¡¯s eyes lessen by a small amount, he let out a truly brightughter. Artpe was strangely embarrassed when faced with the lord¡¯s smile. He snorted as he turned his gaze away. However, words that didn¡¯t match the expression on his face leaked out.

    ¡°I will be leaving soon, but.... It was my fault for destroying the reinforced barrier wall. I¡¯ll reconstruct the first barrier wall.¡±

    ¡°No, the barrier wall was used to defeat the Kraken. It was done out of necessity. Moreover, the ce where the 1st barrier wall stood is filled with water and monsters now.....¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯ll be a problem for me?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no, it won¡¯t be a problem. Then I¡¯ll head to the frontline ahead of you. I¡¯ll say this again. Thank you very much.¡±

    The lord had already seen what Artpe could do. The lordughed as he expressed his thanks once again. He headed towards the frontline where the humans and monsters were confronting each other. He didn¡¯t turn around to look at Artpe.

    Artpe¡¯s 3-man party was the only ones left there.

    ¡°Are we going to leave this ce too, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to finish butchering this bastard.¡±

    The work he had to do right now had to be done away from prying eyes. However, he had received a special tool. He didn¡¯t really need to stay here.

    He put the entire Kraken within his pouch. The pouch remained light. He grinned in satisfaction as he turned to look at his party.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go receive our next Quest.¡±

    ¡°Quest!?¡±

    The Kraken had fulfilled its role, and it exited the stage in an ignominious manner.

    It was time to to meet the new character that would appear from within its stomach. A new stage would be set.

 Chapter 68 - The Quest Isnt Done Yet (3)

    Chapter 68 - The Quest Isn¡¯t Done Yet (3)

    The humans were in a heated battle at the port. They were trying to stop the advance of monsters that wereing out from the ocean. No one was the wiser when they left the city to head towards the mountain. No, there would be one person within the city, who would notice. Etna knew he had left, but she didn¡¯t follow after the party. It seemed she was going to behave by waiting at the inn.

    ¡°I think we are far enough.¡±

    When he reached arge clearing, Artpe took out the corpse of the Kraken from his Dimensional Pouch. He had taken off a lot of parts for Mycenae, yet the corpse was still enormous. After butchering the tentacles and body of the Kraken, the corpse was at a size where the dissection of the corpse wouldn¡¯t be too great of a challenge.

    ¡°We are almost done with the body..... All right. Let¡¯s put that aside for now.¡±

    ¡°You are going to use it on the barrier wall? Right, Artpe?¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t help butugh at Maetel¡¯s sharp insight. For some reason, she became unusually smart regarding any work rted to Artpe.

    ¡°That right. I¡¯m going to dry the Kraken¡¯s body, and I will grind it into fine powder. It¡¯ll be a great ingredient that will allow me to Reinforce various materials.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is too kind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to restore the barrier wall, so they can¡¯t use it as a talking point against me.¡±

    No one believed the bullshit Artpe was spouting. Artpe simultaneously activated several magic as he spoke. He let out fire, wind and Mana Strings. He dried the body of the Kraken, and he minced it into fine powder. After putting away the powder inside his Dimensional Pouch, the only part left was the Kraken¡¯s head.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the head was the most important part of the Kraken. Artpe let out his Mana Strings, and his movement became more careful.

    ¡°First, I¡¯m going to split open its head, and I have to carefully extract the ink sac.¡±

    ¡°The sac is pretty smallpared to the enormous size of the Kraken.¡±

    ¡°If the sac is capable of producing a lot, it doesn¡¯t have to berge. Here it is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Then he added something special to it. It was something only Artpe could do. He Reinforced it. He Reinforced it twice, and the ink sac went through a transformation. Its size decreased to a point where Artpe could hold it with one hand. Of course, the ink within the sac was also Reinforced.

    However....

    ¡°Huh..¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Artpe?¡±

    He had a hunch that he would be able to Reinforce it one more time. When he had this feeling, he tilted his head in puzzlement. Normally, he was able to Reinforce an item once or twice. It was a limit that couldn¡¯t be surpassed without the support of ingredients like the Magic Stones.

    ¡®Did my skill evolve thanks to the fight with the Kraken?¡¯

    It was as he suspected. He had to rampantly use his Reinforcement skill in the fight against the Kraken, and it allowed him to acquire some kind of an Achievement. When his EXP was being tallied, his Reinforcement skill had grown.

    As a result of this venture, Artpe¡¯s Reinforcement skill had reached level 51. When he arrived at Frate, his skill level had been 43. He had gone through an amazing burst of growth.

    No, the skill level wasn¡¯t the important part right now. The important part was the fact that he could use Reinforcement three times on his party¡¯s equipment without the need of Magic Stones.

    ¡°Hey, you guys shoulde here too.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe immediately Reinforced the ink sac. Then he Reinforced his boots and the other equipments of his party members in one fell swoop. The effect was amazing. His boots had already boasted cheat-like abilities, but the equipments of hispanions were close to reaching its shelf-life. Their equipments were perfectly restored, and they had evolved into something better. He was satisfied with the result.

    ¡°Oppa! Oppa! The hammer can store and release vibration now!¡±

    ¡°Finally, the true power of that metal type will be revealed..¡±

    ¡°Wow. I can shoot my Beam twice in a row!¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just call your move as the Beam from now on.¡±

    If he had his way, he wanted to Reinforce the Demite Gemstone. However, the Demite Gemstone had a sense of self, so it was like trying to Reinforce a person. It was impossible to do for now. However, it also meant that he would be able to Reinforce it some day in the future.....

    ¡®I¡¯ll worry about it when I reach that point. The more important thing right now is in front of my eyes.¡¯

    Artpe shook his head from side to side as he stopped churning his thoughts. Thepleted ink sac was the perfect size for portability. He hung it inside his robe. Even if the Kraken mmed its body into him, Artpe¡¯s bones would be crushed, but the ink sac wouldn¡¯t burst open. Aside from the ink sac, most of the remaining organs became food for Roa. He gave her parts like the liver. These were organs that possessed strong Mana, yet it was poisonous for human consumption.

    [Nyaa, nyaaaaaa.]

    ¡°All right. Since you are going to eat all of this, you have to spit out the other itemster on.¡±

    [Nyaaa.]

    The loot given to the nobles were fake. The true Artifacts containing the Kraken¡¯s Record and Mana was within Roa¡¯s stomach.

    It seemed the innards of the Kraken prepared by Artpe was pretty good. Roa didn¡¯t think too much on it as she readily nodded her head. Artpe scratched the underside of her chin as he continued the butchering.

    After a short amount of time had passed, the head waspletely dismantled. The only thing left was its enormous stomach. When she looked over it, Maetel¡¯s eyes turned round.

    ¡°Artpe, there¡¯s something alive inside!¡±

    ¡°You should unsheathe your sword. Be ready.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    The meaning behind Artpe¡¯s words were simple to discern.. There was a living being inside the Kraken¡¯s stomach, and it was a monster. Maetel didn¡¯t dig too deep into the subject. She unsheathed and gripped her sword.

    ¡°All right. Here I go.¡±

    When Artpe confirmed that she was ready, he controlled his Mana Strings to carefully split open the stomach.

    From within it, a beauty with dazzling white skin and ocean-colored hair appeared.

    ¡°Koo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoo-oohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She had a very distressedplexion, and she was gasping for air. There was no vitality or magical energy remaining within her body. She would have died within a day or two if she had remained inside the Kraken.

    Moreover, the Demonic gene had invaded deep into her body...... It was obvious that she had been a sacrificialmb for the Demonification experiment. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that she was inside the Kraken¡¯s stomach. No, if he considered the worst case scenario, she had been allowed to be swallowed by the Kraken as part of the experiment. This might all be interconnected.

    ¡°Eeeeeeeeek!¡±

    However, Maetel didn¡¯t care about the deep implications of all of this. She didn¡¯t care about the condition of the woman. The only thing that mattered was the fact that the woman was naked. Maetel grinded her teeth in anger as she pointed her sword at Artpe.

    ¡°Now I will use this sword on Artpe¡¯s eyes!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. I didn¡¯t rescue her, because she¡¯s a woman!¡±

    ¡°Unni, this monster is suffering under the same symptoms as me. I¡¯m sure oppa was able to identify this.¡±

    ¡°Oohk.¡±

    She was barely able to put away her sword when she heard Sienna¡¯s words. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he spoke.

    ¡°Mermaids possess above average intelligencepared to other normal monsters. If I¡¯m able to converse with her, I can acquire information from her. This is why I¡¯m trying to keep her existence a secret. That is the reason why I¡¯m trying to save her.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do after you extract the information? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Will you kill her afterwards?¡±

    Maetel had once dered that all monsters were her enemies since they all did bad things. However, it seemed she didn¡¯t have the courage to point her sword towards a mermaid groaning from weakness. Artpe was inwardly relieved by this fact. He shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill anyone that will help me. I¡¯ll make a simr arrangement as the one I made with Deyus, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. However, it would be great if we can clothe her as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Jeez. She¡¯s a monster.¡±

    ¡°However, her body is amazing! This isn¡¯t good for Artpe¡¯s eyes!¡±

    It was true that she was a monster, but the mermaid looked exactly like a human on the outside. It did feel weird to stare at her naked body. Artpe quickly ced a cloth over her naked body.

    [Nyaa?]

    ¡°Yes, you know your stuff. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Roa sensed that it was her turn, so she trotted off of Artpe¡¯s shoulder. She hopped onto the mermaid¡¯s stomach, and she opened her mouth wide.

    [Nyaaaaaaaaahng.]

    That was all she needed to do. The Demonic gene, which was dominating the mermaid, was sucked into Roa¡¯s mouth. It was a clean extraction. Artpe knew she possessed this talent, yet he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when he witnessed it in action.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that the Chaos Egg absorbed the Obsidian of Greed....¡±

    ¡°It really is an absurd ability. If we had Roa from the beginning, neither I nor oppa would have suffered.¡±

    At one point, Sienna had been in the same situation as the mermaid. She had been reborn as an Evil Reflector through Artpe¡¯s hands. It seemed the sight of the all of this was leaving behind a fairly deep impression on Sienna.

    If she hadn¡¯t be an Evil Reflector, she wouldn¡¯t have had to live a life full of battles. Was she sad about this fact? Artpe had such thoughts for the first time as he watched Sienna. She was alwaysughing, so he might be under a misconception. Maybe she......

    ¡°However, I¡¯m able to travel with oppa and unni thanks to what happened. I prefer my current situation, oppa.¡±

    ¡°Are you learning mind reading skill with Maetel?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t even have his own thoughts around his party members. Artpe grumbled as he retrieved Roa. She let out a yful yawn. She hadpletely disposed of the curses and Demonic gene that had been dominating the mermaid¡¯s body.

    Aside from the weakened state of the mermaid¡¯s body, she was fine. Basically, she went from a critically fatal state to a normal fatal state.

    ¡°Sienna.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sienna put down her hammer, and she approached the mermaid. Sienna extended a hand towards the mermaid. Her warm magical energy flowed into the mermaid¡¯s body. The mermaid immediately opened her eyes, which was ocean blue. It was the same color as her hair. She let out a groan.

    ¡°Koo-hoohk, hoohk?¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterugh as he opened his mouth. The words that flowed out of his mouth wasn¡¯t thenguage of the humans. It was thenguage of the monsters. It was specifically anguage that would allow him tomunicate with underwater monsters like the mermaid.

    [You regained consciousness in one go. Since the Demonic gene was fostered within you, you should be in pain right now. However, your body is being purified right now, so you should endure it.]

    ¡°Kahk, keh-hoohk!¡±

    How great would it be if one could endure pain just because someone told one to endure it? Sienna¡¯s magical energy spread towards the entirety of the mermaid¡¯s body. It bolstered her vitality, and her wounds were being healed. However, the mermaid couldn¡¯t endure the pain of the healing process, so she screamed continuously.

    It might have been better if she hadn¡¯t regained consciousness. She suffered, because she had immediately regained consciousness. Fortunately, Sienna¡¯s Mana was specialized. She was able to bolster the magic within the mermaid. She was able to finish the healing in short order.

    ¡°Kah-oohk, hee-koo-ah-oooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Sienna took back her hand, and she backed away. Her treatment was finished, yet it seemed the mermaid was still in the throes of pain. She intermittently let out a moan as she crawled up into a ball.

    There were tears in her pure eyes, and one could see fear towards the humans surrounding her. Artpe shook his head as he spoke to her.

    [You¡¯ll be fine now. The wounds, curses and Demonic gene are no more. You won¡¯t die if you obey my words.]

    It was such a sinister statement that he would have been worthy if he was chosen to be the Demon King. The slender mermaid shook in fear when she heard his words. If Maetel was able to understand his words, she would have been angry with him. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know thenguage of the monsters.

    However, the answer that was given by the mermaid was unexpected.

    [I...I understand. You rescued me from overwhelming danger. I¡¯ll will serve you as my master.]

    [Huh? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah. So that¡¯s how it is.]

    Even amongst the humans, there was a debate as to whether mermaids were monsters or a kindred species. They were one of the races where the opinions were split.

    When the Luatic Wave approached, they lost some of their sense of reason. They appeared alongside the normal monsters to fight the humans. This was why the popr opinion was that the mermaids were monsters. However, they were also unique in the fact that mermaids of high intelligence were able to escape the effects of the Lunatic Wave.

    Moreover, the ones with the high intelligence were famous for repaying their debts no matter the cost. If the debt was small, they repaid the debt through gems from the ocean. If the debt wasrge, they dedicated their lives to the person they were beholden to. They became subservient.

    ¡®Normally, people interact with mermen and mermaids as enemies. Therefore, it is very hard for them to incur a big enough debt where they will dedicate their lives to you. This rarely happened in history.¡¯

    If Maetel found out about this, it would be a huge headache. Maetel didn¡¯t care if she was a monster or not. Maetel considered all pretty female to be potential enemies..... Still, he had saved her with the aim to mine information from her. He would just release her from her debt after things resolved itself somewhat.

    Artpe easily turned the page of his thoughts as he spoke to her.

    [You probably have a decent idea of what this mess is all about. I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Someone purposefully got close to you guys, and a curse was spread amongst you all. Am I right?]

    [Yes, someone did do that.]

    [Why were you inside the Kraken¡¯s belly?]

    [The bastard captured me, and he gave me to the Kraken as food. The Kraken was too powerful to control through brute force. This was why they ced a curse on me, and the curse was passed onto the Kraken when it ate me.]

    Mmm. As expected, these were sons of bitches of the highest order. Artpe nodded in a solemn and dignified manner as he queried her.

    [Is he still within the ocean?]

    [He is still there. He has taken over the deep sea mermaid kingdom of Anaid. He is making the curses there.]

    [Do you know his name?]

    [I do. He is a man named Madelrude.]

    When he heard her answer, he felt a sense of incongruity. He tilted head in puzzlement. He had heard this name before. Soon, he came up with the answer.

    ¡°Medelrude was the name of the previous duke of Diaz.....?¡±

    He realized the truth that he hadn¡¯t finished his first Quest yet. Artpe was barely at to realize this fact.

 Chapter 69 - The Quest Isnt Done Yet (4)

    Chapter 69 - The Quest Isn¡¯t Done Yet (4)

    He immediately gathered all the information he needed to know from the mermaid. Then he took off his own camouge artifact. He put it on the mermaid. (Maetel once again became enraged at this gesture.) After he somewhat disguised her identity, he gave her a skirt and an adequate top for her to wear. Then he returned to the city with her.

    Of course, the Lunatic Wave was still going on, so the streets of the city was as quiet as ever. Everyone was trying to survive until the end of the Lunatic Wave, so they had changed their way of life.

    ¡°Fortunately, there aren¡¯t any people here that¡¯ll make a fuss after seeing you.¡±

    [Human clothes are ufortable.]

    [Endure it until we reach a ce with no human eyes.]

    [Understood.]

    A mermaid¡¯s lower body turned into that of a fish when one was underwater. However, when one came out to drynd, the mermaid¡¯s lower body naturally turned into human legs. The mermaid became bipedal.

    Even if mermaids were capable of walking on two legs, human clothes were incredibly ufortable to them. The mermaid was restless as she kept grabbing and letting go of her skirt.

    [Do you perhaps have a name?]

    [I do. My name is Sheryll Anaid. For your convenience, you can just call me Sheryll.]

    [All right. You probably won¡¯t have any asions to call me by my name, but my name is Artpe..... Wait a moment. Did you just say Anaid?]

    He reacted way toote. Artpe had been trying to foster a friendly atmosphere by exchanging each other¡¯s names. However, something about her name had caught his attention, and he furrowed his brows.

    [Didn¡¯t you just say the mermaid kingdom was called Anaid?]

    [That is correct. I am the 37th Queen of the Anaid Kingdom.]

    They were like fishes. Their poption number was incredibly high. Fortunately for Artpe, Sheryll wasn¡¯t the future Queen, so he hoped there wouldn¡¯t be anyplications. As he had these thoughts, he opened the door to the inn, and he led her in.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what I did to the Kraken.....¡±

    ¡°Give me one more beer! I still can¡¯t forget that bastard¡¯s face¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hey, innkeeper!¡±

    It was as if the quiet street outside had been a lie. The 1st floor of the inn was crowded with people. Soldiers that were finished with their shifts on the barrier wall were inside the inn. Then there were the mercenaries that were quickly called into the city. There were even merchants from other countries present there.

    Artpe didn¡¯t want to fault these men, who were boasting as they drank alcohol. If one thought about the endless stream of Lunatic Wave in the near future, it was good for them to rest and let off steam like this. When the next shift on the wall was relieved, the inns and pubs would continue to be busy.

    ¡°Uh. Look over there.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a woman.¡±

    ¡°My eyes just brightened. She brightens up my eyes.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party had entered in the midst of such men. They glossed over the presence of Artpe, but the atmosphere clearly changed when they saw the women, who followed in behind him. It wasn¡¯t just a single woman. Three beautiful women hade in.

    Two of them looked young, and they were equipped with imposing weapons. The ratio of men to women was incredibly high inside the inn, so they became the focus of the men.

    ¡°What about them??¡±

    ¡°Hey, you better avert your eyes. You¡¯ll follow my advice if you don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    However, everyone quietly retracted their gazes from them.

    First, they remembered the sight of Maetel and Sienna fighting each other in the square. They had been incredibly scary. Secondly, they had crushed and cut down the Demons, who had mowed down the humans as if they were stalks of wheat. Lastly, the person that stopped the Kraken was here. The monster would have devoured Frate and the entirety of Diaz if he hadn¡¯t been here. Everyone here knew the face of the young magician, who possessed incredible amount of magical energy.

    ¡°For him, I might......¡±

    ¡°I can see why the two of them were fighting over him.¡±

    ¡°I heard he has a dirty personality. My employer grinded his teeth with vexation because of him.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you idiot!¡±

    Artpepletely ignored all the idiots gathered here as he approached the counter. There was a woman working behind the counter. She was working the counter instead of the innkeeper. The innkeeper was delivering food, but he quickly retook his position. He greeted Artpe.

    ¡°Wow. You are back! You are a magician!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for anything important. I¡¯ve added another party member, so I want to ask you if I have any additional fees I have to pay.....?¡±

    ¡°All I can say is that I¡¯m jealous of you! Shit! You already gained one more woman in such a short span of time! Moreover, she is very pretty!¡±

    The innkeeper was brutally honest! Of course, his reaction would change if he found out that Sheryll was a monster. Still, it was pretty entertaining to see the innkeeper¡¯s vexation, so he let it be.

    ¡°So should I give you more money or not?¡±

    ¡°You are taking all of them into the same room as if it is all in the day¡¯s work.... No, I don¡¯t need it! If you are able to sleepfortably within such a small room, I don¡¯t care if you bring three or five women! Do as you want! You can sleep with them all there!¡±

    ¡°I get it, so stop crying while you speak.....¡±

    The innkeeper suddenly grabbed Artpe¡¯s hand. He spoke with sincere eyes.

    ¡°I heard you were the magician that killed the Kraken. Thank you for protecting our city. Yes, if it is, you deserve it.....! Please fulfill my dream in my stead! You can fulfill my fantasy of having enough wives to fill up a vi....¡±

    ¡°You are being really creepy. Can you let go of my hand?¡±

    The inn keeper had met a lucky adventurer, who would be able fulfill his dream. It seemed he was in a good mood. The innkeeper dered in a generous manner.

    ¡°Eh-eet! I¡¯m in a good mood! I¡¯ll provide dinner for you guys for free!¡±

    ¡°Since you are providing a free service, can you deliver it to our room?¡±

    Delivery service was impossible, but it was possible to take out the food. Artpe took the buttered corn cobs, which were the specialty of this inn, and other hot foods to his room with his party members.

    [Hoo-ooh.]

    When they entered the room, they were free from the gazes of other people. This was why Sheryll immediately threw off her skirt. Maetel immediatelyunched herself towards Artpe, and Artpe swiftly dodged Maetel as he threw a cloth towards Sheryll. He praised himself, since he somehow managed not to upend the tes he was carrying.

    [Cover yourself with this!]

    [Understood]

    After the suffocating and desperate struggle, the four of them settled into the room.

    Maetel remained wary of Sheryll. Sienna hugged Roa, who had exited Artpe¡¯s hood. Unlike Maetel, who was wary of Roa for being a female cat, Sienna had taken a liking to Roa.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you sure that is edible?]

    [Huh? You mean this? Try it.]

    Sheryll¡¯s eyes were nted on the buttered corn cob. He wordlessly handed one over to her. Sheryll hadn¡¯t been fed properly, so her bony hands closed around the butter corn cob. She started to slowly gnaw on it.

    [You should eat it slowly. You are healed, so you won¡¯t have any problems digesting the food. However, you aren¡¯t immune from a stomach ache..]

    [Understood. Thank you very much.]

    He spoke as he gave each party member a cob.

    ¡°You can call the mermaid as Sheryll from now on. She¡¯ll be with us until the Quest ends. She will ¡®only¡¯ be with us until the Quest ends.... She is a monster, but she won¡¯t oppose us. You can be at ease.¡±

    ¡°Quest¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That horrible curse is spreading inside the ocean, oppa?¡±

    ¡°The archduke is a bad man. That curse should never see the light of day again.¡±

    He had been worried that they would focus on Sherryl. Fortunately, Sienna and Maetel was focused on the Quest. He nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°You already heard this from me, but the ones responsible for the demonification experiments are hiding underneath the ocean. This includes the archduke, and his remaining forces. He is probably with some Demons......¡±

    In the process of suppressing the archduke¡¯s forces, Artpe had seen the work of the artifacts released by the Demon King¡¯s army. He had suspected that the Demon King¡¯s army wouldn¡¯t let go of the archduke so easily. It seemed they had retrieved the archduke.

    Madelrude was the ex-archduke, and he was a nobatant. He took his remaining magicians, who had experimented with the curse, to the ocean. At themand of the Demon King¡¯s army, he seized the mermaid kingdom of Anaid, and he had started spreading the curse.

    ¡°When he coveted the seat of monarchy after chasing out the previous king, I recognized what kind of man he was. You really get tired of facing someone like that.¡±

    ¡°I can never forgive him.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤oppa, you are going to punish him?¡±

    Both Maetel and Sienna had memories regarding the Demonification curse, so they couldn¡¯tugh about it. Blood, tears and death of countless people dwelled within their memories.

    They had thought everything was resolved without them needing to attack the pce. That was why Artpe¡¯s party had quickly went on their way. However, now that the archduke was in their way, there was no reason not to tidy up the loose end. Artpe bared his teeth as he replied.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    In truth, he wasn¡¯t doing this just to carry out the Quest. Artpe bit into his own buttered corn cob as he spoke.

    ¡°If all of this hadn¡¯t urred, we would have been on a boat by now. I¡¯ve already told you that our destination is Aedia, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, the Lunatic Wave......¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Basically, any travel across the ocean is blocked when a Lunatic Wave urs. Since all ports are shut down, no ships can depart. However, that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t cross the ocean. If we can¡¯t travel atop it, we can travel underneath it.¡±

    ¡°Underneath the ocean....? Ah.¡±

    Sienna tilted her head in puzzlement, but her eyes turned round as she turned to look at Sherryl. She was still busy gnawing at the buttered corn cob, but her existence was a form of an answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You said it was an underwater kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, whether it is humans or monsters, the maintenance of roads is the first thing that has to ur when building a nation. I¡¯m thinking about borrowing their road to cross to Aedia.¡±

    He had never been to the mermaid kingdom, but he knew of their existence. Moreover, he knew that they had created an underwater passageway that was free from being attacked by other monsters. He had heard about this before.

    However, he had no use for such roads in his past life, and if it was possible, he didn¡¯t want to use it in his current life. However, the path atop the ocean was block, and they had a reliable guide now. There was no reason for them to hesitate using the underwater road.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the main reason why oppa helped Sherryl. Ah, it will also be necessary for us to fight the bad guys in the process.¡±

    ¡°You are correct. Do you guys have a rough idea of what is going on?¡±

    ¡°Yes..¡±

    [Hmm.... Mmm. Hmmm.]

    The humans were talking about whether they should save the mermaid kingdom. It was unknown as to whether she could understand them. Sheryll was still focused on eating the corn cob. She had the look of a mature human woman, yet she was showing an innocent side of her. She possessed a subtle allure.

    At that moment, Maetel whipped her head around towards Artpe.

    ¡°Artpehhhhh?¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t charmed by her. It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Shit. He was sure these girls were using mind reading skills! Why couldn¡¯t he confirm it through his Read All Creation ability!

    Artpe clicked his tongue. He turned his gaze away as if to avoid her interrogation. He thought about the fact that he didn¡¯t have the time to y around here like this. He stood up from his seat as if the right moment hade.

    ¡°You guys should eat dinner then rest. We¡¯ll head out tomorrow.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Roa had behaved herself until now as she remained in Sienna¡¯s embrace. However, she jumped back into Artpe¡¯s hood. Maetel pouted as she argued with Artpe.

    ¡°You are running away, because the topic got difficult.¡±

    ¡°What about oppa?¡±

    ¡°I have things I have to resolve in the city. I have to put up the barrier wall, and.... I have someone I have to meet.¡±

    ¡°When you say you have to meet someone....¡±

    Maetel mumbled to herself as she repeated his words. The light in her eyes changed in a sh. Until now, she had the eyes of a wife worried about her husband cheating. However, her eyes currently held the look of a maiden trying to hold back her lover from heading into battle.

    ¡°Artpe, you can¡¯t got with that woman. Okay?¡±

    If Sienna had said this, he would have understood it since she had met Etna. Maetel hadn¡¯t met her, yet she was somehow able to discern what was going on. This was the first thought that came into his mind.

    ¡°If you are so worried, you want to follow me?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no, I trust Artpe. Artpe said you don¡¯t like older women, so I¡¯ll believe in your words.¡±

    Her face said that she didn¡¯t believe her own words at all. Moreover, he had no idea how she found out Etna was an older woman. Artpe became a bit upset, but this was karma. He gently brushed Maetel¡¯s head, who was looking at him with worried eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going through her head, but he wished his actions would calm her down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stay out toote!¡±

    Sherryl was still gnawig at the corn cob. Artpe smirked as he told Sherryl to wait for him here. Then he exited the room.

    He started walking toward the Jaime¡¯s Inn located in sector C.

 Chapter 70 - The Quest Isnt Done Yet (5)

    Chapter 70 - The Quest Isn¡¯t Done Yet (5)

    Jaime¡¯s inn should have been simr to the inn upied by Artpe¡¯s party. However, the atmosphere inside the inn was subdued. Artpe opened the door to the inn. When he entered, he saw that every single person had their head buried in their table.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what the hell?¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Artpe surveyed his surrounding. He wonder if they were in mourning. A female waitress ran up to him, and she whispered to him.

    ¡°A man tried to make a pass on a pretty woman, and she¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡±

    The following story was something a normal male shouldn¡¯t hear if one wanted to maintain one¡¯s mental health.

    Indeed, everyone was taking some time to extend their sympathy towards this man. Artpe also gave a short prayer. He prayed for the rest of the man¡¯s life. He would no longer be able to have any children now, so he wished the man to live an enjoyable life. Ah... He wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy himself.

    After he finished his prayer, he raised his head. The female employee asked him a question with a solemn expression on her face.

    ¡°Would you like to order something?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m here to meet someone..¡±

    Before Artpe ascended the stairway, he wondered if he should go put on a codpiece. However, he gave up on the idea, since he couldn¡¯t stop her if she truly wanted to harm him.

    [Nyaa, nyaa-ahhhhh?]

    ¡°I need a chastity belt instead of a codpiece? No, she has aw-abiding spirit. She won¡¯ty her hands on an underage male.¡±

    [Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Artpe ignored Roa¡¯s narrowed eyes, and he knocked on the door at the end of the third floor. It was the corner room. She had been constantly emitting a thin thread of magical energy. It allowed him to locate her. Even if he didn¡¯t have his Read All Creation ability, he would have been able to easily locate her room.

    [Come in.]

    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±

    Artpe heard Etna¡¯s reply. He rxed as he opened the door when he heard her calm voice. For a split second, he worried a sack would be ced over his head. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Etna.¡±

    A beauty with burning red eyes was standing there.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, hello. Are you feeling a bit better?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He thought the greeting they had exchanged hadn¡¯t been that bad, but Etna remained still. She didn¡¯t budge from her initial position after opening the door. Artpe felt the need to say something, so he opened his mouth.

    ¡°I came here to give you what I promised. I wanted toe here as soon as possible, but I lost consciousness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I haven¡¯t been waiting too long.....¡±

    Etna had a soft smile on her lips as she spoke. However, she mped her mouth shut when she saw the sword that appeared in Artpe¡¯s hand.

    The long sword had a red sword aura, and it was named the Netherworld me Sword of Madness. It was famous for being the sword of a knight, who performed admirably during the rebellion within the Diaz kingdom. In truth, the Fire Spirit Meltia was sealed within the sword. It allowed the user to perform incredible feats, but in the end, it took the wielder¡¯s life as the price. It was a demonic sword.

    Of course, Roa hadpletely extracted all the curse from it, so the Fire Spirit could leave the sword if it wanted to. This was obvious but the curse was something that couldn¡¯t be harvested so easily even if one wanted to do it.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no, I¡¯m not alright anymore after seeing this. The curse... How were you able pull this off..... No, if I start talking about it, it¡¯ll lead me to talk about all the other thing I want to ask you.¡±

    He was sure he had done everything she wanted, yet Etna¡¯s expression remained absolutely serious. Her mouth moved several times as if she was about to say something, but in the end, she closed her eyes shut as she sat down on top of the bed.

    The brief silence felt as if it hadsted an eternity. A hollow voice flowed out from her mouth..

    ¡°Artpe.... Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m young, yet I have a crazybination of level and ability. I¡¯m a damn fine kid magician.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about that! There is this sword, and the infallibility you showed me that day..... Are you perhaps a....¡±

    However, she couldn¡¯t finish her words. Artpe could clearly see the ck shackles around her neck. It was an absolute yoke that couldn¡¯t be broken if one was from the Demon race..

    ¡°....what I¡¯m trying to say is.....¡±

    The shackles disappeared. It seemed she was sessful in choosing her words.

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. It is as if I¡¯ll have to fight you one day. It feels inevitable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m much weaker than you right now. If you want to kill me, now is the time.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤eeek.¡±

    Artpe spoke jokingly, and it caused Etna to re at him as if she really wanted to kill him. Artpe finally smirked as he continued to speak.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to fight right now, so why worry about it? If we do fightter on, we can worry about it when we reach that point.¡±

    ¡°I envy you. You are able to speak such words with ease. You alway seemed like an old soul, yet you are acting your age right now.¡±

    ¡°I am a kid¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, you are a kid. How the hell did I....¡±

    After Etna finished her words, she let out a big sigh.

    However, when she raised her head again, her expression became a bit brighter.

    ¡°All right. I give up. I¡¯ll do as you¡¯ve suggested. It would be foolish for me to worry about it. I¡¯m living a life where I have no idea what I will do next.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling a little bit better?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not fine, but I decided to act as if it is fine. That is my specialty. Hoo-hoo.¡±

    Her words made light of the situation, but from the perspective of someone hearing her words, he could tell that wasn¡¯t the case. However, her attitude changed before Artpe could react and say anything. She acted as if the prior conversation had never happened.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Her body became a little bit less tense, and her eyes narrowed slightly in a mischievous manner. She acted as if this was a normal interaction between a man and a woman. She asked him a question.

    ¡°So who is your girlfriend amongst the three of them?¡±

    Howe every single woman Artpe knew decided to use this question as an introduction? Artpemented as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°She¡¯s the most pretty one.¡±

    Of course, he didn¡¯t have a girlfriend amongst the three of them. Even if his lie was revealed, he decided to pick lies that would put a broad smile on Etna¡¯s face. When Etna heard his answer, she let out a sigh as she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t answer by saying all three of them were your girlfriends.¡±

    ¡°What if I had given that answer?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for a yboy, who makes many women cry. That is why I would have put you in a situation where you would be able to make only one woman cry.¡±

    Artpe got ready to run away as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you trante it into words that I can understand?¡±

    ¡°I would have immediately kidnapped you, and I would have bounced from this ce.¡±

    ¡°You stay there. Don¡¯te this way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. I¡¯m joking.¡±

    She was sitting at the edge of the bed. She patted the spot next to her. Artpe¡¯s own safety had been threatened, so he was very hesitant. However, in the end, he did as she wanted.

    Their bodies weren¡¯t touching, but the two of them were close enough that they were able to feel the faint traces of each other¡¯s body temperature. Artpe weirdly felt ticklish, so he tried to widen the distance from her. Etna kept looking at him with soft eyes, so he had to give up on that idea.

    ¡°Is that your cat? She is incredibly well behaved.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my familiar.¡±

    [Nyaa-ooh.]

    It seemed Roa picked up on the mood, so she was well-behaved. No, she might be too afraid of Etna at an instinctual level. Etna extended her hand, yet Roa didn¡¯t even think about running away. She offered her body up to Etna. Roa waspletely in a nonresistance mode.

    Etna also realized this fact, so she let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it has also been like this. Animals have always been sensitive to my energy. It has always been like this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back after I raise her. She¡¯ll be strong enough that she won¡¯t be afraid of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Are you already requesting another date? I¡¯m d.¡±

    Etna carefully retracted the hand she had extended towards Roa. This time she gently took Artpe¡¯s hand. Her hand was slender and delicate. Her hand felt hot as she grabbed his hand in it entirety.

    When Artpe tilted his head in puzzlement, Etna pouted as she spoke.

    ¡°You said you wanted to hold my hand.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I cooked up those words, because I wanted your magical energy.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-doo-doohk.¡±

    The same sound that wasing out of Etna¡¯s mouth was heard from the joints of Arte¡¯s hand. Etna ignored Artpe¡¯s scream as she kept holding onto his hand. After a long while, she finally let go of his hand. His hand was red.

    ¡°You are young, yet you are trying to y with a woman.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it would have been fine if I was older?¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so please grow up fast..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    What the hell? Didn¡¯t he say something simr to someone? Artpe felt himself sink into an odd mood.

    Before he could dredge up the answer from his memories, Etna extended her hands to grab his shoulders. She gently pulled him towards her, and she gave him a light kiss on his cheek. Her kiss felt blissful hot befitting the daughter of the Phoenix.

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hooht.¡±

    At the unexpected sneak attack, Artpe became dazed. Etna let out a bright smile as she stood up. There was a mischievous smile on her lips.

    ¡°When you grow up and if we don¡¯t need to fight each other at taht time, let¡¯s meet up once again in earnest.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I have a girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Artpe used the invincible shield to protect himself, but his defense broke into tiny pieces. Etna snorted.

    ¡°You really think I can¡¯t tell that you were telling me a lie? You are great at hiding everything else. I don¡¯t know why you are so obtuse regarding this subject.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ....it was weird. Everyone seemed to be able to read his inner thoughts today. He wondered if a magic that revealed his inner thoughts was ced on him. He explored his face with his hand. Etna let out a cloudlessughter when she saw this.

    ¡°I want to stay with you longer, but my time limit is approaching. I have to go now.¡±

    ¡°Etna?¡±

    ¡°Also, this is my present to you.¡±

    Etna pushed the sword towards him. He didn¡¯t even have to check it. It was the Netherworld me Sword of Madness he had given her when he entered the room.

    Artpe received the sword, and he looked over its information. The Fire Spirit Meltia wasn¡¯t residing within it, but a powerful fire energy remained within the sword. Artpe immediately realized that it was Etna¡¯s power.

    It was absolutely inferiorpared to the sword that had Meltia residing within it. However, the Record left behind by Meltia remained inside the sword, and it worked harmoniously with Etna¡¯s power. It had turned into an Artifact that was priceless.

    ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you, but I¡¯m skilled at enchanting items with my power. Please take care of this sword. You should think of it as me. Ah, you can¡¯t give it to that girl. I¡¯ll really hate you if you do.¡±

    How the heck did she know that he had been nning on giving to Maetel.... He was having such thoughts, yet he shamelessly shook his head from side to side on the outside.

    ¡°No, I was going to use it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hooht. It sound like a lie, but I¡¯ll trust you. Be seeing you.¡±

    In the next moment, Etna really disappeared from the spot. Shepletely disappeared using the same method she used in the pub couple days ago. However, she had traveled a much vaster distancepared to before. She controlled fire, yet she travelled quickly like the wind.

    [Nyaa.]

    At that moment, Roa was barely able to regain herposure. She hopped on top of Artpe¡¯sp. She looked up at him as she cried. Her eyes were filled worry and fear.

    [Nyaa-ahhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t a woman that would be swayed by her affections. If a dayes where she has to kill me, she won¡¯t hesitate to kill me.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa, nyaa-ooh-ahh.]

    ¡°Yes, if that happens, she¡¯ll probably be hurt more than me. That is why..... .¡±

    Artpe thought about the lonely expression on her face, and the ck shackles that encircled her neck. She was supposed to be a radiant fire that should be freer than anyone else. She wasn¡¯t able to spread her wings. When he thought about her miserable state, it made him grind his teeth.

    Still, he was able to confirm something once again today. He was sure of it now.

    In the past, the Demon king¡¯s power had felt absolute to him, but he was no longer afraid of it now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll end him with my own power this time around. Are you going to help me, Roa?¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    Roa gave a short yet fierce answer. Artpe smirked as he petted her head. Then he stood up. He equipped the me sword given to him by Etna, and he hid it using his robe. Then he bravely headed outside.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my remaining tasks.¡±

    After bartering with Mycenae, he was able to wlessly rebuild the 1st barrier wall. It was alreadyte into the night when he returned to the inn.

    It seemed Sherryl and Sienna had already be friends. They slept as they leaned against each other¡¯s shoulder. Unlike them, Maetel was glowering as she waited for him. She wasn¡¯t up for anything important.

    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°You might not believe me, but nothing happened. I had other tasks I had to finish.¡±

    ¡°I want to hear a detailed ount of what you did. Come here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    He wanted to go to sleep. The night was fasting to an end. It took him 30 minutes to convince Maetel that nothing had gone on between Etna and him. After being harassed by her, he was finally able to go to sleep within her embrace.

    From Maetel¡¯s perspective, she was trying to make up for the time and affection she had lost to Etna. This was nothing but a form of punishment from Artpe¡¯s perspective.

    Still, it was strange. He was able to sleep really well that night within her embrace. He slept for three hours. He had been busy running around Frate, yet all the fatigue he had umted waspletely washed away as if it had been a lie.

 Chapter 71 - Underwater (1)

    Chapter 71 - Underwater (1)

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ah.¡±

    When he opened his eyes, he was faced with Maetel¡¯s smooth and dazzling white neck. He tried to twist away from her, but Maetel had imprisoned him with her two arms. His attempt was met without much sess. It wasn¡¯t as if she had learned ground technique from someone, yet she had a perfect hold on him. He was once again surprised by her talent.

    ¡°How the heck did I sleep like this.... No way. I¡¯m sleepy again.¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t escape, but it didn¡¯t feel tortuous or suffocating. The softest parts of her body was enclosed around him. It was such a perfect hug that he wondered if she had researched it.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be bad if I sleep too deeply.... Ah, great. The sun is up.¡¯

    It was slightly tortuous, yet it also felt good. He was stuck in a strange imprisonment. He was barely able to raise his head to check outside the window. The world was still dominated by darkness. It was possible that he had slept for a whole day, but that was unlikely. If he really slept for a whole day, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°Wake up, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, Artpe.....? Eh-hee.¡±

    When Maetel¡¯s eyes were half-open, she checked Artpe¡¯s face then she let out a brightughter It seemed she had been worried throughout the night that he would leave with Etna.

    ¡°Artpehhhh~¡±

    ¡°Stop acting like a baby and get up, you dolt.¡±

    Maetel continued to cling to him, so Artpe flicked her forehead. He was able to safely extract himself from the tortuous yet blissful imprisonment. It seemed Maetel was no longer angry. She looked to be enjoying herself even if she was was hit by Artpe.

    ¡°You guys should get up too. We have a lot to do in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Oppa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [M...master. I should have waited up for you. I apologize for falling asleep.]

    [You don¡¯t have to apologize for that.]

    Artpe watched his party members rub sleep out of their eyes. He sat them side by side then he emptied his Dimensional Pouch. Over 100 Skill Books and Spell Books fell out.

    ¡°What is all of this, Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean what is all of this? These are Skills and Spells we¡¯ll learn. I acquired it after I sold the corpse of the Kraken.¡±

    He had used about 50% of the Kraken¡¯s body in creating the barrier wall, but it still meant he had a lot of parts left to sell. The Kraken¡¯s body had been veryrge, and he had imed most of it. He set aside a portion that his party might need in the future, and he had sold a significant amount of Kraken parts.

    Krakens rarely appeared in this world, yet one could always find buyers that needed ingredients from a Kraken. At that moment, Mycenae was trying to sell her share of the Kraken¡¯s corpse, so the entire Anywherepany was working on this task. This was why Artpe was able to sell it so easily.

    Of course, Skill Books and Spell Books were hard to acquire even if one had money. However, Mycenae was his personal merchant, and she yed a big role in the extermination of the Kraken. This was why she was able to acquire her level 200 high rank ss as a merchant, and the items she could acquire increased precipitously.

    Artpe wasn¡¯t someone that would squander such an opportunity. He was sessful in acquiring arge amount of Skill and Spell Books. He chose to receive these items instead of money for the Kraken by-products.

    Since he had charged past level 200, he had the prerequisite needed to learn area of effect magic(AOE) spells, yet he couldn¡¯t purchase any from the Anywherepany. They weren¡¯t carrying any, and this was the only part of this venture he found wanting.

    ¡°I¡¯ve purchased a total of 159 Skill Books and Spell Books. I have about 20,000 gold left, but the gold will probably used to buy Skill Books and Spell Books at ater date.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, are you sure you weren¡¯t meant to be a merchant instead of a hero....?¡±

    He might have given Mycenae a bigger cut, so he could sell his portion more easily. It was a high level tactic where he gave benefits to his opponent, so he could smoothly take what he wants.

    ¡°There¡¯s too many!¡±

    ¡°Most of the skills that has nothing to do with the Warrior Priestess is all yours, so you should learn all of them.¡±

    Maetel was in shock, so she picked and learned a Skill Book at random. There was a profound and mysterious expression on her face.

    ¡°cksmith¡¯s Efficient de Sharpening.... Why would my power grow from learning this, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°If you want to use the Efficient de Sharpening skill, it requires an exquisite amount of physical strength.¡±

    ¡°The world of Skills is very mysterious......¡±

    ¡°Wow. There are an incredible amount of Skills I can learn, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Ajumma¡¯s authority to acquire items was broadened. We now have direct ess to the corrupted parts of the temple!¡±

    ¡°There are really too many bad people in this world!¡±

    However, Sienna was able to be stronger thanks to these bad people. It was a very ironic situation.

    ¡°This one and this one.... Wow. Battle Priestesses use these types of Skills!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll gain more in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh. My body feels nauseous when I try to learn them one after another.¡±

    Artpe smirked when he saw Maetel and Sienna quickly pick up and learn the Skill and Spell Books. He also started to learn the Spell Books. This was a bizarre sight that could only be seen with a hero¡¯s party. Sherryl looked on in a dumbfounded manner.

    ¡°You learned the Carpentry skill, so how will that skill make you stronger? I I really don¡¯t understand it, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll be of help. However, I think i¡¯ll aid me in my life as a dairy farmer.¡±

    They quickly learned the Skills and Spells. It took 30 minutes for the hero¡¯s party to clear thest of books that started out as a pile of books.

    He had basically converted the Kraken¡¯s body parts into Skill and Spell books. This was why both Artpe and Maetel was able to increase their Status to level 50 in one sitting. They were slowly reaching a point where they had learned every single Skill and Spell they could learn at their level.

    On the other hand, Sienna wasn¡¯t a hero, so there was a limit to which Skills she could learn. Even if one took that into consideration, he had purchased a massive quantity of Skill Books for a Warrior Priestess, andmon spells that were shared with Priests. Her already monstrous Status had gone through a significant increase.

    The defeat of the Kraken was also epted as an Achievement, so she was able to advance to a level 200 high rank ss using the Crystal Ball of Blessing. Her abilities reached a whole different dimensionpared to what she was before the fight with the Kraken.

    ¡°Oppa, are we going to leave immediately?¡±

    ¡°We have one thing left to do. It is time to see the most important loots.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaa.]

    Roa sensed that it was her turn, so she let out a very tired cry. However, Artpe was merciless. He picked her up by the scruff.

    ¡°I won¡¯t drag this out. Spit out everything you acquired from the Kraken.¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa-ah? Nyaa-ah-ah-ah!]

    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±

    [Nyaa-oooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡®I like having numerous small items, but I also like big items! I want one for myself!¡¯

    Artpe coldly turned down Roa¡¯s request.

    Roa sulked as she opened her mouth. Exactly four items fell out of her mouth. The amount of loot from the enormous Kraken was small, but this meant each one of them were incredibly valuable.

    ¡°The first one is the bastard¡¯s Magic Stone. If it is possible, I¡¯ll use itter as an ingredient for Reinforcement.¡±

    A level 267 Boss Monster Magic Stone was hard toe by. When the Magic Stone emitting a bright blue light appeared, he immediately ced it within his Dimensional Pouch.

    The remaining items were metallic boots with the coloring of the ocean. The gauntlets were also letting out a simr luster... Then there was the Spell Book that was covered with a dark water colored leather. The leather binding was letting out a serious amount of power. It was confirmation that the book contained a high level AOE magic.

    ¡°It finally came out.¡±

    ¡°I can feel an incredible amount of Mana from within¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m getting dizzy just looking at it!¡±

    He became more sure when he saw Maetel¡¯s reaction. She became nauseous at just seeing the title of the high rank Spell Book. Artpe gave the boots and gauntlets to Maetel and Sienna. Then he picked up the Spell Book with an ted expression on his face.

    In sequence, his face started to crumple.

    ¡°God Flush¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, what is it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    It was an AOE magic spell. It really was an AOE spell. The requirement for learning it was on the low side, and it was quite powerful. If he possessed the special requirements, he would be able to use it with rtively low Mana consumption. It was a mighty fine Great Magic, but......

    ¡°Why do you have such a sour expression on your face, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Because.......¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°It is a Flush type magic. It¡¯s a legendary magic spell that had a big impact when the sewers of the Magic Kingdom of Aedia was being made....... Moreover, I¡¯ve never seen a prefix added to this type of magic.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    What did the magic spell have to do with the sewer system?

    The party members didn¡¯t know the origin story, so they tilted their heads in puzzlement. Artpe let out a vocal sigh, and he learned the God Flush.

    In the entirety of Artpe¡¯s past and current life, he had never seen this rare AOE magic. Just learning this single spell had increased his Magical Energy by 30. This fact actually made him feel more annoyed.

    ¡°Yes, if it was just strong, it would have been great. It is powerful, but......¡±

    The boots took on the qualities of the Kraken, so it was possible to stick onto any surface. It was an incredible Artifact that allowed the wearer to move freely underwater and above water.

    On the other hand, the gauntlets stored Mana, and it was able to imbue properties of a Kraken and its strength to a weapon being held by the gauntlets. The two Artifacts went through three Reinforcement in the hands of Artpe. After they were changed into entirely new Artifacts, they were given to Maetel and Sienna.

    ¡°This is fun!¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve double in strength, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did be twice as strong.¡±

    They learned all the Skills and Spells. Moreover, the loots were distributed to the respective party members. If they met the Kraken from yesterday, they might be strong enough to face the Kraken in a direct confrontation.

    Still, they needed to defeat the Kraken to have necessary power needed to defeat a Kraken in battle. It highlighted the absurdity of his life. It was akin to saying he needed to defeat the Demon King to be able to acquire a magic that will be able to inflict critical damage to the Demon King!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is another Kraken in this ocean.....¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°The sun is about toe up, so we don¡¯t have time to eat. You¡¯ll just have to pray the Mermaid Kingdom has dinner that¡¯s tastier than seaweed.¡±

    If one considered the power of the party, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to cross into Aedia. In fact, it made one wonder if they could break into the Demon world. However, Artpe tried to be patient. There was a change from his past life to his current life. The Chef¡¯s recipe had changed. It was more aggressive and bold.

    After he removed all traces of his party, they immediately exited the inn. Of course, the Lunatic Wave was still ongoing, so each barrier wall was manned by soldiers. Still, if they couldn¡¯t trick the soldiers, they had no rights to call themselves the hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°Artpe, it feels as if you haven¡¯t told us all the important facts.¡±

    Maetel walked beside him as she firmly grasped his sleeve. It seemed she just had this thought. She tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked the question.

    ¡°We are going into the ocean?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to breathe?¡±

    Artpe let out a refreshingughter as he replied.

    ¡°That is a good question.¡±

    ¡°If you tell me that you don¡¯t know the answer, I¡¯ll hit you. ....with my lips. I¡¯ll hit Artpe¡¯s lips with my lips.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was a joke. I¡¯ll tell you now, so stay there.¡±

    Before he knew it, the number of threats she issued had increased. Artpe seriously mulled it over. He wondered if he had ruined Maetel. He had no choice, but to reveal the correct answer.

    ¡°There is a magic spell called Underwater Breathing. It¡¯s difficulty is unnecessarily high, but it allows one to breath underwater. However, the spell doesn¡¯t help with one¡¯s mobility within the water, so it doesn¡¯t sell well. It is an ambiguous spell. I was able to buy it cheap thanks to this fact.¡±

    ¡°Magic is really incredible.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t always rely only on my Mana Strings.¡±

    It would have been great if he was able to acquire a more proper AOE magic!

    [Master.]

    Sherryl the mermaid walked clumsily as she continued to follow after them. She grabbed Artpe¡¯s sleeve, and she spoke as if she was whispering her words.

    [The Road of Mermaids will open soon.]

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Artpe led his party past the 3rd barrier wall, and they arrived at the 2nd barrier wall. The monsters were unable to get past the 1st barrier wall, which Artpe had reconstructed during the night. The city guards were split between the 1st and 2nd barrier wall.

    The ones stationed on the 2nd barrier wall were all sleeping. The ones on the 1st barrier wall were quite loud as they moved around.

    ¡°Everyone be alert on your patrol! The Mermen might try to crawl over this wall at any moment!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it is strange. We haven¡¯t seen any mermaids for awhile. Moreover, the other monsters are fearful of making contact with the wall. They are staying back....¡±

    ¡°The magician-nim is really amazing. He rebuilt the barrier wall yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I told you not to rx, you useless bastards!¡±

    The party was moving carefully to avoid being seen by the knights. Naturally, they were able to see the 1st barrier wall, which Artpe had finished building in the night. It looked much sturdier than the 2nd barrier wall. It was impossible not to look at it.

    The metallic barrier wall was letting out a subdued red light. No one knew why the barrier wall was metallic even though no metals were used in creating the wall. Fortunately, the water didn¡¯t cause the wall to rust.

    ¡°That¡¯s the new wall made by Artpe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible, oppa. It looks incredibly sturdy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is. It better be if you consider the materials that went into it.¡±

    It was true that the Hellfire Sentinel waspletely destroyed in the fight against the Kraken. However, the wreckage containing the boiling magical energy was left behind. While Artpe blocked the swarming monsters, he retrieved the fragments. Then hebined it with the ingredients gathered from the Kraken¡¯s body to make a new 1st tier barrier wall. He then used three consecutive Reinforcements. The barrier wall was inferior to the Hellfire Sentinel, but it was iparably sturdier that the original 1st tier barrier wall.

    The lord of Frate was present during the construction process, and he was touched by Artpe¡¯s work. He suggest they name the wall after Artpe, but Artpe rejected the idea with a single stroke.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll cross the 1st barrier wall, and we¡¯ll immediately enter the ocean?¡±

    ¡°Even if we put aside the monsters for now, we¡¯ll never avoid the gazes of the people. That is why we¡¯ll enter from here.¡±

    ¡°From here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Originally, the port was ced between the 1st and 2nd tier barrier wall. It had also been the location where the ships of the foreign nobles and merchants had been anchored. Of course, there were no traces of these ships left behind. The port was destroyed by the attacks from the Kraken, other monsters and Artpe¡¯s magic. It was just filled with water from the ocean now.

    The monsters were unable to cross the 1st tier barrier wall, so an atmosphere akin to what one saw at a peacefulke was formed. However, the traces of battle were within this body of water. It was filled with countless blood and tears of monsters and humans.

    ¡°Then there are the merchants ships filled with shipment buried within this water. Loots will also be present. They are all untouched.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpehh~¡±

    ¡°Even if you look at me with those eyes, you won¡¯t be able to trouble my conscience. You should give up on it. I¡¯m not stealing anything. I¡¯m just excavating the treasures buried within the ocean!¡±

    Artpe was in control of the finances of the hero¡¯s party, so he was allowed to be shameless! Maetel looked as if she really wanted to argue with him, but she stopped herself. It seemed she had a rough idea on how much the Skill Books and Spell Books had cost him.

    ¡°I know Artpe isn¡¯t always good. I know this, and I¡¯m also bad for tolerating it.¡±

    ¡°I would go further than that. I¡¯ll be blunt. I¡¯m a bad guy. If that is all, let¡¯s go!!¡±

    Artpe casted the Underwater Breathing spell, and the party started walking. Of course, he didn¡¯t need to cast it on the mermaid Sherryl and the magic beast Roa. The fact that he was able to cast it simultaneously on three people was incredible. It was a waste of breathe to expound on how amazing it was.

    ¡°Maetel, you should throw a rock over there.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s powerful throw created a enormous ripple on the surface of the ocean. As a side benefit, several monsters nearby died. It wasn¡¯t even a Skill! She just threw a rock!

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmm? I heard something suspicious from over there!¡±

    ¡°Could it be another Krakening this way? What¡¯s going on!¡±

    The n to create a distraction with Maetel had created a result that was a bit excessive. All the knights on top of the 1st and 2nd tier barrier wall were looking towards the ocean. In that moment, the party entered into the artificialke. They were able to make a clean escape, and the hero¡¯s party submerged into the ocean.

 Chapter 72 - Underwater (2)

    Chapter 72 - Underwater (2)

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t much that is worth salvaging.¡±

    ¡°Should you really be saying that, Artpe?¡±

    Artpe grumbled with all his heart. Maetel couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying, so she asked again. She was justified in doing so. The Dimensional Pouch had plenty of space even when he had put in the Kraken¡¯s head. However, he had filled the Dimensional Pouch with the loot he had gained from the ocean.

    ¡°You should look at it this way. The truly important items were already put up for auction. If the ships contained items that were worth several hundred thousand golds, they would desperately be trying to recover it by now. It wouldn¡¯t matter if the Lunatic Wave is going on or not.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, because they don¡¯t have the ability to enter the ocean and retrieve their items?¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is that.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s words weren¡¯t too far off from the truth. He was able to gain misceneous items from each ship. There were gold, gems and some small Artifacts. They were worth around 3,000 gold in total. It was enough to buy two pairs of underwear worn by the wife of Marquis R. No noble or merchant would risk their lives to recover such a pittance.

    ¡°There were a total of 50 ships, so I made around 160 thousand gold. Maetel, this is called the economic of scale.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is a really bad guy.¡±

    Artpe did feel sorry for looting all the content of the ships, so he put the wreckage into a neat pile. It could be salvagedter if anyone wanted to recycle the materials. By the look of it, there was no way a human had done it. It was arranged in a natural manner, yet he made it so that the monsters would have a hard time destroying it.

    After he finished his work, he looked around his surrounding. Monsters were still unable to bypass the 1st barrier wall, and he hadpletely cleared all the ships. He also collected money and items from the dead monsters. Everything was perfect.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    [In this ce.... I lost manypatriots. Many were merfolk from my kingdom.]

    Sherryl spoke as she red at him. Artpe had treated all the monsters including merfolks in terms of items and gold. It might have created a feeling of defiance within Sheryll. Artpe was careful not to allow water to enter into his Dimensional pouch. As he put away the pouch, he retorted in a light tone.

    [Humans fight and kill even amongst each other. There is no way we would spare the Merfolk when they are the aggressors. If you want to argue with me on this point, you looked up the wrong address.]

    [Not all humans try to kill each other. It is the same for the merfolk. We aren¡¯t all cut from the same cloth. This was especially true for the merfolk from the Anaid Kingdom until those men came.....]

    There was resentment within Sherryl¡¯s voice. When she pledged loyalty to Artpe, she hadn¡¯t said anything about what happened during the Lunatic Wave. It seemed when she was faced with the aftermath, her feelings had surged forward. It wasn¡¯t as if Artpe couldn¡¯t understand what she was going through, so he gave a somewhat suitable response.

    [However, if you guys stayed within the deep sea, there would have been no reason for the humans to be hostile against the merfolk.]

    [If master can truly drive out our enemies and withdraw the curse casted over kingdom..... The merfolk of the Anaid Kingdom will never invade the human realm. The great flow of Mana that visits us once a year will not guide our actions.]

    Basically, she was implying they were civilized enough to be free from the effects of the Lunatic Wave. When he heard those words, he remembered that the merfolk hadn¡¯t yed an active role in any events from his past life. This was why he became a bit more interested in the merfolk.

    ¡®The merfolk built their own civilization, so why didn¡¯t we pay much attention to them.... Ah, that right. There has never been a case where one of the merfolk was able to get past level 200 to gain a high rank ss.¡¯

    Their potential might be limited, or it might be an environmental factor. The actual reason was immaterial. They had never produced a powerful mermaid or merman that was able to leave their mark in history. Even if they had the advantage in number, over half the poption were at a level where it made them useless. They were lousy monsters with levels in single figures. This was why humans and the Demon King¡¯s army hadn¡¯t paid any attention to them.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the elite Mermen fighting units that were enhanced with the Curse of Madness can¡¯t contend with the hero¡¯s party or the Demon King¡¯s army. However, they can be used as a sufficient threat against the humans. They couldn¡¯t be transported using the ocean road.¡¯

    In his past life, the Chef had focused more on cooking the hero¡¯s party instead of humanity. This was why the Demon King hadn¡¯t done anything like this in the past. As expected, one could tell a lot had changed from his current life just by looking at this single issue.

    Yes, he had already decided to wipe out the rest of the Archduke¡¯s forces. It wouldn¡¯t be bad if he cleaned up all the issues in regards to the merfolk that was connected to the Archduke. Artpe always hated leaving behind loose ends. It was something that remained from his days as one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    [All right. Most of everything you wish wille true if you guide us properly.]

    [I am master¡¯s servant. I¡¯ll do whatever master wants. I just follow master¡¯s order.]

    At Artpe¡¯s response, Sherryl¡¯s face visibility brightened. She was trying to hide her emotions, so she worked hard to reply in a calm manner. He couldn¡¯t help butugh at the sight.

    Moreover, Maetel couldn¡¯t understand the words of the mermaid, yet she was ring at them as she stood next to him. It was a bit scary.

    ¡°Oppa. If we want to use that road, don¡¯t we have to be on the other side of the 1st barrier wall? What are we going to do now? Do we have to destroy that wall?¡±

    ¡°I went through the effort of creating that barrier wall, so I won¡¯t destroy it with my hands. We¡¯ll tunnel below it, and we¡¯ll be able to exit on the other side.¡±

    Since he couldn¡¯t bore through the barrier wall, he would make a temporary underwater tunnel to cross to the other side. It was such a simple n that it made one wonder if such a n was any different from making a hole in the wall.

    While Artpe¡¯s party members were taken aback by the news, Artpe took out two strands of Mana Strings. He intertwined the two strands, and he created a drill by rotating it. It was an exquisite use of Mana and magic, but in the end, the magic was....

    ¡°Artpe learned a lot of magic spells, yet in the end, you use the Mana Strings.¡±

    ¡°This is different.¡±

    Artpe let out a smile of triumph, and he casted two more magic spells. The first was Hyper Rubbing. It was a magic that could increase friction to the extreme. The other one was called Haste. It increased speed.

    It was almost impossible tobine magic spells. This was also true withbining the attributes of Skills. However, Mana String was a Unique spell. It had the ability to strengthen itself by adding the power of other Skills and Magic!

    ¡°Go, Mana String!¡±

    ¡°In the end, oppa can¡¯t deny the fact that you always use Mana String and Hyper Rubbing as your main power.......¡±

    ¡°That part of Artpe is too cute.¡±

    Even if Artpe was being cute, the result created by his magic wasn¡¯t cute at all. The Mana drill was created bybining three magic spells. The drill started to rotate, and when it impacted on the ground, it started making a hole. The speed was so fast that everyone looked on in disbelief.

    ¡°We¡¯ll charge through like this! I know it is creating a cloud of dust, but you¡¯ll just have to endure it!¡±

    ¡°Everyone outside will realize what is happening! Hurry! Go faster!¡±

    [S...such a terrifying magic spell......!]

    The two strands of Mana Strings violently rotated as they widened the hole then the tunnel started to lengthen. The members of the hero¡¯s party boldly ran through this tunnel.

    When they reached a depth that couldn¡¯t be covered by the 1st barrier wall, the Mana Strings immediately changed direction as they continued forward. Artpe was truly meticulous. He copsed the tunnel as soon as they passed it. He perfectly tied the loose ends.

    ¡°All right. As expected, it worked perfectly.¡±

    ¡°We are already outside, oppa!¡±

    [The tunnel is already perfectly repaired!]

    If he wasn¡¯t a magician, others would mistake him for a professional excavator. No one would be able to tell that a hole had been drilled here!

    [Kee-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    [H...humans! They appeared from within the earth!]

    [We have to kill them!]

    The monsters, who had been residing near the ocean floor, red at Artpe¡¯s party when they came into view. Amongst them, there were merfolk that were from the Anaid Kingdom. It was undeniable. Moreover, the number was much higher than Sherryl had estimated.

    [How can this be? There are so many of them.....]

    Sherryl¡¯s eyes widened when she saw them. She knew a conflict with her people would ur, but when she was faced with it, she realized the reality was crueler than she had imagined. This idea was represented for example in marriage or when one was giving birth.

    [Can you not see me, people of the Anaid Kingdom! I am Anaid kingdom¡¯s princess! I am Sherryl!]

    [Kill!]

    [Kyahhhhhh!]

    She readily presented herself in front of her vassals, yet their answer were spears and streams of water. Sherryl created a water spear, and she was able to block the attacks in time. Her face was filled with sadness and anger.

    [How can this be..... It isn¡¯t just the humans. They didn¡¯t even hesitate when attacking a mermaid.]

    [Am I to assume that all the merfolk within your kingdom is in a simr state?]

    [Before I was eaten by the Kraken, only 5% of the poption was like this. However, a week had passed, so......]

    [I don¡¯t care how many of them were turned. No, it might be easier for us if all of them were ced under the curse.]

    Why was that? The ones that were suffering under the curse would hold absolute animosity towards the force that had ced the curse on them. Artpe would be saving the merfolk from now on, and he would be in their good graces for saving them. It would make it easier to swing them towards his purpose.

    Moreover, even if there were countless powerful curses, he had a monster that could eat it all. He grinned as turned to ask Maetel a question.

    ¡°Maetel, the humans above have no idea what we are doing, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I listened to their conversations. There is a fierce debate going on as to what they should have for breakfast.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s senses were incredible. She was at the floor of the ocean. Her senses were developed to a point where she could hear the conversations of humans talking outside the water. He believed it, since she said so.

    Since it was morning, he leisurely thought about the buttered corn cob. It had been delicious. As he had such thoughts, he took out Roa from within his robe.

    ¡°Roa, you can eat all of their curses. The Quest has just begun.¡±

    [Nyaa?]

    ¡®Really? I can really do as I like?¡¯

    Her purple eyes were twinkling as she checked once again with Artpe. He let out a bitterugh as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t kill them.¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    Roa immediately shot forth inside the water. In the process, the ck fog that had been maintaining the shape of the small ck cat dispersed into the surrounding.

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaaang!]

    Roa immediately absorbed the unclean energies from the broad domain! The merfolk of the Anaid Kingdom were spread amongst the countless monsters. Their eyes widened as they felt pain.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    [Koo-hoohk, hah-ahk!? W...where am I?]

    After feeling the wretched pain, the merfolk of the Anaid Kingdom became sound of mind. It seemed the other monsters were sensitive to the change that had urred. They turned to reveal their animosity towards the merfolk . Artpe used his Mana Strings to cut off the heads of these monsters.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill all you bastards, because I was scared of you guys. I just wanted to get on my way as soon as possible.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t even ovee the barrier he had erected. They had been listlessly moving around in front of the barrier, yet they dared to bare teeth towards him? Their foolishness was boundless.

    Artpe stretched out his two hands, and he freely swung 10 Mana String. The ocean was being filled with the blood and corpse of the monsters. Sherryl had been in a stupor when she saw the mayhem created by Artpe and Roa. He gave a firm order toward Sherryl.

    [You should retrieve the confused merfolk. You are the princess of the Anaid Kingdom. Can you do this?]

    [They are being overwhelmed to this degree..... My god.]

    Sherryl once again realized that her master¡¯s abilities were much greater than what she had imagined. She had no idea if this would be a boon or a misfortune for her.

    [What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going?]

    [I...I¡¯m going!]

    Sheryll had been in a stupor when faced with the might of her master. When she heard Artpe¡¯s words, she quickly pped her own cheeks. Then she rushed towards the water filled with blood, corpses, ck fog and confusion. She yelled out.

    [Follow me, merfolk of the Anaid kingdom! My lord hase to save our kingdom!]

    [P...princess!?]

    [Sherryl-nim! My god! She was eaten by the Kraken! The princess hase back from the dead! Our princess has returned!]

    [Oh oh, princess-nim!]

    It didn¡¯t take long for Artpe and Roa to kill all the monsters in the region. Moreover, Sherryl was sessful in gathering all the merfolk of the Anaid kingdom, who had regained their sense, around her.

    Even now the number of monsters influenced by the Lunatic Wave were increasing in number. However, Artpe decided to leave the rest to the humans. His party had grown several hundred fold, and they headed towards the Road of the Merfolk.

    This was the moment when the legend started with the Anaid kingdom. They weren¡¯t of the merfolk. It was a legend made by humans from port city of Frate, and a single magical beast

 Chapter 73 - Underwater (3)

    Chapter 73 - Underwater (3)

    The Road of Mermaids were hidden deep within the ocean. It was something that normal monsters would have a hard time finding.

    Of course, Merfolk infected by the curse congregated near the road, but thebined number of curses present wouldn¡¯t even be considered a meal for Roa. Roa did a forced cleansing, and the freed mermen joined their party as they entered into the road.

    ¡°Look over there, Artpe. Is this all made out of magic?¡±

    ¡°This is amazing. There really is a road within the ocean.¡±

    When they entered the Road of Mermaids, the eyes of Maetel and Sienna turned round. In a good way, it felt as if they¡¯ve been hit in the back of the head. They were filled with wonder.

    First, the road was veryrge, and the demarcation between the road and the ocean was clear. Even if a normal sea monster was able to enter into the road, an environment had been created where these monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to do much within this road.

    ¡°Magic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yes, this is our race specific magic. It is a contract that binds the whole race from the olden days. All mermen that makes use of this road has to fortify and maintain this road.¡±

    Artpe knew about the Road of Mermaids, but this was the first time he had seen it. When faced with the real thing, he couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. Unlike his surprised party members, he could urately assess what had been done to create road using his Read All Creation ability. This was why his surprise ran much deeper.

    [Road of Mermaids]

    [The mermen used their power over water to create a form of pocket dimension. All beings aside from the mermen will suffer reduction in power, and this loss of power in turn strengthens the road.]

    [The Anaid Kingdom¡¯s road is unlike the other merfolk kingdoms spread across this world. It boast a degree of standard that is unmatched by the other roads, master.]

    Her master possessed amazing abilities, yet he had been surprised by the road. Sherryl felt tremendous pride at this sight. By the time they reached the road, about 1,000 merfolk had been freed from the curse, and they had joined Artpe¡¯s party. Sherryl¡¯s mind and body had reached an equilibrium by this point in time..

    [You should be proud of it.]

    [It is an honor, master.]

    She couldn¡¯t hide the delight she felt at Artpe¡¯s praise as she answered him. Currently, she was in her human form. Basically, it meant the Road of Mermaids was a passageway with no water. They had used their mastery over water to separate this space from the ocean.

    ¡°By constructing it like this, you made sure the other underwater monsters couldn¡¯t make use of your road. This was well thought out.¡±

    ¡°All mermen are able to breath through either their gills or their lungs.......¡±

    ¡°Gills? Lungs?¡±

    Sienna spoke in awe. Maetel, who heard her words, tilted her head in confusion. Sienna also grew up in a mountain vige, so he had no idea why Maetel didn¡¯t know this information like Sienna. Artpe let out a quiet sigh, and he just stroked her head. Maetel¡¯s eyes narrowed in pleasure. When her eyes opened once again, she hadpletely forgotten about her question about the gills.

    While the party admired the road, the mermen recovered their thoughts and strength. They started bing argumentative with Sherryl.

    [Princess, how dare you obey the orders of such a young human?]

    [If it is princess, you easily possess the qualification to represent our kingdom. Yet you lower yourself to a mere human.....]

    [He will be the savior of our kingdom, so hold your tongue. He is above all of us even if we weigh our entire kingdom against him. ....you¡¯ll all realize this fact soon.]

    [Koohk. If the princess says so......]

    [I do not doubt princess¡¯ eyes. I¡¯ll trust and follow you.]

    Artpe had been a bit worried. He wondered if the merfolk would rebel. However, Sherryl was able to take control of the situation.

    Since she was the 37th princess, he had wondered if she had any real authority. It seemed her authority was stronger than he had expected. Somehow, he knew this would cause moreplicationster on, and the inside of his head became moreplicated.

    [Nyaa. Nyaahh.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you still hungry?¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Roa kept tapping on Artpe¡¯s hand as she let out a cry. Until now, she had absorbed the curses within a thousand merfolk. However, when she felt more curse energy in the distance, she wanted to immediately dash out.

    ¡°Ah, all right. You can go on ahead and eat first.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaa-ohhhhh!]

    When Artpe gave his consent, she turned into fog as she raced down the road. The merfolk, who had their curses absorbed by her, shrank back. Artpe ignored them as he started walking.

    ¡°Shall we go too?¡±

    [I will guide you. ....no, they¡¯ll probably search us out first.]

    [No, that¡¯ll be impossible for them to do.]

    Artpe¡¯s purple eyes shed. Against the Kraken, he had been unable to gather all the information at once, because the Kraken had been toorge. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore.

    [I¡¯ll be the one to find them first, and I¡¯ll kill them all.]

    The ocean was deep andrge. The road was long out of necessity. Thankfully, the road was being treated as a form of pocket dimension that was cut off from the outside world. Basically, one was able to travel at an overwhelming speed on the roadpared to traveling outside. Artpe¡¯s party was able to sense the reality of this fact when they saw thendscape of the ocean change.

    ¡°Wow. A shark just passed by us, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you know what a shark is.¡±

    ¡°I heard sharks are delicious.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpehhhh~.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t stand Maetel¡¯s pleading eyes, so Artpe used his magic to catch the shark swimming outside of the road. He recovered it, and he ced the shark inside his Dimensional Pouch. Maetel was full of glee as she clung to Artpe¡¯s arm. Sherryl was next to him, and she was shocked by what he had done.

    [You manifested your magic outside of the Road of Mermaids, and you were able to teleport an item outside to recover the shark....]

    [I Reinforced my boots once more. That is why I can use Blink on small items under my possession. It isn¡¯t too big of a deal.]

    The merfolk had created this pocket dimension, but Artpe was able to discern the structure of the pocket dimension using his Read All Creation ability. The act of manifesting magic outside the pocket dimension had been easy, and the recovery of the shark¡¯s corpse was easier than his prior task.

    Maetel couldn¡¯tprehend his exnation, so she covered her ears as her head started to spin.

    Thendscape wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed. As they traveled further down the road, they kept running into groups of dozen or several dozen merfolk. More merfolk kept joining their group.

    [Koohk. What the hell were we doing.....]

    [Aht, princess! It¡¯s princes Sherryl!]

    Roa had already sucked out all the curse. She had eaten the curses to it roots. The merfolk were in a state of confusion as they regained their sanity. However, Sherryl was able to calm them down. The process of the merfolk joining their group was smooth. They followed Sherryl.

    [You are now in the 2nd battalion. Go join them.]

    [Thanks to princess Sherryl we were able to regain our sanity. Princess is our only hope.]

    [We will regain what is precious to us from the ruffians who invaded our kingdom. Hurry! Let us march!]

    As they progressed further down the road, the probability of encountering merfolk increased.

    Since they were deployed for the Lunatic wave, these merfolk werebat troops. Even if they werebat troops, it was rare to find mermen or mermaids over level 100. They couldn¡¯t even put up a decent fight before their curse was sucked out by Roa.

    [You are in the 3rd battalion! And you will in the 4th battalion!]

    [How long has it been since we were all gathered in one ce like this?]

    [This isn¡¯t a good thing. The ce we were supposed to defend with our life lies defenseless. If I try to think about what is going on inside our kingdom, a sigh automatically escapes my lips.]

    [Do not worry. We march with our savior.]

    [Savior.... I wonder how skilled this so called Savior is.... That¡¯s the question I want answered.]

    [The princess said to trust in him. That is enough for me to put my trust in him.]

    If one heard their conversation, one would realize that they were no different from the residents of the human nations. They possessed intelligence, culture and structure on par with humans.....

    Would Maetel really be able to kill them on sight just because they were monsters?

    Suddenly, Artpe was worried, so he turned to look at Maetel. However, she was smiling as she walked arm-in-arm with Artpe. Artpe decided not to worry about it right now.

    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯m expecting too much.¡±

    ¡°I think Artpe just had a discourteous thought about me.¡±

    ¡°You are the discourteous one. My worry for you is turning into a discourteous thoughts in real time.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    When she heard his words, Maetel¡¯s eyes shook severely. She stuck closer to Artpe than before, and there was a bright light in her eyes.

    ¡°Artpe, did you perhap worry about me.....?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m curious. What do I have to do to be hated by you?¡±

    ¡°You should give up on such thoughts.¡±

    ¡°You are so assertive!?¡±

    One thousand, one thousand two hundred, one thousand five hundred, two thousand.... The number of purified mer-soldiers rose exponentially. There was so many of them filling the road that they had to march in single columns. The line was endless. Artpe started to get worried as he looked at them.

    [They won¡¯t starve to death?]

    [If we have Mana and water, we can maintain our body¡¯s vital activities, master. Merfolk are capable of consuming food, but not everyone is allowed to do so, master. Food is only given as a method to replenish stamina and mana to the fighting force and the ruling ss.]

    Mmm. This part really made them seem like monsters. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t have a sense of taste, but it seemed theck of food didn¡¯t affect their ability to live. The rest of the monsters were like them. They only repeatedly killed humans and other living beings, because the act allowed them to acquire Mana and Records. It allowed them to grow. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t as if humans were free from these constraints either.

    [Nyaa!? Nyaa-ah! Nyaa-ahhhhhhhh! Nyaa nyaa! Nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    They were quickly marching down the road when they suddenly heard a cry. Roa¡¯s voice was loud. Everyone on the Road of Mermaids could hear the cry. It was akin to an exultant cry let out by a pirate captain when a treasure ind was found.

    [T...this sound.... It is the sound of the magical beast!]

    [P...princess! Get behind me! I¡¯ll protect you!]

    [No, you don¡¯t have to be on your guard. You¡¯ve already experienced it, so you should know this by now. The magical beast is under the control of my master.]

    [He controls that horrific magical beast!?]

    The trauma caused by Roa couldn¡¯t be washed away. All the merfolk backed away in shock. Artpe was the only one puzzled by what had just happened.

    Why was she so happy? Roa was born recently, and the way she expressed her emotion was very simple. What could cause her to be so happy......

    [Nyaa-ah! Nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°It seemes she found the source of the curse.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m starting to get a little bit worried.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. This is business as usual.¡±

    After 30 minutes, Roa came back with a bloated belly. She had an extremely satisfied expression on her face, and she promptly fell asleep in Artpe¡¯s arms. She had an extremely satisfied smile on her face, and she even talked in her sleep.

    [Nyaa-ah-ah, Nyaa-ooh-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°You little rascal¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She had fallen asleep before Artpe could tell her to rest. Was it a form of deration saying she could no longer eat any more curse? He wondered if he should retrain her from the bottom up. However, if results were any indication, it seemed he wouldn¡¯t need to retrain her. The appalled voices that rang out in the distance was a proof of this.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhh! That was the Artifact bestowed to us by the Demon King!]

    [What happened! Why did you blow up the entireboratory, Demon!]

    [You did this, human!]

    ¡°Artpe, they are too noisy.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. I somewhat expected this to happen, but......¡±

    It seemed Roa had already consumed all forms of negative energy existing within the kingdom.

 Chapter 74 - Underwater (4)

    Chapter 74 - Underwater (4)

    After they had heard the screams and shouts that seemed to contain the world¡¯s anger, it didn¡¯t take them too long to arrive at the mermaid kingdom. They were able to arrive at Anaid without muchplications. Of course, their army was quiterge, so Artpe hadn¡¯t expected to stay hidden from their enemies in the first ce.

    When he decided to use the Road of Mermaids, his stealth had been broken. When he granted Sherryl¡¯s request of freeing the merfolk from their curses, the cat was out of the bag.

    ¡°Oh. I can see the entrance leading into the kingdom. It is connected directly to the road.¡±

    ¡°The center of the Road of Mermaids is the mermaid kingdom. Of course, it is interconnected.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I see other humans there! Ah, I also see a being that isn¡¯t human......!¡±

    The mermaid kingdom was protected by the magic that ruled over the road. In addition, there was anotheryer of dimensional magic that protected the kingdom. From outside, the mermaid kingdom looked like a miniature model ced within a crystal ball.

    It really was a beautiful sight. However, if one looked closely within the kingdom, one would find out that its beauty didn¡¯t reflect reality. A flock of humans was causing a huge disturbance within the kingdom.

    ¡°I...it isn¡¯t there. It¡¯s gone! The artifact he provided for us is gone!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the merfolkmitted treason against us!¡±

    ¡°You stupid and dull humans! You couldn¡¯t even protect a single item, and now you are making such a fuss!¡±

    There was a blonde-haired Demon woman amongst the humans. When he checked her information with his Read All Creation ability, he realized she was the Demon that had a direct hand in creating the mess within the Diaz kingdom. He realized she was Teana.

    ¡®Are all the Demons acting so boldly as her? Maybe, they are all working under their real name.¡¯

    When he heard that name for the first time, he had thought it sounded simr to Etna¡¯s name. He wondered in secret if Etna had switched up her name to work under a pseudonym. However, that idea was blown into smithereens when he met Etna in Frate. He had worried unnecessarily, because their names were constructed in a confusing manner. That sin alone made her deserving of death.

    ¡°Your highness, the merfolk army is flowing back towards us! The curse was dispelled!¡±

    ¡°There are humans amongst them..... I remember getting a description of that bastard.... Ooh-doo-doohk.¡±

    ¡°Those bastards are the ones that interfered with our Demonification experiments. I¡¯m sure of it!¡±

    ¡°Those insolent brats dare to boldly show up in front of me!¡±

    There was no way one would be able to hide arge army that numbered in the three thousand. Before Artpe¡¯s party was able to enter into the kingdom, they were already in the crosshair of their enemies.

    [Master, the knights protecting the man named Medelrud are all over level 150. They are veteran knights. Moreover, there is a scary Demon that uses a terrifyingly evil energy. A single wave of this woman¡¯s hand neutralized all the soldiers protecting the royal pce!]

    [That sounds about right. She is over level 200.]

    Now that they had reached the kingdom, it seemed fear sprouted anew within Sherryl. She grabbed the sleeve of Artpe¡¯s robe, and she took a slight step backwards. However, merfolk arrayed behind them were unafraid.

    [Princess, we are all gathered in one ce. The result will be different this time around!]

    [We have to kill those ruffians. We have to take back our kingdom and ocean!]

    [All troops get ready for battle! We will escort the princess to the pce! We will cut down anyone that interferes with us!]

    [Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    They had gone crazy after having a curse ced on them not too long ago, yet it was as if they hadpletely forgotten about it. Each of them raised their weapons to show their resolve. It seemed Sherryl was very touched by this act. Courage returned to her eyes.

    [E...everyone.... All right. With all of you and my master by side, I will no longer be afraid!]

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m d you guys made some breakthroughs.¡±

    Roa was the one that did everything! Sherryl had let go of his sleeve as she turned to look at the merfolk. Artpe just nodded his head as he leisurely took a step forward.

    [However, if I let you guys charge forward, countless tears and blood will be shed. You guys should stay back. We will take care of them.]

    At the same time, he made a deration to the merfolk. Of course, the merfolk had a dumbfounded expression on their faces. It was as if Artpe had pped their faces. Sherryl was taken aback, and she once again moved closer to Artpe.

    [M...master? If we are to stand up to them.....]

    [You seem to have the wrong idea. I didn¡¯t free all the Merfolk, so that I can use them in battle. I just did it, because you requested it. ....it is time for us toplete the Quest. There is no need for your participation.]

    [W...what!? You insolent human¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [Quiet! The one that saved us all was my master. Show him respect!]

    They were at the cusp of battle where tworge forces were about to sh, yet a single person stepped forward in an unperturbed manner. Of course, everyone¡¯s gaze would be focused on him. Maetel was also taken aback, so she grabbed Artpe.

    ¡°They¡¯ve be very vignt against us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, they are vignt. However, you should be aware of this, Maetel. You have to be confident that you are going to win even if your opponent is vignt. If you aren¡¯t, you shouldn¡¯t attack them in the first ce. You should only be vignt if you don¡¯t know the identity of your opponent, or if you can¡¯t discern their number.... You only be vignt if you aren¡¯t confident in your own forces. I¡¯m not like that.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes were shining brightly. If a hidden Kraken made its appearance, it might be a different story. However, he had made a thorough assessment of the yers present here.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if there are a lot of them. They can even use whatever Artifacts they have. They can¡¯t win against us. You know why? We caught a Kraken that we shouldn¡¯t have been able to kill in this lifetime, and we¡¯ve be incredible strong. This happens quite often with the Demon King¡¯s army, so you should keep this in mind. Their n misfires quite often.¡±

    ¡°Y..yes!¡±

    Matel quietened down as she epted Artpe¡¯s convincing words. He smirked as he turned his gaze. He caught sight of the Demon and Sienna. Sienna was gripping the handle of the hammer that was strapped to her back.

    ¡°Sienna, you should prepare yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was no need for the entire hero¡¯s party to step forward. Artpe and Sienna would take care of this. The two of them would be enough. The Chef¡¯s recipe had been pretty tight. However, as a result, the food transformed into something more deliciouspared to the previous life¡¯s hero!

    Artpe looked defenseless as he conversed with his party members in front of his enemies. It seemed the Demon was extremely irritated by this dispaly. In the end, the Demon named Teana attacked first. An evil energy shot forth!

    ¡°Death¡¯s Baptism!¡±

    ¡°You dare?¡±

    Artpe snorted as he faced the ck fog created by her. It was a powerful magic that could only be used by a Demon over level 200, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.

    ¡°H...how can this be..... Priest!? They told me you were a magician!¡±

    Her magic was extinguished in vain. It couldn¡¯t get past the semi-translucent barrier created in the air by Artpe. The barrier was one of the spells he had purchased in this venture. It was the temple priest¡¯s spell called Holy Barrier.

    Unfortunately, Sienna was walking down the road of the Warrior Priestess, so she couldn¡¯t learn the high rank spell that was exclusive to the regr priest and priestess ss. However, Artpe was a hero. He could willfully ignore such restrictions. He learned the spell.

    ¡°Sienna, it¡¯s time!¡±

    ¡°Understood, oppa!¡±

    Normally, when the flow of the battle was going poorly like this, the Demon was in charge of saying something ominous. The Demon would utter nonsensical words in such a way that would indicate that this wasn¡¯t over. It was supposed to make the hero¡¯s party feel leery. Artpe became annoyed when his opponents alluded to the fact that there was more toe in the future. He hated it! He just wanted to end the Quest here! Please!

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    Sienna had been prepared to receive his firm instructions. She ran forward. It was as if she was shot out of a cannon. At first, everyone snorted at the sight, but in the next moment, their eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°Wait a moment, the energy emanating from that hammer..... Can it be....¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense. She is too young. This is impossible. My eyes are ying tricks on me!¡±

    ¡°Ha-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    There was a milky white energy coalesced around her hammer. It was the most iconic skill that could be learned by a person possessing the high rank ss of Warrior Priestess. It was the Divine Hammer! Sienna¡¯s unique Mana was infused with the skill. A strange aura that was neither light or dark was formed. It was a gray translucent aura.

    However, one thing was for sure. This energy was absolutely lethal against Demons.

    ¡°Y..you even have a high rank ss Warrior Priestess with you!? Yes, I see now! The only human that is capable of using a magician¡¯s ability and a priest¡¯¡¯s ability at the same time...... Eeeeeek! Human, I have an urgent business I have to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving now!¡±

    When operating in the human world, Demons had to be aware of the possibility of running into a hero! This was why they had to learn several important lessons before they were able to leave for the human world.

    One of the lessons was the Bluffing Skill. The Demon had to make it seem that there was a backup n that the hero would have to worry about. It was a tactic used to disturb the heart of the hero. Secondly, one had to promise the hero that they would meet once again in the future. It would put burden on the hero¡¯s heart. It was called the ¡®I¡¯ll leave for now¡¯ skill.

    ¡°You are surely a hero! I¡¯ll leave for now, but now that I know your identity, you are finished! Soon, there wille a day where you will bow down to the Demon King!¡±

    [Who¡¯s gonna bow down to whom? I¡¯ve done that so much that I¡¯m fed up with it, you damned bitch!]

    [D...Demonnguage!? Who the hell are you!]

    After he was reincarnated as a hero, Artpe had put in tremendous effort to build up the foundation of two skills. Fortunately, luck had been with him, and he was able to perfect the two Skills. It was time for these abilities to shine!

    ¡°Mana String!¡±

    ¡°In the end, you used that spell again!?¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    Several strands of Mana Strings shed forward. They streaked past Sienna to reach the Demon.

    ¡°Teleporta..... What the hell! I¡¯ll use the Artifact.... This one too!?¡±

    The Demon had prepared for the worst case scenario. She was able to cast her own Teleportation spell, and she possessed the Emergency Blink Artifact. This item was supposed to used to escape a crisis. Unfortunately for her, Artpe¡¯s Mana String disturbed magical energy on top of interfering with the physical world.

    The magical energy she emitted was tied up, so she couldn¡¯t activate her spell. Moreover, he used his Read All Creation ability to identify all her Artifacts. He either snatched or destroyed all her Artifacts! This was only possible using Mana Strings where magical energy andws of nature wasbined.

    ¡°Of course, it would be much easier to use a Mana Restriction spell. It can bind a target¡¯s Mana for a limited amount of time. Shit!¡±

    ¡°You alwaysin, but you are able to aplish everything using your Mana Strings. Artpe is too cool!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhk! Hero! What the hell did you do to me!¡±

    She had tried to teleport, but it waspletely blocked off by Artpe¡¯s Mana Strings. Moreover, the Mana Strings was wrapped around her. She red at him as she tried to manifest a different attack spell. However, before she could do anything, Sienna reached the Demon. She brought down her hammer.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    After a short shout, a bold strike impacted on the Demon. The shock wave created sent Madelrud and all the humans nearby tumbling backwards.

    ¡°Koohk, ggoo-ehhhhhhk!¡±

    So how would the Demon feel after taking a direct hit? At Sienna¡¯s single strike, her shoulder and arm waspletely crushed. Her Mana had been disrupted before she could manifest it, and it ran rampant in her body. She squealed like a stuck pig, and shepletely let go of her consciousness.

    ¡°H...how can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t eveny a finger on that Demon, yet he easily.......¡±

    Until now, the merfolk had been repressed by the Demon and the ex-Archduke Medelrud, so they were surprised by what had happened. However, the one to feel the most surprised was Medelrud, who had been in league with the Demon.

    ¡°H...how.... How can he easily subdue the Demon.....!?¡±

    When Medelrud was the Archduke, the Demon hade to him as an emissary of the Demon King. She had always remained above everyone as an overwhelmingly powerful being. At times, she revealed to him pieces of knowledge about ck magic and curse rituals. When he saw the strange ancestral magic, he hadpletely given up on resisting or manipting her.

    So who the hell were these people! This boy taunted the Demon with a very yful tone! He also neutralized her as if she was toying with her!

    ¡°Eh-eet. One more time¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤wait a moment, Sienna. Don¡¯t end her. Just bring her here.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood!¡±

    Sienna was about to end the Demon by bringing her hammer down once again. However, Artpe immediately stopped her from doing so. She took a wide swing with her sledge hammer to push back the group that was approaching her. Then she carried the unconscious Demon back to Artpe.

    Medelrud and the other humans shrank back. They had seen what Sienna could do with a single strike. Since the Demon was the strongest amongst them, they didn¡¯t even budge an inch as they watched Sienna retrieve the Demon.

    ¡°Artpe, why did you spare the Demon? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is it because she¡¯s a woman?¡±

    ¡°What did I ever do to deserve suspicion every time like this.... I¡¯ll tell you all about itter.¡±

    Artpe flicked Maetel¡¯s forehead as he gave his reply. Afterwards, his gaze headed towards the humans, who were shaking in fear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after we end them.¡±

    This was obvious, but there were no other hidden bosses aside from the Demon amongst Medelrud¡¯s party.

    It was the moment when the curtain closed on a Quest that had dragged on for a year.

 Chapter 75 - Underwater (5)

    Chapter 75 - Underwater (5)

    ¡°I.... I was merely used by the Demon named Teana.¡±

    Medelrud¡¯s face was crumpled. He was on his knees as he raised both his arms into the air. This was the first words spoken by him. Artpe nodded his head to indicate that Medelrud should keep talking.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°In the beginning, her deal appealed to me. I wanted to be king. However, it was a trap. For the price of earning the Demon¡¯s help, I had to carry out tasks for her, and each of them were horrifying. I regretted my decision right away. However, I couldn¡¯t turn back....¡±

    Artpe watched Medelrud¡¯s miserable expression. He continued to speak in a remorseful manner. It seemed Medelrud was a pretty good actor. Artpe had such thoughts as he encouraged Medelrud to talk more.

    ¡°I was in such a situation when you guys showed up to ruin everything. The test, which we were conducting under the Demon¡¯s instructions, failed. On top of that, I sent an army consisting of men absolutely loyal to me to bury you guys, yet they were wiped out.¡±

    ¡°At the time, I was truly dumbfounded by your actions. You really didn¡¯t think about the aftermath. You are truly an idiot.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone was capable of stopping me. After the dirty experiments conducted by the Demon ended, I thought Diaz would fall into my hands. However, all my ns went up in smokes. No, I guess in a way it was an inevitability. Heroes always interfere with any work rted to the Demon King¡¯s army. Isn¡¯t that right, hero!¡±

    The Archdue Medelrud had been speaking calmly up until now. However, he shouted those words as he grinded his teeth. It seemed a sudden and unexpected feeling of resentment had surged forth at his own predicament. This was why Artpe mocked Medelrud to his heart¡¯s content.

    ¡°If you knew a hero would show up, you are the retarded one for going through with the n.¡±

    ¡°I thought the heroes were already dead.... You foolish brats ran away by spurning the protection of our kingdom. If you hadn¡¯t run away, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this!¡±

    ¡°Well, we became this strong thanks to not entering the pce..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you guys are merely 12 year old brats that ran away after rejecting the protection of our kingdom..... You guys did that to be stronger? You were able to have such thoughts at that age?¡±

    Medelrud¡¯s expression turned nk at the unexpected answer. Artpe shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°You should continue with your story. So what? When you were barely able to escape Diaz, was the Demon with you?¡±

    ¡°Kooh! I was somehow able to preserve my remaining forces.... I nned on gaining a foothold in another country. However, at that moment, the witch enticed once again.¡±

    ¡°Enticed?¡±

    Artpe stopped speaking. He had a good idea what had transpired, so he no longer had to hear what Medelrud had to say. There was no way Medelrud could have been ignorant of what had gone on around him. Artpe just had to look at the state of Anaid to confirm this fact.

    ¡°Did you perhap think about conquering the mermaid kingdom of Anaid to use the merfolk as your soldiers? Let me take it a step further. Did you n on using them to re-conquer Diaz? I bet you wanted to retake the royal pce.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed Artpe had hit the nail on the head, so Medelrud remained silent. Artpe was baffled by this.

    What the hell did he say before? He was only used by Teana? There was no way that was true. He had known what he was getting into from the start. The Demon and Medelrud had known each other¡¯s intentions from the start, and they had been in a mutually beneficial rtionship!

    ¡°So tell me again. Who¡¯s taking advantage of whom?¡±

    ¡°She lied to me! I never knew the curse would work like that!¡±

    No, Artpe really didn¡¯t need to hear more of what Medelrud had to say. Artpe was so disgusted that he waved his hand. Mana String emanated from the tip of his fingers, and it cleanly severed the head of the former Archduke Medelrud. The bastard kept spouting disgusting excuses, and now he would be silent for eternity.

    Medelrud had once been at the top of a nation, yet his end was ignominious. However, if one considered the weight of what he had done here, he had met a peaceful end.

    ¡°H...his lordship!¡±

    ¡°How dare you do that to our lord¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°If he is so precious to you, you should go serve him in hell.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahk!?¡±

    If he faced them any longer, he thought he would lose all the faith in humanity he had gained from conversing with the lord of Frate. This was why Artpe severed their heads in one fell swoop.

    By the sound of it, it would probably would have been better if he hadn¡¯t heard what they had to say. These men had cooperated with the Demon King¡¯s army. They weren¡¯t worthy of being heard!

    [He was able to easily kill those powerful men!]

    [Amazing. We couldn¡¯t even put up a fight against them, yet he killed all of them with a single wave of his hand.....]

    The merfolk shrank back when Artpe¡¯s abilities were verified with their eyes. However, Artpe hadn¡¯t been explicitly trying to show off his power. He snorted as he retracted his hand, and he burned the corpses.

    The kingdom of the merfolk was simr to the road. There were ces that were filled with air, and there were ces that were filled with water. Moreover, the Road of Mermaids was connected to the entrance of the kingdom, so of course, this space was isted from the ocean. This was why it was possible to use fire magic here.

    ¡°All right. This eliminates the possibility of theming back as Undeads to haunt uster on.¡±

    ¡°So that is what you were worried about, Artpe......¡±

    Just the mention of the the Archduke Medelrud gave Artpe the hives.

    Artpe had done his best to leave no loose ends behind! He didn¡¯t turn back around until he meticulous searched for the remnants of Medelrud¡¯s forces. He made sure there wasn¡¯t any traces of them left behind. Now it was time for him to take care of the business in regards to the Demon....

    [Master.]

    He was about to continue his work when he was interrupted. Of course, it was Sherryl. She was like a dog waiting for an order from her master. He couldn¡¯t ignore her, so Artpe gave her instrutions first.

    [All the evil energy within the kingdom was eliminated, so you guys take care of the rest. Our Quest ispletely over now. There is no reason why it¡¯ll affect you guys any more.]

    [I...I understand, master.]

    Sherryl had been very nervous. She had thought they would have to face off against thebined might of the Demon and the humans. However, everything ended quickly thanks to Artpe and Sienna. She was a little bit dazed, but she was able to quickly assess the situation. She quickly gave orders to the merfolk.

    [Go to the test site, 1st battalion! The Curse is gone, but I¡¯m sure there are still a lot of merfolk imprisoned there! The 2nd battalion shall act as the emergency security force. I want you to make sure the civilians within the kingdom are safe! .....I also want the 3rd and 4th battalion to join them.! Go before it is toote!]

    [Understood, princess!]

    [We will follow your orders!]

    Mmm. As expected, her dominion over the merfolk was too absolute when one considered the fact that she was the 37th princess. Artpe slowly started question what happened to the other 36 princes and princesses. The king of the merfolk had ruled thisnd before the invasion of the humans. Artpe wondered what had happened to him.

    [They are all dead.]

    After she instructed her underlings, she had returned to Artpe. Sherryl¡¯s answer to his question was truly shocking.

    [What did you just say?]

    [They were fed to the Kraken. The royal family possessed the most Mana and high rank potential..... Medelrud and his group wanted to cast the Demonification curse on the Kraken, who was already suffering under the curse of madness. They were all fed to the Kraken.]

    Even if he didn¡¯t hear about it, it was obvious as to what had happened afterwards. Still, he felt the need to ask the question. He asked with a bitter expression on his face.

    [So you are thest scion? You possessed the most potential, so you were the medium they were going to tie the curse together in the Kraken?]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I guess that is one way to look at it. The humans wantedplete dominion over the kingdom, so they weren¡¯t going to leave behind any variables like the royal family. Even if we weren¡¯t sacrificed in the experiment, they would have used some other method to get rid of the royal family¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Since the 37th princess Sherryl would tie the curse together within the Kraken, she was spared for couple more days, and she was safely rescued by Artpe before she died. When the merfolk were freed from the curse, they were relieved that a member of the royal family had survived, and they were following her....

    Even if there was a preposterous human standing behind her, they had no choice but to follow her.

    ¡®I should have known it would turn out like this.¡¯

    Since she was the 37th princess, he had thought there was no way she would have a path to the throne. Artpe was foolish for having such thoughts. Who cares if she was low on the totem pole in seeding the throne? If everyone was dead, her turn woulde! Somehow, Artpe knew what she was going to say next.

    [That is why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Master.]

    As if to drive home his worry, Sherryl¡¯s eyebrows shook, and she lowered her head.

    [When we recovered the kingdom, I became the representative of our kingdom. The kingdom will belong to master. This is something I should tell you after I ascend to the throne. However, I thought it would be better if you knew this beforehand.....]

    Artpe was a human that had saved her life. At the same time, he had easily returned the kingdom to her care. It was something the merfolk had considered to be an impossible task. Of course, this was the natural progression of the events.

    If he thought about it, it was truly ironic. Medelrud had been chased out of Diaz, and he pulled off all kinds of shenanigans with the Demon to gain possession of the mermaid kingdom. Artpe gained what they had wanted by defeating them!

    [You just regained your kingdom, yet you are giving it all to me. Are you sure you are fine with this?]

    Artpe let out a sigh as he asked the question. However, Sherryl answered back with an unwavering voice.

    [We are determined to see this through. Master, you killed the evil men, who tried to dominate our kingdom through force and fear. You also released us from the curse. The merfolk must repay our debt. Even if you weren¡¯t my master, you would have be the ruler of our kingdom in the end.]

    Her words were flowing out naturally like water, but it wasn¡¯t as if Sherryl lookedpletely thrilled about it. How could she enjoy handing over her kingdom to a human? Still, it was much better than being ruled by Medelrud. This fact gave herfort.

    Artpe was bbergasted, so he asked her a question.

    [Who the hell taught you to repay a debt no matter what?]

    [It is an instinct for the merfolk. We had to find a way to survive in this harsh ocean, and it is an ancestral wisdom that was ingrained within our body.]

    [Let us say you trust this wisdom, and you follow me until the end. What if I suddenly lose my mind someday? What if I ruin the kingdom like Medelrud?]

    At that moment, the light in Sherryl¡¯s eyes shook. However, she immediately fixed her expression before answering him.

    [Master won¡¯t do such a thing.]

    [You became a little bit worried by my words.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that is true.]

    [How the hell is that wisdom? You are just being idiotically stubborn!]

    [But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    When Sherryl looked at him with a worried expression, Artpe let out augh once again. Before Medelrud invaded the kingdom, the merfolk had never had any meaningful interactions with the humans. This was why Sherryl was still unable to judge the humans. This was why this single phrase from Artpe worried her.

    He thought her innocence was very cute. He didn¡¯t show any outward signs of what he was thinking, yet Maetel was like a wraith as she moved in to pinch his cheek. He was terrified of Maetel, so he quickly erased such thoughts. He gave Sherryl instructions.

    [Do you remember the reason why I entered the Road of Mermaids?]

    [I do. Master wanted to use it to go to Aedia.]

    [That¡¯s right. From the beginning, I only wanted one thing from you. I don¡¯t need you, and I don¡¯t want your kingdom. I¡¯m fine with you just guiding me to Aedia. You don¡¯t even have to follow me. It is sufficient to send a subordinate in your stead to guide us.]

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    The light within Sherryl¡¯s eyes shook. He wondered if she wanted him to exin it again, because she hadn¡¯t understood what he meant by his words. It seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.

    [Master.... Are you rejecting me?]

    After a brief silence, Sherryl spoke. For some reason, her cheeks were puffed out. Artpe didn¡¯t know the reason behind her reaction, so he was baffled by it. He replied to her.

    [No. It isn¡¯t as if I don¡¯t like you. However, I don¡¯t want to unnecessarily make trouble for you when you have to rule over Anaid from now on.]

    [I¡¯ve already solemnly promised everything that I am to you, master. So why are you trying to put a stain on my promise?]

    [I¡¯m not going to coerce you into doing anything you don¡¯t want to do. That is what I¡¯m trying to say right now!]

    [You don¡¯t have to take my feeling into ount. I want to repay my debt as an honorable mermaid. I want to repay the favor to a worthy master!]

    Mmmm. This was giving him a headache. He took back his previous thought that said merfolk possessed intelligence on par with the humans. These guys were idiots!

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®It isn¡¯t as if I don¡¯t like you, and I¡¯m not saying you are annoying either. I¡¯m not trying to insult you now. I just want to suggest the best path forward for you and your kingdom. I still have a whole life in front of me, and I can¡¯t be tied down by this kingdom.¡¯

    He was about to say this to Sherryl. However, Roa, who had been sleeping soundly after her feast, opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°You were sleeping well up until now, so what¡¯s up?¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa-nyaa-ah. Nyaa-ha-nyaa!]

    After she squeezed out of Artpe¡¯s arms, Roa¡¯s butt started to wiggle by itself. This was obvious, but she only disyed such reaction when she detected a curse or an evil energy. She had already eaten all the evil energy within the kingdom, yet she was showing such a reaction. This was why it was impossible for him toprehend what was going on.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa? Nyaa nyaa-ah, nyaa-oooooh-nyaa.!]

    Roa was willing and kind enough to exin it to her owner. Her butt and tail was wiggled back and forth as she did so. It was as if she was couldn¡¯t wait to dash out.

    ¡°An energy that hadn¡¯t been here before has suddenly shown up? You think it is as delicious as the curse within the Kraken?¡±

    [Nyaaa!]

    [Koo-goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [R...run away¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    When Roa gave a fierce nod in confirmation, a horrifying roar rang out at the same time as the scream of the merfolk. Sherryl¡¯s face turned pale when she heard the sound. She yelled out in rm.

    [M...my god..... Our brief absence caused the ancient temple to show up!]

    Artpe had a rough idea what her answer would be, but he couldn¡¯t help himself from asking the question.

    [What is the ancient temple?]

    [It is where the horrific beasts of the ocean was sealed. The Anaid kingdom exists to protect the seal! We diligently rotated guards to protect the seal. However, we weren¡¯t able to protect it for over a week, because we were invaded by the humans. In the end, the seal is....!]

    [Yes. I see.]

    He let out a benevolent smile at Sherryl¡¯s reply, and he nodded his head. However, he was cussing up a storm inside.

    Of course, his Quest wouldn¡¯t end so easily! He should have anticipated this when he was able to easily take care of the Demon and the humans!

    The hero¡¯s tough destiny had brought out something they shouldn¡¯t have encountered! Their destiny had called out even the ancient monsters!

 Chapter 76 - Underwater (6)

    Chapter 76 - Underwater (6)

    In his past life, the hero never went into the ocean. By the look of it, it didn¡¯t seem Maetel was scared of water, and she didn¡¯t seem particrly averse to the ocean.

    However, the magician joined up with the hero¡¯s party after the war with the Demon race began. The hero¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the ocean until the magician joined the party. Moreover, they didn¡¯t have the time to leisurely explore the ocean after the magician joined the party. This was the most rational exnation.

    ¡®Also, the Demon King¡¯s army hadn¡¯t paid attention to this ce either.....¡¯

    He never expected an ancient temple to exist within the ocean. When everyone became easygoing and inattentive after the death of the Demon King, this ce would have suddenly been discovered, and it would have probably driven the world into fear once again. This ce was set up like a hidden boss!

    [Nyaa-ah, Nyaa-ah-ah-ah. Nyaa-ooh-ooh.]

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as strong as I¡¯m making it out to be? All right. I¡¯ll trust in your words.¡±

    After he received Roa¡¯s opinion on this matter, Artpe immediately turned to look at this party. He gave them instructions.

    ¡°I want the two of you to go ahead of me, and I want you to stall them. I¡¯ll follow behind you soon with Roa.¡±

    [Nyaa!? Nyaa nyaa! Nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon, so hold tight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡±

    ¡°You have toe as soon as possible, oppa!¡±

    Matel and Sienna unhesitatingly nodded their heads, and they immediately ran forward. He didn¡¯t need to tell them where to go. After the seal was broken, the ancient temple was letting out a terrifying amount of energy. It was as if it was inviting outsiders to search it out.

    [Master, are you going to help us!?]

    [You should gather all the merfolk, and you guys should stay back. You guys don¡¯t have the power to block what is toe.]

    [Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I understand.]

    Sherryl¡¯s expression was a 50/50 mixture of thankfulness and indignation. She nodded her head as she retreated towards the back. It was a good sign. She was able to assess and ept her own shorings. It was something truly difficult for one to do. If she could do this consistently, she would be worthy of ruling over the merfolk.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°Just be a little bit more patient, Roa. This won¡¯t take long.¡±

    The reason why Artpe hadn¡¯t left with his party members was quite simple. He still had someone he had to attend to.

    ¡°Hey. Get up.¡±

    ¡°Koohk!? Koo-ooooooh-ahk!¡±

    The Demon had fainted after taking a thorough beating from Sienna. Artpe violently woke her up. The Demon named Teana tried to attack Artpe as soon as she woke up. However, he had readied several dozen Mana Strings. She was immediately thrown to the ground.

    ¡°Ggoohk, ggoo-roo-roohk!¡±

    ¡°If you tell me what I want, I¡¯ll spare you. This is a promise.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooh-hahk! Ggoooooooohk!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t move her body no matter how much she struggled. In the end, she realized the only body part she could move freely was her mouth. She red at him with cursed-filled eyes. She opened her mouth.

    ¡°Koohk. You are being magnanimous, because you are a hero? Ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying we should make a deal. For the price of guaranteeing your life, you should feel motivated to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    She never expected such words toe out from a hero, so she had a dumbfounded expression on her face. Artpe didn¡¯t give her the opportunity to think too much on it. He immediately asked her a question.

    ¡°Who¡¯s giving you orders?¡±

    ¡°Why would you ask such a useless question? The answer is obvious. He is the Demon King, who possesses peerless nobility and magical energy......¡±

    ¡°Stop lying to me.¡±

    He brushed aside Teana¡¯s words. A truly crafty light shed within his purple eyes.

    There was nothing that could stay hidden in this world when faced with his eyes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a cor around your neck.¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    When she heard his words, the Demon¡¯s eyes widened. This was one of the two reasons why he had spared the Demon. She was a Demon that wasn¡¯t under the fetters of the Absolute Control. It was as if time paused for a brief moment. Artpe continued to speak.

    ¡°The Demon King does not trust the Demons under hismand, so he uses his Absolute Control no matter what. You are a Demon dispatched to the human world, yet he didn¡¯t put his fetters over you? You shoulde up with a more believable lie. Who is it? Who is ordering the Demons away from the eyes of the Demon King?¡±

    ¡°T...that.... H...how did.....¡±

    Teana stiffened at his words. She faced his unwavering eyes, and her body escaped from the control of her will. Her body started to shake. Blood was flowing from the Mana Strings threaded through her body, yet she was barely cognizant of the pain.

    ¡°H...Ho....How....? You...you! Are you a Demon? You are a Demon! You have to be!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one that is asking the questions. ....are you going to give me an answer?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s words were soft, but his attitude wasn¡¯t tranquil at all. Teana had thought Artpe was merely a hero that was very outstandingpared to his age. Currently, he felt like a god-like existence, who could see right through her. She was having a hard time breathing.

    ¡°N...no. I can¡¯t....I can¡¯t tell you anything. I¡¯m following the orders of his majesty, the Demon King. Yes! Hero, you are merely a human boy! What would you know about any of this!¡±

    ¡°You should think hard on it, Teana.¡±

    Artpe raised one hand. A massive amount of magical energy was put into the Mana Strings, and they were packed tightly to form a transparent dagger.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t fettered by the Absolute Control, so you are able to talk. Isn¡¯t that right? You are free. You can choose between life or death. It is up to you.¡±

    ¡°N...nope.... I won¡¯t. I¡¯m afraid. I can¡¯t talk. I can¡¯t talk. You don¡¯t know, hero. You know nothing.¡±

    Since he didn¡¯t know, he wanted to learn through her.

    She said she won¡¯t say anything, and he had no way of forcing it out of her.

    However, he did figure out one thing. This woman was about to face death right now, yet she was much more worried about ¡®someone else¡¯s wrath¡¯ if she opened her mouth.

    ¡°All right. I have no choice, since you won¡¯t talk. In truth, it isn¡¯t as if anything would have changed if I found out his name.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe gave up on interrogating her. He let go of the sharp Mana Strings he had brought out. Teana was puzzled by his action, but her puzzlement soon turned into fear. She watched as a ck cat stepped forward instead of Artpe.

    [Nyaa-ah-ah.]

    ¡°Ah, no.¡±

    When faced with Roa, Teana finally realized what kind of power was hidden within the cat. In a sh, her fear spread through her body like a wildfire. It dominated her entire body.

    ¡°Roa, this is an experiment. It is a very important experiment. You know what to do?¡±

    [Nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not doing this, because I like Etna. I don¡¯t want to fight when it is unnecessary.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa-nyaa-ah? Nyaa-ooh-ah!]

    ¡°You are being noisy. It isn¡¯t like that. Do you want me to get beaten to death by Maetel?¡±

    Even as she heard the affectionate dialogue between the master and servant, Teana¡¯s body started to shake from fear. She used all her strength to move her body, but there was no way she would be able to escape this. Artpe¡¯s smile became twisted when he saw what she was trying to do.

    ¡°You guys experimented on humans. I want to conducts a simr experiment. However, I can only conduct this experiment on Demons.¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t do it. I beg of you, hero. Just kill me. Please. You can¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°All right. Shut up.¡±

    Artpe smirked as he pushed Roa forward. Roa looked annoyed, but she obliged by opening her mouth.

    [Nyaaaaaaah.]

    As a Demon, Teana was born with a demonic gene. In a sh, the demonic gene escaped the confines of her body, and Roa¡¯s mouth started to suck it out.

    ¡°Ggooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    Teana¡¯s ghastly scream filled the entire square. The merfolk had been busily moving around, because of the unbound ancient temple. The horrifying scream brought all of them to a halt as their bodies shuddered.

    ¡°Mmm. I don¡¯t think you got all of it.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah?]

    ¡°Nope. You should suck it all out. You should also monitor what changes urs to her body and mind during this process.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-roo-roo-roo-ggoo-ahhhk!¡±

    Teana¡¯s screams were getting louder as time passed. However, Artpe and Roa showed no signs of stopping it. Roa used all her might to suck it all out, and in the process, Artpe tinkered with Teana¡¯s body. He tried to fix her circuit.

    It wasn¡¯t as if his actions were fruitless. He was able to modify a portion of how she was wired through his will, but that wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t easy to change the Record of her race.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahk! Ggooooahk! Kahk, Ggah-goo-goo-goohk!¡±

    The demonification curse had tried to modify the body of Sienna. He was attempting something that was on a different level. He was extracting the demonic gene from a pure-bred Demon, and he was trying to create a new race. If such a task was easy, Artpe would have been a god-like being instead of a human.

    He just needed to gain a small hint from this. That would be enough.

    ¡°Ah. As expected, I can¡¯t do it yet.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°No. We still earned a significant amount of Record.¡±

    ¡°Hoohk. Ggoo-oohk.....¡±

    How long had it been? Teana¡¯s screams seemed like it would never end, but her screams finally lessened in volume. She wasn¡¯t dead, but she was very close to being dead.

    Her skin was dyed blue, and her luscious hair had shriveled to resemble roots of green onions. She was barely gasping out her breathe. This was the only evidence that she was alive. She no longer had tears to shed, so blood was flowing out from her eyes. It was hard to tell if she had her eyes opened or closed.

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll....I¡¯ll kill....you......!¡±

    It seemed she still had enough energy to spit out those venomous words. Still, Roa had sucked out all her demonic gene, so nothing was left.

    Artpe spoke.

    ¡°How do you like experiencing this for yourself? You probably now have some idea as to how shitty your actions were. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a hero.... You are more like a Demon.....!¡±

    ¡°As expected, we are cut from the same cloth, so I can¡¯t hide it. Yes, I think so too.¡±

    Teana¡¯s words were filled with venom, but Artpe acknowledged her words with a cold smile on his face

    Of course, not all Demons were evil. However, they lost their innocence and purity over the course of their lives. In the end, they fell to be degenerates. This was why it was amazing to see Etna, who was able to keep her warm heart until the end. This was why he felt great pity for her.

    ¡°I was born as a hero, so I was trying to act like a hero. However, it was as I had suspected. I can¡¯t follow the road of a traditional hero. On the other hand, Maetel looked too good in the role, and I couldn¡¯t just leave her alone..... I decided to do what works for me, while I support her. What do you think? Isn¡¯t the role distribution between us pretty great?¡±

    ¡°Die¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    She was at death¡¯s door, and she yelled out those words with thest strength she possessed.

    It was a trigger for a curse. It was the worst kind of curse. It was a curse casted at the expense of one¡¯s life and soul. The curse twisted the destiny of the cursed closer towards death. It was a curse that one would suffer once or twice if one lived amongst the frontlines. The only difference was that the purity of the curse was ridiculous high.

    [Nyaa!]

    Of course, her final curse was merely a tasty snack for Roa. Artpe stroked her head. Teana let out a hollowugh when her curse was blocked. She had made the curse by squeezing her soul, yet it was all in vain.

    Ah ah. He was an opponent she couldn¡¯t beat from the start. Only he could win against this vicious hero. Even he might not.......

    ¡°Your majesty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    It was thest of thest moments for her, and she finally let out the final words befitting an extra. Teana had been the dark secret behind the Archduke¡¯s faction, who had shaken up Diaz and the ocean. This was how her life was lost.

    Roa let out a small cry as she hopped down onto her body. All the magical energy holding her body together was gone, so her corpse turned into dust. The only thing left behind was what looked to be a spell book.

    ¡°What the hell? This isn¡¯t a spell book. It is a genuine grimoire.¡±

    In fact, he had been searching for a suitable book he could use as a personal spell book once he acquired an excellent ink called the Kraken¡¯s Ink. As it so happens, he hade across this book. Of course, it was a grimoire that was already inscribed with content. It would be a bit troublesome to modify it, but with Artpe¡¯s ability......

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    A cold smile formed on Artpe¡¯s lips as he looked through the grimoire.

    Yes. That¡¯s right. If he thought about what this woman did in the human world, the content of the book was obvious. He no longer needed to delve deeper into the grimoire. He put it away.

    [Nyaaaaa.]

    ¡°No. It is mine.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    She hmmphed as she sulked. Roa tapped Artpe¡¯s arm with her tail. Artpe petted her as he picked her up, and he turned around. Sherryl was still waiting for him at the same spot.

    [Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    All kinds emotions were expressed on her face as she stared at him. Artpe was truly embarrassed, so he scratched his head.

    ¡°What is it? Did you witness everything? Now that you know what kind of human I am, this should go fast. You shouldn¡¯t serve a master like me. You should just focus on ruling your country. Ah. As ast request, you should forget about what happened right now.¡±

    [Thank you, master.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ehng?¡±

    Wait a moment.... What did she say? He heard words that should have nevere out of her mouth. Was he mistaken?

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    He was taken aback, so he asked the question in reply. Sherryl took short steps towards him. She grabbed both his hands as she spoke.

    [If it is for you, I will do anything. You became the representative of the merfolk, and you expressed our rage. You punished our enemy the ¡®right¡¯ way. Every merfolk of this kingdom will remember your benevolence.]

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    What was the right way? What was she talking about? She seemed to have interpreted his actions in a slightly weird way. Moreover, it seemed the misunderstanding was too deep to undo all of this.

    Artpe wondered what he had to say to this dumb fish, but he quickly gave up on that train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the temple for now!¡±

    [I will wait for you here, master. Pleasee back safely!]

    He knew something was wrong with Sherryl¡¯s words, which was full of loyalty, but he decided to go to his other party members with Roa for now. An unknown that had never revealed itself in his past life was waiting for him.

 Chapter 77 - Is This Really Happening Again? (1)

    Chapter 77 - Is This Really Happening Again? (1)

    [Goo-goo-ohhhhhhh!]

    [Koohk. This region is falling apart! Everyone run away! Activate the defensive magic!]

    [Currently, the defensive magic..... It doesn¡¯t work!? The defensive magic can¡¯t be activated!]

    [I knew it would be like this when they invaded us.]

    [My god. All the Mana is being sucked into the temple!]

    The ancient temple was essible through the underwater tunnel that had been bore through the ocean floor. It was only essible through the kingdom of the merfolks, so it was understandable as to why the true nature of this ce hadn¡¯t been revealed in his previous life.

    The only problem right now was the fact that the merfolk were unable to take control of the situation. The situation was akin to a powder keg that could detonate at any moment, and it could put the entirety of the ocean in danger.

    [What about the human party!?]

    [They went in, but they haven¡¯t returned. They might already be dead.....]

    When Artpe arrived at the site, the situation had already digressed into the worst case scenario. Artpe pushed asided the merfolk as he approached the underground tunnel, which was letting out copious amount of evil energy.

    [Get out of my way.]

    [Huh. It¡¯s the princess¡¯ master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [Shh! Be careful with your words!]

    Maetel and Sienna had already entered the temple. The merfolk had stayed outside as guards. They were trying to make sure none of the creatures within the temple exited the temple. They were busily moving around setting up defensive measures that had been prepared beforehand in case of emergency. They tried to activate traps, but the temple was sucking in Mana from the surrounding. This was why none of their measures were working properly.

    [What the hell is this? None of these are working properly. When were these made!]

    [I...I just know that it has been over several hundred years.]

    [Of course, they would be defunct after such a long period of time¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. There is nothing you guys can aplish by staying here. I want everyone to back off.]

    [But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [Back off!]

    The merfolk could only bite their lips when confronted with Artpe¡¯s harsh order. Artpe clicked his tongue as he asked Roa a question.

    ¡°Can you eat all the Mana here?¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaa!]

    She didn¡¯t even reply to her master¡¯s words. She immediately opened her mouth, and she started eating the energy within the temple. However, she was unable to eat all the energy being emitted by the temple. She could only absorb twisted energy, negative energy and energy with intense emotions infused within it.

    Her efforts were enough to calm down the quakes urring in this region. However, if the temple¡¯s tunnel was left alone, it would bring down the Anaid kingdom. Artpe sighed as he put down Roa.

    ¡°We will go at full speed from now on. I want you to eat everything you are able to.¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    Roa gave a fierce reply, and her body immediately changed into ck fog. She charged into the tunnel. Of course, Artpe followed behind her.

    This was obvious,but the ancient temple and the underwater tunnel was outside the influence of the Road of Mermaids. Artpe wasn¡¯t good at swimming, However, he knew how to move through the water. He just had to activate the Hyper Rubbing within the water to cause a vibration!

    [Nyaaaaaaahng!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you everything within this temple, so don¡¯t worry about it. However, we have to join up with our party before we can do that.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    As they traversed the tunnel, they encountered numerous corpses of monsters strewn about. It was terrifying, but these creatures looked to have originally been merfolks. They were just muchrger in size than a normal merman, and they possessed magical energy that was dyed with evil.

    ¡°These merfolk weren¡¯t part of the Anaid kingdom.... I see.¡±

    There were two possibilities. Either they werebatants from elsewhere or they used to be part of the merfolk poption. Maybe the ancient temple was sealed after the mermaid kingdom was established.

    So who was the subject of this seal? Was it done by the merfolk that established this kingdom? Somehow, he had a hunch that this wasn¡¯t the case. The scenario was a bit different, but it felt as if he had experienced something simr in the past..... Artpe was deep in thought, but Roa woke him up from his revery.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa!]

    ¡°Yes, yes. We¡¯ll pick up the pace. Anyways, they seemed to have resolved everything really quickly. They just zoomed past this ce.¡±

    Artpe was well aware as to how strong Maetel and Sienna was. Still, he had been conservative in his judgement. He had traversed through the underwater tunnel, and by the time he arrived at the entrance of the ancient temple, he had seen the corpses of several hundred creatures. They were all high level monsters that exceeded level 210 or 220. This wasn¡¯t something one could do, because one was strong. As expected, they could probably just charge towards the Demon world.....

    [Nyaa!]

    Roa called Artpe once again. Artpe raised his head, and he took in the underwaterndscape. He replied in a low voice.

    ¡°Yes, I see it too.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    There were trulyrge fragments of a boulder strewn about near the entrance to the temple. It seemed the boulder had acted as a seal for the temple. Artpe spoke to Roa, who was busy eating.

    ¡°You have to pick up everything, and you have to give it back to meter. All right?¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    She had been cheerfully eating everything, but he had asked her to throw up everythingter. Those words really dampened Roa¡¯s appetite. However, her master had already fed her truly delicious things before, so she had no choice She clicked her tongue as she ate the boulder that had sealed the temple. She didn¡¯t leave a pebble behind. She ate everything.

    [ Nyaa!]

    ¡°You ate it all? Good. Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have far to go.¡±

    After they passed the entrance to the temple, there were pirs and hallways decorated with enormous stones and gems. As he traveled faster, the Mana of his party members became vivid. It was as if he could almost grasp it with his hands.

    Even if their enemies were strong and fast, Artpe was able to catch up without getting into a single battle. Soon, he was close enough to hear the battle being conducted by Sienna and Maetel.

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    [Koo-gahhhhhhh!]

    [Cursed beings! Those that oppressed and caged us....!]

    ¡°Hahhhht!¡±

    The monsters had the lower body of a fish, so they were able to swim freely through water. Maetel and Sienna didn¡¯t budge an inch as they fought the monsters. No, it was apt to say they were overpowering the monsters.

    ¡°Hahp!¡±

    [Koo-hahk!]

    ¡°Hoo-ahp. Unni get out the way!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhk!?¡±

    Thanks to the boots acquired from the Kraken, Maetel was able to move freely under water. She was able to dominate her foes. Sienna couldn¡¯t move as fast as Maetel, but she was able to kill all her enemies with a single powerful blow. Of course, this was possible thanks to the gauntlet she acquired from the Kraken.

    [Dark Blue Ocean Spirit¡¯s Blessed Boots +3]

    [It is a new Artifact created by Reinforcing the Kraken¡¯s Soul Boots three times. It allows the user to walk on top of water. Moreover, it allows the user to freely and quickly move around under water. Just by wearing this item the user¡¯s resistance to water and ice type attack increases. It amplifies strength and magical energy if the user is fighting underwater.]

    [Dark Blue Ocean Spirit¡¯s Blessed Gauntlet +3]

    [It is a new Artifact created by Reinforcing the Kraken¡¯s Soul Gauntlet three times. It has the ability to pull and store the ambient Mana in nature. The ability to store Mana is much greater underwater. The stored Mana changes form through the blessing, and it is imbued on the equipped weapon. It rapidly increases the weight, durability and magical energy of the weapon.]

    ¡°Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    [Koo-hahhhhhk!]

    Sienna¡¯s sledge hammer was alreadyrge, but it grew further in size thanks to the power of the gauntlet. She threw the hammer. Since the hammer possessed properties of water, there was no resistance from the water. It destroyed a whole region before flying back into Sienna¡¯s hands.

    He never knew one could use the short range type skill called the Weapon Boomerang in such a horrifying manner. It was only amon low rank skill. Artpe gave up on thinking on the subject. He approached them.

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    Sienna and Maetel had just cleared the area. They greeted him with bright smiles on their faces. Of course, Roa was busy looting and sucking out the evil energy from the corpses created by the two girls.

    ¡°Artpe, what happened to that female Demon?¡±

    ¡°I killed her.¡±

    ¡°Yes. All right.¡±

    He thought she would ask why he would kill a Demon he had already saved once. He had expected her to ask about the manner in which the Demon had died. However, Maetel just nodded her hand, and she grasped Artpe¡¯s hand. That was it.

    ¡°Anyways, you should look at that. The merfolk that are showing up here are a bit strange, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they like Demons?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    It was as if he was reading the words within her heart. Maetel weakly nodded her head at Artpe¡¯s words. The evil energy and the cunning nature of these monsters reminded her of the Demons she fought at the auction house. They were too simr.

    ¡°If the demonification experiments against the merfolk had seeded, I think the result would have been like this.¡±

    ¡°If it seeded, it probably would be backwardpatible. There is a reason why it is called the ancient temple. These merfolk are of a different breed than the merfolk of the Anaid kingdom. I¡¯m not sure if they were changed or they were always different like this......¡±

    Maybe, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Teana chose to experiment on the merfolk after the humans. It was possible that she hadn¡¯t known about the ancient temple. However, it was more likely that she had captured all the merfolk of this kingdom to release the seal over the temple.

    ¡®Of course, I¡¯m only talking about possibilities..... The situation is a bit too coincidental.¡¯

    If he traversed the temple to reach the end, he¡¯ll find his answer. He might find a secret of the merfolk or he might find the being that sealed these merfolk. Maybe, he might find a connection to the Demon race.

    The only problem was that the temple was bigger than he thought. His party was somewhat used to exploringrge Dungeons now. In the past, they had entered a Dungeons with a light heart, yet they hade out with heavy luggages numerous times!

    ¡°Please don¡¯t let this take one year..... Hoo. Let¡¯s head in for now.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, what are we going to do if we get hungry? We are underwater!¡±

    Maetel was more afraid of the starving beggars fighting within her stomach than an invasion by arge Demonic army. When she suddenly realized this fact, she became frightened. When she asked her question, Artpe could only answer her in a benevolent manner.

    ¡°Did you forget that we have the Kraken¡¯s corpse? If it is just the three of us, there is enough for us to survive for 5 years. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    [Nyaa?]

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Kraken¡¯s corpse.... I want to eat it! I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    ¡°No, we have to go a little bit further.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go right now! Immediately!¡±

    The impudent Greed Beast had busily ate curses up until now, yet she was covetous of what the humans had to eat. Then there was the gluttonous hero. She didn¡¯t care if the giant squid was used for the demonification experiment. She only cared if fit was tasty or not.

    ¡°Hoo-hee. I¡¯m d you are ok, oppa.¡±

    ¡°Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Thank you.¡±

    Sienna calmly greeted him with a bright smile. Sienna was Artpe¡¯s saving grace. He stroked her head as he spoke.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s loot everything here too.¡±

    The hero¡¯s party had cleared numerous Dungeons in the past. Their abilities were truly astonishing.

    The temple was sorge that it made one wonder if this ce was really built by the merfolk. They continued to advance, and they ruthlessly cut down any evil merfolk that attacked the party. As if to break up the monotony, there were traps and curses interspersed in between. They crushed or ate everything in their path, and the party advanced without a hitch.

    It wasn¡¯t just the size of the ce or the difficulty of the monsters. It was such a harsh environment that a level 200 high ss party would have given up on this ce after a week.

    Since they were deep underwater, there was considerable amount of pressure on their bodies, and they had to constantly have the Underwater Breathing magic activated. The most critical factor was the fact that a Dungeon Merchant couldn¡¯t appear in this ce. There was no way they could purchase food here.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa?]

    ¡°All right. It is clean. This guy had a poison that kills anyone that consumes its flesh. The poison would have caused high fever and diarrhea before it ultimately causing death. Now it is a good source of protein.¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho! It¡¯s time to eat!¡±

    Since the Greed Beast Roa was able to absorb all the negative energy, the hero¡¯s party was able to acquire provisions from the monsters they fought.

    ¡°Mmm. It¡¯s tasty. This taste like shrimps.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, the ocean is really great! It is full of tasty things!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m the sinner. I¡¯m the one.¡±

    [Nyaa-oooh, nyaa-ah!]

    In front of hunger, they didn¡¯t discriminate in eating human-like monsters. Normally, they would eat the Kraken, but when they got sick of eating the Kraken, theyid their hands on the merfolk. Even if they were ufortable with the upper half of the body, a merman¡¯s lower body was that of a fish. The lower body stayed in the form of a fish, and they didn¡¯t feel any guilt since it tasted like seafood.

    ¡°Artpe, I don¡¯t like it boiled or steamed. I want to roast it.¡±

    ¡°Even if we try to roast it, it¡¯ll be boiled. Don¡¯tin. Just eat.¡±

    ¡°What if I give Artpe a kiss instead?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Heeng. Why didn¡¯t that work?¡±

    This was how Artpe¡¯s party arrived at the center of the temple without a hitch.

    At that point, two months had passed since they entered the ocean.

 Chapter 78 - Is This Really Happening Again? (2)

    Chapter 78 - Is This Really Happening Again? (2)

    For the past two months, they slept, ate and did business in turns. They used the rest of their time to tirelessly advance through the ancient temple. The ancient temple was longer and deeper than any Dungeon they had gone through. On the other hand, the party had grown so much that their martial prowess couldn¡¯t bepared to before.

    They were rising in level as they fought the ancient merfolk. Even though the merfolk¡¯s levels also rose steadily, it didn¡¯t slow down the speed of their advance through the temple.

    ¡°Oohp. The water is heavy.¡±

    ¡°Oppa~¡±

    At some point, the party realized that the temple¡¯s hallway had narrowed. They realized the atmosphere within the temple had changed.

    ¡°Artpe, our surrounding became darker.¡±

    ¡°The Mana¡¯s property has changed..... The truly dangerous beings wille out now. You should be on your toes.¡±

    Once one enters the deep ocean, it¡¯s a ce where sunlight doesn¡¯t reach. The only light that illuminated the surrounding was the Mana infused within the ocean water. As the properties of Mana changed, the light naturally changed in strength and chromaticity. It also meant that the abilities of the monsters changed depending on where they lived!

    [Nyaaaaaaa.]

    ¡°You are very drunk on the energy.¡±

    If one had to pick a member of Artpe¡¯s party, who had grown the most in the past two month, it would have have to be Roa. She was born as the Greed Beast, and her growth was dependent on what she ate. After being born, she had been traversing on the silk road up until now. However, the ancient temple exceeded anything she hade across before.

    ¡°As we travel further inward, the evil energy is being upgraded into bing demonic in nature, so this result is to be expected. But.....¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa-oooooh.]

    Roa was currently at level 222. Sienna possessed the lowest level amongst Artpe¡¯s party at level 235. This show how ridiculously fast Roa had grown. Of course, Maetel possessed the highest level at 246. Artpe was close behind her at level 245.

    ¡®It¡¯s incredibly hard for humans over level 200 to develop further. Every one of us were able to increase our levels in just two days. This is why a hero¡¯s ability isbeled to be the best. Even the chef would be surprised by it.¡¯

    At this point, Artpe was sure of one thing. Maetel¡¯s Innate ability of eleration was being shared by the party.

    If not, he couldn¡¯t exin why Sienna and he was growing atparable speed as Maetel!

    ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Artpe? Even if I am pretty, I¡¯ll get embarrassed if you stare at me like that.¡±

    ¡°You are bing more shameless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I take after you, Artpe! We really are made for each other.¡±

    He had enough circumstantial and material evidence to support his im. If he exined it to her, she would just tilt her head in puzzlement. He didn¡¯t know if she was acting ignorant or if she really wasn¡¯t cognizant of it. In either event, this was what she wanted in her heart, so Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to tackle this issue.

    Even if her Innate ability was shared by the entire party, Maetel¡¯s growth speed remained crazy. There was no change, so it wasn¡¯t a big problem. At this point in time, he wondered if her ability was being applied equally instead of being split.

    [Koo-hoo-ahhhhhhhh]

    Artpe¡¯s party was traveling at high speeds. They were vignt of their surrounding as they explored the heart of the temple. At that moment, they heard the breathing sound of terrifying monsters from far away.

    ¡°I wondered why we didn¡¯t run across anything for a long while.¡±

    ¡°It feels like they are mid-bosses. If wepare it to the Demon King¡¯s army, they are like the Four Heavenly Kings.¡±

    ¡°So they are inconsequential?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. I guess they are.¡±

    These were elite monsters that had been asleep for countless years. They had opened their eyes to punish the delinquents that had dared to invade the deepest part of the temple. It wasn¡¯t just one or two monsters. Artpe already sensed five of them.

    ¡°They are over level 250¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. We can win against them.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we can win against them. Still, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate them. You should face them one at a time.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    As one traveled further up in level, the difference between a single level became stark. Moreover, one had to keep in mind that monsters drastically increased in power every 50 levels. If one considered this point, the monsters living at the heart of the temple were truly cmitous.

    What would have happened if they were released into the ocean? The Lunatic Wave that impacted on Diaz would look like a jokepared to what would happen.

    ¡®I¡¯ve always had this thought, but isn¡¯t the world too unstable? If there were no heroes, the Demon King¡¯s army would have no reason to step forward. In spite of that the human realm seemed destined for ruin.......¡¯

    Artpe grumbled as he raised his hands. White magical energy was produced from the tip of his fingers. It covered the entire party as it formed a pentagonal barrier of light.

    It¡¯s identity was a Priest¡¯s skill called the Holy Barrier. It was mainly used to block magical energy, but it also had the effect of resisting against physical attacks. This barrier could be used in conjunction with Mana String and Hyper Rubbing. It increased the power of the barrier to fantastical level. Now Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate to call these two spells as his main power.

    [Ka-ha!]

    After Artpe created the barrier, a monster valiantly charged out from the darkness. It rammed into the barrier. Just a single collision created arge crack, and instead of maintaining the barrier, Artpe purposefully broke apart the barrier. The fragments of the barrier embedded itself into the body of the monster.

    [Koo-wahhhhhhng!]

    [Hweeeee. Our enemies¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°They areing from other directions. Be on your guard!¡±

    Holy Barriers formed wherever Artpe waved his hands. As if they were keeping a promise, the monsters rammed their heads wherever the barriers had formed.

    Of course, Artpe was using his Read All Creation ability, so he was able to read their Mana and life signs. He could predict their paths, so he had created the barriers beforehand. From the perspective of the monsters, it was a very frustrating development.

    ¡°Sienna!¡±

    ¡°Yes, unni!¡±

    The rest of the party members didn¡¯t pay attention to the other monsters. They focused on the monster that had charged in first. They focused their attack on the monster that had been battered by Artpe¡¯s magic. This was a tactic that couldn¡¯t be used unless they were confident that Artpe could block the advance of rest of the monsters.

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Roa absorbed the monster¡¯s demonic energy. When the monster lost focus, Maetel used her long sword. It shot out towards the monster¡¯s body under the influence of her Innate ability of eleration.

    [Koo-oh-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Divine Hammer!¡±

    Her consecutive attacks didn¡¯t allow the monster to form a skill or a spell. It screamed as it tried to retreat. Hover, Sienna was already ready for it. She gripped her enormous hammer, and she brought it down on the monster! The monster was already filled with evil energy, so Sienna¡¯s single blow brought its life to an end.

    ¡°One down! Next!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going right now!¡±

    While the girls were able to leisurely kill a single monster, Artpe was busy using consecutive Holy Barriers and Mana Strings.

    Artpe¡¯s Mana Strings were connected to ten Holy Barriers. When Artpe twitched his fingers, the Holy Barrier sliced through the ocean water to stop the charge of the four monsters. How much spare Mana did one need to pull this off? It was a shocking sight!

    ¡°Divine Hammer! Divine Hammer!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooooohp! Beaaaaaam!¡±

    [Nyaaaaa!]

    Artpe was amazing for blocking monsters over level 250 by himself, but the rest of his party members were amazing too. The three of them were able to kill each monster by pouring out their skills at once.

    Artpe was famous for possessing vast quantities of Mana, so he was the exception. Of course, the battle was a bit of a handful for Maetel and Sienna. However, all their difficulties were solved with Maetel¡¯s Record Divide skill. For them, Artpe¡¯s magical energy was like an endless source.

    [Kyaa-hahhhhhk!]

    [This is vexing. Our enemy is right in front of our eyes......]

    He had been telling the truth that each level up brought significant change. However, the level up of the members of the hero¡¯s party couldn¡¯t bepared to a normal level up. Their increase in ability was overwhelming.

    In the past two month, Maetel had perfected and adapted the use of eleration, while they explored the temple. Sienna was able to showcase more powerful abilities than Maetel when she faced Demons or monsters that possessed the Demonic gene. They were able to wlessly kill opponents that were 10 or 20 levels higher. They didn¡¯t even receive a single scratch in the fight.

    Roa got ahold of the enemy to weaken the monster. Maetel brought down the guard of the monster, and Sienna finished it by striking the monster with her powerful energy. Their ability to link their skills had reached full maturity.

    ¡°Artpe, there is still one left!¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Tsk. What a nimble bastard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In no time, four monsters were killed and there was only one left. The remaining monster was much bigger and stronger than the others.

    It possessed brutal power. It could break his Holy Barrier with just one charge. This particr monster hade after Artpe from the beginning. It had charged after Artpe once it had caught sight of him.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhng!]

    In terms of Mana, Evil Reflector Sienna would repulse the monster more. Maetel¡¯s attacks were able to create a more destructive result. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if the monster had decided to attack either of the girls. However, the monster hade after Artpe as if he was a sworn enemy. He had no idea why this was the case.

    ¡°Sienna, give me your Mana!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He shared Sienna¡¯s Mana through Maetel. Since this monster possessed Demonic energy, this monster was only a slightly annoying foe.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    [Koo-haaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!]

    The Mana String was formed after being infused with a significant amount of Sienna¡¯s Mana infused within it. Several dozen threads shot out at once from Artpe¡¯s body. They pierced through the entire body of the monster, who had been charging forward as if it wanted to crush Artpe.

    It was reminiscent of a magic that had appeared only once in the past. It was a magic used by the highest priest, who was the proxy of a god. It looked like highest ranked imprisonment magic called the God¡¯s Chain.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhng! Ooh-goo-ahhhhhhhng!]

    There were eight thick octopus legs attached to its lower body. It stretched its legs out all at once to resist against the attack, but Maetel and Sienna followed up immediately with their attack. In the end, it died in a futile manner. Maetel was right. It hadn¡¯t been much of an opponent like the Four Heavenly Kings. This fact hurt an unknown portion of his heart.

    Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement, while she looted the dead enemy.

    ¡°This guy has the face of a human, yet it only made unintelligible sounds.¡±

    ¡°As we travel deeper, we are more inclined to find such beings. As these monsters fail to reach an equilibrium between their demonic energy and pure Mana, their intelligence starts to deteriorate. They chose the wrong path to be stronger, and this one is probably at the end stage of this process.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    It didn¡¯t matter if her enemies were smart or dumb. They were just delicious preys for Roa. However, she suddenly tilted her head in the middle of consuming the monster¡¯s demonic energy.

    [Nyaa-ah? Nyaa nyaa-ha? Nyaa-ooh-ahh?]

    ¡°You tasted this somewhere before? It probably taste like all the monsters you¡¯ve been eating up until now.¡±

    [Nyaa, nyaa nyaa! Nyaa nyaa-ah nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°Ha. You are forcing me to delve deeper into this.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he widened both his eyes. It wasn¡¯t difficult to read the information from a dead corpse.

    His Read All Creation ability assessed the Ancient Merman, who had octopus legs. All the records regarding the monster appeared in front of his two eyes.....

    [Ancient Kraken Merman]

    [Level : 261]

    [Mixed blood between Ancient Kraken and the Ancient Merfolk. The Demonic gene was applied to the two Races. It caused an ovep that resulted in a miraculous birth. An excessive amount of demonic energy is focused in this small body, and it ate away at its soul. It grew in an unbnced manner.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t believe his own two eyes, so he spoke out with a dumbfounded voice. However, this was information found through his Read All Creation ability, so there was no way the information was wrong.

    He quickly checked the corpses of the other four monsters. Their names were revealed to be either Ancient Merman or Ancient Mermaid.

    They were of an ancient race of the ocean that arose from the primal source of demonic energy.

    Yes, they were all the same except for the one called the Kraken Merman.

    [Koo-oooh-ohhhhhhh.]

    As if it had been trying to time this exact moment, an imposing sound rang out from the deepest part of the temple.

    It was the sound of mourning for the children that had died in this ce. The voice sounded as if it wanted its children to rest in peace, since it would finish what they had started.

    Artpe already knew the identity of the monster.

    It truly was an unfortunate turn of events!

    [Koo-ohhh-ahhhhhhng.]

    The voice sounded a little bit closer. Soon, it would be very close. Artpe let out a benevolentughter as he caught Roa by the scruff of her neck.

    ¡°Hey. I thought you said this ce wasn¡¯t that dangerous.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhh.]

    Roa replied by pointing out there was no way she could know everything. Even her master hadn¡¯t known about this. To his regret, she had told him the correct answer. Artpe could no longer berate her. Moreover, even if he had known that there was a dangerous being hidden within the temple, he probably would have entered no matter what!

    ¡°Artpe, is it the boss?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the boss.¡±

    Artpe answered Maetel¡¯s question. He let out a bitterugh as he spoke further.

    ¡°We¡¯ve be stronger. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll have to put our lives on the line as always.¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhng!]

    Soon, the heinous beast that had been sealed within the ancient temple made its appearance. The Ancient Kraken made its appearance.

    This time it was an octopus.

 Chapter 79 - Is This Really Happening Again? (3)

    Chapter 79 - Is This Really Happening Again? (3)

    It possessed a pitch ck body, and its terrifying eyes looked on in an arrogant manner. The thing that stood out the most was the size of its body. It was no wonder why this temple was sorge. If the humans that were defending against the Lunatic Wave saw this monster, they would have quickly given up on any prospects of living.

    [Ancient Kraken]

    [Level : 291]

    [One of the beast born from the ancient primal source of chaos. After being sealed for countless years, it has been severely weakened.]

    ¡°Mmmmm. So it is already in a weakened state.¡±

    Artpe faced the enormous Kraken as he solemnly nodded his head. Its single leg could probably crush the Hellfire Sentinel. If this opponent hadn¡¯t been in a weakened state, his party wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. It was a fortunate turn of events.

    [Nyaa, nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°Hey, I already know that.¡±

    Roa salivated whenever she discovered any source of demonic gene or negative energy. She always wanted to attack her preys immediately. However, she was stuck to Artpe¡¯s arm in fear. She knew that she would be killed if she took a wrong blow from the monster.

    She had decreased the level gappared to the previous Kraken, but this Kraken held an overwhelming advantage in magical energy and strength.

    ¡®However, this is a bit.... Ah, I see how it is. I had a hunch that it might turn out like this.¡¯

    When the Ancient Kraken was mobilized, he was able to see the heart of the ancient temple, which had been surrounded by darkness until this moment. Everything was revealed in front of his eyes. Artpe¡¯s sharp eyes caught sight of the ¡®altar¡¯ located at the corner of the temple. In a single moment, he was caught up to everything.

    However, Artpe wasn¡¯t able to leisurely observe the temple as long as he wanted.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    He wondered if the vibration around the Ancient Kraken would continue indefinitely. However, in the next moment, water and Mana coalesced into several dozen strands. The magic spell shot towards Artpe¡¯s party likesers. Artpe quickly formed his Holy Barriers to block the attack. Of course, the Holy Barriers were pulverized.

    ¡°Artpe, do we have to call back the reddy again!?¡±

    Even if Artpe put the Blink Boots back on her, Maetel didn¡¯t have the courage to fight this monster head on. So she desperately called out after him.

    Artpe stacked several dozen Holy Barriers at once, and he was able to stop thesers. He shouted back some unexpected words.

    ¡°I feel like we can win against it!¡±

    ¡°What!? How?¡±

    ¡°I want you guys to turn around and run towards the entrance of the temple! I want you to draw its attention!¡±

    ¡°It feels as if you are throwing us out there as sacrifices. I¡¯m wrong, right!?¡±

    Even as Maetel tried to undercut Artpe¡¯s orders with her words, she obediently turned around. She grabbed ahold of Sienna, who couldn¡¯t run as fast as her. Then she used eleration to run away with Sienna in tow!

    Several strands of water tried to chase after her, but Artpe blocked them with the several dozen Holy Barriers he had created. The attack was in vain. This made the Kraken lose interest in chasing after Maetel. Instead, it started to head towards Artpe!

    ¡°Maetel, provoke it!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ee-sheeng!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s firm instructions, Maetel had no choice but to provoke the Ancient Kraken. Maetel was sharing Mana with Sienna. She put all of Sienna¡¯s Mana into her long sword to amplify its power. Then she shot out her sword beam!

    [Koo-goo-ohhhhhhhhng!]

    No matter how high its level was or how long it had lived, the Ancient Kraken was weak against the Mana of an Evil Reflector. The Ancient Kraken didn¡¯t have the time to avoid the attack, so it took the beam head on. Cross-popping veins arose from the ck body.

    It probably suffered very little pain from the attack when one considered the size of its body. However, its eight tentacles twitched, and an incredible amount of water was sent towards the girls. It flew like a bullet!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°Kyaaah. It is effective.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I hate you! I¡¯m going to kiss youter!¡±

    Its body was massive, so everyone had assumed it would be a bit slow in speed. However, it started charging forward as if it would break everything that got in its way. It didn¡¯t care if it destroyed the temple. Maetel was taken aback. She desperately activated eleration to start running away.

    ¡°Divine Punishment! Divine Punishment! Divine Punishment! Divine Punishment!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    Sienna was being carried like a sack by Maetel. She extended one hand backwards, and she continuously used her Divine Punishment skill. She was trying to slow down the monster, but her attacks only made the monster angrier. There was no doubt that her attacks were a great way to provoke the Ancient Kraken.

    [Goo-wahhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°You guys are doing great! Maetel and Sienna fighting!¡±

    ¡°Hate you! I hate you!¡±

    The Ancient Kraken ceaselessly sent streams of water towards them, while it rushed through the temple at ridiculous speed. Maetel was desperately activating her eleration skill. They were returning at a speed 100 times faster than the speed at which they explored the temple.

    ¡®This will burden their bodies, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ If we kill it, a level up is a guarantee. Please suffer a little bit more, Maetel.¡¯

    Artpe hid himself. He waited until the Kraken waspletely out of sight. He took in a deep breath as he opened his eyes. His vision was filled with the altar, which he had observed once before.

    There was one book bound in red leather and another bound in blue leather ced atop the altar. It was a familiar sight.

    ¡°Sunbae-nim, you also came here?¡±<sub>1</sub>

    [Nyaa-ah?]

    He knew heroes were busy bodies, but he never expected one to leave behind his trace in such a ce...... No. In truth, he had an inkling of an idea that this might be the case when he entered the mermaid kingdom of Anaid.

    It was said that Anaid was constructed couple hundred years ago.

    It was unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact era. However, it was several hundred years ago, so it was an era that had nothing to do with the current hero or the Demon King. It was when the legends of the prior generation or the one before that had lived. This was why he hadn¡¯t ruled out the possibility that the previous generation¡¯s hero had visited this ce. Moreover, this sunbae-nim had was proficient in magic to tie an entire Dungeon with the Record Link. If it was this sunbae-nim, he would have been able break themon sense and the Record regarding the merfolk of the Anaid Kingdom. He tied all the merfolk together. This would have made it possible for the merfolk to create the Road of Mermaids. His suspicion had deepened over time.

    Now he had found the altar, and his suspicion had been confirmed.

    ¡®That¡¯s right. The merfolk couldn¡¯t have made such amazing magic by themselves..¡¯

    Artpe let out a sigh as he approached the altar. As expected, there were words rted to the ancient temple. It was the heroic tale left behind by his sunbae-nim.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t handle the Ancient Kraken, so I drove it into this ce. Then I sealed it. The merfolk that were born close to the source of the chaos were used as mediums to tie down the Ancient Kraken. This seal will remain unbroken for several thousand years at the very least. The seal was ced using merfolk possessing demonic energy. If merfolk with demonic properties show up once again in the outside ocean, I cannot guarantee what will happen to this seal¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Stop it. Please don¡¯t tell me that the Demons plotted all of this with this in mind!

    He wished fervently that the Demon King¡¯s army wasn¡¯t this smart. However, no matter how much he thought about it he came to the conclusion that the Demons had known about the condition that would unseal the ancient temple. Artpe could only sigh.

    ¡®They came up with a perfect n, and they carried it out meticulously. The only variable that could have turned the table was us!¡¯

    Conversely, the Demon King¡¯s army had set up such a meticulous n, yet his party had been able to solve everything. This fact made him feel annoyed! In truth, Maetel and he had fucked over all ns carried out by the Demon King¡¯s army! He even foiled ns that were only suspected of having Demon involvement.

    Artpe really didn¡¯t want to be the main character,yet the events around him kept twisting to push him into the spotlight! For what reason! Why! At this rate, this would negatively impact his n of living a peaceful life as a dairy farmer in his old age!

    I reincarnated for nothing!

    [Nyaa-ah-ah.]

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll calm down.¡±

    Artpe scratched the back of Roa¡¯s neck as he regained his sense of calm. He continued to read the words carved into the altar.

    ¡°If you are reading these words, it means the seal has been broken, and you have killed the Kraken. I give my thanks to you. As a reward, I prepared a Unique Skill Book and a Spell Book, which responds to your ss. I hope these items will be of help to you. If the one to kill the Kraken was a hero, you did well my junior. You¡¯ve already visited my grave, right? This Skill Book and Spell book will strengthen the Unique Skill and Spell you have already learned.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaa.]

    Artpe had no idea how he pulled it off, but his sunbae had embedded two functions into a single Skill Book.

    The first function was like the Cultivation Dungeon they had visited. The content of the Skill Book was determined once one learned it. The second function was a contingency n where it would strengthen the skill and spell one had learned within Cultivation Dungeon. Since Maetel and Artpe had learned the requisite skills from the Cultivation Dungeon, their skills were qualified to be strengthened.

    ¡®He expected the younger generation hero to have found his grave first. His attitude is very shameless.......¡¯

    They actually went there, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. Moreover, he had no idea what method was used to create such a Skill Book and Spell Book. He was baffled.

    ¡®However, the important point right now isn¡¯t the fact that the sunbae had established the Anaid Kingdom and the Road of Mermaid. The fact that he had sealed the Kraken within the temple, and the preparation of the Skill Book and the Spell Book isn¡¯t important either.¡¯

    The most important phrase was written elsewhere.

    This was it.

    [The altar will fall once the Skill Book and Spell Book is learned. If the altar falls, the temple falls. Be careful when you escape this ce. If you are my junior, you already know this fact since you¡¯ve already visited my grave!]

    ¡°That bastard did the same thing here again!¡±

    [Nyaa?]

    This sunbae bastard didn¡¯t provide any answers, yet he was trying to bury his juniors alive after letting them learn the skills! He had an inkling that this would turn out like this, and he had been right!

    Still, he was looking forward to this. When he destroyed the temple, he¡¯ll find a way to defeat the Kraken. The odds were still slim. When he discovered the altar, he had hopes that something would happen if he destroyed it.

    ¡®The problem right now is the fact that we haven¡¯t defeated the Kraken yet. We can¡¯t learn the Skill or Spell yet.¡¯

    Artpe focused his attention on the words left behind by his sunbae. If he learned the Skill and Spell, the altar would fall. Then the temple would fall. The normal order was to learn the Skill and Spell to trigger the destruction of the altar......

    ¡°If the altar falls first, will the temple follow?¡±

    [Nyaaaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Roa cried as if she found him to be hopeless. Artpe ignored her as he opened his Dimensional Pouch. He took the Skill Book and Spell Book! The Skill Book and Spell Book couldn¡¯t be taken separately, but he was using the Dimensional Pouch. It was possible to suck in both items through the suction created by the Dimensional Pouch!

    ¡°It worked!¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaa!]

    This in turn caused the destruction of the altar. The altar had been controlling the flow of Mana within the temple. It caused the Mana to flood in an uncontrolled manner, and it started the copse. It started to cause destructive fissures in the surrounding! As expected, the prior hero was great at weaving magic, yet he was idiotic about setting the crucial details!

    Artpe had yelled out in delight, but he was in a tight spot. The enormous temple was crashing down on itself, and therge fragments were falling towards Artpe¡¯s head. He had used a simr attack on a Kraken before, and now he was in a position of suffering a simr fate!

    ¡°Hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Let¡¯s head out, Roa.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Roa grumbled that she would have gone with the unnis if she knew things would turn out like this. He ignored her cries. He firmly held onto the Dimensional Pouch, which held the precious Skill Book and Spell Book. He turned around, and he activated the ability of his Blink Boots.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhht!]

    If he could see a location, he could travel there with apanion using the Artifact. After Reinforcing it three times, Artpe could activate Blink as long as he had Mana left. If he didn¡¯t have this boots, he wouldn¡¯t have invited trouble like this.

    [Nyaaaaa! Nyaa-ah-aht, nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. If I hadn¡¯t destroyed this, we would have died here anyways!¡±

    As expected of an ex-Four Heavenly King, he lived a life that was closely connected with death. He prayed that Maetel and Sienna, who had gone ahead of him, didn¡¯t get hit by the fragments from the temple. He activated his Blink ability.

    He was able to predict the trajectory of the fragments using his Read All Creation ability. He Blinked into safe spaces! None of the fragments were able to hit him as it destroyed the ocean floor.

    [Koo-wahhhhhhhhhhng!]

    He heard a roar in the distance. It seemed arge fragment had hit the Kraken. It made Artpeugh. All right. The true boss fight would start from this point on!

    ¡°Artpe, I hate youuuuuu! I¡¯ll do something worse than kissing you!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah.]

    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t make any predictions.¡±

    Suddenly, he felt a little bit afraid of going forward. However, he had no choice. Artpe thought about getting purposefully hit by a fragment, so he could use it as an excuse. As he seriously mulled this idea over, he activated Blink again.

 Chapter 80 - Is This Really Happening Again? (4)

    Chapter 80 - Is This Really Happening Again? (4)

    The Ancient Kraken had been sealed several hundred years ago by a hero. It had faded into the darkness, and it had been forgotten over the long years. However, the Ancient Kraken finally revealed itself once again to the world. It was incredibly angry right now.

    [Koo-ga-ahhhhhhhh!]

    The Ancient Kraken¡¯s son was dead. The seal wouldn¡¯t have beenpletely broken unless its son was dead.

    These damn heroes were also emitting an annoying energy that disturbed its core being. They had also went so far as tomit acts of brutality. They were destroying the entire temple before it could get out of this cramped prison!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    All the materials making up the temple was critically harmful to the Ancient Kraken¡¯s demonic gene! Moreover, these materials weighed several dozen to several hundred tons. These fragments were dropping towards the Ancient Kraken. Of course, the assault of the fragments caused harm to it.

    Moreover, the Ancient Kraken was truly enormous, so it didn¡¯t matter how fast it was traveling. It couldn¡¯t avoid the falling temple fragments. It was being continuously pelted by the fragments infused with holy power. The Ancient Kraken¡¯s hard skin cracked under the assault, and blood gushed forward.

    ¡°If you are going to destroy this ce, you should have told us! Artpe is bad!¡±

    ¡°When he said we can win against it, he meant he was going to do this. As expected, oppa is amazing. He is too cool.¡±

    ¡°He is cool! That is neither here nor there!¡±

    Maetel and Sienna was simultaneously facing the destruction of the temple and the anger of this savage monster. It was an unbearable situation.

    She was able to endure the bacsh of her eleration skill rtively well thanks to her growth. However, she was running away from a level 290 boss monster, while she was dodging the temple fragments. It put an unbelievable stress on her mind.

    ¡°Unni, it¡¯sing!¡±

    ¡°You have to deflect that. I can¡¯t dodge it!¡±

    ¡°That!? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤eeek. All right! Ha-ahp!¡±

    Maetel was continuously activating her eleration, while she carried Sienna. While she was being carried, Sienna deflected any fragments that Maetel couldn¡¯t dodge using her hammer! Their ability to work together was a vision to behold.

    ¡°Ah, unni! I just had a good idea!¡±

    ¡°I probably won¡¯t understand it, so don¡¯t exin it to me. Do as you please!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡±

    Maetel was too busy using her eleration repeatedly, while she assessed her surrounding. Unlike her, Sienna had some time she could spare. SHe hadn¡¯t been mindlessly deflecting the fragments. She had been brainstorming toe up with an idea to help Maetel.

    Currently, she had a gauntlet that imbued the power of the Kraken into her weapon. Then there was the hammer, which had gone through three Reinforcements. It had the ability to store and release vibration. If she activated both abilities at the same time, maybe.....!

    ¡°Unni, you don¡¯t have to dodge that fragment!¡±

    ¡°That one is really big. Eh-ee. Whatever!¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t trust Sienna, but she trusted in Artpe, who had faith in Sienna. Instead of dodging the fragment that was falling from above, she charged towards it. Of course, the Kraken continued its mad chase after them.

    ¡°Hoohp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Just a little bit more!¡±

    ¡°Sienna! I don¡¯t know what you are trying to do, but hurry up! I want to kiss Artpe, not that hunk of rock!¡±

    When Maetel once again activated her eleration, the Kraken shot another stream of water. There was an incredible driving force behind the water, and it was charging violently towards the two girls. At that moment, a trulyrge temple fragment fell towards the heads of the party members!

    ¡°Ha-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Sienna used the Kraken¡¯s power to strengthen her hammer, and she focused the power of vibration stored within the hammer. She unleashed all the power as she swung the hammer overhead. The head of the hammer hit the fragment as the fragment was about to drop on top of them. The fragment was deflected.

    ¡°Goo-oooooooh?¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhk!¡±

    It was such a heavy fragment that the rebound caused Maetel and Sienna to be pushed forward in a rough manner. Yet, somehow the fragment changed direction to head straight towards the Kraken. The fragment containing a massive amount of Sienna¡¯s holy power squarely struck the Kraken!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    A scream that was unlike any before erupted from the Kraken as it writhed. It was so painful that the Kraken stopped its charge, and its eight legs spread out as it caused mayhem.

    From all around its body, balls of water coalesced to shoot towards the two girls like beams ofser. Maetel felt something hot on her trail, so she desperately twisted her body to dodge the attack.

    ¡°What the hell did you do!¡±

    ¡°I just attacked it! It must be really painful! Unni, let¡¯s hit it again with the same attack!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m really going to die!¡±

    Maetel had a tearful face as she once against charged forward. It wasn¡¯t a simple charge. She kept calcting paths that would make here across the falling fragments. She was doing this while she used her eleration skill. It allowed Sienna to easily swing at the falling fragments with her hammer. Moreover, it allowed all the momentum generated by their sprint to be transferred into the fragments.

    Even Artpe wouldn¡¯t have been able to calcte the route in such a short amount of time. Of course, Maetel was taking the most optimal route by instinct. She was the best at tasks that involved moving one¡¯s body. No one could catch up to her in that aspect!

    ¡°Uh uh.... Eh-eet!¡±

    [Koo-ha-ahhk!? Keeee-hahhhhhhhhk!]

    Maetel¡¯s efforts resulted in Sienna being able to strike the fragments with a much more natural swing. This resulted in the fragments containing much more power behind itpared to the first fragment. The proof could be seen by how the Kraken reacted. It writhed in a more violent manner.

    [Koo-hahk! Kee-hahhhk!]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤unni, I think we might kill it before oppa get here.¡±

    ¡°No. This is only the beginning¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Sienna, hold tight!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    In the past, they had killed a Kraken that had been suffering under a curse of madness. It had repeatedly charged forward like a battering ram. Instead of fighting its enemies, it felt as if the Kraken had been trying to ovee an obstacle.

    However, the Ancient Kraken was acting differently. While it charged forward, it continuously shot watersers towards its enemies. Now it started to shoot out its ink!

    [Goo-ooooooohng!]

    ¡°Koohk. It is cutting us off from the ambient Mana¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Unni, be careful!¡±

    It was a truly astounding development. The ink shot out by the Ancient Kraken had the effect of absorbing the nearby Mana for its own use.

    What was the effect of this attack? It immediately made it harder for Maetel and Sienna to generate Mana. Moreover, the watersers started forming from every direction. Up until now, it had only formed only around the Kraken¡¯s body!

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Unni!¡±

    She resisted against the Kraken¡¯s Mana, which was pressuring her from all sides. She forcefully energized her Mana to activate the eleration skill, then she activated the option contain within her boots.

    This would cause a significant amount of burden on Artpe, but she had no choice! She maxed out her Record Divide. She pulled Artpe¡¯s vast magical energy towards her.

    ¡°Hoo-ooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She shut her eyes tight before she opened them. She activated her senses to its fullest extent. She was able to capture the location of the falling temple fragments, the tentacles, the Kraken¡¯s body and the reaction caused byser¡¯s energy. On top of that, she chose directions that would bring her close to fragments that would add to the power being imbued by Sienna¡¯s strikes!

    ¡°That one, and that one! Hit them!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-goo-ahhhhhhh. All righhhhhhhht!¡±

    There was a flurry ofsers, ink and tentaclesing towards her, yet Maetel didn¡¯t allow these attacks to hit her. She even increased her speed further. It made it harder for Sienna to swing her hammer, but she didn¡¯t have time toin about it!

    ¡°Hoohp! Hoo-ooooooh-ahp!¡±

    [Koo-ha-ah! Koo-wee-ooh-ahhhhhhh!]

    Sienna followed Maetel¡¯s direction. She swung her hammer with all her might, and she sent two additional fragments towards the Kraken. The Kraken controlled itssers to shoot down one fragment, but it was helplessly struck by the remaining fragment.

    Since both sides had increased their speed, the impulse generated was muchrger. The fragments infused to the brim with Sienna¡¯s holy power exploded after being embedded deep within the Kraken¡¯s body. It caused profound damage to the Kraken¡¯s enormous demonic energy.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Kraken was goingpletely insane. Ink was pouring out of it, yet the hero¡¯s party was still able to run away from the Kraken! Artpe caught up with his party around this time.

    ¡°What an absolute mess¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Roa!¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhht!]

    Roa, who was being held close to Artpe¡¯s bosom, opened her mouth. This was obvious, but she was sucking in the ink being released by the Kraken!

    ¡°Aht¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look back! Just run!¡±

    The ocean water had been dyed ck. When the ocean water regained its normal color, the Kraken¡¯s control over the ambient Mana lessened. Maetel and Sienna started running away at a much faster speed.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhng!]

    The Kraken immediately perceived Artpe¡¯s presence, so it turned its head to look at him. At that moment, a fragment sent by Sienna embedded itself inside the Kraken¡¯s head before exploding. It had no choice, but to change direction again.

    In the next moment, Artpe¡¯s several dozen Mana Strings took control of a falling temple fragment, and he threw it. It pierced through a tentacle. He couldn¡¯t borrow Sienna¡¯s Mana, but he could cause sufficient damage with just the temple fragments.

    [Kweeeek, kwee-ooh-ahhhhh!]

    The Kraken was being assaulted by troublesome attacks from both sides. The creature of the ocean felt as if would pass away from the stress. Moreover, it had spread its ink to dominate the field, yet it was being sucked away into some unknown ce!

    ¡°Maetel, I want you to increase your speed! Sienna, you are doing well! Keep attacking with the fragments!¡±

    ¡°It is easier said than done!¡±

    However, she obediently followed Artpe¡¯s words by increasing her speed. She made it look easy. Artpe followed after them, and he once again threw multiple fragments towards the back of the Kraken¡¯s head. Then he used consecutive Blinks to arrive next to Maetel.

    ¡°Artpe, you better be prepared after this ends.¡±

    ¡°I did all of this to save both of you. Anyways, we have to change our tactic.¡±

    Artpe took hold of Maetel with one hand, and he used his other hand to get ahold of Sienna. Maetel¡¯s eleration was fast, but it was slower than Artpe¡¯s Blink. He could travel a distance of several hundred meters with a single Blink. It was time for him to turn the table.

    He gave orders to his party members as he used Blink to dodge the Kraken and the temple fragments.

    ¡°Roa! You should suck in everything you can! Ah, I want you to store the ink separately.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhh, nyaa nyaa-ahhh-nyaa!]

    She grumbled that he was a very bad owner. However, Roa obediently followed his order. Then he gave orders to Maetel, who had passed the baton off to Artpe. She had nothing to do after he had shown up.

    ¡°Is it possible to share the power of eleration using Record Divide?¡±

    ¡°Ah. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    They were in a desperate situation, yet there was a slight pause before Maetel gave her reply. It meant she felt guilty about something. As he had suspected, she had been sharing her eleration ability with her party members all along!

    However, this wasn¡¯t something he should call her out on. He was thankful, since they were able to aplish many things thanks to her sharing her ability with them. Artpe decided not to interrogate her.

    ¡°All right. While you share your eleration with Sienna, I want you to destroy any obstacles we can¡¯t dodge using your long sword¡¯s beam.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The Kraken was either sending several dozen streams of waters or its tentacles. They were all being stopped by Artpe¡¯s barriers. Still, Artpe couldn¡¯t to several dozen task at once, so he decided to shift a portion of his burden to Maetel.

    ¡°Sienna, you are on offense. Your attack power will increase when you receive the eleration ability! I want you to hit only the biggest fragments!¡±

    ¡°I am confident, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    He used consecutive Blinks to travel several hundred meters. One of the temple¡¯s pirs appeared right in front of them!

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhp!¡±

    Sienna used the Kraken¡¯s power and the power of vibration to strike the pir with all her might. The pir broke into several dozen fragments, and they were sent towards the Kraken, who had been chasing after them!

    [Koo-goo-oh-ahhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa-aht!]

    Roa had absorbed all of its ink, so they no longer had to worry about dodging thesers that had formed from all directions. That¡¯s right. When Artpe and Roa joined the fray, the Kraken was surprisingly ineffective in its attacks!

    [Kyaa-hahhhhhhh! Kee-oh-ahhhhhhhk!]

    It couldn¡¯t kill the annoying heroes. It couldn¡¯t even catch up to them. It was being continuously pelted by the temple fragments, and its health was starting to approach a dangerous territory. Finally, the Kraken¡¯s anger reached a critical point.!

    ¡°Crazy!¡±

    In that moment, the several dozen watersers doubled then tripled. Then an overwhelming amount of ink was spouted from the Kraken. Even Roa would have a hard time eating such arge amount of ink. The Kraken used the ink to instantly dominate the surrounding ambient Mana. The Kraken¡¯s body was peppered with holes, and blood shot out from these critical injuries instead of water. It added to the speed of the Kraken¡¯s charge!

    ¡°Artpe, its gaining on us! We are really going to get caught!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I don¡¯t see anymore good fragments I can use to attack it! At this rate we really.....¡±

    ¡°We really will.....!¡±

    Artpe shouted.

    ¡°There¡¯s the exit! I want you to strike that!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Sienna obediently followed Artpe¡¯s words. After Sienna struck the ceiling, Artpe used onest Blink to exit the underground tunnel. Afterwards, a horrific earthquake shook the region. It sounded like a thunder storm. The underground tunnel copsed apanying an explosive roar!

    [Koo-ooooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Ancient Kraken let out a cry. However, itssers nor its tentacles could chase after the party members.

    The Ancient Kraken was buried alongside the temple and the underground tunnel.

 Chapter 81 - Is This Really Happening Again? (5)

    Chapter 81 - Is This Really Happening Again? (5)

    [Koo-wahhhhhh! Kee-hahhhhhhhh!]

    Did the scream of a damned soul from the depth of hell sound like this? The sound that made everyone, who heard the sound, shudder in fright rang throughout the ocean. The ocean floor shook as it crumbled. All the deep-sea organisms had already fled far away. It was the same for the monsters.

    [The humans are here!]

    [W...what the hell is in there!?]

    [You guys haven¡¯t left yet?]

    As all of this unfolded, an awful lot of merfolk had gathered at this location. Maybe, merfolks weren¡¯t really monsters. They might be another humanoid species. It seemed they were really poor at following directions. In that aspect, they were really like humans! Or maybe they were dumb. They might have forgotten his words in just two months!

    Artpe would rather perish than be responsible for the merfolk. He had these thoughts as he let go of Maetel and Sienna. Since she knew this wasn¡¯t over yet, Maetel didn¡¯tin too much. She quickly stepped away from him.

    ¡°Artpe, somehow we got this far, but..... It isn¡¯t dead yet, right?¡±

    ¡°There is no way it would die just from that.¡±

    At the end, Sienna¡¯s strike had been a critical blow, and the Kraken had been buried deep beneath the ocean floor. Even though the Kraken was buried alive, the Kraken was continuing its rampage. He couldn¡¯t guarantee that the temple fragments and the rocks of the underwater tunnel would be able to withstand the Kraken¡¯s assault.

    [Kwah-ohhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Wow. Look at that. The ground is shifting.¡±

    They had somehow safely escaped the clutches of the monster. He let out a deep breath. First, he had smoothly reached this point. In the process of getting here, he had used much more Mana than he had expected, so he was having a hard time keeping his wits about him.

    Maetel had indiscriminately used her eleration, and Sienna had attacked the Kraken by hitting the temple fragments. Artpe had used Blink. Most of their actions consumed Mana. This was probably easy to forget, but Artpe was maintaining the Underwater Breathing magic. It took constant consumption of Mana to maintain the spell.

    The quantity of Mana possessed by Artpe was transcendent, and if he hadn¡¯t possessed it, he would have died. He would have died a dozen times over.

    ¡°Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I have to use that magic.¡±

    Artpe was drinking the highest grade Mana Potion he had purchased from Mycenae. However, the potion¡¯s effect didn¡¯t kick in immediately. It would be a long time before his Mana filled up to the point he desired.

    The Kraken will probably escape before his Mana filled back up. Artpe¡¯s party and the long history of the Anaid Kingdom woulde to an end! Artpe drank all his Mana Potions, and he desperately gathered the ambient Mana around him. At the same time, he put his brain to work.

    ¡®Mana. The Mana is a must......¡¯

    Demite¡¯s Gemstone.... He could use it if needed, but it wasn¡¯t enough. He could drink multiple Mana Potions, but the efficacy of the potion would be close to nil now.

    Yes, there was the Kraken¡¯s Magic Stone!

    If he consumed that item, he might be able to pull this off!

    However, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Artpe¡¯s eyes could clearly see the status of the buried Kraken. As if to confirm that he couldn¡¯t kill it, the damn Kraken moved in a very lively manner!

    The only reason why it couldn¡¯t escape its prison was the residual holy power left within the temple fragments. Once the Kraken¡¯s demonic energy pushed away the holy power, its violent rampage would overturn the entire region.

    At that moment, Artpe suddenly had a thought.

    ¡°Maetel, what is the range of application for the Record Divide?¡±

    ¡°Myrades and...... Those that are far weaker than me.¡±

    ¡°What about the merfolk over there?¡±

    Maetel watched the merfolk, who were starting to congregate around the party. After thinking over it for a brief moment, she nodded her head without hesitation.

    ¡°I believe I can do it. It will be hard if I don¡¯t have consent to take their Mana.¡±

    ¡°All right. Wait a moment.¡±

    Basically, it wasn¡¯t impossible. It was just hard to do . This fact terrified him. A hero normally took andmandeered resources from innocent people. So he didn¡¯t feel much guilt in doing this. Artpe immediately turned towards the merfolk, and he shouted at them.

    [All of you guyse over here! I want to use your Mana!]

    [M...mana!? Human, how can you use our Mana.....]

    [Does this human share the same purpose as that man? He might be trying to experiment on us! You are a diabolical human!]

    It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish this through an amiable conversation. Artpe was resigned as he was about to use a more coercive measure. However, a voice containing an iron will rang out from beyond the crowd of merfolk.

    [That man is my owner. Soon, he will be the owner of this kingdom! All the merfolk shall follow his orders!]

    It was Sherryl¡¯s voice. She held a position of leadership amongst the merfolk, yet she had remained in this ce. Artpe was taken aback by her appearance, and his mouth fell open when he saw the thousands of merfolk following behind her.

    They had willingly cut off their own escape route. How foolish can they be! However, the merfolk thought differently from Artpe. There wasn¡¯t a hint of hesitancy within Sherryl¡¯s voice.

    [Master will soon be the kingdom. If the master dies, the kingdom will not exist! You should think of it that way! Anyone with a drop of Mana left shall follow his order!]

    [Princess. No, her majesty the queen......]

    [The queen has spoken!]

    There were those that were disgruntled by the situation. There were those that were uneasy about all of this. However, the merfolk didn¡¯t show any outward signs of their emotions. They obediently followed their queen¡¯s orders. They put their lives in Artpe¡¯s hands. Maetel¡¯s green eyes twinkled when she saw this.

    ¡°It is possible!¡±

    ¡°It is a skill that hasn¡¯t been Reinforced yet, but it is capable of...... All right. Let¡¯s do this right now! I want you all to send as much of your Mana towards me!¡±

    Artpe activated the Mana Link with Maetel. Maetel used the Record Divide to gather the Mana from the nearby merfolk. Artpe pulled the Mana towards him, and he activated his magic!

    ¡°Sienna, do you need Mana? Shall I share some with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, oppa. If we kill that, I know I¡¯ll level up. I¡¯ll fight until I¡¯m close to death!¡±

    ¡°Our Sienna had grown up to be really strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It hurt him to see it, but that didn¡¯t mean he would refuse her the ess to the Mana. Artpe gritted his teeth, and he took out the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.

    He had used this item at every important junctures, but the item still remained in its rough gemstone form. When he sessfully ended this battle, Artpe thought he would be able to refine it.......

    ¡°Pleasest through this battle. I¡¯ll soon bring out your true form......!¡±

    The Mana from the merfolk went through Maetel. Then the Mana was passed onto him. He poured it all into the Demite¡¯s Stone. At the same time, he started chanting the great magic spell.

    ¡°The mystery that fell from the sky. The cradle of creation. We are nestled in your bosom, and I will lead you by my hand. ede to my demand. Wash away those that sully your purity. Maintain your mysteries.¡±

    Each words brought forth a blinding purple light, and it amplified the Mana.

    If he could see it with his eyes, it was within the range of the great magic. He created a magic circle with the amplified Mana. He expanded the circle, then he set the range. Just this act created a pressure that made the ground shake.

    ¡°I will be your proxy. Entrust your power to me. Germinate the power of life. Turn yourself around. Be the mace of death that destroys my enemy.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. He is too cool¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    This was the first time Maetel had seen Artpe use a great magic spell. Her eyes twinkled. Artpe could only let out a bitterugh when he heard her words. He already knew the result of this magic spell.

    [Koo-goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    As Artpe was getting closer to finishing his spell, the Kraken felt a sense of danger. Its rampage became fiercer. This finally caused a part of the ground to give way, and the Kraken shot a stream of water towards Artpe!

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡±

    Artpe was chanting his magic, and Maetel was using her Record Divide. Sienna stepped forward in their stead. She took center stage. She focused the hammer¡¯s power of vibration, and she brought down a fierce swing towards the stream of water. The attack was neutralized apanying a loud boom.

    Somehow, she was able to block its attack, but it hadn¡¯t been a simple attack. Afterwards, several strands of water streams erupted as theypletely dismantled the surface of the ground. An enormous tentacle erupted from the newly created space!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [The bastard¡¯s tentacle came out!]

    [H...human! You took our Mana, so you should do something! Please show us something!]

    The merfolk started speaking in a respectful tone when their lives became threatened.

    Artpe snorted. He smiled as he spoke the final part of the spell. At the end, he mixed Sienna¡¯s special Mana, which was antagonistic against demonic energy. He poured it into the Demite¡¯s Gemstone. Then he once again pushed the magical energy towards the core of the magic circle!

    ¡°Oh ocean. Show us your anger! Wash away the filth, and prove your purity!¡±

    The activation of the spell was impending, so he took out the level 267 Kraken¡¯s magic stone. He had no choice. He had to let this magic stone go, and the waste almost brought tears to his eyes. However, this was a necessary sacrifice to kill the damn monster once and for all.

    Artpe knew what choices and sacrifices he had to make for his survival. He knew this better than anyone else, since he had been the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings in his past life!

    ¡°Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Flow downwards! God Flush!¡±

    Artpe broke the magical stone, which hade out from a Kraken, with all his might. He used the magical energy to activate the magic circle to its peak, and he uttered the final words to the spell.

    God Flush was a great magic spell that was left behind by the Kraken. It had been the owner of this magic stone. Moreover, the target of this attack was another Kraken. It was a truly funny and ironic situation. However, the result wasn¡¯t funny at all.

    [Koo-oooh!? Koo-ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The tentacle had been freed into the ocean water, and it had been trying to find a target. However, the tentacle suddenly stopped moving. An unnatural silence descended on the battlefield. Everyone became puzzled by the silence. He had consumed such an overwhelming amount of Mana to use this spell, yet the result was silence.

    ¡°Artpe, what did you just¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maetel, I want you to hold me.¡±

    Maetel squashed her own question, and she spoke in a reliable manner towards Artpe.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhht!]

    In regards to anything that had to do with skinship, she would never turn it down. She didn¡¯t even ask him any questions. When she heard his word, she hugged him. As if she didn¡¯t want to lose, Sienna also hugged Artpe. Roa was stuck between them, and she yowled as if she was about to be crushed to death. Afterwards, the ocean water sloshed.

    ¡°It is about to start.¡±

    Artpe mumbled quietly to himself, and he shut his eyes tight.

    One didn¡¯t need to ask what was about to start. The silence from a moment ago felt like a lie. The torrent of water struck the region!

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Artpehhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaaht!]

    It was an enormous whirlpool. A whirlpool had erupted in the middle of the ocean. It was created by sucking in everything that made up the ocean. The whirlpool dragged everything downwards towards the ocean bed. Artpe¡¯s party had to struggle to get out of the helical flow of the water.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Of course, the terminal end of the whirlpoolnded on the Kraken.

    [Kah-hah! Koo-hahhhhhhk! Kee-ehhhhhhh!]

    The enormous vortex dragged down the ocean water. It was powerful enough to pulverize the enormous temple fragments. It freed the Kraken for an instant, but in the next moment, it was swept alongside the pulverized remnants of the temple fragments. The frightening centrifugal current caused enormous wounds to form on the Kraken¡¯s body!

    [M...my god. The god of the ocean is angry!]

    [H...he isn¡¯t human. He is the god of the ocean! He has descended to save us!]

    It was as if the enormous whirlpool was punishing the Kraken. When the merfolk saw him control the ocean, they mistook Artpe for the god of the ocean. In truth, it wasn¡¯t an overreaction to call him a god based on what he did!

    [Ggooh-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°As expected, a level one spelles out like this when using a magic stone¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Shit!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°You sneaked a kiss on my cheek. Ooh-gyahhhhhhk!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just a kiss on the cheek. Maetel acted as if she couldn¡¯t win against the current of the whirlpool, and she kept pushing her mouth towards his face. It seemed Sienna was quick to pick up on Maetel¡¯s bad behavior. She also joined in!

    Artpe was currently hanging onto his party members. If not, he would be swept away by the great magic God Flush. Is this what you reap what you sow meant? He could only moan in a low voice as the hero and the Warrior Priestess disyed their physical affection all over his body.

    [Kee-heeeeeek! Kee-hahhhhhhh!]

    The scream of the Kraken was getting louder and louder.

    The Kraken¡¯s body was being assaulted. It was being sucked below to the ocean floor by the pressure. Moreover, Sienna¡¯s holy power wasyered on top of the attack. The pieces of the pulverized temple fragments dug into its body like needles.

    The blue ocean churned with its ck blood. Soon, it was as if the entire ocean was dyed ck. Artpe thought about ordering Roa to absorb everything.

    How long did itst? The whirlpool had started below the surface of the water, and it had dragged the Kraken towards the absolute floor of the ocean. As the whirlpool continued to travel downwards, everyone became free from the influence of the current created by the whirlpool. They could no longer hear the screams of the Kraken, and they could no longer see its tentacles. It had beenpletely swallowed by the ocean.

    As if Maetel was finally satisfied, she let go of Artpe, and she asked him a question.

    ¡°Artpe, what happens if that monster doesn¡¯t die from this?¡±

    ¡°That is a very good question.¡±

    Artpe smirked as he answered her.

    ¡°We have to kill it no matter what.¡±

 Chapter 82 - Is This Really Happening Again? (6)

    Chapter 82 - Is This Really Happening Again? (6)

    At that moment, the residents of the ocean was holding their breath. A spectacr and frightening whirlpool had dragged the Kraken down to the ocean floor, and it was as if the scream of the Kraken was still ringing in their ears. No one thought this horrible monster could be killed. The merfolk had seen its writhing tentacles, and Artpe¡¯s party had seen the entire body go down. Artpe had confirmed its death, yet he continued to look warily towards the ocean bed. He gripped his weapon tight.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    However, the Kraken didn¡¯t show up no matter how long they waited. The silence lengthened indefinitely until Artpe¡¯s party broke it.

    ¡°Ooh-goo-ahhhhhhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a level up! My head huuuuuuurts!¡±

    ¡°Koohk.¡±

    When the Ancient Kraken lost its life, the EXP came pouring in! It was divided amongst the party members. Basically, this was the surest proof that the Ancient Kraken had died.

    The problem was the fact that the EXP of the level 291 Ancient Kraken was being shared amongst the three of them, and they were writhing around in pain. It was as if they were dancing.

    ¡°Hoo-goo-goohk! Artpe! Why does our level up always have to be so painful!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because we always fight insanely high leveled opponents! Normally¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ This is supposed to happen once in a lifetime!¡±

    ¡°Heeeeng. Opaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    While they were dancing, Maetel ascended to level 261. Artpe earned a little bit more EXP than her, so he was at level 263. Sienna had contributed to the battle just as much as them, so her level climbed steeply to 247.

    Their skills also went through a simr growth. This was especially true for the great magic called God Flush. There weren¡¯t many situations where one would use such a spell, yet he had used it to finish off the Kraken. It increased to level 5 in one go.

    Of course, level and skill made up the foundation of his existence, and both of them had grown. This was why Artpe suffered under a bigger headache. It was a trivial problem.... No, it was pretty annoying.

    ¡°Ooh-goo-goohk, it hurts......!¡±

    [B...be careful of the humans. They are acting strange!]

    The merfolk became wary. They thought the humans might be suffering under the curse of madness. However, they didn¡¯t attack Artpe¡¯s party. Instead, it didn¡¯t take long for them to writhe in pain like the humans.

    [Wait a moment. My body is... Something is wrong.... Koo-hahk!?]

    [Ooh-ahhhhhhhk!]

    [It hurts! My head hurts so much!]

    The merfolk hadn¡¯t been able to directly harm the Ancient Kraken. However, there was a very simple reason why they were going through this development.

    Maetel had gathered their Mana. They had contributed in the extermination of the Ancient Kraken. A very small portion of the Ancient Kraken¡¯s massive Record was given to them.

    [My body¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ My scales!]

    [I¡¯m dying! I¡¯m dying!]

    They had received an extremely small amount of EXPpared to Artpe¡¯s party. However, the average level of the merfolk were below level 100. This was why the EXP was considered to be an overwhelming amount. Soon, many merfolk were growing by at least 10 levels.

    Moreover, there were those credited with more achievement than other. This allowed these merfolk to evolve into a higher rank!

    [M...master! My body¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Something is wrong! Koo-hahk!?]

    Of all the stupid things, there was one that was evolving in the wrong direction. It was the queen of the Merfolk Sherryl Anaid. She had made a promise to serve Artpe as her master.

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    By this time, everyone was in a celebratory mood. Sherryl was the only one amongst them letting a horrible scream. It felt as if her high pitch scream would rupture his eardrums. He frowned as he turned to look at her.

    However, his expression quickly changed in the next moment. It would have been better if she was being a crybaby. She was the only one greeted with cmity in this happy asion!

    [Why are you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Damn it!?]

    When the Ancient Kraken was assaulted by God Flush, it had let out a copious amount of cursed blood into the ocean water. Currently, Sherryl¡¯s body was letting out a light, and her body was sucking in all the blood. Her body, mind, soul and magical energy was being dyed by the demonic gene. She was evolving in a direction she should not proceed!

    ¡®That¡¯s right. Sherryl is the only one amongst the merfolk that survived the demonification experiment......! Maybe, one of her ancestors was an Ancient Mermaid! Shit!¡¯

    His growth caused his head to hurt. He gripped his head as he quickly rushed towards Sherryl. Roa quickly opened her mouth to suck in the Kraken¡¯s Blood, but most of the blood had already flowed into Sherryl!

    ¡°Roa, we have no choice. We¡¯ll have to extract the demonic gene that is already in her.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa nyaa-ah!]

    [Koohk. Ggooh-ahhhhhhk!]

    In the past, Sherryl had experienced receiving the demonification curse. This was why the her change was advancing really fast. His eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with it. On the other hand, she was originally a mermaid. It should be possible to extract demonic gene! At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t die!

    ¡°I...I¡¯ll help!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I want you to stick close to her!¡±

    Sienna was also suffering through pain caused by leveling up all at once. She scrunched up her face as she followed after him. First, Artpe was going to use Roa to extract the demonic gene. Then Sienna would inject her Mana into Sherryl. At the same time, he would take direct control of the Mana, and he would coat Sherryl¡¯s body with the Mana.

    [Ggrrr-oooooooh. M...master.]

    [This is why I told you not toe here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are unlucky.]

    [You didn¡¯te out for over two month. I was worried..... Koo-hahk!]

    She needlessly follow after him, but it was also true that he would have had a hard time using the God Flush at the crucial moment in battle without the merfolk. This was why he couldn¡¯t berate her. Artpe sighed as he observed her insides.

    He had seeded in pulling off this procedure with Sienna, but he couldn¡¯t underestimate the task in front of him. Sherryl was a mermaid. The structure of her Mana was markedly different from a human. Moreover, the demonic gene that had invaded her body was different from the demonic gene from a pure Demon.

    ¡®I can see why the Demons aimed for this temple. Shit.....¡¯

    The demonic gene had invaded her entire body, and somehow the demonic energy within her body was more potent than the one within a Demon. It was more pure. The demonic gene had found a new and qualified owner. It improved her body and magical energy to new heights. However, as a price, she was being dyed with pure evil. Roa had her mouth open as she tried to suck it in. However, the demonic gene was tenacious. It resisted the extraction.

    [Koo-ha-ahk. M...master!]

    [Endure it.]

    He knew the mana structure of the Ancient Mermaid and the Ancient Kraken. However, his knowledge was stillcking. Something was missing. He churned his brain to find another hint, and he suddenly had an epiphany.

    ¡®The Grimoire!¡¯

    He quickly took out the Grimoire he took from the Demon Teana. He opened it. The Grimoire was bound with ck leather, and the magical energy within it was incredible. This was why the water pressure couldn¡¯t damage it, and the Grimoire didn¡¯t get wet.

    [Ggooh-ahhhhhhhhk!]

    When the Grimoire was brought outside, the Mana dominating Sherryl¡¯s body disyed a strong reaction. How could it not? The cause and the effect didn¡¯t match up, but Sherryl was heading towards the ultimate goal sought by the Grimoire!

    If he let the two resonate with each other, Sherryl would be born-again as a powerful entity. Of course, Artpe wouldn¡¯t stand by and let that happen.

    ¡°You are merely a book. You don¡¯t get to assert yourself. I am your owner!¡±

    Artpe pored over the grimoire. He read the passages, and he controlled the Mana in the exact opposite manner described. His purple Mana shed with the ck Mana of the book.

    The Grimoire¡¯s Record and will was truly impressive. It didn¡¯t approve of its new owner¡¯s disposition, so it resisted fiercely. However, Artpe had grown once again after killing the Ancient Kraken. Surprisingly, the ck Mana could no longer put up a fight against him, and it started to move ording to Artpe¡¯s will!

    [Koo-hahhhhhh!]

    [Don¡¯t let go of your consciousness. Endure it|! If you die, it¡¯ll be the end of this kingdom!]

    He continuously spoke to Sherryl like he had done with Sienna. He desperately held onto the Grimoire as he controlled the Mana. He wasn¡¯t aiming for the Ancient Merfolk, Ancient Kraken or the Demon race. He was trying to create a new path for her.

    ¡®The structure of Mana for a mermaid.... What was the Mana structure for a mermaid? Shit. I know it, yet it doesn¡¯t move the way I want it to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! This is much harder than what I did with Sienna!¡¯

    [Nyaaaaaaaaah!]

    ¡°Koohk. We can¡¯t allow it to shift back!¡±

    Roa and Sienna was also fighting desperately next to Artpe. Roa was trying to extract as much demonic gene as possible. Sienna erased the trace left behind by the demonic gene, and she used her power to recover Sherryl¡¯s body! Thanks to their efforts, Sherryl¡¯s change had slowed down.

    [Koohk. Koo-hoo-ahhhhh!]

    [Eeek. Shit.... You said you are the queen of the merfolk! Hey!]

    [Koo-hahk!]

    In truth, she was in a much better spotpared to what Sienna had went through. The only problem right now was the fact that Sherryl was mentally weaker than Sienna by a significant amount.

    If she had a strong grasp over her consciousness, he would have guided her like he had done with Sienna. She would have been able to direct the Mana within her body.

    However, a fundamental change had urred within Sherryl¡¯s body and mind. The shock had made her lose consciousness. It really highlighted how mentally strong Sienna was. However, he was dealing with Sherryl right now!

    [Ggoo-hooooooohk!]

    [You idiot¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You said I shouldn¡¯t tarnish the pledge made by a mermaid. However, you are the one tarnishing it right now!]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hahk!?]

    Artpe had been prattling on as he said all sorts of things. Surprisingly, Sherryl¡¯s eyes flew open, and she regained consciousness. Artpe was dumbfounded rather than being happy at the sight.

    ¡®What the hell is up with this pledge!¡¯

    [Master. I cannot inconvenience my master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    After regaining consciousness, she desperately grasped at her Mana. Her Mana had ignored the will of its owner up until now. It had gone on a rampage as it changed her body. However, she was able to briefly stop the progress of her Mana. Artpe seized the opportunity. He took hold of her Mana, and he led it down a new path.

    Of course, he had no idea where where this new path was. However, he knew the wrong answers. When he eliminated all the wrong paths, he was left with one!

    [Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    [Just shut up and follow my lead! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯s done!]

    There had been a tug of war within Sherryl¡¯s body over the flow of her Mana. In the end, Artpe was the winner.

    The ck grimoire worked ording to Artpe¡¯s will, so it was letting out Mana that was dyed purple. ording to the guidance of his Mana, Sherryl¡¯s Mana structure went through incremental changes. Slowly, it changed ording to Artpe¡¯s will.

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°Do it right now. I want you to give her the strongest blessing you can give!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    [Nyaaaaaht!]

    Roa and Sienna also used thest spurt of their powers, and they extracted the demonic gene from Sherryl¡¯s body. Artpe pushed out all the impurities, and he filled up her circuit with only her Mana. Then he slowly withdrew his own Mana. Sherryl also recognized his will, so she desperately tried to harmonize her mind and body.

    [Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ha-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    Thest of the demonic gene was expelled from Sherryl¡¯s body. Unlike before, her body was emitting a radiant light.

    [Ah ah. Ahhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°I think we seeded, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Be ready.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhh.]

    Artpe red fiercely as he readied himself if things got ugly. However, the light slowly faded away, and Sherryl slowly walked out of the light. He got aplete assessment regarding her status through his Read All Creation ability. He couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡®What the hell? Is this really happening again!?¡¯

    [Sherryl Anaid]

    [Genesis Mermaid]

    [Mermaid Queen]

    [Level : 139]

    How the hell do theye up with the name of these races?! Artpe took a step back as he tried hard not tough. As if she had been waiting for him to move, Sherryl took a step forward.

    [Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I give my thanks to you. Also, subjects of my kingdom.....]

    After suffering through enormous pain, she had found the right direction as she evolved. Her deep blue eyes were much mature than before. She looked at her surrounding. It was as if everyone was looking at her. The merfolk were all facing her, and they were taken aback.

    [My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The very first mermaid recorded in our kingdom¡¯s history is here!]

    [M...my queen¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    All the merfolk recognized Sherryl¡¯s form, and they all bowed their heads. Artpe wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but it seemed these fishes had another ancestral line besides the Ancient Mermaid. Aftering to this conclusion, he turned around.

    In truth, it didn¡¯t matter if Sherryl had be a Genesis Mermaid or a Chaos Mermaid. He just had to make sure she didn¡¯t suffer the fate of the Ancient Mermaid.

    His party and the merfolk had finished their level up. Moreover, Sherryl had evolved without any trouble.

    The most important thing right now was the looting of the Ancient Kraken.

 Chapter 83 - Is This Really Happening Again? (7)

    Chapter 83 - Is This Really Happening Again? (7)

    The members of the hero¡¯s party stood side by side as they looked down at the underwater stone grave. It had been aplete copse, and the corpse of the defeated Ancient Kraken remained within this grave. Yes, it was deep within.

    Maetel opened her mouth..

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m curious about one thing¡±

    ¡°What are you doing with your hand? Recently, you always seem to grab me before I even ask anything of you.¡±

    ¡°No way. I would never do that.¡±

    Maetel retracted the hand she had been sneakily extending towards him. She asked him a question.

    ¡°The Kraken is buried deep within the ocean, so how do we take it out and loot it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about using the great magic spell again. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Piii. I hate you, Artpe.¡±

    It was a grave mistake to think that Artpe would always be slow toe up with an answer. As more time passed, Maetel was starting toe after Artpe in a direct and open manner. He wouldn¡¯t easily give ground to Maetel!

    ¡®Now that I think about it she is 14 years old. Is it her puberty? In the past, I could just grab her hand, and she would smile all day.......¡¯

    She gradually wanted more and more from him. It seemed she was spooked when she saw women like Mycenae and Etna loiter around Artpe¡¯s vicinity. She became persistent in trying to seal the deal. Artpe didn¡¯t want toplicate his life any further, but if things progressed well like this.....

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I guess that won¡¯t be too bad. Huht!?¡¯

    In a sh, the mere fact that he was having such a thought made him want to bash his own head in with a hammer. He quickly turned around. He could confirm where the Kraken was buried, so he just had to use his magic spell.

    However, before he could do that....

    [I want you guys to head back first.]

    [We¡¯ll wait until master¡¯s work is done. We¡¯ll return together.]

    [When the buried Ancient Kraken is brought out, its Demonic gene will overtake all of you. If you want to see the merfolk suffer the same pain as you, do you as you please¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [If I¡¯m being truthful, I prefer that oue by arge margin.]

    Sherryl replied with a strong voice. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but after the light surrounding her disappeared, a small gem-like crystal letting out purple light had appeared on her forehead . It created an additional aura of mystery around her.

    [I know what was done before was wrong, but I¡¯m sure this is the primal source of energy. If master can share the demonic energy with me, I can adjust the energy, and I can lead my people down the right path. Master instructed me by showing me the right path. I¡¯ll depart this knowledge to my people.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    A deep purple light was being emitted from the forehead gem when Sherryl proimed her unequivocalmitment. This was apanied by new information being disyed in Artpe¡¯s eyes.

    [Sherryl Anaid]

    [Genesis Mermaid]

    [Mermaid Queen]

    [Level : 139]

    [Innate Ability : Race Command]

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    He never expected to see a day when a mermaid would awaken to an Innate Ability. He didn¡¯t reincarnate for nothing. Artpe burst out inughter when he saw something he never expected to see.

    One couldn¡¯t develop Innate Ability just because one was strong. It didn¡¯t matter if one was wise. It also wasn¡¯t an ability one could gain, because one was born from a good bloodline. Talent, experience, luck and Record must all be in harmony for one to have a chance of developing an Innate Ability.

    Moreover, her Innate Ability was called Race Command. It was a terrifying ability. If a human with this ability had shown up, he would probably be able to newly write history by creating a unified empire.

    Artpe once again had a hunch that he had caused this trouble. This situation might progress into something enormous. It couldn¡¯t bepared to the time when he had saved Sienna.

    ¡®If she is able to advance the other merfolk without a hitch.... No one will be able to ignore them just because they are merfolk. This is turning interesting.¡¯

    Yes,it was true that a variable had shown up on the Demon King¡¯s side. There would be no downside if one or two variables appeared on his side. He put on a fairly confident expression, and he willingly epted the request made by his first familiar.

    [All right. I want you to take this as far as you can. However, if it turns out weird like the Ancient Mermaids, I¡¯ll personally end them.]

    [I won¡¯t let master lift a finger. If that happens, I¡¯ll kill them myself.]

    [You are good at talking.]

    Artpe snorted as he once again turned towards where the Kraken was buried. He put away the grimoire, which had fulfilled its role. He didn¡¯t take out the Demite¡¯s Gemstone either. He just raised his hand, and he set a simr magical circle like before.

    When she saw this, Sienna tilted her head in confusion. She queried Artpe.

    ¡°Oppa, you gathered an incredible amount of Mana before.... Even if you¡¯ve leveled up, are you sure you have enough? Shall I lend you my Mana?¡±

    Despite Sienna¡¯s worry, he just pointed towards the location in front of him with a smirk on his face. It was the location where he had activated the great magic.

    He had activated a great magic called God Flush to end the Kraken, and the traces of the magic circle still remained there. Of course, it could only be seen by people like Artpe and Sienna, who possessed supreme gift in dealing with Mana.

    ¡°There is an advantage in using magic through a magic circle. This is especially true when the Mana is undisturbed. When one uses the same spell in the same location, the Mana consumption drops below halfpared to before.¡±

    ¡°I see.... Then we should be careful in locations where our enemies created a magic circle?¡±

    ¡°No, you can use your unique Mana to disrupt the Mana flow. You can erase the magic circle. I¡¯ll exin in more detailter.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    In the past, Maetel had shown an instinctive ability to do this very thing. She had taken control of the surrounding magic, so no other magic could be activated near her. However, he didn¡¯t expect Sienna to possess such genius talent. The fact that there were already two heroes was already causing him a headache.

    ¡°So¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The mystery that fell from the sky. The cradle of creation.¡±

    After he finished giving the short magic lesson, he started chanting the magic spell. It was the exact same incantation he had used against the Kraken! Matel btedly tried to stop him.

    ¡°Wait a moment. If you create another whirlpool, wouldn¡¯t it bury the corpse further? Wouldn¡¯t it be harder for us to take it out!?¡±

    ¡°No. This magic spell has two patterns for activation.¡±

    The first was a downward flush. What was the second pattern?

    Maetel easily figured out the answer to his question.

    ¡°It surges upwards¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Flow backward, God Flush!¡±

    In a sh, the magic circle let out a brilliant light. In the next moment, a silence that had been observed once before descended on the party. However, Artpe¡¯s party had experienced this magic once before. They knew it was the silence before the storm. He didn¡¯t say anything, yet Maetel and Sienna clung to him.

    Then the spell arrived.

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gushing! The rocks are soaring upwards!¡±

    Water sprang up from a ce deeper than the ocean floor. The surging water crushed the pile of stones into dust, and the dust covered the entire region.

    Of course, Artpe had already expected this to happen, so he protected his party with a barrier he prepared beforehand. This God Flush was being used to bring out the corpse of the Kraken. He didn¡¯t need to invest too much Mana into this spell. This was why he had plenty of Mana left to create a barrier.

    [I...it ising out.]

    [Huge¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is toorge..]

    [How dreadful. Is that really its corpse? Is it really dead?]

    Soon, the Kraken¡¯s corpse appeared alongside the surging water and rocks. Since it had been infused with Demonic energy, it had been thoroughly beaten with holy power. It was also swept up in the surge water after being flushed down before. Its corpse was in tatters. It was in worse condition than the Kraken that had been beaten to death by the Hellfire Sentinel.

    ¡°Is it because it was sealed away for a long time? Wow. Its body waspletely destroyed.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do with it, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It is something you like the most¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Maetel¡¯s eyes gleamed.

    ¡°I can eat it!?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe solemnly nodded his head as he answered her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that you¡¯ll never be able to eat a normal octopus again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take us about 100 years to eat it all......¡±

    [Nyaaaaaa.]

    Artpe¡¯s party earnestly talked about the meals they would have during their travels. While they were doing so, Sherryl had gathered the merfolk in one location. She chose merfolk with potential and qualification.

    [I ask this of the merfolk that had advanced from the previous battle. Are you ready to return to your primal form?]

    [Queen¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ We are willing!]

    [Her majesty have already walked the path. We will willingly follow in your footsteps!]

    Candidates were selected in short order. When she nodded her head, the rest of the merfolk moved to the back She extended one hand. All the demonic energy that was flowing out into the ocean waters were gathered towards her.

    Sherryl wasn¡¯t the Greed Beast Roa, yet she was able to control the demonic energy. She possessed an Innate ability called Race Command, and there were abilities that came from being a Genesis Mermaid. It would have been impossible for her to do this if not for these conditions.

    [At the end of your pain, I¡¯ll be waiting for all of you. We will return to a form that we were unable to regain for a very long time. My master revived this Record, and it is our duty to propagate it.]

    [Ggooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Koo-hahhhhhhhhhk!]

    When the demonic energy flowed into their bodies, the merfolk let out horrible screams as they writhed. The result was the same as Sherryl from before. However, a bright light was emitted from Sherryl¡¯s forehead gem, and she was able to freely control the demonic energy that had settled within their body.

    [Oh primal energy. Guide those that obey me through the right path!]

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t care if the merfolk were starting a new mythos. He started looting the Ancient Kraken in earnest. The first thing he had to do was put away the broken altar.

    ¡°The Kraken, temple fragments and altar fragments are all gathered in one ce. All right. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Aht! I saw that before in sunbae-nim¡¯s Dungeon!¡±

    ¡°You are reallyte in noticing it.¡±

    Originally, the altar was supposed to suck in all the Mana and Record making up the temple. It was supposed to impart the Mana and Record into the Skill book and Spell book. However, Artpe had unintentionally broken the altar first. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the altar would lose its significance. He won¡¯t be able to use the Skill Book and Spell Book.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m already well acquainted with the Mana patterns of sunbae-nim¡¯s magic spells. I¡¯ll be able to reverse engineer it with no problems....¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°I can feel the Mana being concentrated within the altar..... Yes, I see. That is why the temple fell.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t respond to Maetel¡¯s words. He grinned as he ced both hands on the altar, and he concentrated. When the temple fell, the Mana couldn¡¯t find its owner. It rampaged as it spread into the surrounding. However, the Mana was starting to gather within the altar at Artpe¡¯s guidance!

    That wasn¡¯t the end. The Mana and Record were sucked out from the Kraken¡¯s corpse and the temple fragments. It was all absorbed into the Skill book and Spell book.

    How long had it been since he started to pull the Mana from his surrounding? All the light within the surrounding dimmed a little bit. As a result, the brilliant light around the Spell book and Skill book became apparent. The reward he could earn from the Kraken decreased by a little bit, but it was a small price to pay for strengthening their skills.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. Grab it, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°It feels as if Artpe is feeding me...... I wish it was the reverse.¡±

    The Skill book had the ability to strengthen Maetel¡¯s Record Divide. The Spell book had the ability to strengthen Artpe¡¯s Mana String. He had been using the cheat-like spell as his main spell up until now. He felt a flutter at the prospect of his spell being strengthened. The Spell book was absorbed into his body, and he waited for a change....

    For some reason, the change never came to him.

    ¡°Huh. Did it fail?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Artpe. We¡¯ve been seeding at everything up until now. It is ok to fail once.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for consoling me, but there is no way this should have failed... Huh?¡±

    He checked with his Read All Creation ability, but he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong. There had been too much change within him, so it was hard for him to figure out what had gone wrong in the middle. Artpe felt very leery about the situation, but Maetel didn¡¯t make any fuss about it. Therefore, he decided to overlook it for now.

    ¡°Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll be sure to get my revenge against that sunbae bastard.¡±

    ¡°Sunbae-nim probably never expected the altar to be pulled out in the middle of the process.¡±

    He had a dirty feeling. It was as if he hadn¡¯t brushed his teeth.

    Artpe destroyed the altar, which was of no use to him now. Then he started to loot the Kraken.

    It was funny, but the loot that popped out was exactly four in number. One particr item caught his eyes.

    ¡°Level 291 Boss monster¡¯s magic stone¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had consumed the level 267 monster¡¯s magic stone already. This acquisition soothed his heart.

    Somehow, he couldn¡¯t erase the thought that this was a zero-sum game, but this item¡¯s level was much higher. He would be able to put it to better use. He firmed his resolve. He would Reinforce the Artifacts with it. He put the magic stone away.

    When he looked over the rest of the loot, he found a ck bastard sword, a ck helmet, and an enormous tower shield, which gave off a bad feeling with its uneven surface. They were all made out of a ck metal.

    ¡°We did our best to hunt down a strong monster, yet there is nothing here that Artpe can use.¡±

    For some reason, Maetel looked dejected. Artpe smirked as he stroked her head.

    ¡°The fact that our vanguard gets stronger means the probability of us winning in a battle increases. So don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll be able to swap out your bastard sword now.¡±

    She switched between a bastard sword and a long sword depending on the situation. She had been swinging this particr bastard sword since she was 12 years old. No matter how much he Reinforced it, there was a limit to its function based on the item¡¯s basic stat. She was able to acquire an absurdly reliable weapon here.

    ¡°Yes. I will protect Artpe with this sword.¡±

    ¡°Sp I have to use this helmet and shield?¡±

    ¡°It might be a bit stuffy, but this is for your safety. There will also be less men bothering you, since they won¡¯t be able to see your beauty.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, it is embarrassing if you say stuff like that.¡±

    Sienna behaved herself as she blushed. She took pleasure in hispliment. Maetel used to be like this........

    ¡°Ah. There is something we have to do before you guys can take it.¡±

    Roa had been obediently held in Artpe¡¯s bosom as she missed out on the appetizing demonic energy of the Kraken. She had been grinding her teeth at the lost opportunity. He brought her forward, and he ordered her with a stern voice.

    ¡°I want you to suck out all the curse within the Artifacts. What a nasty piece of work. It ced traps on the Artifacts even in its death.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa nyaa-ah nyaa.]

    She said she would be satisfied for now. Roa gave a coy reply as she opened her mouth. All the curse was sucked into her mouth. The only thing left were artifacts that had turned pure-white.

    ¡°That thick darkness was all cursed Mana!?¡±

    ¡°My shield turned pretty!¡±

    Artpe smirked when he saw that his party members loved the Artifacts they received. After divvying up the loot, he turned around. Sherryl had done well. She had been sessful in leading the merfolk towards being a primal race. A mature aura like the one surround Sherryl emanated from the newly born merfolk

    He had no idea if the merfolk would sinkpletely. Maybe, they might float to the top by taking advantage of this new possibility¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ At the very least, he was sure that Sherryl Anaid would stand center in the middle of history. At this fact, he felt an emotion that was hard to pin down. He let out a sigh.

    He had acquired a lot of things, but it truly was time for them to leave towards Aedia.

 Chapter 84 - A Wrong Encounter (1)

    Chapter 84 - A Wrong Encounter (1)

    [Master, you are the one that told me to keep to my oath.]

    [I don¡¯t remember giving such orders. My personal assistant did it.]

    [Master, you don¡¯t have a personal assistant. I¡¯ll be master¡¯s personal assistant!]

    His party hadpletely erased the dark cloud hanging of the the mermaid kingdom of Anaid. On top of that, they had caught two Krakens. They even gained Achievement he hadn¡¯t wanted to aplish.

    He was about to shrug everything off as his party left for Aedia. However, there was one obstacle left. After all the disturbance subsided, Sherryl Anaid had received the support of all the merfolk to be queen. She was the Genesis Mermaid Queen.

    [The favor I received from master was indescribablyrge. You hadn¡¯t just saved my life. You revived the glory of the merfolk, which had been long forgotten. You guided me...... That is why I am going to throw everything away. It is my turn to follow you, master!]

    [What about the merfolk? You did your best to turn over a new leaf for your people.]

    Sherryl¡¯s Innate ability and the demonic energy of the Kraken were used splendidly to create more Genesis Mermaids and Mermen. He gestured towards the new elite troops as he spoke.

    [You don¡¯t have to worry about them.]

    Sherryl pounded her chest as if that would be of no problem. Her breasts jiggled so much that Artpe was getting distracted. He wanted to ask her to stop, but if he spoke those words, he had no idea what kind of punishment he would receive from Maetel.

    [They were reborn as primal merfolk. They can rule supreme in this ocean, and they will be able to improve. I will stay by master¡¯s side, and I will assist you. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is day or night. I will give my body and mind all to you!]

    [I don¡¯t need your mind, and I really don¡¯t need your body....]

    At Artpe¡¯s rejection, tears started to fall from herrge eyes. Purple light shed from her forehead gem, and at the same time, she yelled out.

    [In truth, I need you, master!]

    [Damn it.]

    He had noticed this when he guided Sienna to be the Evil Reflector. In the process of bing a new race, Sienna and Sherryl seemed to have developed a sense of loyalty and awe towards him.

    The proof was seen in the merfolk. Sherryl clung to Artpe, and in a simr manner, the merfolk were clinging to their queen!

    [You can¡¯t, my queen! Please stay with us and lead us!]

    [We cannot lose your highness!]

    [That human¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am fully aware that our kingdom has found peace through the work of this human, but we cannot let you go with him!]

    [I¡¯m sorry, but this has to do with the oath of a mermaid. It can¡¯t be helped.]

    Sherryl was holding onto Artpe, and the merfolk were holding onto Sherryl. The situation was the highest manifestation of chaos.

    Maetel¡¯s expression indicated that she really didn¡¯t like Sherryl. However, the mermaid was powerful, and she was insisting on following them. She couldn¡¯t reject Sherryl in front of her face. Maetel struggled with her feelings. Sienna had been in a simr position as Sherryl in the past, and she was pretty fond of Sherryl. That was why she had a big smile on her face. Roa was too busy eating the demonic energy she had been given permission to eat.

    [Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Not a chance, Sherryl. You will attract more attention than us. Moreover, you are very strong, but you are still toocking to travel with us.]

    [How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Sherryl despaired.

    Good. It was effective! Artpe pushed forward.

    [Sienna is level 247, and she has the lowest level amongst us. She is higher than you by over 100 levels.]

    [B...but master.... Thanks to master¡¯s blessing I was able to evolve, and I awakened to a power that transcends my level!]

    [Yes. However, your ability is specialized. It allows you to control the merfolk. It isn¡¯t particrly useful when facing a monster. Are you confident that you will be able to kill a level 200 monster by yourself?]

    Artpe¡¯s mercilessment brought tears to Sherryl¡¯s eyes. However, truth was always cruel. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he continued to speak.

    [That is why you should do tasks you are most suited for. You¡¯ve already given me plenty of help in the process of killing the Kraken. The only thing left is to assign me someone that can guide me to Aedia. We are humans, and you are a mermaid. Our paths diverges here, so let¡¯s cleanly part ways.]

    [Master, you are cruel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. The fact that I can¡¯t refute your words makes me more upset.]

    Sherryl¡¯s head fell when she was continuously attacked with the truth. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he watched her. He suddenly had an idea, so he spoke to her.

    [Let¡¯s do this.]

    [What is it?]

    Sherryl immediately raised her head. Her reaction was so fast that he wondered if she had been waiting for this.

    [This isn¡¯t just about the merfolk of this ocean. Whether it is this continent or a different one, I want you to rule all the merfolk of this world. I¡¯ve already killed all the Krakens here, and I¡¯ve eliminated all the demonic energy in this region. Is there a reason why you have to cling to this ce? That is why I want you to go on a crusade.]

    [Crusade¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [It isn¡¯t just about the merfolk. I want you to kill any monsters of the ocean that refuses to listen to you. If the monster is strong, I want you to swarm and kill it. If they agree to listen to your words, you can bring them under yourmand. I want you to snatch up everyone within the ocean. In other words, I want you to be the empress of the ocean. When you achieve this, you¡¯ll have nothing left to do in this ocean, right?]

    [That will take a very long time to aplish, but you are right......]

    [Your level will have increased by then.]

    [You are talking about something that is absurdly far-off, but you are correct again.]

    Artpe let out the smile that was peculiar to a swindler. He spoke to her.

    [At that time, I¡¯ll allow you to join my party]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you want me to absorb all the merfolk of the ocean into my kingdom. On top of that, you want me to be the ruler of the ocean¡¯s monsters. Is this what you are saying?]

    [Yes.]

    At that point, Artpe had another thought. Normally when he made such a request, his opponents spouted words like, ¡®How can I do that! It is an unfair deal! Let¡¯s terminate the contract!¡¯ However, his opponent was the mermaid Sherryl. She had already sworn her life to him. If it¡¯s her, maybe......

    [Hoo.]

    As expected, Sherryl let out a rxed smile as she nodded her head!

    [All right. I¡¯ll do it. I thought you were going to ask me to go kill the Demon King. If that¡¯s all you want me to do, I can do it. I¡¯ll even raise my level higher than master¡¯s level. When Ie looking for you, you shouldn¡¯t be mean to me.]

    [I guess it is great that you are full of confidence......]

    Genesis Mermaid. It was a truly frightening race.

    Artpe let out a bitterugh as he turned around. A ck cat was stuck close to the corpse of the enormous Kraken, and she was sucking out the enormous amount of demonic energy residing within the dead Kraken. Her tail was swooshing back and forth. He lightly flicked her tail with his finger. She turned around with a scrunched up face. It was as if she was telling him not to interfere while she was eating.

    [Nyaa!]

    ¡°Roa, are you satisfied by what you ate?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°You are still hungry? You¡¯ve already used this ploy on me before.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    After she endured through the wait, she had been enjoying her buffet time. However, he was trying to restrict her meal again! Roa pulled back with a sullen expression on her face.

    Artpe took out a regr empty potion sk, and he Reinforced it three times. In a sh, he created a magic reagent storage bottle. He pushed it towards Sherryl.

    [You¡¯ll probably have a use for this in the future. You can harvest it.]

    [I¡¯m honored.]

    Sherryl took the sk, and she approached the enormous corpse of the Ancient Kraken. She pull out all its demonic energy, and she stored it within the sk.

    She refined the demonic energy as she extracted it from the Kraken. By the time the sk was full, there wasn¡¯t a single drop of demonic energy left within the corpse. Artpe mumbled to himself, He had a satisfied expression on his face.

    ¡°It is safe for us to eat it now.¡±

    ¡°What is the best way to eat an octopus¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Unni, I heard that it is tasty stuffed within a bread.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah. Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    Artpe let his party members get into another debate about how they should cook the octopus. While they were debating, he meticulously looked over the Ancient Kraken¡¯s corpse.

    In the end, he took the hooks that were nestled within the suction cups, and he took all its ink. He confirmed that there was nothing left that were of any worth. The remaining parts could only be used as food ingredients. He confidently butchered the corpse. He left 90% of the corpse in ce, and he put away the rest into his Dimensional Pouch.

    He only took 10%, but there was enough to eat for 10 years.

    [Since your kingdom went through a war, you are probably short on food. Since you took out the poisonous energy, you can be at ease. You can feed your people with this.]

    [Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I don¡¯t know how I will be able to repay all of your kindness.]

    He acted as if he didn¡¯t care about her at all, yet at the most crucial moment, he showed her his benevolence! At his words, Sherryl became deeply moved. In truth, Artpe wasn¡¯t confident his party could eat all of it, so he was leaving it behind. However, he just let her think whatever she wanted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I can do here. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We are going to go meet our new party member?¡±

    [Nyaa-ah.]

    [Let¡¯s go.]

    [No way.]

    They had finallye to an agreement, yet Sherryl nonchntly tried to bury herself within Artpe¡¯s party. Artpe violently kicked Sherryl out. However, a genuine smile formed on her face as she retorted. When he first met her, he would have never imagined seeing such an expression on her face.

    [You have told me to conquer the ocean. As soon as I heard those words, I gave orders to the merfolk. Of course, some of those under my rule will be swept up by the Lunatic Wave. However, those that aren¡¯t influenced by the Lunatic Wave will outnumber those that are influenced. Basically, my elite force has already started their conquest of this ocean.]

    [What?]

    [The overall task might take a good amount of time, but it won¡¯t take too long to conquer this side of the ocean. As you probably know, the monsters near Diaz is.... They are very weak.]

    This fact could be confirmed just by seeing the merfolk residing here. They were a race that had established a kingdom, yet the strongest one amongst them was Sherryl at level 139! She was only at that level after going through much growth.

    In such an environment, the hero¡¯s party had somehowe across Krakens and other strange monsters. They were very unlucky!

    [So what?]

    [I have nothing to do here. If I¡¯m near my people, their morale will rise, but these are monsters they can defeat without me. That is why I have time to guide you myself.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    He wanted to refute her words, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth to denounce her when he saw her twinkling eyes.

    [I just want to serve you a little bit longer... May I not?]

    [Ughh.]

    It had always been like this even his past life. He was weak when a woman truly spoke from the bottom of her heart. It was the main reason he had died in vain as one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He always wanted to fix this trait, yet it was easier said than done. If he could have fixed it, he wouldn¡¯t have be the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.

    [Eh-whew.]

    In the end, he let out a sigh. He nodded his head.

    [All right. The ocean road isn¡¯t that long. Let¡¯s go together.]

    [Thank you, master! I will serve you to the best of my abilities! I¡¯ll get you to your destination faster than anyone else can!]

    [Your monologue makes me a bit nervous. I¡¯m guessing I can¡¯t just pay you off with money......]

    He had already epted Sherryl joining the party. When he turned around, Maetel was waiting for him. She was glowering at him. Artpe put on a small smile as he shook his head. Maetel spoke.

    ¡°Punishment.¡±

    Artpepletely ignored her words. He yelled out in a refreshing manner.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Punishment. I¡¯ll carry it out when Artpe is sleeping. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯ll be as I¡¯ve always done.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a moment. What did you just say? Hey. Hey!¡±

    Maetel no longer said anything. Artpe wonder if he should set rm spells and trap spells before he slept in the future. As he seriously thought about it, he stepped onto the Road of Mermaids. Sienna and Roa followed next. Sherryl followed from the rear of the party. Countless merfolk wailed as they saw their queen go out for an excursion.

    Two months passed.

    ¡°I kinda expected this, but why the hell would an underwater Dungeon suddenly appear here!¡±

    [This is quite strange. This is a Dungeon that had never been found before!]

    ¡°Artpe, this Dungeon is fun! The space here is upside down!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, there is another staircase here.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaa!]

    Their path always seemed to be derailed. Another three months passed as they faced more trial and tribtion. They were barely able to arrive at Aedia¡¯s port town called Bta.

    It waste winter, and the party members felt the biting cold wind on their skin. It was the winter when Artpe and Maetel turned 15 years old.

 Chapter 85 - A Wrong Encounter (2)

    Chapter 85 - A Wrong Encounter (2)

    Aedia was the most advanced nation on this continent in regards to Magical Engineering. In truth, it wasn¡¯t just Magical Engineering. They performed extensive research on traditional magic, ck magic, dimensional magic, and other disciplines...... If he was being blunt, Aedia was the headquarter of magical studies. If one wanted to discuss magic on this continent, it all started and ended at Aedia.

    ¡°Then there is the holy nation of Pdia that is on the opposite of Aedia. Aedia and Pdia are separated by two oceans and a continent. This is true for all the temples spread across the continent, and the priests and holy knights associated with these temples. They are all affiliated with Pdia.¡±

    ¡°So what is Diaz famous for, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Diaz isn¡¯t known for anything. The only thing they can do is create buttered corn cobs.¡±

    He wanted to ask her how she couldn¡¯t have missed this fact when witnessing the mess within Diaz. However, he held himself back from speaking. When Maetel heard his words, she became a little bit sullen. He let out a bitterugh as he spoke again.

    ¡°However, you were born there, so that should be enough for Diaz.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah. You can¡¯t stay stuff like that so suddenly.¡±

    The nation¡¯s power was weak, and the monsters that appeared within its borders were weak. Even the amount of ambient Mana within Diaz was low. However, heroes continued to be born there for some reason. He had been trying to convey this fact, yet he seemed to have delivered it in a misleading fashion. It had truly been a long time since Maetel¡¯s cheeks had turned red from embarrassment.

    He had been telling her facts, and if she derived pleasure from his words, he decided to leave it as is. He turned around to look at hispanion, who had travelled with his party. In the past five month, the Genesis Mermaid Queen Sherryl Anaid had broken through level 200. Of course, everyone within Artpe¡¯s party increased rapidly in level, so this was nothing new.

    ¡°Thank you for everything up until now, Sherryl.¡±

    In the past, she still had some traces baby fat on her face. However, her beauty hadpletely ripened. The mermaid Sherryl¡¯s mere presence let out a dazzling and brilliant light. She spoke with a voice full of regret. Artpe answered her.

    ¡°From this point on, it is human territory. I can no longer serve you.¡±

    In the past 5 months, her appearance and level weren¡¯t the only parts that had gone through a change. As she evolved, her intelligent had increased. This especially affected her understanding of Mana and the fundamental understanding of the other races on this continent. She was able to make rapid progress.

    One of the results was her ability to learnnguages. In the past, she had only been able to speak thenguage of the merfolk. Now she spoke the humannguage. She was able tomunicate with her party members with no restrictions.

    ¡°You are pushing it already by following me this far. Hurry up and go back.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to serve you for a while. I can¡¯t be by your side, master. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll find sce in my life¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°There are thousands of merfolk waiting for your return. What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Jeez. It didn¡¯t work.¡±

    Sherryl replied in a yful manner. She moved like a wave moving across a seashore. She casually approached him. She ced a gentle kiss on his cheek, then she retreated. It was a gesture that contained her loyalty and affection.

    ¡°I will wait for the day when I will get to serve you again. I¡¯ll be back with the ocean in my hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m d you¡¯ve be so imposing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Sherryl unni.¡±

    ¡°You would have been a great mermaid if you hadn¡¯t wagged your tail at Artpe. When we meet again, please bring a husband with you.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Each party member gave their farewell in their own unique way. Sherryl gave a warm smile to everyone except Maetel. Sparks flew as Sherryl responded to Maetel.

    ¡°You better make your move before I return. By that time, you won¡¯t hold a candle to me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ho-oh. You¡¯ve really be brave.¡±

    He decided this was their way of saying goodbye to each other. Artpe decided to believe in that. If not, he couldn¡¯t bear the heartburn it would cause.

    ¡°I¡¯m really going to go now.¡±

    She had been standing at the edge of the pier. She lightly jumped backwards. Her body turned into bubbles, and the bubbles melted into the ocean water. She wasn¡¯t dead. It was one of the the spells she had gained as a Genesis Mermaid.

    When she used the spell, Sherryl could travel through the ocean at speeds that was unfathomable by humans. When he saw this, Artpe wondered if he had revived a truly terrifying race.

    Maetel was grinding her teeth as she observed everything.

    ¡°Why is Artpe so popr! Wh! Why! All the women like Artpe. Aren¡¯t there any other men on this world besides Artpe?!¡±

    As someone who liked Artpe the most, she wasn¡¯t qualified to say those words. Artpe gave a suitable reply.

    ¡°You are also popr. In fact, Silpennon likes you. He¡¯s a former prince of a nation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else. I only need Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She was 15 years old now, yet she kept saying things that were unbing of a hero. Unlike her wrongheadedness, her body was growing at a ridiculous speed. Anyone who saw her right now would think she was a grown adult.

    This was especially true when her breasts and butt were disyed when she took off her armor. There was no way her Innate Ability would influence her in such a way, but they were so full....

    ¡°Artpe? Why did you headbutt that pole?¡±

    ¡°This is another form of meditation. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to heal you, oppa?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤thank you.¡±

    Unlike Maetel, who tempted Artpe with worldly desires at the sight of her, Sienna was still at the cusp of being adulthood. Her growth was also fast, and she also had a nice body. However, she was growing at a more conscientious pace than Maetel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±

    ¡°It seems there are no boats here, since it is winter.¡±

    ¡°They built fouryers of barrier walls here. However, it seems the 1st and 2nd barrier wall werepletely destroyed.¡±

    It was easy to forget right now, but they were still in the midst of the Lunatic Wave. The humans didn¡¯t open their docks until spring. It wasn¡¯t until Mana filled up the ocean once again. Of course, Sherryl was conducting her crusade, so the number of monster attacking this ce should have decreased. However, the humans were unaware of this fact.

    ¡°The city doesn¡¯t have a lot of people either.¡±

    ¡°Winter is a really lonely season.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    Even if the city didn¡¯t have an active poption, they would have been noticed since they had just popped out of the ocean. However, Artpe¡¯s party was using a consumable Artifact they had acquired within the underwater Dungeon. It was called the Ocean Jelly. This was why they were hidden from prying eyes right now.

    Ocean Jelly was an item acquired when they defeated monsters that looked like jellyfishes. It was a treasure that hid anyone that ate the Ocean Jelly. The best characteristic of this consumable Artifact was the fact that the camouge became moreplete depending on how much Mana one possessed.

    This was obvious, but no one in this city.....no one in this nation had the capability to discover them.

    Moreover, Artpe and Maetel was encroaching on level 280.

    After defeating the Ancient Kraken, Artpe¡¯s party had been on the road to Aedia for the past five months.

    It wasn¡¯t as good as receiving expert attention from the chef. However, it made one wonder why it was like this under the ocean.

    That monster was inside the ocean? That monster was here too? Why is that bastard here? He had to ask these questions to himself, because he kept facing powerful monsters one after another. He kept finding Dungeons crawling with monsters. Naturally, the average level of the hero¡¯s party went up as a result.

    Artpe and Maetel had crossed the level 260 mark after killing the Ancient Kraken. They had almost increased 20 levels since then.

    ¡°Mmm. At this rate, I think we might be able to invade the Demon world......¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡±

    ¡°Heek.¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah!]

    Artpe was half serious as he mumbled to himself. However, Maetel¡¯s eyes immediately twinkled when she heard his words. She yelled out loud. Sienna became a bit scared, so she stuck close to Artpe. The one that gave the most enthusiastic response was Roa. The Demon world was full of curses and Demonic energy that Roa would go nuts over.

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t ready yet. Let¡¯s stick to our original schedule.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°Artpe, you are being too cautious. But that side of you is wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Up until now, you¡¯ve escaped dangerous situations way too easily. I think that is why you arecking a sense of crisis. Even if you think you can¡¯t be killed, a single mistake could kill a humans. No, this applies to all beings.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe had lightly thrown those words at her, but it shut Maetel¡¯s mouth up.

    What was she thinking?

    When Maetel kept her mouth, her mature looks made Artpe sometimes think about the hero from the past. He also became silent as he looked at the side of Maetel¡¯s face.

    Finally, she opened her mouth.

    ¡°I was being too rash. Artpe is trying so hard to protect me. I said we should go to the Demon world, because I didn¡¯t want more women to join our party.... I¡¯m an idiot. I know Artpe is amazing, so I put all my trust in this fact. I acted childish by asking for the impossible.¡±

    ¡°Is that really the only reason why you wanted us to go to the Demon world immediately!?¡±

    ¡°But all the new members of our party are women¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel stopped beating herself up. She pouted. However, she soon shook her head, and she clung to Artpe¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I won¡¯tin anymore. Artpe can do whatever you see fit to do. You can bring 10 or even 20 women. If I¡¯m the first amongst them, I can tolerate it.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t all women.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡±

    Color immediately returned to Maetel¡¯s face.

    ¡°I hope he is a handsome man! He should be handsome enough to make the magician fall in love with him!¡±

    ¡°Very. I heard a rumor that said he is very handsome. I¡¯m not sure if he would be in favor of joining our party or not¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°He must be really famous if there are rumors about him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±

    He was the next candidate Artpe wanted to bring into his party. He was so famous that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for Artpe, who was from the secluded mountain vige of Diaz, to have heard about him. The only problem was he had no idea if he could make the man join his party without a hitch.

    This man had been in the hero¡¯s party in Artpe¡¯s past life. He was such a strange figure that he had no idea how the hero¡¯s party had been able to bring him in......

    ¡°It might be, because Maetel¡¯s appearance.¡±

    ¡°Im not that pretty. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to pick him up.¡±

    ¡°You are so full of it everytime you say such words. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The effect of the Ocean Jelly wasn¡¯t infinite. He didn¡¯t think there was anyone within the city that could see through their camouge, but there was no downside in being cautious.

    He thought about going ind as fast as possible. Moreover, he had some business he had to deal with next......

    As he had such thoughts, Artpe turned his head, and he discovered someone had encroached with the range of his Read All Creation ability. Artpe immediately grabbed his party members, and he used Blink. In a sh, they traveled several hundred meters. They arrived at the heart of the city where there were a lot of people.

    ¡°Artpe, why did you suddenly..... Huh.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤unni, you felt it too?¡±

    Instead of answering her, Maetel narrowed her eyes as she got into her fighting stance. Sienna did the same. Artpe tried to use Blink again, but he heard a voice before he could do so.

    [Found. Camouge status. No ill or murderous intent. Be wary of the nobatants.]

    When he heard the voice, Artpe gave up on using Blink again. His shoulders slumped as hemented.

    ¡°Why now? Why here?¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I don¡¯t know the answers even if you ask me those questions.... Ah. Shall I kill the gods for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please do so.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s earnest voice, Maetel let out a bright smile as she nodded her head. She brought up her finger like an aunty wanting a freebie when buying fish. She pointed at the throw-in as she asked him a question.

    ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°Ah. You can¡¯t kill her..¡±

    ¡°Found. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤strong. Battle.... No chance of winning. Impossible to run. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤attempt conversation.¡±

    She spoke in a voice that was hard to understand. A brat wearing a robe was slowly walking towards them. Artpe checked her once again. He let out a sigh as he spoke.

    ¡°She¡¯s our next party member.¡±

    She had been the previous hero party¡¯s strongest firepower. It was the moment when they encountered the magician Regina.

 Chapter 86 - A Wrong Encounter (3)

    Chapter 86 - A Wrong Encounter (3)

    ¡°Mmm? Did I leave the fire on at home?¡±

    ¡°My wife is nearing the end of her pregnancy. I shouldn¡¯t be going to the pub right now.¡±

    ¡°The war shouldn¡¯t affect this ce, but there is no downside in being careful.......¡±

    The surrounding people were slowly vacating the street. The people had not sensed the grave mood of the party. They weren¡¯t exiting, because they were being courteous. A powerful magic had taken control of their perception. A powerful suggestion was being hammered against them. It said, ¡®If you don¡¯t immediately go into a building, something really bad will happen.¡¯

    It was basically akin to assassinating the will of hundreds, maybe thousands of humans. It wasn¡¯t something a normal human could pull off. Even an Archmage over level 300 would have a hard time aplishing this spell. Yes, it was a show of power that suited the Demon race.

    However, the magician that created such a grand sight didn¡¯t pay attention to the retreating humans.

    She red straight at Artpe. She was on guard against him.

    ¡°You are powerful. You possess an authority that cannot be resisted against...... What is your purpose ining to thisnd?¡±

    The small girl¡¯s face slightly crumpled when she felt Artpe¡¯s magical energy. However, she didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, she asked him a question. There was fear and a slight hostility towards him. The weakest emotion he could feel was curiosity.

    Somehow, he had to establish an amicable rtionship with this girl. However, Artpe had no idea how he would be able to achieve this. A sigh automatically slipped out. If the amount of times he sighed corresponded with his wealth, he would probably be ranked as one of the richest man on this continent.

    Why did he have to achieve his goal as soon as he came ashore? Moreover, it happened in the worst possible way! In his past life, this girl should have been in her tower at this point in time. She should be in her room spending her day in a tedious and boring manner....

    However, this only applied to the girl from his previous life. The flow of history was running in apletely different direction now. He was already well aware of this fact. She was the ultimate reason why he had stepped onto thisnd, so it shouldn¡¯t have been strange to see the Archmage Regina reside in this port city.

    ¡°Oppa, are you sure it is this kid? She¡¯s really small.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤she is small. Is she perhaps another rival? No, Artpe said I should grow quickly.... What should I do? I¡¯m so confused!¡±

    Sienna and Maetel started to prattle on to their heart¡¯s content. However, their words didn¡¯t reach Artpe¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t visible, but he was too busypeting with the girl with Mana.

    Up until now, no one had been able topete with Artpe in terms of how much Mana one possessed. The fact that she could contend directly with him in terms of magical energy meant he didn¡¯t even need to bother gauging her ability. She was one of the best.

    ¡®Yes, her abilities were alreadyplete to a certain degree at this point in time. That is why I wanted to join up with her as soon as possible......¡¯

    In his past life, the magician Regina was in charge of AOE damage dealing within the hero¡¯s party. When the hero¡¯s party invaded into the Demon King¡¯s castle, she still possessed her small physique.

    She was currently wearing a simr robe to Artpe. The ck robe covered her entire body, and the hood was covering her face. No matter how much one tried to look at her face, one could only see her golden eyes. A normal person would not have paid attention to her. She looked like a small kid wearing a musty robe.

    However, it was different for Artpe. In front of his eyes, no one could avoid his observation.

    He could see her. He could see the magician Regina. Her face, slender body, Record and her nature was revealed to him.

    [Name : Regina De Patreta Elocants Rodelrote]

    [ss : Winter Magician]

    [Level L 250]

    [Strength : 125 Agility : 125 Stamina : 125 Magic : 1,750]

    ¡®She has 1,750 Magic at level 250. It is immense even after seeing it once before.¡¯

    Of course, Artpe has reached level 280, so his Magic was close to 2,300. It was too simplistic to say that he was much stronger than her. Artpe possessed the special magical energy of a Hero ss, and he had learned numerous skills. He had also inherited the Mana characteristics of a Demon. This was why his magical energy had experienced such overwhelming growthpared to other magicians.

    If he was to get to the point, Regina¡¯s magical energy status had reached a high rank territory that no other humans had ever reached in the past. The past hero¡¯s party was able to carry out such acts of brutality, because she possessed an idiotic amount of magical energy.

    It was the same for Artpe too.

    ¡°Hello. The weather is great, right?¡±

    ¡°There is a snowstorm forming right now. Majority of humans try to avoid such weather.¡±

    ¡°Your response is quite dreary.¡±

    In his past life, she had reached a territory that should have been close to impossible for a human to reach. A girl, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, had reached it.

    She wasn¡¯t like Artpe, who had returned to the past through his special Innate Ability.

    How was this possible!

    The answer was simple.

    She wasn¡¯t human.

    [Race : Demite]

    Demite was the highest of Artifacts that possessed its own will. It could gain level and ss. She was a golem that was made out of Demite. This was the Archmage Regina¡¯s true identity.

    If one didn¡¯t have the Read All Creation ability, no one would have never been able to guess this.

    A golem was made with the priceless Demite!

    Moreover, the golem developed into bing an Archmage!

    If he had been a normal hero, he wouldn¡¯t have known what she was. He would have adventured with her over the long years. Initially, she would be unable to express herself emotionally. However, he would notice her heart slowly change over the years, and when he realized this fact, he would be happy. Then he would start to dig in into the truth about her. He would find out her buried past or her secret, and he would despair. Despite her being a golem, he would ept her even though she was a golem. Their rtionship would advance, and he would take another step in bing a true hero.......

    It would have been a great opportunity of growth for the hero.

    However, Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability. He didn¡¯t have to go through all that. He had seen through to the truth from the start.

    This was why his rtionship and mental attitude towards her wouldn¡¯t grow. He wasn¡¯t moved nor inspired by her. Regina was just a golem. Artpe simply acknowledged the fact that a golem had appeared in front of them. That was it.

    He probably had to tell Maetel and Sienna about her, so they wouldn¡¯t be shocked by this fact.

    So what if she was a golem? It didn¡¯t matter if she wasn¡¯t a human. Artpe treated everyone in a fair manner in thought and action. They were either his enemy or his ally. If possible, he hoped Regina would be in thetter category.

    .

    ¡°Mana response detected. Search.... Unadvisable. Resistance.... Unadvisable. Recalcte possibility of running away. Unadvisable.¡±

    Did she detect his use of the Read All Creation ability? After suddenly spouting such words, Regina slightly lowered her head. She looked crestfallen. Artpe smirked as he raised boths hands.

    ¡°You already know this right? We hold no hostility towards you.¡±

    ¡°If that is true, you should reveal your identities. Why are you using a camouge Artifact?¡±

    When asking for another person¡¯s name, one had to reveal one¡¯s name first. He wanted to point this out, but it was true that he hade here camouged. He decided to lose on this argument. Artpe wondered how he should proceed, but he decided to act as usual.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if camouging oneself is illegal. So why are you holding us up? Why are you posing as an interrogator?¡±

    That¡¯s right. He went for the shameless approach. Regina had been silent, but when she was used of being a fraud, she red at him as she spoke.

    ¡°I am carrying out a secret mission given to me by my country.¡±

    ¡°So we are getting in the way of you carrying out that secret mission? Is that right?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At that moment, the position of advantage had switched. Regina quickly closed her mouth. She realized she had given away information about herself. Still, this didn¡¯t mean she did anything to rectify it. She stood frozen absent-mindedly.

    It seemed she was puzzled as to how she should proceed. It was understandable.

    Whenever she hadn¡¯t been able to solve her problems with words, she always somehow solved the problem with a show of power.

    However, she couldn¡¯t win against any members of Artpe¡¯s party. Obviously, this was the first time she had faced such a situation. On top of that, she hadn¡¯t dealt with anyplicated problems that wasn¡¯t rted to magic. Of course, she would be panicked in such a situation.

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At that moment, she once again opened her mouth. She was trying to say something. Artpe patiently waited for further words from her. In the end, his patience bore fruit.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking me that!¡±

    She was another one that would give him a headache! Artpe reacted instinctively to rebuke her. Then he let out a sigh as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to draw attention to ourselves from other people, so we are maintaining the camouge. As you can probably see, our powers doesn¡¯t lookmon. Right?¡±

    He didn¡¯t n on telling her everything, but by observing her state, Artpe thought she would back off if he cooked up a somewhat believable story. The most important thing right now was the ¡®secret mission¡¯ she was carrying out. He had to make her believe that his party had nothing to do with her mission.

    ¡°Do you have intentions of attacking civilians or soldiers?¡±

    ¡°If I had such intentions, wouldn¡¯t I have gone after you first?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤your line of reasoning sounds usible. I¡¯m drawing a conclusion that you aren¡¯t an enemy or an ally. You are a third party.¡±

    Afterwards, her expression turned peculiar.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t an ally or an enemy, so you shouldn¡¯t be on thisnd.. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Where did youe from?¡±

    ¡°You think in binary terms about as much as me. I¡¯m not sure how you cane to such a conclusion..... Wait a moment.¡±

    Artpe stopped Regina from speaking her absurd words. He raised his head. As a precaution, he had been setting up Mana Strings infused with his Read All Creation ability. He had been worried another magician would intrude on their conversation. He had worried it would make the current situation moreplicated.

    At that moment, something had disturbed his Mana Strings.

    ¡°You said you are on a secret mission?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is a secret mission, so I can¡¯t reveal the details. If you are going to forcefully extract the information from me, you will be considered an enemy. In that scenario, I will run away.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on extracting the information, so you don¡¯t have to bounce.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes turned calm and bottomless. It happened when he was about to use his magical energy for real. The powerful Mana reaction caused particles to be concentrated in his eyes. It was the result of ambient Mana being drawn in from the air. Maetel always liked Artpe, but she like this Artpe the most.

    ¡°However, it seems I¡¯ll soon find about about it whether I like it or not. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤eptable.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I also know what you are talking about.¡±

    Maetel ignored the question and answer session between Artpe and Regina. She spoke with a cold voice that was like iron. Her hand was already on the sheathe of her longsword

    ¡°There are idiots, who are letting out murderous intent,ing towards the city.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two people. There were around 100 of them. Moreover, the murderous intent wasing from normal knights. They were the elite of the elites.

    It seemed they weren¡¯ting to fight someone specific. It didn¡¯t matter if one could or couldn¡¯t feel their murderous intent. Their movement indicated that they would indiscriminately kill everyone.

    He nned on taking a leisurely tour of Aedia. He nned on seeing some sceneries, and he nned on visiting all the magic towers to inquire about magic books. However, Artpe could smell the blood that was about to be shed in theing battle. His face crumpled in a wretched manner as he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t happen unless there is a war going on. That means.......¡±

    ¡°I believe that you guys are a third party.¡±

    At that moment, Regina¡¯s vignce against Artpe¡¯s party waspletely lowered. She gave an exnation.

    ¡°Magic Kingdom Aedia is in its fifth month of war against the allied forces of the Daiatan kingdom and the Duchy of Tiata. If you are humans from thisnd, there is no way you wouldn¡¯t have known about this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for informing us.¡±

    ¡°By the amount of power you all possess, I judge that you guys came from across the ocean. You didn¡¯t want to draw attention to yourselves, so you chose the option of camouge. Excellent decision.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for acknowledging it.¡±

    ¡°I would like to make an offer to the third party.¡±

    It seemed she was unable to pick up on Artpe¡¯s sarcastic remarks. Regina¡¯s voice had been cold and hard. However, there was a bit of relief in her voice as she spoke to them.

    ¡°This is from the magical kingdom of Aedia. We would like to extend an offer for you all to join as wartime mercenaries. The reward will be high, and you will gain rank. If your war record is excellent, you will be promoted tomissioned officer. You may be appointed to a branch manager. You¡¯ll feel great.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get that manual you are reciting? Why don¡¯t you give me a straight answer?¡±

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    He had no idea who had inserted those suspicious words of invitation into her.

    Even if she tried to convince him with a sweet offer, Artpe had only one answer.

    He immediately turned down the offer.

 Chapter 87 - A Wrong Encounter (4)

    Chapter 87 - A Wrong Encounter (4)

    He didn¡¯t care if the headquarters of the mages was attacked. An attack on Aedia was Aedia¡¯s problem. He had no inclination of fighting another country by joining Aedia¡¯s side. Of course, when he decisively turned down her offer, a weak expression of dismay appeared on Regina¡¯s face.

    ¡°Very difficult¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Regina had a troubled expression on her face as she hesitated. In the end, her shoulders slumped a little bit as she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°Failed negotiation. Opponent shows no hostility. Ignore and carry out mission.¡±

    ¡°What is your mission?¡±

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    After telling him that it was a secret, she turned around. She gazed past the city towards the force of several hundred rushing towards them. This was obvious, but she was a golem made by the magicians of Aedia. She had to follow orders given by her country. This was why it was her mission to face an army that was invading her nation.

    ¡°You know what? I kind of want to have a conversation with them.¡±

    Artpe spoke carefully. However, at his words, Regina¡¯s pupils shook in a severe manner. She shook her head from side to side as she opened her mouth to speak. There was a slight tremor in her voice.

    ¡°Uneptable.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Do you have to kill them for your secret mission?¡±

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    Artpe unintentionally seeded in stirring up her emotions. Up until now, he was sure Regina had never shown her tearful face to anyone! It was starting to get pretty fun dealing with her. However, he couldn¡¯t let this drag on any further.

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    Artpe looked at Maetel, who had a conflicted expression on her face. He solemnly nodded his head as he flicked his finger. It was abo moves between the two heroes. Everything happened in lightning speed.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    ¡°Koo-oohk.¡±

    When he flicked his finger, Maetel moved. Regina didn¡¯t even have time to chant her defensive magic. All her defensive measures were pierced by Maetel. Regina fainted from the assault! Thebination of moves was more suited for a viin than a hero. However, this suited his goal for now.

    ¡°All right. Carry her.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe and his party headed towards the road, and they quickly exited the port city of Bta. They had briskly wrapped up their work, yet swear words kept pouring out of his mouth..

    ¡°Shit. Why the hell did a war break out right now?¡±

    The Daiatan kingdom was located north of Aedia. On the other hand, the Duchy of Tiata was located south of Aedia. It seemed Aedia was fighting a war against the allied forces of Daiatan and Tiata.

    This was obvious, but in Artpe¡¯s previous life, Aedia had never fought a war against Diatan and Tiata. In fact, it had been a war between the Duchy of Tiata and the Daiatan kingdom. In his previous life, Aedia hade in support of Tiata. This was understandable, since Duke Eritahd of Tiata was the brother of the current king of Aedia.

    ¡°Why would the Duchy of Tiata betray Aedia? Why did they join up with Daiatan? This shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°Did Daiatan make an offer that the Duchy of Tiata couldn¡¯t refuse?¡±

    Maetel carefully told him her conjecture. Artpe smirked as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible. At the very least, Daiatan is probably thinking that very thing right now.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The Duchy of Tiata was a city state that broke off early from Aedia. Since there were blood ties between Tiata and Aediaa, there had always been a close rtionship between the two. That is why it would be a big blow to Aedia if Diatan was sessful in luring Tiata away.

    However, Artpe was having a hard time believing Tiata had betrayed Aedia. In his past life, Aedia and Tiata worked hand in hand with each other. In fact, one of their joint ventures had caused the hero of his past life to be disappointed in humanity......

    ¡°Wait a moment¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s stopped walking. The other party members stopped walking. Maetel was carrying the unconscious Regina. Her limbs were limp.

    ¡°A joint venture¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Could it be?¡±

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    When Maetel called out his name, Artpe quickly turned his head to look at her.

    ¡°Do you remember my promise to Mycenae?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You promised to take on a quest rted to the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In truth, the Forest of Eternity shares borders with the Duchy of Tiatia.¡±

    The aloof tribes of Elves lived within the Forest of Eternity. Tiata and the surrounding nations were always covetous of the forest and the Elves. This was why there was always a war underway in an attempt to possess them.

    In the end, Aedia helped Tiata bring cmity to the Forest of Eternity, and it had created a big wound in the hero¡¯s heart.

    ¡®If this war is rted to that........ This is pure spection.¡¯

    The incident from his past life urred when the hero was over twenty years old. However, Mycenae had spoken about this very subject during the making of their personal contract. It was safe to assume that Aedia and Tiata had long been at this venture.

    So why would they suddenly sever their rtionship with each other?

    Aedia had always supported the work of the Duchy of Tiata, so it was hard to fathom Tiata revolting against Aedia..... If one took into ount their close rtionship, the alliance with Diatan was a farce. Therefore, the thing they were aiming for was.....

    ¡°Maybe the war that is urring right now is......¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you can exin it to me a little bitter. They are almost here.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s voice stopped his train of thoughts. When he raised his head, he caught sight of them too.

    A group of men and horses were heading straight for the port city of Bta. There were several hundred of them. There was a nefarious energy emanating from each one of them. It looked as if they were willing to destroy anything in their path.

    Artpe shook his head from side to side. It was a signal that let Maetel know that she shouldn¡¯t act yet. Artpe cleared his throat, and he yelled out in a friendly and inviting voice. He made sure his intentions couldn¡¯t be misunderstood by his opponents.

    ¡°Hey, guys. Why don¡¯t you guys stop for a brief moment?/ I have some questions I would like to ask you!¡±

    However, the answer that came back was unbelievably cold.

    ¡°They are enemies! I can feel magical energy around all for of them!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just mow them down! We were told to kill all of them! Leave no witnesses alive!¡±

    ¡°These bitches are extraordinary beauties, captain. If it is fine with you, we can capture them alive.......¡±

    ¡°We are working towards a great cause, so don¡¯t reveal such filthy and crude personal desires! Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, sir!¡±

    Artpe had called out to them first, yet he was instantlybeled as an enemy! They nned on killing Artpe¡¯s party. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t act like the knights from the old stories. They didn¡¯t say, ¡®Ku-he-he. I want you to capture the pretty women alive!¡¯

    ¡°People these days are really heartless.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, aren¡¯t they enemies? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll kill them?¡±

    ¡°We will, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Wait a moment.¡±

    Artpe sighed as he waved his hand. His Hyper Rubbing spell had almost reached maturity. The spell created a smooth surface. The horses couldn¡¯t stop their own momentum, so they slid across the floor.

    The low level soldiers fell, and they couldn¡¯t get up again. The nimble soldiers amongst them were barely able to avoid the crash. They were able to stand on solid ground once again.

    ¡°Magic! He¡¯s an enemy magician!¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Throw it!¡±

    Each of them brought out a dagger. When one was hit by the dagger, it would disrupt the magician¡¯s flow of Mana. Moreover, an extreme pain was created to disrupt the casting of a spell. These were weapons typically used against Archmages. It seemed they came prepared with Artifacts that would allow them to subdue magicians. It seemed Daiatan was taking this war pretty seriously......

    ¡°You dare?¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Ggooh-ook, gooh-aaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s hand gesture, several dozen Mana Strings plucked the daggers out the air, and he sent them back from where they came from.

    In such a brief amount of time, Artpe¡¯s Mana was injected into the daggers. They exploded when they reached their owners. Anyone that could sense Mana was shocked by his surprising technique.

    ¡°We can¡¯t fight him. I have no idea what method he is using!¡±

    ¡°Retreat. Retreat!¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t like to indiscriminately kill all the humans. However, the thing he despised more was seeing soldiers run away immediately when the upperhand was taken from them.

    ¡°I have something I want to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Huhk!?¡±

    In that moment, Artpe stood in the middle of the battlefield that had gone to hell. He became better at using the Blink Boots the more he used it. Whether it was a spell, skill or an Artifact¡¯s option, he could use it as if it was an extension of his body. He was proud of this fact.

    ¡°H...h...how the hell......¡±

    Several knights tried to rush him with their weapons. However, in the next moment, Mana Strings extended out from Artpe¡¯s entire body. He bound the soldiers tight. They could do nothing.

    ¡°Hurry up and run¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!?¡±

    It was the same for those that tried to run away. The Mana Strings were infused with critical amount of magical energy and killing intent. They covered the battlefield in no time. The several hundred knights were unable to move.

    When he first learned the Mana String, it had been burdensome to create just five strings. After he reached level 280, he possessed more Mana than what he possessed in his previous life. Artpe had sufficient Mana to create 500 strings.

    ¡°So.... Who¡¯s the leader?¡±

    After he subdued everyone, Artpe opened his mouth. However, no one answered him. Artpe had no choice, but to change the question.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    Finally, one knight cautiously raised his head as he yelled out.

    ¡°W...we are the knights of the exalted Diatan kingdom!¡±

    ¡°However, Aedia¡¯s army isn¡¯t here. Don¡¯t you guys know about the internationalw of engagement?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Soldiers had to fight soldiers. It was clear that this city had only civilians. If they attacked this ce, it was the worst taboo amongst the agreed upon internationalws. It was enough to make Diatan be the pariah of the continent.

    Since they knew they what kind of sin they weremitting, sillence quickly descended amongst the knights. Artpe snorted.

    ¡°When did knights be a band of ruffians?¡±

    ¡°Our foremost goal is to win this war! We are willing to be ruffians for our cause!¡±

    ¡°However, if you lose aftermitting such acts, you would look like useless trash. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Artpe sounded bored as he spoke. He flicked his hand. In a sh, the Mana Strings subduing the knights were gone. The knights were taken aback. They immediately stood up.

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°D...don¡¯t attack him. He can use his magic again at a moment¡¯s notice!¡±

    ¡°Vignce! Be on your guard!¡±

    Fortunately, they weren¡¯t too stupid. They no longer tried to run away. Moreover, they didn¡¯t try to attack Artpe again. Artpe was satisfied when the knights warily stood in ce. When Artpe chilled as he stood in ce, one of the knights slowly approached him. He looked to be the leader.

    ¡°Are you perhaps..... Are you not affiliated with Aedia?¡±

    ¡°Did you ever hear about such a strong magician like me residing in Aedia?¡±

    ¡°You magical energy and appearance¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I have never heard of you. You were able to subdue our knights with a slight wave of your hand. If we knew Aedia had a monster like you, we would have never went against Aedia even with the help of our coborators.¡±

    It was too bad for them, but Aedia already had Regina. She was weaker than Artpe, but she would be able to easily overpower these knights.

    In other words, Daitan was fighting an unwinnable war. Regina¡¯s secret mission was probably to take out these knights.

    ¡°I already know you aren¡¯t Aedia¡¯s magician. So why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Why was he in a country that was in the midst of a war? Why did he subdue them? Why was he sparing them? They had a lot of questions.

    Artpe¡¯s reply was simple.

    ¡°I want to meet your superiors. I¡¯ll tell you my reasons.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes twinkled in an evil manner.

    ¡°Hire me. I want to join in the war against Aedia as a wartime mercenary. It¡¯ll be very expensive to hire me.¡±

 Chapter 88 - Sleeping With the Enemy (1)

    Chapter 88 - Sleeping With the Enemy (1)

    ¡°Wartime mercenaries¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    The captain¡¯s eyes opened wide. He couldn¡¯t believe the wordsing out of Artpe¡¯s mouth. The magician in front of him was powerful enough not to be attached to any nation, yet he said he wanted to be a wartime mercenary. It was such a practical word.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make sure you guys win against Aedia no matter what. However, you will have to pay the price.¡±

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m offered such a deal..... It isn¡¯t within the scope of my authority to ept it.¡±

    The captain never expected to encounter such a situation, so he was extremely taken aback. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t as if he could turn down the offer from a supernaturally strong being, so the captain nned on getting ahold of Artpe using ttering words.

    However, at that moment....

    ¡°Kyahhhk!¡±

    The shrill scream of a girl could be heard alongside the sound of an explosion. When he turned to look, he caught sight of Regina floating in the air. Maetel was below Regina. She was grinding her teeth as she jumped towards Regina.

    ¡°Where are you going!¡±

    ¡°Running away.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go!¡±

    When Maetelnded, she bent her knees. She activated her eleration ability, and she was able to jump several hundred meters into the air. She turned a simple jump into a hyper jump.

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Regina used several dozen types of spells at once. She tried to use Teleportation magic at the same time as she tried to bind Maetel. However, the two beams emitted by Maetel¡¯s longsword cancelled all her magic spells. When Regina saw this, her eyes turned round. Afterwards, Maetel grabbed her by the scruff.

    ¡°I said you can¡¯t go!¡±

    ¡°Kahk!?¡±

    Maetel threw Regina towards the ground! Even if Regina was a golem, her function was geared more towards magic than physical ability. She couldn¡¯t withstand the shock, so she fainted.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    A delicate girl had floated into the air, and she had used dozens of spells. In the very same moment, another delicate girl destroyed all the spells, and she had thrown the first girl towards the ground. It was a distance of several hundred meters. All the knights amiably fell silent when they witnessed this sight. Artpe let out a bright smile as he continued to speak.

    ¡°They are my party members. Aren¡¯t they strong?¡±

    ¡°You guys are a powerful collection of individuals. Where have you been all this time? Why have you stepped forward at this moment in time?¡±

    The captain asked in a serious manner. Artpe also answered in a serious manner.

    ¡°We came from within the ocean.¡±

    ¡°It seems you have no intentions of answering my question.... Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Your words have reassured me. If it means victory for our nation, we are willing to ally with everyone except the Demon race.... My superiors will probably not turn down your offer.¡±

    ¡°All right. The most admirable part is that you guys won¡¯t ally yourselves with the Demons.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When Artpe replied in a joking manner, the captain¡¯s face crumpled in a peculiar way.

    ¡°We did try to kill the civilians, and it is a sin that can¡¯t be washed away. Even if we were stopped in our attempt, it is a sin that we must bear for the rest of our lives. However, even we won¡¯t sell out the entirety of humanity. Would such foolish people really exist in this world?¡±

    Such people existed...... However, Artpe declined to speak this out loud. There wille a day when they¡¯ll find out this truth. It might be sooner rather thanter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring my party members. Ah. Before I do that.....¡±

    ¡°Mmmm?¡±

    Artpe lightly wave his hands. That was all that he did. One of the knights had been standing around absentmindedly, and blood erupted from an unfortunate location.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back. You guys can wait for me here.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The nearby knights were shocked as they took a step backwards. Artpe spoke as he put on a cold smile. The captain couldn¡¯t say anything despite Artpe¡¯s act of violence. The knight had lost the possibility of a future, but the captain had a hunch as to why such an act had beenmitted against him.

    The knight that had just died right now had spoken up right before they shed against Artpe¡¯s party. He had spoke vulgar words when he saw the beauty of Maetel and Sienna.

    ¡°Captain, he is too dangerous! We have to turn him down!¡±

    ¡°We will be creating an irrevocable problem!¡±

    ¡°No. I want you all to be quiet.¡±

    When he saw Artpe use Blink to head towards his party members, the captain spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°How can I not know that? However, this magician doesn¡¯t need to deal with us to aplish what he wants. On top of that, he is someone that we can¡¯t control. If this is all true, wouldn¡¯t it be better to make it so that our nation benefits in the process?¡±

    ¡°Still, he didn¡¯t need to kill one of ourrades! Moreover, there are knights here that have lost their arms to him!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if his actions were groundless. He had a personal grudge against that knight. He has a good case for the actions he took.¡±

    ¡°But...!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared to give up my life for this war. Isn¡¯t it the same for you all?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The captain looked at his subordinates, who had shut their mouths. He spoke with a bitter voice.

    ¡°I want you to keep your personal feeling in check before you make your call. If you still can¡¯t ept my decision, you can officially bring it up with my superiors. The decision will be made from up on high.¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    While there were heated exchanges going on between the knights, Artpe re-joined his party. He check on Regina¡¯s status.

    ¡°As expected, she is quite sturdy. She fell several hundred meters to impact on the frozen ground, yet she has no outward injuries.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    He ignored the sound of Maetel clicking her tongue as he carried Regina. He had just met the magician, and he couldn¡¯t let her go free. He nned on taking her with him like this. When Maetel saw this, she asked him a question.

    ¡°Artpe, isn¡¯t this kid affiliated with Aedia? So why did you talk about joining up with Daitan? If we want this kid to join our party, we should be fighting on the side of Aedia.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as simple as that. Aedia, Daitan and Tiata are currently..... Moreover, we have to keep what is happening in the Forest of Eternity in mind.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Forest of Eternity has something to do with what¡¯s happening here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. That is why I¡¯m going to check it out for myself.¡±

    He would drag along Regina as he did so. Regina¡¯s sense of self was sparse, but it wasn¡¯t as if it wasn¡¯t there. He could probably guide her towards the right decision. He was sure she would join up with them.

    Moreover......

    ¡°By the way, you tried to kill regr soldiers for your own gain. It looked as if you didn¡¯t feel any regret in doing so.¡±

    ¡°If it is for Artpe, I¡¯ll do anything...ah-yaht.¡±

    She was speaking out loud such terrifying words, so Artpe flicked her forehead pretty hard.

    ¡°There are other ways to achieve your goals. There is no reason why you should harm other people. This is especially true for the innocent people. You bear the responsibility of holding the Hero ss, so you should think hard on my words.¡±

    ¡°But Artpe...... Wouldn¡¯t theree a time when I would have to do the very thing I mentioned? There mighte a time when I will have to cut down an innocent to achieve a goal we really want. At the very least, there wille a time when I would have to harm such people.... Wouldn¡¯t that timee in the future?¡±

    At her words, Artpe stopped for a brief moment. Why would it not happen? They were heroes, and each of their actions affected the world. He could think up too many scenarios that it put him in a tough spot. Unbeknownst to them, they might have already harmed innocents several times without realizing it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Despite this fact, Artpe was firm with his words.

    ¡°That will never happen.¡±

    At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t let her experience it. He would do the dirty work. In his past life, the hero¡¯srades did the same thing.

    This was why she would always shine with the light of purity. She would be radiant like herself from the past.

    Artpe didn¡¯t voice his thoughts out loud, yet Maetel¡¯s expression turned nasty.

    ¡°Artpe, you are thinking about something weird again. I always know. Sometimes, Artpe puts on a grim face like right now!¡±

    ¡°As expected, you really are using a mind reading skill.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeek.¡±

    Maetel looked pretty angry as she red up at him. However, Artpe didn¡¯t budge an inch. Maetel was out of patience, so she was about to unleash her rebuke like a wildfire. At that moment, Artpe extended his hand, and he ced it on her head.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a problem that I can ept and forget just because Artpe patted my head......¡±

    ¡°Be a little bit more patient, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°When you grow up a little bit more and your heart is a bit more hardened, I¡¯ll share everything with you. .......until that time, I want you to leave everything to me.¡±

    Artpe came up with an adequate cover for himself, but his words caused her cheeks to turn red. It was as if her cheeks were about to explode. She was already in a good state, but she was barely able to squeeze out a rebuttal.

    ¡°B...but Artpe is the same age as me......¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more mature mentallypared to my age. You are more immaturepared to your age. Of course, there is a difference between us.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is bad.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t hesitated to assault her with the truth. Maetel pushed her lips forward. However, it seemed she had epted his words. She leaned in closer as she slightly moved her lips.

    ¡°When the timee, you have to share it with me.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Good. As expected, she was a simple woman. He was mumbling these thoughts inwardly as he let out a smile of satisfaction. At that moment, Maetel¡¯s lips fluttered, and she let out some sharp words. It made Artpe¡¯s heart stop.

    ¡°You have to tell me everything Artpe is hiding.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was an unexpected counterattack. Unless one was an idiot, one would have picked up on the fact that he was unusual. She was supposed to be an idiot, so he had never expected Maetel to say such words.

    How long had she known? Maybe, she knew it from the beginning? He didn¡¯t think that was possible, yet she had kept her thoughts secret. She had brought it up at this moment. He wasn¡¯t sure about anything any more.

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    For a brief moment, Artpe was at a loss for words. Maetel slightly raised her head, and she her gaze remained fixed on him. Her emerald colored eyes were pure and unfathomably deep. It was as if she was looking deep into his soul.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to share it with me?¡±

    ¡°....all right. I lost. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    It was aplete defeat. Maybe, she called into question his attitude, because she wanted to lead the conversation this way. Artpe cleanly admitted his defeat.

    ¡°Someday... I¡¯ll tell you someday.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is enough for now.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s face became much brighter as she backed off. Artpe felt sorry towards Maetel, but he couldn¡¯t tell her the whole truth. So from when to when should he make up the story? He had to make is so that the story sounded usible. Maetel had to ept it as the truth.

    Artpe decided to take a day off in the future, and he woulde up with a story that no one would suspect it to be false. When he was having such thoughts, someone grabbed Artpe¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Oppa, I feel left out.......¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Sienna had been excluded from the conversation between the two heroes. She was close to tears at that moment. Even if she was very patient, she couldn¡¯t endure the space that had been created between Artpe and Maetel! It was a space where only the two of them had existed!

    ¡°Will you share it with me too, oppa? You¡¯ll share it with me, right? Yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll share it with you too.¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho! I love oppa so much!¡±

    He nned on making up a story to tell Maetel, so it wouldn¡¯t matter if he had one more audience. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate at all as he nodded his head. Sienna was so happy that she hugged him. Sure enough, Maetel became angry when she saw this disy.

    ¡°Wait a moment. I worked so hard to hear that answer from you, so why did you give such a prompt answer to Sienna? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a secret between Artpe and me!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because oppa likes younger women. Isn¡¯t that right...?¡±

    ¡°Stop saying words that¡¯ll be misunderstood. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Artpe patted his noisypanions, and they headed towards the knights. Of course, Regina was still unconscious.

    The captain had mentioned that his superiors had the authority to make decisions. He wanted Artpe¡¯s party to meet with his superiors directly, so the captain quickly acquired a carriage. After Artpe¡¯s party got on the carriage, they were treated with utmost care.

    Of course, they were still deep within enemy territory. They couldn¡¯t ce flowers on the road or blow trumpets on the way back. Still, the knights were extremely submissive in their behavior as they treated Artpe¡¯s party with respect. It made one wonder if this was how being a noble felt.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±

    Regina, who had abruptly been kidnapped by Artpe¡¯s party, had not resisted. She knew she couldn¡¯t run away, so she obediently sat next to them. She kept spouting words like ¡®iprehensible¡¯ and ¡®I cannot understand¡¯.

    ¡°You¡¯ve shackled me. I cannot go against Aedia. It is cumbersome to keep me as a hostage. Why haven¡¯t you killed me?¡±

    ¡°I want to bring you into my party. That is why I can¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve shackled me.¡±

    Regina kept repeating the same words. It was as if she was trying to say, ¡®How can you not understand me at one go, you moron!¡¯ Artpe let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°Yes, I already know. A restriction has been ced on you, right?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that¡¯s right. Have you realized what I am?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Aren¡¯t you a golem?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    If a golem could defy its owner, no magician would want to make a golem. That was why a magical shackles were ced over most golems. They couldn¡¯t defy their owners or specific candidates chosen by the owners.

    The magicians didn¡¯t need an Innate Ability like the Demon King. It was possible to create these shackles during the process of creating a golem. Regina was probably talking about this.

    ¡°If you know I am a golem, why would you want me in your party......?¡±

    ¡°I want to know your own thoughts. Can you tell me what your thought are without the restriction influencing your answer?¡±

    Artpe asked her a question. Regina slightly raised her head. There was a slight expression of puzzlement on her face.

    ¡°My personal thoughts aren¡¯t important. The restrictions are absolute. I follow Aedia.¡±

    ¡°No, the important thing right now is what you think. That is why I¡¯m not trying to persuade Aedia. I¡¯m trying to persuade you¡±

    ¡°Your kidnapping of me is a form of persuasion?¡±

    She was pretty astute in asking her questions, but Artpe let out a big grin as he shook his head.

    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t used hard measures, you would have run away. I want to keep you here, since I have to show you some stuff. I apologize for kidnapping you.¡±

    ¡°If apologies were the be-all and end-all, we wouldn¡¯t needws.¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it seemed her sense of self wasn¡¯t weak. It seemed she already had a firm sense of self. Artpe looked at her face with suspicion, but her face remained expressionless.

    ¡°I feel this is human foolishness. A golem is a golem. It is impossible to persuade one just by simply showing one a different perspective. ........additionally, a golem can only be a golem. My appearance was chosen for me. I look younger, but I¡¯m not younger than you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤where did you hear such words?¡±

    ¡°I exercise my right to remain silent.¡±

    Artpe smirked when he heard her reply. He turned his gaze away. Maetel was sitting next to him, and she was ring at Regina with sharp eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°A woman¡¯s jealousy...it is ugly.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he watched Regina and the hero bicker.

    ¡®It seems I won¡¯t be able to persuade her any time soon. Still, I aplished the intended goal of depriving Aedia of its greatest power.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t up for debate. Regina was Aedia¡¯s strongest card. Since Artpe had pocketed their strongest card, Aedia was probably in a state of panic.

    From now on.........

    ¡°I have to upend the table.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Oppa, you have pretty evil expression on your face.¡±

    ¡°You are quite observant.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he replied.

    ¡°I was thinking about starting our Quest now.¡±

    ¡°Were all the Quests we¡¯ve been doing up until now misdoings!?¡±

 Chapter 89 - Sleeping With the Enemy (2)

    Chapter 89 - Sleeping With the Enemy (2)

    He really wanted to use consecutive Blinks to head towards his destination. His reservoir of magical energy was massive, but he couldn¡¯t use Blink with all of the knights in tow.

    This was why Artpe tried hard toe up with an alternative traveling method. In the end, he had to match paces with the knights. In truth, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He actually achieved the original goal he had set for his party once they entered Aedia. They could spend half the journey traveling in a leisurely manner.

    ¡°We¡¯ve discovered scouts. 11 o¡¯clock. There are four of them. I want you to quickly get rid of them and rejoin the group.¡±

    ¡°Understood, captain!¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤they had to travel with the knights, and they were messing up the fundamental reason why he was traveling in this manner! Artpe turned to look at his party members with a tragic expression on his face.

    ¡°Are you guys ok? Ah.¡±

    It seems Artpe had been worried for no reason. Maetel and Sienna was watching nature pass by through the window. They were smiling even as they saw men screaming and dying within their view of mother nature. This fact terrified him.

    ¡°Yes, Artpe! In truth, this is the first time I¡¯ve ridden a carriage.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am well aware of that fact.¡±

    ¡°The rattling makes it fun!¡±

    His party had went through a lot of stuff during the past couple years. His party members were now able to block out things they didn¡¯t like. They were able solely focus and enjoy things they liked to see! Artpe seriously thought about where he went wrong with them, but he had no answers.

    This was why he switched his attention towards something he could do right now.

    ¡°I waited for the day when I would be able to take it easy like this.... However, it was achieved much different than how I had expected.¡±

    ¡°That is.....?¡±

    Regina couldn¡¯t escape the clutches of Artpe, and she couldn¡¯t take up on his offer of joining his party. At some point in time, Regina started maintaining her silence. However, her eyes slightly widened when Artpe took out a purple colored gemstone. Of course, he knew this object would catch her attention.

    ¡°This is the Demite¡¯s Gemstone.¡±

    ¡°Demite¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe smirked as he answered her. A peculiar light remained within Regina¡¯s eyes. Was she deeply moved, curious or disappointed? Artpe couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°Demite. Aht.¡±

    She unconsciously reach out her hand. She finally came to her senses, and she tried to retract her hand. However, Artpe willingly pushed the gemstone towards her.

    ¡°Do you want to examine it?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is it ok if I do so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You are a magician. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to hold back.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Regina carefully extended her hand. She didn¡¯t touch Artpe¡¯s hand as she received the gemstone. She gently brought up the gemstone in front of her eyes. When she looked into the gemstone, one could see a gxy of purple light nestled in her golden eyes.

    ¡°So this is a Demite......¡±

    ¡°Yes. It takes a long time to increase the purity of the Mana, and a minor miracle is needed to imbue the gemstone with a sense of self and a ss. All magician dream about possessing this lifelong partner.¡±

    ¡°Demite¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed Artpe¡¯s words weren¡¯t registering with her. This was the first time Regina had met another Demite that wasn¡¯t her. She was extremely excited. She was observing the gemstone so closely that her nose was almost in contact with it.

    ¡°Demite¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Demite.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he watched her. He didn¡¯t even need the Read All Creation ability. It was that obvious as to what her true identity was. As if she could sense his thoughts, Regina suddenly raised her head to talk to him.

    ¡°I am a golem. I am a golem made out of Demite.¡±

    ¡°I sort of already knew.¡±

    ¡°I possess a ss, and I am able to grow. It is possible, because I am a Demite.¡±

    Regina stopped speaking. She kept opening and closing her mouth as if she still had more to say. In the end, she just lowered her head.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I am a golem. I am a golem.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have more you want to say?¡±

    ¡°A golem cannot escape the restrictions ced on it. Moreover, Demites are merely tools. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the two of us are the same.¡±

    ¡°So that is why it is useless to persuade you?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    Regina fidgeted with the Demite¡¯s Gemstone grasped within her hand. At one point, she put strength into her hand. She raised the Demite¡¯s Gemstone as if she had firmly made up her mind. However, she weakly dropped her hand in the next moment, and she handed the gemstone back to Artpe.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤sense of self.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    It was unlike the voice that had alwayse out her mouth. A feeble voice flowed out from her.

    ¡°Why was I given a sense of self?¡±

    ¡°You are asking me a philosophical question.¡±

    ¡°I am not allowed to make any decisions. I have to do what my owner wants. My consciousness is there only for the use of my master. If that is true.....¡±

    ¡°If that is true?¡±

    ¡°The gods¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Did they make us for humans?¡±

    ¡°You are saying some interesting things.¡±

    Artpe smirked. The gods made Demite for the humans? A being made out of Demite had said such words. It was quite ironic.

    ¡°Most humans aren¡¯t able to live their lives as they want. I don¡¯t know if the gods created the humans or the Demites. However, it seems you are under a disillusion. If a human hadn¡¯t created you in this fashion, you wouldn¡¯t be capable of having such thoughts.¡±

    ¡°I have noints about that fact. I merely had some doubts..¡±

    Regina spoke further in a quiet voice.

    ¡°Countless things make up this world, yet if the humans desired it, they could have everything within this world. There are the rewards from the Dungeons, and the benefit they gain from Achievements. If a Demon King appears, a heroes to humanity¡¯s defense. The world is too...... The world is centered around humans.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this world for the past 197 years. It is always the same. Nothing changes. Humans have given me orders, and I followed those orders. So.........¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So... I...¡±

    However, she couldn¡¯t speak. She determined that the words she wanted to speak would go against the restrictions ced on her. Regina looked like Etna. Etna hadn¡¯t been able to speak freely thanks to the shackles ced on her by the Demon King.

    Regina changed the topic before Artpe could say anything.

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m not younger than you. I am 198 years old in human years.¡±

    ¡°So you are back to that again? It¡¯s fine?¡±

    Yes, she was at her limits. Artpe snorted as he spoke.

    ¡°Lastly, I want to tell you about the critical delusion you are under.¡±

    ¡°Delusion?¡±

    ¡°The rtionship between a magician and a Demite isn¡¯t a dependent rtionship. When a Demite exists in its gemstone state, it is merely a rock possessing a small amount of will. Magicians use this fact to refine and make a contract with the Demite. Basically, it is a form of a contract ritual. That is why you.......¡±

    ¡°However, I am a golem. I am their subordinate.¡±

    ¡°Hoong.¡±

    Artpe held the Demite¡¯s Gemstone in one hand, and he used the other hand to raise his long sword, which was letting out a soft red energy.

    ¡°When this guys ispleted, you¡¯ll have a better idea of what I¡¯m talking about. You can look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The long sword was infused with the power of fire from Etna. It was a bit toorge to hold with one hand, but he didn¡¯t have a carving tool that was more suited for this job. He had no choice.

    Artpe was careful not to poke a hole on the roof of the carriage. He firmly held onto the sword¡¯s hilt, and he used the side of the de to carefully scratched at the outer surface of the gemstone.

    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s working.¡±

    A powerful me formed at the edge of the de. The Demite¡¯s Gemstone was unimaginably hard, yet the de was able to carve out the parts he wanted by slightly melting the gemstone. Of course, these slivers from the gemstone still contained powerful Mana, so he saved the precious shavings.

    ¡°The Mana is.....¡±

    Regina¡¯s eyes slightly widened. The Demite was being refined by a miniscule amount, yet she could see the ambient Mana being sucked into the gemstone.

    ¡°In its Demite¡¯s Gemstone form, it only has the ability to amplify the injected Mana. However, you aren¡¯t like that, right? You are able to manipte the Mana.¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this guy will be able to do the same thing. .....of course, it won¡¯t have a clear sense of self like you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if its function remains the same, a sense of self is meaningless. ......it might be better that way.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, he went to work with his sword. It was a difficult and delicate work, so his working speed was slow. Still, he was able to work on it within the carriage. In just several hours, the light being emitted by the Demite¡¯s Gemstone steadily thickened. The amount of Mana being drawn inside the gemstone also increased.

    ¡°This gemstone has performed several exploits with me. Since it hadn¡¯t been fully awake, it wasn¡¯t able to receive its proper share of EXP¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Despite this fact, the Demite¡¯s Gemstone had gained 100 levels from its original level. It was proof as to what kind of carnage Artpe¡¯s party had to experience in the past.

    ¡°How is it? Can you see the change?¡±

    ¡°Slowly.... It is awakening.¡±

    Regina watched Artpe¡¯s work. She observed the shape of the Demite¡¯s Gemstone change depending on the movement of his hands. She didn¡¯t like the fact that he was handling the Demite, yet she felt interested at the prospect of the Demite¡¯s awakening. Artpe thought she was aplicated being. Artpe continued his work as he had such thoughts.

    The refinement of a Demite didn¡¯t happen in a day or two. Moreover, the situation he found himself dyed his work further. The carriage continued to run, but they had to take brief breaks. Moreover, they also had to stop for sleep.

    Furthermore, other businesses continued to divert his attention away from his work of refining the Demite.

    For example, magicians were starting to search the region. They were here to find Aedia¡¯s ace card.. He had to kill these magicians in secret. Then there were the idiotic knights. They bared their teeths every time he tried to switch his mind off for a little bit. He had to personally teach several of them a lesson. Then there was Maetel and Sienna. It wasn¡¯t enough for him to interact with them several dozen times a day. They clung to him, and he had to set aside time to y with them.

    Lastly, there was Regina. She knew running away was impossible, but she tried to escape every several hours as if she was trying to fulfill an obligation. Now he just shut down her attempts in advance. Sheined, so he had to humor her too.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you already have a woman, yet you wander around searching for a new younger girl. A human¡¯s greed is endless.¡±

    ¡°Ah. It isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Golems don¡¯t have a sexual function. Unfortunately, I cannot give you what you want.¡±

    ¡°That is why I told you I don¡¯t need it!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤tonic rtionship?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed Regina had learned the only way she could make fun of Artpe. He resented Sienna, who had taught this useless knowledge to Regina. However, Sienna continued to have an innocent smile on her face, and she said phrases like, ¡®I¡¯m d oppa gets along with Regina!¡¯ He should have foreseen this when he saw the two of them converse extensively with each other!

    ¡°Shit. This is hard to do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    ¡°It is getting prettier.¡±

    [Nyaaaaaa.]

    ¡°It is close to waking up.¡±

    After a week, an outline was bing visible on the Demite. The Demite continued to absorb and emit the surrounding ambient Mana. This process caused a brilliant light to be emitted. Those that weren¡¯t interested in his work started to pay attention.

    The problem he was encountering was the fact that the Demite became harder as he carved deeper. This was why the speed of his work continued to slow down as time passed.

    If possible, he wanted to finish it before they reached the headquarters of the Diatin army. As always, they arrived at their destination when he had only a little more to go toplete the

    Demite.

    ¡°We are here, so you should get off.... Why are you looking at me with such eyes?¡±

    The meless captain had opened the door to the carriage. Still, he received rebuke from Artpe and the members of his party. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Your timing is impable.¡±

    ¡°Soon. It will happen soon.¡±

    If it was up to him, he would have stayed in ce to finish the Demite. However, it couldn¡¯t¡¯ be helped. Artpe let out a sigh as he put away the Demite. Regina looked on with longing as she tried to catch sight of the gemstone again. Sienna gently pushed Regina to the side, and she gave a reply to the captain.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°I already sent a knight ahead, so he should soon......¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    Before the captain¡¯s words could end, a horrifying scream emanated from the enormous barrack within the headquarters. Artpe smirked as he asked the captain a question.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I heard that voice before?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯s the voice of my subordinate.¡±

    The corners of the captain¡¯s eyes became distorted. When he turned to look, he saw several hundred knights pour out of the barracks. They were filled with the intention to fight.

    ¡°Kill the traitors!¡±

    ¡°The leader of our enemies have infiltrated our headquarters! Kill every one of them!¡±

    ¡°Magician¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What is going on?¡±

    It was a wonder. Things were going exactly as he had expected. He faced the angry face of the captain. Artpe shrugged his shoulders as he answered the captain.

    ¡°So can you tell me who I¡¯m supposed to make a deal with?¡±

 Chapter 90 - Sleeping With the Enemy (3)

    Chapter 90 - Sleeping With the Enemy (3)

    The captain had brought allies that would allow them to win the war. The headquarters had responded by killing his subordinate, and they were being attacked by several hundred knights. The captain gawked at the sudden turn of events. However, Artpe wasn¡¯t considerate of what the captain was going through. He immediately grilled the captain.

    ¡°Who do I have to make a deal with?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean a deal? We don¡¯t have time to idly talk about such stuff. First, we have to resolve the misunderstanding........¡±

    How could a man be so foolish? Artpe didn¡¯t hide his sneer.

    ¡°It would be great if we can resolve the misunderstanding. So.... What do you want to say to those angry knights charging towards us? Your subordinate went to report our current situation. Are you going to say something that is markedly different from him?¡±

    It was a mistake to call it a misunderstanding. This was why they couldn¡¯t resolve this so-called misunderstanding. If the other side wanted a different answer, he would rather pose a different question.

    It would be a problem that would be easy for them to read.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That is why I want you to answer my question. Who do I have to talk to amongst them?¡±

    The captain was having a hard time replying to Artpe¡¯s words. In the end, he was able to spit out a short phrase.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t amongst them. He is in the barracks.¡±

    ¡°All right. You guys wait inside the carriage. Maetel, you should be ready for a battle just in case.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He left Maetel in charge of the party, then Artpe took a step forward. In a sh, he was in the midst of the charging knights.

    ¡°A powerful magician? Wartime mercenary? You brought someone here that is spouting such nonsense! Are you out of your mind!¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s a magician, he is part of Aedia¡¯s forces! This is obvious! How can you fall for such an obvious lie..... Uht!¡±

    His movement was so natural that the knights didn¡¯t register Artpe within their midsts for a brief moment. A brief moment was all Artpe needed to carry out what he needed to do.

    ¡°I want you guys to stay here too.¡±

    Artpe lightly swung a single strand of Mana String across the floor. All the knights fell to the floor as both their legs were cut from under them. It didn¡¯t matter if the knights were charging towards or away from Artpe¡¯s party. Several hundred knights all fell to the floor.

    ¡°Koo-ha-ahhhhk!?¡±

    ¡°L...leg! My legs!¡±

    ¡°Stay put. If you struggle too much, you¡¯ll cause your wounds to break open. Naturally, it¡¯ll make it harder for me to reattach your limbs.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, they quieted down as if they had been spooked by a ghost. He snorted as he headed towards the barrack. As if they knew Artpe had done something, the entrance to the barracks had reopened. Additional troops charged out of the barrack.

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    They suffered the same fate as the ones that came out earlier.

    ¡°I just want a conversation.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t about my approach to the conversation. The problem is with their manners.¡±

    Several more knights ran out, but they stopped in ce when they saw the other knights rolling on the floor with their legs cut off. Their faces had turned pale. At this point in time, Artpe had already neutralized 30% of the allied forces of Diatan and Tiata.

    ¡°H...how can this be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing your representative isn¡¯t in amongst you?¡±

    No one answered Artpe¡¯s question. They just nodded their heads, and they opened the entrance to the barracks. The knights had already left inrge numbers, so the barracks were quite deste. There was a table ced at the end of the barracks, and there were several figures sitting at the head of table. These figures remained seated.

    ¡°They dare let an intruder enter this ce. It seems we¡¯ll have to tighten discipline amongst the knights!¡±

    Suddenly, one of them stood up. When Artpe surveyed him through his Read All Creation ability, he knew that the person was a level 230 knight. He was a marquis of the Daiatan kingdom, and at the same time, he was the general of the army. The one that was sitting at the head of the table was.....

    [Angelo Zard]

    [Human]

    [King]

    [Level : 243]

    The young king of Daitan faced Artpe as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°It seems you know who I am.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are the king. However, you are quite interesting.¡±

    Artpe was frank as he nodded his head. However, in the next moment, he tilted his head. Of course, the general had unsheathed his sword, and he was charging towards Artpe. However. Artpe didn¡¯t have a shred of interest in the man.

    ¡°The head of Daiatan is supposed to have a belly full of fat instead of muscles.¡±

    Moreover, his greed had been asrge as his fat belly. This was why the hero¡¯s party from his previous life had suffered when they crossed over to this continent. All the countries had tried to use the conflict between the Demon King and the hero to their advantage.

    ¡°You are correct. However, there was a change not too long ago. No, I made the change. A good opportunity had presented itself.¡±

    A good opportunity?

    Artpe tilted his head in puzzlement, but suddenly, a scene suddenly popped up inside his head.

    Frate¡¯s auction and the incident with the Kraken felt as if it had happened not too long ago. It hadn¡¯t just been about Diaz. Many greedy people from many nations had crossed the ocean toe to Diaz, and they had suffered a disaster.

    This was a change from his past. When Diaz hosted therge scale Frate¡¯s Festival, all the fat nobles had gathered in Frate, and the Lunatic Wave hadpletely sealed them in the city. Maybe, the other factions used this opportunity to......

    ¡°Get on your knees. How dare you speak like that to the absolute ruler of Daiatan! Ahhhhhhhhhhht!?¡±

    Artpe had been a bit surprised at the new information, and the general sensed an opening. He closed the short distance.

    However, he couldn¡¯t even swing his sword against Artpe. He couldn¡¯ty a finger on Artpe. As soon as Artpe entered the barracks, he hadid a trap with his Mana Strings. The general was tied up by the Mana Strings.

    ¡°Do you mind if I kill him?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯d prefer it if you refrained from killing him.¡±

    The king answered him. It was admirable. The king was trying to maintain an unperturbed expression, but he couldn¡¯t hide the fact that one side of his smile had curled down. It was to be expected. The king hadn¡¯t stopped his general in an attempt to get a gauge of Artpe¡¯s powers. However, the general was neutralized too easily. He couldn¡¯t bring out even a little bit of Artpe¡¯s true skill.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go easy on him. However, I¡¯ll take money as rpense for his insolence.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahk!¡±

    When Artpe flicked his finger, the Mana String around the general started to unwound quickly. However, this had the effect of flinging the general towards the direction he came from. He fell to the floor after hitting the wall of the barracks.

    ¡°Well, is anyone else going to stop me from speaking?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s speak.¡±

    The king had no other answer he was allowed to say. The king came to the same conclusion as the captain, who had fought Artpe earlier. Since he couldn¡¯t control Artpe, he would try his best to stand on the same side as him. It seemed the king wasn¡¯t only high in level. He wasn¡¯t a dunce, with no brains at all.

    Artpe let out a bright smile as he spoke.

    ¡°My offer is simple. I¡¯ll help you crush Aedia. As rpense, I want you guys to fulfill my request.¡±

    ¡°The allied forces of Daitan and Tiata is already strong enough to vie for supremacy against Aedia. So why should I hire you as a mercenary?¡±

    ¡°There is the risk and the opportunity cost. If you hire me, you won¡¯t have to sacrifice your soldiers, and it will consume much less time. I promise you that I¡¯ll have this wrapped up in a week. You¡¯ve seen me use my abilities, so you know what I¡¯m saying isn¡¯t impossible.¡±

    ¡°I want to say one week sounds impossible. However... I cannot fathom the extent of your abilities, so I¡¯ll have to trust in your words.¡±

    The king agonized over his decision. For Artpe, it was enough that the king hadn¡¯t immediately rejected his words. Artpe was satisfied with his answer, so he continued to speak.

    ¡°In return, you¡¯ll have to agree to my small request. My request won¡¯t be burdensome if you aren¡¯t being too greedy.¡±

    ¡°If so, I would have to hear what this request is first.¡±

    Mmmm. He was eptable. As a ruler of a nation, He was quite splendid If he was like the ignorant kings from the old hero¡¯s tales, he would have gotten angry already. The kings from the old stories wouldn¡¯t have wanted to get their hand dirty, so they would have shouted at their soldiers to ¡®Catch that damn fool!¡¯ or some phrase like that. However, the king wasn¡¯t the problem right now. It was someone else.

    ¡°We no longer have to hear more from him, sir Zard. He possesses an obscene amount of magical energy. I¡¯m sure he is with Aedia!¡±

    ¡°How can you say that, sir Eritard. If he was with Aedia, this war would have ended by now. He wouldn¡¯t go through all this trouble to talk with me. That is the biggest proof that he isn¡¯t with Aedia.¡±

    ¡°King of Daitan!¡±

    ¡°Stop it. Let¡¯s hear him out first.¡±

    A man had been sitting on the opposite side of the general. He spoke to the king of Daitan as an equal, so his identity was easy to discern.

    Artpe turned to look at him.

    ¡°Duke of Tiatia?¡±

    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s right. I am Duke Eritard. I am from the Dukedom of Tiata.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t suspected it before when he entered the barracks, but both the rulers of Daitan and Tiata was present inside. He was thankful, since he didn¡¯t have to travel to the Dukedom of Tiata. He asked his questions as he had such thoughts.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m going to win the war for you guys, so why are you trying to undercut that deal? Are you really his ally?¡±

    ¡°You are powerful! What do you gain for allying with us!¡±

    ¡°What is it you want?¡±

    ¡°We want independence for our Dukedom!¡±

    It was at that moment. Artpe followed up by shouting his own words after him!

    ¡°However, that is a feint! My true goal is the Forest of Eternity!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Soon we will¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What!?¡±

    The Duke nodded his head vigorously in agreement, but soon, his face stiffened. In a sh, question marks and exmation points popped up inside his head. One didn¡¯t need to see inside his head to know what he was thinking.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Forest of Eternity? What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°Uh. It is nothing, sir Zard. I just became so agitated that I agreed with his ridiculous words....¡±

    ¡°You spoke your real intention. So what¡¯s going to happen within the Forest of Eternity in the near future? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you going to use the magic spell you prepared with Aedia over the years?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s continued interrogation, the Duke¡¯s face turned white. If it was a simple lie, there was no reason why a ruler of a nation would be flustered by such words.

    ¡°H....how.... That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    However, Artpe¡¯s words struck home. It was information no outsider should have known, yet he was speaking it out loud. It would have been strange if he hadn¡¯t reacted at all. However, Artpe¡¯s words continued to pour out.

    ¡°I know it all. Yes, you were probably the one that made the move on Daitan. You told the king of Daitan that you were pursuing your independence. It¡¯s a likely story, so Daitain joined forces with you to attack Aedia..... However, your true intentions has nothing to do with independence. You intentionally started a war, so there would be a gap in the border defense. The Elves would take this opportunity to attack the Dukedom. You want to to induce this scenario....... You want to gain an excuse that you can use to ¡®justify¡¯ your actions.¡±

    In his past life, a cmity had urred within the Forest of Eternity. The Elves wanted to regainplete freedom from the Dukedom of Tiata and Aedia. The Elves would use the war as an opportunity to assemble their forces. However, Aedia and the Dukedom of Tiata pounced on this opportunity as if they had expected the Elves to act that way. They brought their n to fruition. In short order, they tookplete control of the World Tree.

    At the time, Aedia had received a lot of help from the hero, and the hero had trusted Aediapletely. This was why the feeling of betrayal had been enormous. In the end, she chose to fight with the Elves against Aedia.

    This was the first incident where the hero had pointed her sword against a human organization..... A single hero had brought down a kingdom with a rich history. Every nation became afraid of the hero, and they refused to assist the hero. It was the worst result for the hero.

    After that incident, the hero¡¯s fights became difficult. If the magician hadn¡¯t joined her party, the hero¡¯s adventure would havee to an end.

    However, events wouldn¡¯t turn out like that this time around.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤sir Eritard?¡±

    ¡°N...no.... It isn¡¯t like that, sir Zard!¡±

    Artpe had already apletely understanding of what happened in his past life. Of course, there was a possibility that events would head towards the same path as his previous life. However, his conversation and contract with Mycenae was proof that things wouldn¡¯t head towards that direction.

    ¡°You had no intentions of attacking Aedia in the first ce. Didn¡¯t Tiata draw you into this?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are right on that ount. I rose to seat of power by causing a rebellion. I needed to divert the hate and resentment towards me to an outside source. Sir Eritard¡¯s offer was like a timely rain within a drought.¡±

    ¡°That is why you retracted your suspicion and hesitancy. You took up his offer.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    The Duke of Tiata realized Artpe had taken control of the narrative. He yelled out as he stood up. He looked as if he wanted to rip Artpe¡¯s lips in pieces, but unfortunately, he was much weaker even whenpared to the king of Daitan. He was trashpared to them. The only thing he could do was make faces and shout in frustration.

    The king of Daitan watched the Duke of Tiata, who couldn¡¯t keep himself in control from the frustration he felt. On the other side, there was Artpe. He possessed power, and he had an attitude that said, ¡®the powerful do not need to lie.¡¯ Artpe¡¯s words held more sway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know or care about the Forest of Eternity. I do know the Elves live there, but that is the extent of my knowledge. So what you are saying is..... The goal of the Dukedom of Tiata isn¡¯t their independence. You think their true aim lies within the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    ¡°You should think about why that man is so flustered. Why would he react so negatively to a powerful being that would end the war quickly?¡±

    A beginning of a smile on Artpe¡¯s lips deepened. He extended one hand, and he subdued the Duke of Tiata with his Mana Strings. The Duke became immobile.

    ¡°That bastard just wants to keep the ¡®war¡¯ going as long as possible. I¡¯ve spell it out the situation to this extent, so you probably have a good idea of what is going on now.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    As he traveled in the carriage, he had done more than just carve the Demite. He killed Aedia¡¯s magicians. He attempted to persuade Regina, and he yed with his party members. Moreover, he had gathered information on the road, town and city. He assessed what was going on in the war.

    In the end, he came to a single conclusion. The war had been going on for five months, yet both sides were being passive. On top of that, the damage caused by the war had been minimal.

    ¡°Oh, most sublime magician. Let me ask you this.¡±

    The king of Daitan, Angelo Zard, asked him a question.

    ¡°Do you have the ability to lead my kingdom to victory without the help of Tiata?¡±

    ¡°Will you believe me no matter what my answer is?¡±

    ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe snorted as he spoke.

    ¡°Just follow me. I¡¯ll let you see the truth with your own eyes.¡±

    The king of Daitan was embarrassed to admit, but he was a bit intimidated by Artpe¡¯s forceful words. Still, he had a presence of mind to realize that he had to answer the question presented to him by Artpe.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right. Whatever you ask will less than the costs that will be incurred by Aedia. I will put my trust in you. I will follow you.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    Artpe grinned.

    It was the moment when the oue of the war was decided.

 Chapter 91 - Sleeping With the Enemy (4)

    Chapter 91 - Sleeping With the Enemy (4)

    ¡°Foolish! How can you be so foolish!¡±

    The Duke of Tiata stood up as he yelled out his words. He had witnessed someone spurn the alliance with another nation in favor of an individual. However, when he turned to look, the king of Daitan had an extremely peaceful expression on his face.

    ¡°What is foolish about it? I¡¯m trying to lead our side to victory in this drawn out war. I tried my best to exclude all subjectivity when making this decision.¡±

    ¡°Do you really believe his words!?¡±

    ¡°Do I believe him? Even our alliance wasn¡¯t based on absolute trust either. Isn¡¯t that right? I think you are mistaken about something important, sir Eritard.¡±

    Strength entered into the clenched fists of the king of Daitan. He had remained calm as Artpe entered the barracks. He maintained his calm even as Artpe sent the general flying. However, there was a slight heat in his voice now.

    ¡°I only believe in one thing. I believe in absolute power. If I¡¯m forced to choose a side, of course, I¡¯ll pick the magician. Isn¡¯t it an obvious choice even from your point of view?¡±

    ¡°He is Aedia¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since you brought up the subject of whether I believe his words or not, you still haven¡¯te up with an excuse yet. What do you want from the Forest of Eternity? We¡¯ve alreadye this far, so I hope you won¡¯t give some dumb answer like you don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±

    The Duke of Tiata struck the table as he refuted the king¡¯s words.

    ¡°I told you I have no connections to the Forest of Eternity! I won¡¯t deny the fact that there are hostilities between the Elves and our people. However, that¡¯s a separate issue! We really are trying to fight for our own independence.....!¡±

    ¡°If that is true, why were you trying discard this magician? You bullishly used him of being Aedia¡¯s magician, and you kept nitpicking him for no reason! If Aedia possessed a magician as strong as him, there is no way he would be unknown to us!¡±

    Actually, there was a magician that fit that exact description outside the barracks. However, Artpe kept that to himself. It seemed the Duke of Tiata had the same thought as him, but if he spoke those words out loud, he would be admitting his allegiance to Aedia. He was caught between a rock and a hard ce.

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That is......¡±

    The Duke of Tiata was about to open his mouth, but he decided to keep it shut. It would be great if he could pass this off with a likely excuse, but too much had been revealed earlier. The gap in his story would only widen the more he spoke. He was being bit from both sides by wolves, yet the only thing he could do was to spit out blood.

    This was why he went with his remaining option. He had to stress the fact that the king of Daitan needed him. His expression turned cold as he spoke.

    ¡°Please think about it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! It would hard to hold the borders of Daitan if the soldiers of Tiata doesn¡¯t give support! Who cares if one has the most powerful weapon if one doesn¡¯t have a shield?¡±

    ¡°Ha. A shield......¡±

    It seemed the Duke of Tiata¡¯s words had triggered a mine. The king of Daitan had been trying to keep his cool until the end, but this enormous mine blew away all his remaining patience!

    ¡°We can¡¯t just maintain the status quo. We¡¯ve already held out for far too long. In the past five month, our progress have stalled. We are just going back and forth in an endless loop of retreating and charging. Since the pathway to the ocean is blocked by the Lunatic Wave, the n was to bottle up Aedia from our side, and the side of Tiata. We were supposed to weaken Aedia by raiding them through the fall and winter. We were supposed to make them use up all their resources, yet that hasn¡¯t happened. Aedia seems to have felt no ill effects. Instead, my country is suffering! I have no choice, but to use special countermeasures!¡±

    The attack on the port city of Bta was part of his special countermeasures. Daitan had reached its limit. This was why they broke the internationalw by sending their elite troops against Bta. It was ast ditch attempt to tilt the bnce of war in their favor.

    Even if they were able to secure the upper hand in the war, it was as if all their problems would have been solved. Daitan was already seen as the invader, and now his country would have caused civilian deaths. Daitan¡¯s future was dark even if they had won the war.

    Despite this fact, the king of Daitan had pursued this course of action. It was proof that Daitain was truly in a bad spot.

    Artpe asked him a question.

    ¡°Who came up with this n in the first ce? Who came up with this n of pressuring Aedia to make it a war of attrition?¡±

    ¡°Sir Eritard suggested the n, and I went along with it. In the end, it turned out like this.¡±

    The king of Daitan shook as he freely expressed his anger and a sense of powerlessness. When he heard those words, Artpe couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    Was the king¡¯s intelligenceckingpared to the strong power he possessed? Or did he put trust in the honor between men to establish the alliance? It didn¡¯t matter what had ured. Either option had been endlessly foolish.

    ¡°Let¡¯s think this through. The ocean is not passable right now. The north and the western border was closed. No resources are able to enter into Aedia, so how are they able to hold out so well? Did they use their awesome power of magic to transport supplies?¡±

    ¡°You are talking about transporting supplies to feed an enormous army...... Is it possible?¡±

    ¡°If they have hundred magicians like me, it is possible. However, if they were capable of such a feat, they would have just wiped out the capital of Daitan. Basically, there is no way they could have received supplies from an outside source.¡±

    It was one of the skills he had needed as one of the Four Heavenly Kings. It was the skill to y one side against the other! Words flowed out of Artpe like water as he made a persuasive argument. The king of Daitan¡¯s eyes turned sharper as he looked towards the Duke of Tiata. Since there was no possible way Aedia could receive supply from an outside source, that only left the Dukedom of Tiata. The Duke was supposed to be his ally!

    ¡°Bullshit! You and I came up with that n in coboration!¡±

    The king of Daitan¡¯s gaze was so intense that he felt a tingle all over his body. The Duke of Tiata straightened himself as he yelled out. The king of Daitan nodded his head.

    ¡°I did agree with your n. However, five months have passed, and this is the result of that n. In your opinion, how do you think our enemies replenished their supplies? Please persuade me once again like before.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    This was the end. There was suspicion but no evidence. However, the mood had decidedly shifted against him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to overturn this.

    The words spoken by the king of Daitan was the decisive factor. Logic wasn¡¯t important right now. It was power. It didn¡¯t matter if the king believed the Dukedom of Tiata wasn¡¯t connected to Aedia. The king of Daitan had made a choice, and he wouldn¡¯t budge from it.

    The Duke of Tiata grinded his teeth.

    ¡°Are you really going to look down on my Dukedom like this!? Are you confident that you won¡¯t regret thister on!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already having regrets. I¡¯ve risen to kingship through a rebellion. I was afraid of the public unrest, so I rushed into a war with another nation. Now my nation is at the brink of ruins, so I regret my decisions everyday.¡±

    The king of Daitan wielded his words like a sword. At this point, his expression turned cold like a snow storm, and the tone of his voice changed.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let go of the only rope avable to me, so I held onto a rotten rope. I couldn¡¯t get off this sinking ship, so I yed out this abominable y several times. I kept going through the three-act y to get to a resolution. I waited for it. However, the ship sunk, and I was on a ghost ship. I don¡¯t care if the rope is coated with shit. I¡¯ll hold onto it if it is new. I haven¡¯t lived this long by repeatedly making foolish decisions. I will do as I¡¯ve always done!¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll show you that there is more to regret in this life! Even if you realize toote that you made the wrong decision, you won¡¯t be able to take it back!¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    The king of Daitan swung down a Mana infused towards the Duke of Tiata. It was merely a symbolic gesture that was meant to sever the rtionship between the two nations!

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely repay you for what you¡¯ve done today.... Uht!?¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    Artpe was proud that his skill of ying one side against the other hadn¡¯t rusted away from his days as the Four Heavenly King. He extended his hand toward the Duke of Tiata, who was taking a line out of the ¡®Required Reading for Viins on How to Exit in Style.¡¯

    A teleportation Artifact was being activated around the Duke of Tiata after the Duke fulfilled a specific condition. Artpe extended several dozen Mana Strings from his fingertips, and he wound it around the Duke. He prevented the Artifact from being used, and he pulled with his hand.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Huht!¡±

    The Duke of Tiata became surprised, and the king of Daitan, who had swung his word, also became surprised. He had swung his word in anger, but he never expected a leader of a nation not to dodge the blow. Unexpectedly, the king¡¯s sword cut the Duke of Tiata in half!

    ¡°All right. That takes care of Tiata.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had killed his former ally, so the king of Daitan had an unbelievably ufortable expression on his face. He put his sword away as he turned towards Artpe. Artpe was retrieving the Artifact from the corpse. He had a delighted look on his face.

    ¡°This is an Artifact used for an emergency exit. It can only be used once. It¡¯s my lucky day.¡±

    ¡°You really are¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am well aware of the fact that you possess overwhelming abilities as a magician.... Hoo. So that is why....¡±

    The king of Daitan pressed for an answer from Artpe, who was his ¡®only¡¯ ally left.

    ¡°I want to hear about your overall n. I¡¯m not deny the fact that you possess enormous power, but how can you end a war just by yourself?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know much about what magicians are capable of. You were quite lucky in being able to cut down your former ally.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, our country doesn¡¯t have any outstanding magicians. Also, I hadn¡¯t liked him in the first ce.¡±

    Basically, he was saying a good excuse had shown up, so he had taken the initiative. Artpe was a bit dumbfounded by his answer. He replied back.

    ¡°Just keep in mind that I have a Great magic spell that can bring the capital of Aedia to its knees. There is no need to cause a bloodbath by attacking the periphery of Aedia. It¡¯ll be annoying. If we are to conquer Aedia, we¡¯ll have to worry about the civilian poption. It isn¡¯t as if Daitan has an unlimited number of troops. I don¡¯t want a lot of blood to be shed.¡±

    It was words that shouldn¡¯t being out from the mouth of a former Four Heavenly King. However, he hadpletely left behind his former self in his present life!

    This didn¡¯t mean he would go running around pursuing peace as a hero. However, the king of Daitan didn¡¯t focus on his words. He was still busy trying to gauge the power of Artpe¡¯s magical energy and spells.

    ¡°A Great magic spell that can guarantee the downfall of the capital..... I have no choice, but to trust in you. All right.¡±

    It seemed he had finished his calctions. He raised his head to lock eyes with Artpe. There was a twinkle in his eyes.

    ¡°Let us go to the capital at full speed. What about your party?¡±

    ¡°They are probably yowling by now. They¡¯lle looking for me soon. Let us gather here once again after three hours. I want you to gather couple dozen of your core troops.¡±

    ¡°Couple dozen sounds too little.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easy. I¡¯ll bring down Aedia with my power. However, it is up to you and your people to seize the capital. ¡±

    The king of Daitan wondered if he had been wise in hiring Artpe. However, the milk had already been spilled. He cleared the bitter taste in his mouth as he asked a question.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t heard the most importantponent of this venture. What is your request?¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t told you that yet.¡±

    It had been so hectic that he had forgotten to ry that information. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he spoke.

    ¡°It is about the Forest of Eternity. I want you to leave that ce alone.¡±

    The king waited for a while, but Artpe no longer said anything. When he realized that was the entirety of Artpe¡¯s request, the king asked in a baffled manner.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is that really it?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be an easy request. People won¡¯t stop just because you said so. That is why this is a only a rough overview of my request. When the war ends, I want you to safely absorb Aedia and Tiata into your kingdom. Then I want you to make a neww. I want you to make it so that people won¡¯t cause harm to the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    It was as Artpe had said. This wouldn¡¯t be an easy request. Money and Artifacts were a one time payments. On the other hand, this request had to be upheld as long as the kingdom of Daitan existed. Still, Artpe¡¯s help would allow Daitan to conquer both Aedia and Tiata. There was no way the king would balk at this price.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you perhaps a descendant of the Elves?¡±

    The king had been prepared to give away parts of Aedia or Tiata. He couldn¡¯t hide his dismay as he asked the question.

    Artpe answered him.

    ¡°Nope. This is just a Quest for me.¡±

 Chapter 92 - Sleeping With the Enemy (5)

    Chapter 92 - Sleeping With the Enemy (5)

    When Artpe exited the barracks, therge number of legless knights weren¡¯t present. Instead, the captain stood waiting for him. He was the one that had guided Artpe¡¯s party to this ce.

    ¡°W...what.... What happened?¡±

    ¡°Just go in. I think he might promote you.¡±

    ¡°That means......!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s reply, a healthy glow returned to the captain¡¯s face. He belted out his official rank and name before he entered the barracks. Artpe shrugged his shoulders as he watched the captain¡¯s back. When he approached the carriage, his party members had remained in the same position as when he left the carriage. They were on standby.

    ¡°Did everything go well, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Ah. Also, Regina...¡±

    ¡°The distance between us cannot be lessened by calling out to me in a familiar manner.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe thought about hitting her, but he firmly pressed down on that desire. While they traveled to this ce, she had revealed her name to him. He had thought she had opened a little bit of her heart to him. It seemed Artpe had been foolish for having such thoughts.

    ¡°You can have this.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to dispute her words. He extended his hand towards her. Regina was leery and suspicious. She reluctantly raised one hand as if she had no choice in this matter, and she took the item given to her.

    Her expression went through a rapid change.

    ¡°This is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Why?¡±

    It was the emergency escape Artifact he had stolen from the Duke of Tiata. Of course, the destination picked by the Duke of Tiata was at the heart of the Dukedom of Tiata.

    Artpe¡¯s proficiency in using the Mana Strings was increasing daily. He hadn¡¯t needed to destroy the Artifact. It had been possible for him to temporarily neutralize the Artifact, and it allowed him to recover the Artifact intact.

    For some reason, he was giving the Artifact to Regina, who was his captive! Regina was so taken aback that she stopped moving after she received the Artifact. Artpe thought she looked pretty funny. He continued to speak.

    ¡°I met the Duke, and I got it from him. It was a fortuitous turn of events, and I¡¯m giving this to you.¡±

    ¡°Duke¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    She unconsciously blurted out her reply, and her expression stiffened. Artpe was openly against Aedia. If the Duke was inside the barracks, Artpe had probably met the Duke, and.........

    ¡°Is the Duke dead?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Discouraged. I couldn¡¯t stop it. The Duke is one of the people with authority over me. My negligence led to my owner¡¯s death.¡±

    It was odd. There was an expression of despair on Regina¡¯s face. She lowered her head. The fact that she was obsessed with her orders did make her look like a golem...... Well, it seemed she was still mistaken about a key fact. Artpe smirked as he spoke.

    ¡°There is no one except the Duke that can give you orders within the Dukedom, right?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    ¡°That means no one can order you in the short term if you use the Artifact to travel to the Dukedom.¡±

    ¡°When I¡¯m freed from my master, I have to immediately return to Aedia. I have no freedom. It is a foolish belief.¡±

    Regina looked truly taken aback by all of this. Artpe put on a kind smile as he spoke to her.

    ¡°Your spells are all attack and control type magic. Even if you use your stupidlyrge reservoir of Mana, it¡¯ll take you a week to reach Aedia from Tiata. I¡¯ll have all of this wrapped up if you take over a week to get there.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤how do you know about my Skills?¡±

    ¡°I have an observation Skill.¡±

    In truth, it was his Innate ability. Regina had be surprised when he hit the nail on the head with his remarks. She nodded her head as she readily epted his exnation.

    ¡°Affirmative. I cannot return to Aedia in the allotted time. That is why you won¡¯t suffer any tactical loss by giving me this item.... However, you also gain nothing from doing this. Why?¡±

    Why was he allowing her to go to Tiata? If he wanted her to be his party member, he should be trying to keep her next to him. Why did he bring her all the way here just to let her go?

    It was an obvious question to ask, and Artpe answered her.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have a favor to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood. You are an idiot. You are incapable of making rational decisions.¡±

    Artpe ignored Regina¡¯s insults as he continued to speak.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you return to Aedia. You¡¯ll be starting your journey from Tiata. Even at your fastest speed, you won¡¯t be able to affect the situation in Aedia. Isn¡¯t it so? Since you can¡¯t change anything, I would like you to go to Aedia in a roundabout way. I would like you to pass by the border of the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    ¡°A roundabout way.....?¡±

    Regina had been about to ignore Artpe¡¯s words. She was about to activate the Artifact. She tilted her head. Artpe nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°There is something there that you have to see for yourself. You¡¯ll change after seeing it.¡±

    His words finally made her realize that Artpe hadn¡¯t given up trying to persuade her. At that moment, a strange feeling bloomed within her heart. She denied it by shaking her head from side to side.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤golems do not change. We only change in level.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that?¡±

    ¡°Golems follow their owners. Once a golem is separated from the owner, the golem finds and returns to its owner.¡±

    Regina spoke as if this was an established fact. However, she hesitated a little bit after speaking those words. She nodded her head, and she made an additional remark.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the roundabout way to prove this fact.¡±

    ¡°In the end, you are epting my request.¡±

    ¡°Detestable.¡±

    A small amount of her will was infused in her re as she gripped the Artifact given to her by Artpe. For some reason, she turned to look at Sienna before the Artifact activated.

    It was understandable. Artpe had been the one to imprison her. Maetel had stuck close to Artpe, and she had been vignt against Regina. The only one she had the opportunity to form an attachment was Sienna. As expected, Sienna didn¡¯t¡¯ fall short of Regina¡¯s expectations. Sienna had a bright smile on her face as she waved her hand.

    ¡°See you soon, Regina.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I won¡¯t being back.¡±

    Even as Regina spoke those words, there was a sliver of a smile when she heard Sienna¡¯s words. Maetel snorted when she saw this.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯te back. Nevere back.¡±

    ¡°You are going to catch their stupidity. You should escape before you are infected.¡±

    Regina kept saying silly things until the end. The emergency exit Artifact activated in an instant, and Regina left. She was transported from the headquarters of Daitan to Tiata in an instant.

    ¡°Hoo. This should wrap things up for the time being.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he looked at the empty seat. Maetel was also looking at Regina¡¯s empty seat. She suddenly called out his name.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Artpe usually acts on logic rather than feeling, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right?¡±

    ¡°From the beginning to end, why are you trying to appeal to her emotions?¡±

    Artpe stopped for a brief moment, but soon, he smirked as he turned to look at Maetel.

    ¡°In what way have I been appealing to her emotions?¡±

    ¡°Regina said she was a golem, yet you continue to treat her as a human with free will.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because she possesses free will?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, I see.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t show much surprise at his answer. She nodded her head. It was the same for Sienna. It seemed they had roughly known what was going on from the start. Her questions to Artpe were merely confirming her suspicions.

    ¡°Oppa. Regina isn¡¯t a golem, right?¡±

    Sienna asked the question. Artpe mulled it over for a brief moment. He decided it would be best to tell them the truth in advance if they were going to bring Regina into their party.

    He calmly gathered his thoughts, then he spoke.

    ¡°Yes. If she is a golem, the magical engineering field will have to change their definition.¡±

    It was true that the magicians had created a miracle.

    The Demite could grow and use magic, but it possessed no vitality. However, it possessed a firm will, and the magicians used this will as a background to give it a body that can be used.

    However, they were mistaken about one thing. It was the fact that they hadn¡¯t created a golem with the Demite. In the end, golems were tools that always followed the orders of their masters.

    Regina possessed independent consciousness, so how could she be a golem?

    It was a bad joke. Currently, Regina was a Demite that had acquired a body. She wasn¡¯t someone more or someone less than that. In fact, she was closer to being a human than a golem. No, it was more apt to say she was of a humanoid race that was infinitely simr to a human.

    ¡°It probably took countless trials and errors. They probably spend unbelievable amount of resources to create a body that can ept a Demite in its entirety. I apud them for seeding. However, that was all they were able to do. They couldn¡¯t control her. They tried putting in control measures that would have worked on a golem, but it didn¡¯t work. That is why they used the magic of suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Suggestion¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was the power of suggestion.¡±

    Suggestion.

    Regina had shown off this skill before. It was a type of magic that stimted the opponent¡¯s mind. It made the subject naturally trust and follow the caster¡¯s words. Regina had nonchntly hypnotized several thousand humans, yet she was hypnotized herself too. It was an amusing situation.

    ¡°When her body and mind was immature, the magicians continuously ced restrictions on her. They told her other golems acted in a certain way, so she had to act in the same way as the golems. They nted the idea that she would be in big trouble if she went against them. They told her she wasn¡¯t capable of doing certain things, and she must follow only them. Countless suggestions wereyered on top of each other, and these suggestions became absolute restrictions in her mind.¡±

    ¡°She originally had free will, but the suggestions......¡±

    They hadn¡¯t been with Regina for a long time, but it was clear to them that she wasn¡¯t living a free life. She had to swallow her words, because she couldn¡¯t speak certain words that were forbidden to her. She had sporadically tried to escape, and he had also seen her repeatedly perform specific actions as if she was doing it out of obligation.

    The only reason why she had conversed with Artpe¡¯s party was the fact that his party was too powerful for her. Normally, she never conversed with strangers.

    She conducted missions given to her by her ¡®master.¡¯ After returning from her mission, she trained in magic, and she leveled up. She lived her life by repeating this cycle.

    How could she have time to converse with others?

    Of course, this was why the way she spoke was weird.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤they are really bad people.¡±

    Maetel came to a decision as to what was right and what was wrong. She no longer looked guarded when talking about Regina. Again, Sienna had a different reaction from Maetel. She became angry.

    ¡°They are really bad. I want to punish all of them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be punishing all of them.¡±

    Artpe had expected such a response, so he replied in an apathetic manner. At that moment, Maetel asked him a question in an argumentative manner. Of course, he had expected this question too.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her this, Artpe? You had plenty of opportunities.¡±

    ¡°I had captured her as an enemy. Do you think the suggestion spell will break just because I spoke to her? It might have caused the spell to gain a firmer footing within her.¡±

    ¡°Then¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That is why I sent her to Tiata.¡±

    Originally, he had nned on wiping out the group of people that were called her ¡®masters.¡¯ Afterwards, he would have slowly unravelled the suggestions ingrained within her. However, something unexpected had happened. He had gained a ticket from the Duke. The Artifact would allow him to send Regina to Tiata. His task became easier.

    ¡°She might be hurt more in the short term, but this method will allow her to heal faster. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤also this will allow us to lessen the damage caused to others.¡±

    ¡°You want her toe to the Forest of Eternity, right? What¡¯s there, Artpe?¡±

    A bitter smile formed on Artpe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s something we have always seen. It doesn¡¯t matter where one goes. The outward appearance of human greed can be changed, but it just lurks beneath the surface.¡±

    At that point, Maetel and Sienna epted his words, and they backed off. Artpe let out a sigh of relief when he saw this. The two of them were focused on Regina, so he was able to give an evasive answer.

    However, Maetel¡¯s observation was correct. For some reason, he had been empathetic towards Regina.

    The fact that she wasn¡¯t a golem didn¡¯t fully exin his behavior. When dealing with Regina, he relied on an unconvincing possibility. He had been way too soft on her. Of course, he acted this way even knowing that there was a possibility she wouldn¡¯t be a member of his party.

    Regina had been shackled for the past 200 years just because she was born through the hands of magicians. In his past life, he had been bound by the Demon King. He felt an unbelievable amount of anger when he saw Regina, who was bound without her knowledge. She had done nothing wrong. He couldn¡¯t let it be.

    He had plenty coercive measure he could have used topletely bring down the Demon King. It would have allowed him to live afortable life into his old age. However, he hadn¡¯t done pursued these course of actions.

    Maybe, he had tried toe find Regina as soon as possible, because of this following reason.

    ¡®I¡¯m the personification of irrationality. I¡¯m acting selfish by only being sympathetic towards beings that are in a simr plight as me. Who did this? Who the hell revived a lowlife demon into a hero?¡¯

    Still, there was nothing he could do about what had urred. This was his life now. He let out a bitterugh as he watched his party members firm their resolves to invade Aedia. He stopped thinking about such thoughts as he took out the Demite¡¯s Gemstone. As if to say she understood his feeling, Roa let out a short meow.

    Artpe snorted.

    ¡°I still won¡¯t give you this, you dork.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    On that night, Artpe was sessful in refining the Demite.

    The party departed with the king of Daitan, and the select elite soldiers chosen by him. They headed towards the capital of Aedia.

 Chapter 93 - Forest of Eternity (1)

    Chapter 93 - Forest of Eternity (1)

    In truth, Artpe didn¡¯t really like riding horses. In his past life, he had led a life that was embarrassingly devoid of much physical activities. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t developed any amicable rtionships with other creatures in his past life.

    ¡°Heeeeeeeng!¡±

    ¡°Stop lick me! Stop licking me!¡±

    This was why his current predicament was all the more unfamiliar. Since they had to travel at top speed with the knights, he had no choice but to ept the war horses prepared for his party by Daitan. For some reason, the horses were veryisant in Artpe¡¯s presence.

    ¡°They really are all over you, Artpe...... ....are they females?¡±

    ¡°I checked. The horses are male. Moreover, you of all people shouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡±

    These were horses trained by the throne. They were trained to ept and follow orders from all riders, yet they shouldn¡¯t be this obedient. The horses were almost gleeful in following Maetel and Artpe. It was only happening to them. At some point, Artpe realized he had been instinctively using one of the hero¡¯s abilities.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤still, I hope they don¡¯t discover that I am a hero because of this.¡¯

    In truth, he had be strong enough, so he didn¡¯t need to hide the fact that he was a hero. However, he was leery of openly carrying out the work of a hero when one considered that the Demon King¡¯s army was on the move.

    ¡®Oh well. If I carry out the work of a hero, there wille a time when I¡¯ll sh directly against the Demon King¡¯s army. It might not matter even if I reveal myself. Everything is turning out differently from my past life. If I take that into ount, the Four Heavenly Kings should be mobilizing by now. Ah. Still, I would like to dy going to the Demon world until I resolve everything on this side. I doubt things will go as smoothly as I want......¡¯

    ¡°Magician. If you don¡¯t know how to ride a horse, would you like to ride behind me?¡±

    Artpe had been going through his thoughts while he was being licked by his horse. The king of Daitan tried to get ahold of Artpe. Artpe had been waiting for the offer, so his face brightened as he was about to take up on the offer. However, Maetel let out an unabashedughter as she grabbed Artpe¡¯s arm.

    ¡°You can ride behind me, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve also never ridden a horse.¡±

    ¡°I think I can ride it.¡±

    It was true! She had never learned how to ride a horse. However, she handled the horse as well as the knights after forcing Artpe to sit behind her. Sienna also was doing well on a horse, and this caused Artpe to feel aggrieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can ride a horse by myself.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    However, his pride as a man crumbled under the hero¡¯s personal desire. There was no way Maetel was going to let Artpe go.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine if we stay this way forever!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but centaurs are not my cup of tea.¡±

    Artpe gave a cold reply as he let out a sigh. Sienna was riding along right next to them on her horse. On the other side, the king rode his horse. The knights surrounded them like an honor guard.

    ¡°This is a great formation if we want to be killed by a bombardment from the magicians.¡±

    ¡°In truth, we¡¯ve used this method throughout the war. We thought we could overrun our enemies by attacking in a bunched formation.......¡±

    ¡°Did you really think you could just mow down magicians through strength? It is such a knuckleheaded approach. I can see why you¡¯ve been tricked by the Duke of Tiata for so long.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are my ally, but you really are impudent.¡±

    Daitan was surprisingly inadequate in their ability to deal with magicians. It seemed they had relied on Tiata to take care of the magicians. They had chosen the worst possible option.

    ¡°We are traveling at such a slow speed. Are you sure we¡¯ll be able to be within Aedia in a week?¡±

    ¡°These are all war horses that are above level 80. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°So there are no problems with the horses.¡±

    That left the gears. Artpe thought over it for a brief moment. He nodded his head as he spread both his hands. The magical energy sleeping within his body boiled out of him, and it spread into the surrounding.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Go.¡±

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head when she sensed him activate his Mana. In the next moment, Artpe¡¯s magical energy surrounded the war horses, who were fiercely galloping down the road. To be precise, his magical energy surrounded the saddles and horseshoes. When the king and the knights realized that Artpe had activated his Mana, they flinched as they turned their heads to look at Artpe.

    ¡°What magic did you just use?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t magic. It¡¯s a skill. You¡¯ll find out soon.¡±

    Artpe had activated a skill called Reinforcement. It wasn¡¯t the permanent Reinforcement he had used up until now. It was a Reinforcement that temporarily boosted the performance of objects. Artpe¡¯s Reinforcement skill could do everything. It was a multifaceted skill!

    The temporary Reinforcement used far less Manapared to the permanent Reinforcement, and unlike the permanent Reinforcement, the temporary Reinforcement was great for casting simultaneously. It also left no traces behind after expiring. It allowed one to use it indiscriminately and without much thought. That was its advantage. It was perfect for this situation.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see....¡¤.¡¯

    He reinforced the horseshoes. It caused the horse to be less tired, and it affected the leg muscles. It allowed the horse to run faster and longer. Then he Reinforced the saddle. It replenished the vitality of the person sitting on the saddle.

    The saddle and the horseshoe had a symbolic meaning and Record. He used his power as a mage to make these items into what they were in the present reality Artpe Reinforced the gears equipped by several dozen horses, and he was sessful in creating temporary Artifacts.

    ¡°The horses have be noticeably faster! How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°My god. I¡¯m sitting on a horse running at full tilt, yet it is sofortable! It is as if I¡¯m sitting on top of a bed!¡±

    Soon, everyone spoke out in admiration. Artpe¡¯s triumphant expression made him look slightly douchey, but it was true that he had increased the party¡¯s speed by 20% with a wave of his hand. Moreover, he had alleviated the diforts caused by the travel. The king looked at Artpe with new eyes.

    ¡°Do all magicians possess such a variety of abilities?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the only one.¡±

    ¡°Oh oh. You really are a douche.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret those words soon.¡±

    Artpe snorted as he spread both hands. When the king saw this sight, he yelled out in surprise.

    ¡°Are you going to use it one more time!?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    About half of Artpe¡¯s Mana had exited his body, and it was tossing around his body. It was an overwhelming amount of Mana considering it was an amount possessed by a single individual. The Mana was refined for the use of the Reinforcement skill, and it surrounded the party once again. Once. Twice.

    ¡°M...my god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The king¡¯s face crumbled from the shock he felt. A deep smile formed on Artpe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t use it once. I used it twice.¡±

    ¡°You really are a douchey¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Even if Artpe possessed massive amount of Mana, he had simultaneously Reinforced the saddles and horseshoes of couple dozen horses. He had done it three times, so he had used 80% of his Mana. He panted as he leaned against Maetel¡¯s back. He asked her a question.

    ¡°What do you think.¡±

    ¡°I like the feel of you leaning against me from exhaustion, but I¡¯d rather want you to hug me in a loving way.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about me. I¡¯m talking about the speed, you dork.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I think we are moving about three times faster.¡±

    Even if it was only a temporary Reinforcement, he had casted it three times in a row. A flow of Mana that had caused rapid changes had swept through, and there was no way such a change would be temporary.

    The saddles and horseshoes on the war horses shone with a red metallic sheen. Their gears had turned into a low rank Artifact. Even when the duration time of the Reinforcement came to an end, the effect on a single Reinforcement would be left behind permanently.

    ¡°A magician is capable of calmly doing things that are unimaginable to us.¡±

    ¡°It really is a bloodcurdling amount of power. It makes me want to idolize him.¡±

    ¡°There was a time when I wanted to be a magician in my youth......¡±

    The king and his knights sang Artpe¡¯s praises as they cut through the winds. The men of the north went nuts over being able to travel at such high speeds! On the other hand, Maetel looked miffed as she rode her horse in rhythm.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤one week is too short.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, dummy.¡±

    Thanks to Artpe¡¯s unexepected support, the party was able to charge towards the capital of Aedia at a ridiculous pace. It was befitting to call them a strike force.

    The performance and endurance of the horses and men were improved to the extreme. It wasn¡¯t a joke to say that they were moving three times as fast as their initial speed.

    On the other hand, how could they avoid notice when a party of men on their horses were speeding through a region embroiled in war?

    Aedia boasted a magicalmunication system that reached the entirety of its nation. They boasted an informationwork that was considered to be the best amongst all nations. This was why an elite force of magicians escorted by soldiers were mobilized to stop Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally lost your mind from the stress caused by the war. You¡¯ve crawled into the heart of Aedia. Haven¡¯t you realized the might of Aedia after being abused for the past five months!¡±

    Of course, they were on the road, so the royal magicians wouldn¡¯t be here. However, they did send a first wave of magicians. They were capable of space magic and deterrent magic. While the first group stalled their enemies, another group of magicians would use their attack magic on them. That was supposed to be the n.......

    ¡°Magician, they are....¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The magicians that appeared in the distance made the ground smooth, and they raised earthen walls to stop the charge of Artpe¡¯s party. When Artpe confirmed with his Read All Creation that the magicians were nearby, Artpe lightly swung his hand, and all the spells were made useless.

    ¡°Koo-hahk!?¡±

    ¡°T...the Mana.....! W...we have to report this to the throne.... Kah-hahk!¡±

    In a sh, the magician were overpowered, and they realized a much powerful magician was present on Daitan¡¯s side. They tried their best to ry this information to the throne, but the attempt was thwarted. In an instant, Artpe was victorious.

    His skill level was high, so he was able to cause physical and magical effects at great distance. He could extend his Mana Strings for couple kilometers. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t wait for his enemies to use their Artifacts or magic!

    ¡°K...koohk. He is using perception magic! I have no idea what magic spell he is using!¡±

    ¡°Idiots! Attack the magician!¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t in range! Moreover, something is breaking up the Mana itself..... Kahk!¡±

    Only a very few high level people had the capacity to see the several hundred strands of Mana Strings in the air. At Artpe¡¯s will, the Mana Strings cut, smash and erased anything that opposed Artpe. Maetel had a knowing smile on her face as she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°In the end, you are using Mana Strings?¡±

    ¡°Are youining?¡±

    After acquiring the Mana String, the spell had pretty much be Artpe¡¯s middle name. In the past year, Artpe purposefully chose to use the Mana String spell when other spells would have been sufficient.

    The reason being the Mana String was versatile. However, it also had to do with the event that had urred in his fight against the Ancient Kraken. A Unique skill had strengthened the spell, yet no tangible effect had been seen. Basically, it had fired a nk, yet Artpe didn¡¯t think this was the case.

    ¡®Still, I haven¡¯t seen much change from it.¡¯

    The Unique spell was made in such a way that he couldn¡¯t thoroughly observe it through his Read All Creation ability. It had an element of chaos that couldn¡¯t be specified.

    In the past year, his spell had gone from level 60 to being at the cusp of level 70, yet he couldn¡¯t say that he was able to perfectly handle this spell.

    ¡°A...amazing. He killed so many magicians in an instant......!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh oh. Our magician is invincible! Invincible!¡±

    ¡°Magician! Magician!¡±

    Aedia¡¯s magician had always fucked over Daitan, yet these magicians had died so easily by Artpe¡¯s hands. The knights of Daitain were hot blooded. They sang Artpe¡¯s praise in joy. It seemed they hadpletely forgotten about what they had suffered under Artpe¡¯s hands not too long ago.

    ¡°You are amazing, magician! At this pace, it¡¯ll be possible to take over the pce within four days!¡±

    ¡°We are moving noisily through this region. Aren¡¯t you worried that the enemy will harden their defense when they hear about us?¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, you are purposefully revealing our presence..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, you aren¡¯t wrong.¡±

    As expected of someone that was upying the kingship of a country, he had a good sense. Artpe grinned when he heard the king¡¯s words. Artpe acknowledged it.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to taunt them as much as possible. I want to make them so angry that they¡¯ll bring in all kinds weapons into the capital. On the other hand, we can¡¯t give them too much time, or they¡¯lle up with a different n.¡±

    ¡°What..... What do you n on doing in the capital?¡±

    He had wanted someone to ask that very quest. The king¡¯s timing was impable.

    Artpe grinned as he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be this world¡¯s dirtiest and fanciest festival.¡±

    Exactly a day and a half passed.

    Artpe¡¯s party able to see the capital of Aedia with their eyes.

 Chapter 94 - Forest of Eternity (2)

    Chapter 94 - Forest of Eternity (2)

    ¡°Hoo. I see it.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤we really can see it. I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    They had destroyed everything that was in their way. At times, they took a short break, and they had to heal their horses. However, they were able to reach the capital of Aedia in just two days.

    If a trained war horse ran its fastest speed on minimal break, the estimated arrival time had been one week. The current result was like a smack on the nose to the king of Daitan.

    ¡°We should slow down soon, your majesty! I can see the enemy force!¡±

    ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve never seen so many magicians gathered in one ce!¡±

    Aedia had sent multiple small elite units towards Artpe¡¯s party one after another, but they determined a small force couldn¡¯t stop the progress of Artpe¡¯s party. They even attempted to use a spell that would have incinerated a small territory. However, the spell was stopped before it could be activated. It was decided the powers within the capital had to be mobilized.

    Aedia had sent out magicians to ascertain the extent of power possessed by Artpe¡¯s party, but they had lost contact with all the magicians. This was why the only thing known about Artpe¡¯s party was its size.

    It was also the reason why they had dered this the worst crisis since the founding of Aedia as a nation.

    They gathered everyone that was capable of using magic to face their enemy! The quantity of magicians that could be thrown at their enemies was something only the magic kingdom of Aedia could do.

    The only problem that remained was the fact that they were having a hard time evacuating the civilians. It was to be expected. At the guidance of Artpe, Daitan¡¯s troops had arrived in just two days. It hadn¡¯t been too long since Aedia had realized the seriousness of the problem they faced. Two days was too short of a time to finish their preparations.

    ¡°The defense facilities installed all over Aedia are too good that they¡¯ve never experienced their capital being ransacked by enemy forces. Of course, they have a procedure to deal with an attack on the captial. They possess evacuation sites.¡±

    Artpe gave a runningmentary to his party as they watched the capital, which had turned upside down from the impending attack from an enemy force. The magicians were all gathered, and the civilians within the city were running about in confusion. It was a funny sight.

    ¡°Artpe, do we have to kill the civilians?¡±

    Maetel bit her lips as she spoke. Artpe grinned as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I decided to go straight towards the capital, because I wanted to minimize civilian casualties. So why would I order you to do something like that?¡±

    ¡°But Artpe.... I can feel an enormous amount of Mana from the capital. If we sh against them, how can we not cause harm to the civilians......?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by sh against them?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s reply was unexpected, so Maetel titled her head. The fact that he wasn¡¯t going to attack civilians weren¡¯t the important part. He was stating that he would bring everything to a halt before he would have to fight the enemy force! When the king of Daitan heard their conversation, he questioned Artpe in disbelief.

    ¡°Is there a way to subdue our enemies without shing against them?¡±

    ¡°Well, they are getting ready to fight to the death, so why should we get bloodied by charging straight into them¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? I won¡¯t be affected, but a lot of your knights will be killed.¡±

    ¡°However, you baited them into making those preparations......?¡±

    The king of Daitan had an expression on his face that said he was ready to shed a bowl or two of blood for victory. Artpe smirked when he saw this.

    ¡°I told you that this would be the world¡¯s dirtiest and fanciest festival. It won¡¯t be much of a festival if someone dies..¡±

    ¡°A war where countless people die en masse is a festival. If not, what else could it be?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You guys don¡¯t have to do anything. I¡¯ll show you myself.¡±

    This was what was wrong with muscle-brained knights. Artpe clicked his tongue as he used a spell. His body floated into the air.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going first. You guys should follow me at a slower pace. You can be at ease. I¡¯ll take care of the magicians along the way.¡±

    There were spells that all magicians learned at an early stage. For some reason, Artpe had been very unlucky, and he hadn¡¯t been unable to learn some of these spells until he had passed level 250. One of these spell was the Float spell.

    In truth, a magician of Artpe¡¯s level should have learned the Flight spell by now. No, it was more befitting for him to use teleportation spells at his level. However, movement type spells refused to drop for him. This was why he was thankful for the fact that he was able to learn the Float spell.

    In the end, he could only put his trust in Mycenae now. However, he hadn¡¯t met her in awhile, because he had been ying underwater. When he solved the Forest of Eternity quest for her, he would use it as leverage to acquire spell books from her. He nned on being forceful in his request.

    ¡°Thankfully, I have the Float spell. As expected, looting is worth doing.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just steal the items from the magicians you captured as prisoners? You were just lucky that the spell books were in their possession......

    Several amongst the magicians had possessed spell books. It wasmon for magicians toe across spell books they had already learned.

    It was logical to sell or give the spell book to someone else. However, most magicians hid the spell books or they carried it around in their possession.

    Some did research on the spell books or they kept it as a memento. It was, because there was a chance theirpetitors might get stronger if these spell books became avable to them..

    Magicians were innately ostentatious, and they were small-minded.

    Anyways, that¡¯s how it was.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for me to move out.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you shouldn¡¯t do dangerous things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not doing anything dangerous.¡±

    He nned on using a mere Float spell to fly to the capital, yet Artpe was confident. If one could see the Mana Strings roiling around him, one would be inclined to believe his confidence.

    ¡°Oppa, do we have to do anything specific?¡±

    ¡°You just have to make sure to protect our employer so he doesn¡¯t die. At a certain point in time, all the magicians inside the capital will be facing a massive amount of chaos. It is easy to be distracted in such a situation, so you have to be vignt.¡±

    ¡°Yes......¡±

    ¡°Since this spell will guarantee to bring the capital to its knees, I¡¯m sure it will cause a bigmotion. However..... There are so many people gathered in the capital. Are you sure you can bring them to their knees without any lives being lost?¡±

    The king of Daitan still looked to be half in doubt. However, Artpe had told him all the information he needed to know. It wasn¡¯t up to him to convince the king.

    He didn¡¯t give a reply as he shot into the air. He was moving at such a fast speed that no one would have suspected that he was using a Float spell! It was a miracle created by pouring in an enormous amount of Mana into the spell!

    ¡°It¡¯s him! That magician is revolting against Aedia!¡±

    Since Artpe was flying high in the air, he was highly visible. Several magicians yelled out towards him.

    Artpe had never joined Aedia, yet they were saying he was revolting against them? They were full of hot air. Did they think all magicians in the world originated from Aedia? He sneered at the arrogant and narrow-minded magicians as he increased his speed.

    ¡°You dare to bare your teeth on your benefactors. You stupid.... Punish him!¡±

    ¡°Show them the power of Aedia!¡±

    Countless spells surged into the sky of the capital. The mostmon spells seen was the Magic Missle, Fireball and Ice Spear. Then there were the more umon AOE magicing towards Artpe.

    Each Mana had its own color and texture, so the banquet of spells surging into the air looked like a firework show. However, each spell contained enough power to easily kill a person. If one underestimated the power of these spells, it was a mistake one would never make again in this life.

    ¡®They know that all the magicians they sent towards me had been wiped out, yet they are attacking me in such a simplistic manner..... I guess it is in the nature of magicians to act this way.¡¯

    Artpe was high in the sky, and spells were flooding towards him. The sight made him remember an incident from his past life. It wasn¡¯t something that he had experience, but it was something he had witnessed.

    ¡®At the time, Regina had been with them. When she found out of the truth, she became enraged and she sided with the hero. However, Aedia foolishly continued to believe until the end that they would be able to control her. They had been extremely foolish.....¡¯

    As the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, Artpe was tasked to keep surveince over the hero¡¯s party. When he saw the sight of a girl regain her freedom, he clenched his fists as he cheered for her. He cheered for her even though he wasn¡¯t in a position to do so. After the Absolute Control had been used against him, he had been tormented for a long time. When he looked back on it, it was a fond memory..... No, it wasn¡¯t a good memory at all.

    ¡°Let us engrave thews of the magic kingdom onto his soul!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough. I want everyone to pour out more spells!¡±

    It seemed they were dissatisfied with the sight of Artpe floating in the air in a free and easy manner. Artpe hadn¡¯t asked for it, but the magicians sent additional spells towards him. They were recklessly consuming their Mana. It seemed some had consumed potions ahead of the battle, and there were those that were currently consuming potions. It was a sight to behold.

    ¡°You all haven¡¯t noticed that just pouring out your spells towards me is ineffective. You lost the moment you failed to realized this fact.¡±

    No, they might have lost from the moment they thought they could imprison Regina indefinitely. This had been true in the past life. They were brought downpletely, because they had been deluding themselves.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    Artpe lightly swung his hand. The several hundred Mana Strings split into couple thousand Mana Strings. Each strand of Mana String nullified a spell, and Artpe was able to charge forward without losing momentum.

    He didn¡¯t feel nervous at all, since he could easily block the attacks. The spells were only a minor annoyance to him. Any magic spell that could be used by the magicians of Aedia didn¡¯t amount to much.

    ¡®There¡¯s only three magicians that are over level 200. I¡¯m sure many of the higher level magicians are dispatched to Tiata and the Forest of Eternity. They arecking in terms of the number of powerful magicians they possess. ¡¯

    This was why the magic kingdom, which had been touted to be the strongest on this continent, was in such a predicament. This was also the reason why the hero was the only hope for humanity. Aedia didn¡¯t possess much power, yet they became full of themselves. It was so pathetic that it made him want to shed a tear.

    ¡°Still, I shouldn¡¯t repeat what happened in the past.¡±

    In the middle of the sky, Artpe kept erasing the countless spells that were being thrown at him. As he did so, he slowly closed his eyes, and he started gathering all his Mana that wasn¡¯t being used by the Mana Strings.

    ¡°You are an organ that excretes the foul desire.¡±

    Artpe started chanting the only Great Magic he could use.

    ¡°You have epted the filth of humans. You are a mystery of nature locked up away in misery.¡±

    He had already set his target. As he blocked all the magic spells, he reached the center of the capital where there was a raised structure.

    ¡°Reval your fermented anger. Put the humans in their ce.¡±

    Magic circle?

    It was surprising. Artpe hadn¡¯t made any prior preparations, yet the magic circle was present. The magic circle epassed the entirety of this regions. If one wanted to find such magic circles, one could probably find it in all the cities within Aedia.

    This was obvious, but Artpe hadn¡¯t installed it here. They had done it themselves.

    ¡°I will allow it, so go find your freedom. Rampage to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    A purple magic item started to rise out from his bosom. It was the Demite, which he had finished refining, It possessed a will of its own, and the Demite acted to support Artpe in the chanting of his spell. It endlessly amplified the magical energy.

    ¡°He¡¯s casting a spell! He¡¯s using a Great Magic through a magic circle!¡±

    ¡°You idiot! We would have known if he created a magic circle here.!¡±

    ¡°Destroy it! We have to destroy the magic circle now!¡±

    ¡°B...but this magic circle is..... Oh my god.¡±

    Yes, they wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy it.

    This magic circle was a symbol that represented the prosperity of the magic kingdom of Aedia.

    A magic circle wasn¡¯t made purely out of Mana. Other material was needed to make what was considered to be greatest technique of this century.

    Aplete magic circle could created and maintain a spell.

    The magic circle was a reminder to humanity and even the Demon race that magic was boundless in its use!

    ¡°That is why I want you to cover them equally.¡±

    In the end, Artpe hadn¡¯t been interrupted while hepleted his magic spell. However, there wasn¡¯t a smile of relief on his face. He had a resigned expression on his face.

    ¡°Flow backward.¡±

    All of Artpe¡¯s Mana was sucked into the Demite. In an instant, it spread across the raised structures in the region. It spread ¡®below¡¯ to permeate into the buried magic circle.

    Arpte¡¯s expression seemed to question whether he should be doing this or not.

    He finished his spell.

    ¡°God Flush.¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the sewer system that was installed across the entirety of the capital exploded all at once.

 Chapter 95 - Forest of Eternity (3)

    Chapter 95 - Forest of Eternity (3)

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Eek! So dirty! Ooh-ahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    A miserable scream came out of every human that lived within the capital. As if it was trying to time itself with their screams, the sewer line started exploding all over the ce. All kinds of filth surged forward along the artificial Flush magic circle, and the sewer lines.

    ¡°What the hell is this! What¡¯s going on!¡±

    ¡°H...how.......!¡±

    Of course, the magician couldn¡¯t avoid being baptized by the filth. In fact, it seemed the bigger explosions urred near the magicians. The filth was caked on them like makeup. The magicians would have been able to block the filth with their barrier spells if there had been a moderate amount of fecal matter falling towards them. However, the entire sewer system had exploded, so the barrier spell was ineffective in blocking the downpour!

    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    ¡°How dare you do this! Unforgivable! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if one was a magician over level 200 or a civilian that had remained at level one. They were equally coated in filth. Even worse was the fact that the God Flush was still progressing in real time. The water mixed with urine and fecal matter formed a vortex as it destroyed buildings, and it flung the filth all over the streets.

    It was filthy.

    It was really filthy.

    ¡°You guys shouldn¡¯t have made a magic circle here. Since you¡¯ve made one, you should have secured it better.¡±

    Of course, he was able to see the formation of the magic circle, so he was able to control it in an instant. Aside from Artpe, no one was capable of making such a grand spectacle. However, that wasn¡¯t his problem.

    ¡°All right, then..... [Hmm hmm!]¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t cause any casualties. He just caused damage to the heart of the people, and he selectively destroyed the buildings within the capital. As the God Flush continued its rampage, Artpe activated another spell.

    [Can you all hear my words? I¡¯m a magician hired by Daitan. I was hired as a mercenary.]

    ¡°T...that bastard!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him!¡±

    It was a spell that amplified his voice in all directions. It was the Loudspeaker spell. Moreover, it was a high rank Loudspeaker spell. His voice was able reach the entire capital!

    Somehow, Mycenae was able to procure high ranking misceneous spells, yet she was slow in acquiring battle magic. Artpe let out a sigh inside as he continued to speak.

    [The spell I just used is called God Flush. I was able to use the Flush magic circle you have installed below your city. It allowed me to use my spell over a vast distance. Thank you.]

    Aedia was proud of its sewer system. When they heard Artpe¡¯s words, it made the magicians uniformly explode from frustration. As a former Four Heavenly King, he knew the exact timing and words needed to provoke the maximum amount of anger in his enemies. His proficiency in this skill was extraordinary!

    [I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but there are two ways to activate a Flush spell. The first way is to flush everything down. The second way is to wrench the flow of water to create a counter current. I¡¯m using the second method right now.]

    Artpe leisurely drank a Mana Potion, and he gave an exnation on the spell he was using. This act inflicted additional mental damage to the magicians.

    The magicians weren¡¯t in a position to worry about the knights that were about to invade the capital. Each magician hade running to disrupt the flow of Mana being used by Artpe. They were also using barrier spells and purification spells in an attempt to counter what he was doing. However, magic was a fight determined by skill! Artpe used to be the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, but he was reborn as a hero. There was no one in Aedia that was able to stop Artpe¡¯s magical activities!

    [It is useless. Unless you are able to dig out the entirety of your sewer system, you won¡¯t be able to stop this. You should just ept it. You can shower yourself with poop.]

    ¡°God Flush! You dare to put the title of a god in front of a Flush spell? I¡¯ve never heard of this! I bet he¡¯s a ck magician!¡±

    In the end, they started to denounce him as being a ck magician. If they were a bit further along in their magical studies, they should have known that God Flush was an extension of Flush. If one followed their logic, the magicians that created the sewer system using the Flush spell were also ck magicians. It was ridiculous.

    ¡°Dirty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ So dirty!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! How can a magician that reached such a lofty level use such a dirty tactic!¡±

    The streets were dirty, but the situation was more dire within buildings that possessed plumbing. This was why everyone had exited their residence, and everyone¡¯s gaze was nted on Artpe.

    [I love peace. That is why I limited the spell to the sewer system. However, it isn¡¯t as if Aedia only has the sewer system. Isn¡¯t that right?]

    The sewers were used by humans to send down dirty water. On the other hand, the water supply system purified the water, and it provided the humans with clean water.

    Aedia had been fastidious in separating the sewer lines and the water supply lines. They were sessful in creating the most hygienic nation in this world.

    Of course, it was impossible not to damage the water supply system even if Artpe¡¯s control over his spell was impable. However, the architects of the sewer system had been thorough in confining the sewer lines. This was why the damage to the water supply line was limited.

    [Let me put it this way¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    When Artpe raised his hand, the vortex of filth that had formed in the center of the capital started to threaten the people. Artpe¡¯s voice reached the entirety of the capital, so everyone was listening to his words. Unfortunately, they could guess where this was heading even without listening to his following words.

    [If I want to do it, I can do it in an instant..... I can blow up your water supply system too.]

    ¡°Devil! He¡¯s the devil!¡±

    ¡°You are human, so how can you do something so cruel!¡±

    The people were horror-struck. If the water supply system broke open, the filth dirtying their body would be washed away. It would feel great in the short term. On the other hand, there would be no separation between the sewage system and the water supply system. They would be the world¡¯s dirtiest city of death.....

    No, they would be reborn as a manure pail.

    ¡°T...the war isn¡¯t the problem right now..... Everything is ruined!¡±

    ¡°This city holds the history of Aedia. How can you ruin it like this.....!¡±

    ¡°Speak! Let¡¯s resolve this through words!¡±

    The magicians btedly realized that they couldn¡¯t stop Artpe from using his magic. This was why some magicians used their own Loudspeaker spell to plead with Artpe. However, if everything could be solved with words, there would be no war in this world.

    [We only have one request.]

    Artpe dered in a stern voice.

    [We want a full surrender. Also, I¡¯ve already killed the Duke of Tiata. I¡¯m sure you are waiting for Tiata to stab us in the back. You shouldn¡¯t hold your breath.]

    ¡°T...Tiata.....!? Tiata should be allies with Daitan......¡±

    ¡°Did he get caught.....huht!¡±

    Most of Aedia¡¯s magicians tilted their head in confusion. However, a very small number of them were taken aback by the news. Artpe surmised these were the select few that knew about the secret contract between Aedia and Tiata. Artpe engraved faces into his memory.

    [From the moment your king deres his surrender, the spell will be stopped. I¡¯ll give you exactly five minutes.]

    Of course, he didn¡¯t n on being idle in the five minutes. Artpe continuously drank Mana Potions, and he kept pouring his Mana into the Demite. It further caused the filthy water to flow backwards.

    He didn¡¯t mess with anything underground. If he saw a building that looked pretty big, he dyed it with filth! For the most part, he had avoided the residential areas, but the stores and magic towers were all broken and dirty now.

    The spell was simultaneously urring all over the the vast city. It was proof that Artpe¡¯s ability to control his magic was immense! Of course, the outcry from the people grew louder as the destruction continued.

    ¡°S...surrender! We surrender!¡±

    ¡°Please spare my store! My wares will be useless! Please!¡±

    ¡°You guys are the ones that attacked us when we were just living our lives. Now youe to our capital to inflict violence on us...... I¡¯ll put a curse on Daitan!¡±

    ¡°Shit. They didn¡¯t even give us the opportunity to conduct a proper battle!¡±

    ¡°However..... We lost. We can¡¯t win against him!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hoohk. We¡¯ll have to be a vassal state!¡±

    These were therings from those that didn¡¯t have any authority, so their words fell on deaf ears. Artpe just kept his gaze fixed on the pce with a smirk on his face. He waited for a response.

    Finally, the response he had been waiting for had arrived.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤not there.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t there..... The king isn¡¯t in the pce!¡±

    ¡°How can that be! He was there only couple hours ago.......!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤he ran away.¡±

    ¡°The king abandoned his country! He ran away!¡±

    The king had vacated the capital. The king had run away after the gathered magicians had failed in its defense of the capital. The fact that he had run away hadn¡¯t been unexpected.

    Of course, Artpe had predicted this would happen. If the king was a run of the mill magician, it would have been a different story. However, the king had reached the top of the magic kingdom, so of course, he would be able to recognize the amount of power within Artpe.

    The king probably became astonished when Artpe used the God sh, and at that point, the king would have surmised that the Duke of Tiata was already dead. He decided to enact his n.

    ¡®The Duke of Tiata had an emergency escape Artifact, and the item originated from Aedia. Of course, the king of Aedia would have the means to escape from this ce. He probably used an Artifact or a Gate.¡¯

    The king probably would have fought if his opponent was decent. However, Artpe was well beyond being decent. This was why the king made his calctions, and he decided to run away.

    Where did he go?

    There was only one ce he could go. He probably ran away to Tiata. This also meant that there was a much higher chance that he¡¯ll run across Regina.

    At that point, even Artpe couldn¡¯t guarantee how things would turn out.

    ¡®The road will be split into two directions. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯ll either be the less annoying direction or the more annoying direction.¡¯

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t choose how events will turn out, because he wanted it to go a certain way. Still, he hoped that events would head towards the less annoying route if possible. He didn¡¯t wish this for himself. It was for Regina.

    [It seems the king ran away..... So who has the next highest rank?]

    Of course, they weren¡¯t present either. It was as if the high ranking members of the kingdom had made a pact. They had already run away to Tiata with the king. Everyone that possessed authority over Regina was probably in this group.

    ¡°We surrender!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the power to go against you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Shit!¡±

    ¡°What can we do when even the king has run away? From the founding of Aedia, we served the one that possessed the strongest magical energy. We ept you as our king!¡±

    [King? Fuck that. You guys just yielded to those that had power. Your new king will be the king of Daitan.]

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are an asshole to the end!¡±

    Even if Artpe was on Daitan¡¯s side, he was only a mercenary. It would be absurd to put him on throne. Artpe snorted as he cancelled his spell. Then he made the deration once again.

    [All right. I want you to seal your Mana, and I want you to get on your knees. The knights should disarm themselves, and the good citizens of Aedia will get into the most humiliating posture. You will all dere your intent to surrender. The new king of Aedia ising here right now.]

    When the magicians, knights and soldiers werepletely neutralized, Artpe shot a re into the air. The capital of Aedia had been conquered, but the king of Daitan hadn¡¯t wanted to enter the city for a while. In the end, he clicked his tongue, and he led his group into the capital.

    ¡°The magician was wless in bringing down the capital! After we take over the pce, let us dere our victory! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤follow me!¡±

    ¡°Please be careful of the road, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-eek. It¡¯s shit!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    How could a victory be so bitter and dirty like this! The king of Daitan ordered his knights to bind every magician. The magicians were strung along behind them, and they couldn¡¯t hide their rotten expression. They had never experienced a victory that was this hard to ept. It was their first.

    ¡°Aedia was brought to its knee like this.....¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The magic that brought prosperity to our magic kingdom betrayed us......¡±

    From this moment on, a new history would be written! After being reincarnated, Artpe properly overturned the scheduled history of his past.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your first debut had to be here.¡±

    He retrieved the active Demite floating in the air, and he whispered his words to the Demite. As if it was reacting to Artpe¡¯s words, the Demite vibrated as it shed its purple light twice.

    It seemed the Demite wanted to give him a message, yet he had no idea what it was trying to say. It would have been great if Regina was here to trante for him.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤nyaa?]

    At that moment, Roa woke up from within his pocket, and there was a thrill in her voice.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong? You were sleeping so well up until now.¡±

    Artpe had been about to ask Roa if she could converse with the Demite. Before he could do that, she jumped into the air as her eyes shed.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°There¡¯s a thick scent of ck magic here? What the hell are you saying all of a sudden..... ck magic?¡±

    Roa turned into a thick fog as she went straight towards the pce. Artpe¡¯s expression hardened as he followed after her.

    The true nature of what had happened in his past life wasing into focus.

 Chapter 96 - Forest of Eternity (4)

    Chapter 96 - Forest of Eternity (4)

    Originally, he had nned on meeting up with Daitan¡¯s forces. He would have strutted around at the head of the Daitan¡¯s army, and he would have used his magic to make their procession look awe-inspiring. However, things had turned out like this, so he didn¡¯t have the free time to clean up all the poop.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Roa! Is it perhap the Demonification curse again?¡±

    [Nyaaaaa-ahhhhh!]

    Roa was already worked up, so Artpe¡¯s words weren¡¯t reaching her. He clicked his tongue as he quickly descended after Roa. When he did, he felt the trace of a curse. He could feel it deep within the pce. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a Demonification curse. It was simply an Emotion Amplification type curse.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it¡¯s an Emotion Amplification type curse?¡¯

    It was fortunate that this incident had no ties to the Demon race. However, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Maybe, he might face something more unpleasant.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa-ah-ah!]

    Roa had arrived at the pce ahead of Artpe. She sped through the pce, which was covered with filth. She quickly headed towards the hidden location.

    It wasn¡¯t just the filth. The sewer lines had exploded, but the various magical traps and locks remained intact! However, Roa was in her magical fog form, so she was capable of passing through even a solid wall. She easily passed through all obstacles. Artpe followed after her as he cleared the overturned pce.

    ¡°It is really hidden quite well.¡±

    The trace of the curse was hidden in a deep location. No one would have noticed it except for Artpe and Roa. Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability, and Roa was the Greed Beast, who ruled over all negative energy.

    It was understandable as to why it was hidden. Not all magicians within the pce agreed with the king, and the deciding factor probably came down to the king¡¯s desire to hide it from Regina.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    It was a room within the pce where the king and a select few servants visited. Within this space, there was a secret storage room built within it. One needed to input several codes to be able to enter into the secret storage room. Roa was able to bypass everything except thest fail safe device. It deflected everything except for a certain type of Mana. Her progress had been stopped.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh.]

    ¡°You only cling to me in this kinds of situation.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    Artpe discovered Roa struggling against an old door. She couldn¡¯t bypass it. When she discovered Artpe, she returned to her cat form. She jumped into his arms, and she started badgering him. He looked down at her as he let out a hollowughter.

    ¡°I also have to enter it, so...... All right. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    When Artpe opened his hand, several Mana Strings started to feel around the door. He had already used his Read All Creation ability to acquire theplete structure of the trap.

    There was an impregnable lock that could only be opened by injecting the Mana of its owner. However, Arpte was able to disrupt and modify Mana. He had slowly learned how to do it by going through the hero¡¯s Dungeon created by his sunbae. He was able to tamper with the security spell. He was able to temporarily change the owner of the magic!

    ¡°Well, if this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just inject a massive amount of Mana. The lock won¡¯t be able to endure it. I¡¯ll overwhelm it in an instant. You should pay attention to this method for your own use.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    The door opened. Artpe took hold of Roa, who was about to rush forward immediately.

    If the space outside the room smelled like filth, the inside of the room smelled metallic from the blood.

    ¡°This is.......¡±

    Artpe¡¯s expression became distorted. He was unable to speak for awhile. He could only bite his lips as he surveyed the room.

    In his previous life, the Demon King¡¯s army hadn¡¯t interfered with the war between Aedia and the Elves. The two sides were on a path to mutual destruction, so the Demon King¡¯s army didn¡¯t go through the trouble of changing the course of events.

    This was why Arpte only had a basic knowledge of what had happened here even though he had been in charge of gathering information for the Demon King¡¯s army. He had only known about the result. He had no idea which person did what, and he had no idea how things had progressed here.

    That¡¯s why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.

    [Nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Tiata and Aedia had been trying to devour the Forest of Eternity. The evidence of what they had done to achieve this goal was left intact in this room. There were research books, reagents for curses and Artifacts. ......then there was the evidence of experimentation on living beings.

    ¡°They really are rotten to the core. They are trying hard in making me not have a guilty conscience. It is almost admirable.¡±

    Artpe took out arge sheet from his Dimensional Pouch, and he ced it over the corpses of Elves that were left neglected in the corner of the room. Then he gently soothed Roa, who was trying to immediately eat the curse.

    ¡°No one is going to steal it from you, so please be patient. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤things have turned more unpleasant, but at the same time, it became easier.¡±

    This room was a magical room that exposed the true nature of Aedia¡¯s king. The king had to make an abrupt exit, so he hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of all the evidences. Any magician that caught sight of this room would realize what Aedia¡¯s braintrust had been doing up until now.

    If the magicians had a normal upbringing and a minimal amount of conscience, Artpe would be able to easily bring them to his side. He just had to show them this room.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to clean this up first.¡±

    First, Artpe put a barrier type spell over the secret room. After preserving the state of the room, he used arge-scale Cleaning spell. In a sh, a portion of the castle became clean. He got a kick out of it.

    ¡°At the very least, I should clean up the pce before my party arrives.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°You are going to help too, you dork.¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    After two hours, all the magicians and the seasoned knights of Aedia were bound. They were brought to the pce by the king of Daitan. The only ce that was clean was the route taken by them, so all the civilians had taken refuge on the road. It was a very humorous sight.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get you washed. Cleaning.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-gyahk.¡±

    They had been away from Artpe for a short time, yet they tried to pounce on him as they wiggled their non-existing tails. Before Maetel and Sienna could reach him, he rinsed them down with the Cleaning spell. Afterwards, they were allowed to hug him. The king of Daitan had a tragic expression on his face as he red at Artpe.

    ¡°Magician. You really didn¡¯t lie to us. You used a Great Magic spell to neutralize our enemies, and you brought the capital to its knees. However, you also hid a very important fact from us. The smell of shit is permeating from my entire body! Also, do you expect me to repair the sewer lines? How long do you think it will take me to clean all of this?! At this point, the capital is paralyzed! Paralyzed! How are we going to put everything back in order!¡±

    ¡°Stop being so sensitive.¡±

    Artpe had randomly fired his magic to clean the pce. In turn, his Cleaning spell had leveled up steeply. He once again activated his Cleaning spell to wash the body of the king, and everyone else present. Then the Cleaning spell started to expand. In a sh, the Cleaning spell covered several thousand to tens of thousands of people. It was merely a Cleaning spell, but it was awe-inspiring.

    ¡°As expected, you are an incredible magician. You were able to get rid of all the stain and stench...... I won¡¯t have to take a bath.¡±

    ¡°He is an Archmage, so why are all his spells.....¡±

    ¡°Still, we have to ept it. He is..... He is better than the ¡®former¡¯ king, who ran scared from the magic he disyed. He is more suitable to be the ruler of Aedia.¡±

    One of the magicians spoke up. Surprisingly, all the magicians nodded their heads. It made one realize in an instant that the word, ¡®magic¡¯, held a strong grip over the minds of the people of Aedia. The king of Daitan had been watching all of this, and he also picked up on the mood.

    In truth, Artpe had participated in the war as Daitan¡¯s wartime mercenary, but his achievements had been to overwhelming!

    It was an understatement to say that it was overwhelming. The only thing Daitan had to do was arrest the soldiers, who had voluntarily given up their weapons. That was all they had to do to reach the pce. They had gone through less effort than a beggar finding a dusty bread on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Are you perhap thinking about putting yourself on the throne?¡±

    ¡®If you nned on doing that, why didn¡¯t youe here by yourself?¡¯

    The king of Daitan red at Artpe with an aggrieved expression on his face. Artpe let out a short sigh as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if the title contains Demon in front of the king or if it is a regr king. It is all annoying. You can have it all.¡±

    ¡°I really respect the fact that you can make such an assertion so decisively, but......¡±

    ¡°All right. Since everyone is gathered here, I¡¯ll make the deration.¡±

    Artpe was receiving gazes that contained fright, trepidation, annoyance and awe. He made a firm deration to the magicians and knights.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you serve the king of Daitan as lord or not. However, you shouldn¡¯t take too long to decide. I¡¯ll be annoyed, and you¡¯ll be annoyed. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°You.... What is your purpose ining here?¡±

    He was a level 217 magician, and he held the title of marquis. The middle-aged man asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°You possess great power, so why are you insisting on being a tool of Daitan? The power you possess aren¡¯t beholden to anyone, so why did you inject yourself into a fight between nations? I might be overstepping my bounds, but if I had your level of power, I would wage a war that would unite this continent.¡±

    ¡°That is a very good question.¡±

    A broad smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s face as he spoke. He turned around as he pointed down the clean corridor of the pce.

    ¡°I was about to show you guys that reason.¡±

    Tens of thousands of people entered the pce at the same time. An overwhelming number of people bound by rope were being convoided in. It was a truly ironic sight.

    ¡°My god. The castle ispletely restored.¡±

    ¡°Is it a Restoration spell!? You used such a rare spell over such arge space? Truly ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°No, it is just a very high level Cleaning spell.¡±

    The high level and matured Cleaning spell did more than just cleanse the dirtiness. It could make its target as clean as possible. On top of that, it had the ability to move items, and it could do restoration work!

    It had taken Artpe 20 minutes to aplish this task, and the pce was restored to a pristine condition. It was hard to believe that the pce had suffered under the countercurrent of the God Flush. Even if Artpe became jobless after defeating the Demon King, he could make his living as a cleaner! That¡¯s how great his cleaning ability was!

    ¡°Why is there the stench of blood in this clean pce?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is this what you wanted to show us? Did our kingmit suicide instead of running away?¡±

    ¡°It would have been cute if he had killed himself.¡±

    Artpe guided the group deep into the pce. The magicians realized that each hallway they passed was teeming with incredible magical traps. They let out murmurs of appreciation when they realized that Artpe had disarmed them all.

    ¡°We are well aware of the fact that the pce¡¯s defensive magic was passed down through the generations, and they are all high level spells. I never expected those defensive magics to be easily neutralized like this.¡±

    ¡°Even if the Demon king invaded us, we assumed he would never be able to breach the pce......¡±

    ¡°A...are you perhaps the Demon King!?¡±

    They really were spouting bunch of nonsense. Artpe let out a sigh as he directed their gazes. From within the room, he could hear Roa¡¯s faint cry. She wanted him toe quickly.

    ¡°Oh my god. This is where the king resides.....¡±

    ¡°Is this the energy of a curse!?¡±

    The magicians that were sensitive to Mana and those that were quick on the uptake started to pick up on traces of the curse. The magicians could sense it from a long distance away, but it was impossible for the knights. Tens of thousands of people coulde into the pce, but it was a tight fit. This was why Artpe started creating a new space.

    ¡°The pce is falling!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    He would do it by force!

    ¡°You brute!¡±

    ¡°This is something everyone should see.¡±

    Artpe broke apart the pce, and he grinded the falling fragments. He used several hundred Mana Strings to demolish and clean up the building. It wasn¡¯t hard at all!

    ¡°What is waiting for us......¡±

    ¡°...I think I have some idea. It doesn¡¯t feel good. This feeling.....¡±

    They knew that their king wasn¡¯t a squeaky clean figure. Despite this knowledge, the faces of tje magicians started to harden. A very small number of magicas had participated in this endeavor with the king. They were going through great pains in trying to keep a low profile.

    Unfortunately for them, Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability could see the skills each of them possessed. On top of that, he could use the faint trace of Mana left behind in the king¡¯s residence to determine guilt or innocence. Of course, Arpte was ready to bring them all of them down with just a nce.

    Finally....

    ¡°We are here.¡±

    [Nyaa?]

    Roa was tired of waiting, so she grumbled as she jumped into Artpe¡¯s arms. Artpe had opened up the nearby walls, so he was able to show them the secret space kept by the king. The magicians closest to Artpe were at a loss for words when they saw what was inside the room.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Why are you reacting that way? I think I know what is going on, so let¡¯s..... Huht.¡±

    The unrest started to spread. Everyone in the front froze in ce when they saw within the room. The people in the back pulled back the people frozen in the front, and a new group of people pushed to the front. They also froze in ce. This process kept repeating itself until everyone saw what was within the room.

    ¡°Do you now see what Aedia and Tiata is doing within the Forest of Eternity?¡±

    For a while, no one replied to Artpe¡¯s words. The people directly involved had a serious expression on their faces, but the bystanders felt like idiots. The unrest spread throughout the people gathered there.

    ¡°Magician.¡±

    The king of Daitan queried Artpe with a calm voice.

    ¡°I have a hunch as to where the king of Aedia had run away. Will you help me subdue him?¡±

    His eyes were on the storage room dyed with blood. There were corpses of Elves within the room that were sullied by all kinds of curses and lust. There were ingredients that were used to make the curses, and a bookcase full of ck magic tomes that dealt with Control type magic. ....there was also the half destroyed Warp Gate present.

    Artpe spoke.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯m nning on gathering more participants.¡±

    In truth, he didn¡¯t want participants. He wanted an audience. However, Artpe declined to speak this out loud.

    It would make the listening audiences feel bad.

 Chapter 97 - Forest of Eternity (5)

    Chapter 97 - Forest of Eternity (5)

    ¡°The king of Aedia.... ck magic..........¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. This can¡¯t be......¡±

    ¡°Oh my god. This is.... It is Control magic. It is a ck magic that forcefully suppresses the will of others!¡±

    The magicians were frozen for a short amount of time. Then the magicians started to rotate into the room. Each magician wanted to see if their king had truly done this. Moreover, they started investigating to see if anyone else was connected to this endeavor.

    ¡°How can this be? I swore allegiance to a man using such an evil magic.......!¡±

    ¡°We should preserve this site. We have been ignorant of what had been going on here, and that frustrates me..... We cannot make any more mistakes. It will be recorded into our history!¡±

    It was the same with the knights affiliated with Aedia.

    They were from the magic kingdom, but in the end, they were knights. They had their own beliefs and code of honor. They also tried to find out why the former king had dabbled in ck magic. They worked in conjunction with the magicians to find out why the king had performed such atrocities to the Elves.

    They had felt helpless when they had to yield to a single magician. However, in the next moment, they had observed something that shouldn¡¯t be present in their kingdom. They felt their drive and motivatione back.

    ¡°We¡¯ve finished analyzing the curse on the corpses of the Elves. This is.... This is a curse that stimtes undesired feelings. Yes, I¡¯m sure there was a recent report that said the conflict between Tiata and a different race was escting near the Forest of Eternity. C...could it be.....!¡±

    ¡°Did the king perhaps..... How foolish!¡±

    ¡°I found stored missives that were exchanged between the king and the Duke of Tiata. There are also records of experiments where they used magic to coerce the Elves..... Ah ah! Ah ah ah! What a horrific thing to do! They were brazen enough to practice the damned ck magic in the heart of the magic kingdom of Aedia!¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    The king of Aedia had been researching for a way to dominate beings with intellect.

    This probably all started when Regina was made.

    When the magicians realized that they couldn¡¯tpletely control Regina, the king of that era worked with the magicians toe up with a method that was better than the power of suggestion. They started researching a spell that would give themplete control over Regina. In the end, they came to a conclusion that magic couldn¡¯t coerce the mind of a person....

    This waas why they started to dabble in ck magic.

    Not all ck magic were the same. It didn¡¯t matter what type of magic it was. Depending on how any magic was used, it could create a horrific result. On the other hand, ck magic needed a price in exchange for its use. It required sacrifice of other beings. This was why it was called ck magic, and it was widely recognized as something only the Demon race used.

    It was the reason why ck magic was strictly forbidden since the founding of the magic kingdom of Aedia. They acted as the custodian of ck magic. It was also the reason why the kingdom had arge amount of information that dealt with ck magic.

    At first, they started researching for a way to coerce Regina with magic. As expected, their research started to slowly spread into other interests.

    Once they sumbed to the temptation, there was no restraint holding them back.

    This was why Aedia had worked with Tiata. They researched for a way to control the Elves.

    ¡®Since the Elves weren¡¯t human, they convinced themselves that it would be all right. However, would that be enough for them? No way.¡¯

    The research into magic that dominated the Elves were merely a ridiculous justification. How could the spell they were researching actually differentiate between other races?

    They had created a red line that said everything would be fine if they didn¡¯t use it against humans. In truth, the experiment didn¡¯t discriminate between Elves, humans or Demites. It would be an absolute Control magic. In some ways, it was more evil than the Innate ability of the Demon King.

    In the case of the Demon King, he either controlled everyone, or he destroyed anyone that he couldn¡¯t control. He was a monster, yet he hadn¡¯t shown interest in the Control magic being researched by the humans.

    The reason was quite simple. The Demon King already possessed an Innate ability called the Absolute Control. He also came to the conclusion that it was impossible to dominate another being with the power of magic. It had to be an Innate Ability.

    This was the actual truth. In his past life, Aedia¡¯s spell resulted in truly horrendous side effects. This was why the Elves went out on an all out war against the humans. By the end of the war, the Elves were nearly wiped out.

    The Forest went up in mes, and no new Elves appeared afterwards. Several nation became ruined in this war, and that was when the Demon King¡¯s army began fighting the hero¡¯s party in earnest.

    The hero had been in a lot of pain, and she had cried.....

    For the first time, Artpe realized what emotions the hero had been feeling at the time.

    ......no, the events of his past life wasn¡¯t important now.

    Artpe was standing in this spot, because he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that event.

    ¡°This magic is a failure. You guys can tell, right?¡±

    ¡°Our magic isn¡¯t trained to the extreme like yours. We were barely able to find out that the dead Elves were killed by the side effects of the curse.¡±

    ¡°The curse that stimtes emotions is merely a means to an end. It is easier to use the Control magic when the subject¡¯s structure of thought is simplified.¡±

    ¡°This was why they acquired a sample of Elves to test the curse..... Oh my god. This is a cmity!¡±

    It seemed the magicians were finished making their judgements. Artpe pped his hands once. It stopped the knights and magicians in their tracks. They had been immersed in examining the site. It was time for him to exin the situation.,

    ¡°I was given a request by an Elf to investigate this matter. I went through a lot of hardship to find this out..... It wasn¡¯t just the king. I also found out that most of Aedia¡¯s leadership ss were involved in this. That is why I decided to work with the king of Daitan. I decided to cleanse Aedia. That was my n, and that is why we are all here.¡±

    Of course, many objected to the way he wanted to cleanse Aedia. Thankfully, everyone¡¯s attention was focused elsewhere.

    ¡°Most of our leaders were involved? Wait a moment......¡±

    There were people here that were considered to be the leaders amongst the magicians, knights and nobles. Everyone¡¯s gazes head towards them. Artpe grinned.

    ¡°At my skill level, I¡¯m able to investigate Mana and Records that are left behind. I just need some time to..... There we go.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhk!¡±

    ¡°I...it wasn¡¯t me! No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kahk!¡±

    When he threw the bait, the idiots bit immediately! Artpe used the Mana Strings he had alreadyid out beforehand. Some tried to run away in the opposite direction, and some attacked Artpe. There were those that were able somehow able to reactivate the damaged Warp Gate. They tried to jump through it. He killed them all.

    His attack was close to the speed of lightning. Everyone knew Artpe was meeting out justice, yet they were frozen in ce.

    ¡°My god. It is impossible to resist against him.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if he really is the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen or heard of this spell before. It is a thin thread of Mana, and it contains incredible amounts of power........¡±

    ¡°My magic isn¡¯t what is important right now.¡±

    Artpe dusted his hands off as he burned the corpses of the traitors. Then he raised a hand. A Demite was floating above his hand, and it was letting out fire.

    Surprisingly, he was using the basic fire spell. However, he was using an overwhelming amount of Mana, and he was Dual Casting. He was able to generate a disproportionatelyrge amount of power using the fire spell.

    ¡°Well, I killed all of the ones that came forward on their own..... It¡¯s time for me to kill the hidden ones.¡±

    ¡°There are still more left-kahk!¡±

    A noble was being shameless by acting as if he wasn¡¯t part of the leadership group. His head was the first to burn. He was just the start. Fire erupted from between the tens of thousand elite troops.

    The shy and domineery festival of firested less than 3 minutes. Currently, the number of people killed had reached 150.

    ¡°Evidence! We need evidence! You might have killed innocent people!?¡±

    ¡°I can tell at a nce. The people I just killed right now had traces of ck magic on them. Those that escaped my notice can live quietly in hiding, or it might be easier on you if you just take your own lives.¡±

    God Flush was a Great magic, but it had materialized through the magic circle. This meant that Artpe possessed an incredible amount of magical energy, and he was able to read and use the magic circle.

    However, Artpe had just shown an appallingly amount of control and finesse over his Mana. He was able to create enormous amount of power using a minimal amount of Mana. It was the way in which one was able to use magic efficiently.

    Normally, magicians devoted themselves to a specialized field. This wasn¡¯t the case with Artpe. Even if one considered his high level, he made no sense.

    ¡°This.... I understand.¡±

    At that moment, one of the magician let out a sigh as he yelled out.

    ¡°You have a variety of abilities that seems to have have no boundaries. You are young, yet you have overwhelming magical energy and level. You are close enough to them that you receive a Quest from the Elves..... Are you this generation¡¯s hero?¡±

    Every human stopped breathing. However, the silence didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    ¡°This tyrant is a hero?¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense. I¡¯ve heard heroes were born within the Diaz Kingdom, but that was only couple years ago.... No, this all fits.¡±

    Artpe was 15 years old, but he had matured much faster. However,he wasn¡¯t able to eliminate all childlike features. This was the same for Maetel, who stuck close to Artpe.

    They had traveled through many regions, yet it was odd that no one had recognized the identity of Artpe and Maetel.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are two heroes this time around. It means one of the twodies is also a hero. Both of you are so strong that I have no idea which one of you is the hero.....¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a hero. That is why he had such a strong reaction to the ck magic!¡±

    ¡°The actions of this hero is a little bit too dirty......]¡±

    The opinions between the magicians started to diverge. Artpe quietly asked his question.

    ¡°Will you believe me if I said I¡¯m not the hero?¡±

    ¡°We believe that you are the hero.¡±

    Artpe smacked his lips. These damn magicians were prejudiced and obstinate, but they were quick on the uptake when it came to this.

    Maybe, this was also why they were much quicker in identifying Artpe as a hero. A hero held a special status amongst humans. Even if a hero had superior powers, the humans didn¡¯t be jealous or envious of the hero. They just epted a hero¡¯s power as a given.

    It also meant that the magicians hadn¡¯t wanted to admit that they were weak, so they decided to designated him as a hero.....

    Still, it was better than being called the Demon King. Artpe resigned himself as he acknowledged their words.

    ¡°Yes, it is a hero¡¯s quest. Does everything make sense now?¡±

    ¡°It does. However, I never expected Aedia to be an obstacle that blocks the progress of a hero...... It is a truly bitter pill to swallow.¡±

    The faces of the magicians either held dejection or resignation. Artpe also had a simr expression on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll continue on the basis that everyone has epted my im. The king had already assessed my power, and he had run away. The evidence is all here. He was short on time, so he couldn¡¯t destroy his research materials. He wasn¡¯t able topletely destroy his Warp Gate. I¡¯ll sum up the situation for you. The biggest culprit in bringing down Aedia was the king, and I have the means to go fuck him up.¡±

    Aedia was ruined by Artpe. He was solely responsible for it, but he was able to use the tragedy that had urred in this room. He was sessful in shifting all the me to the king of Aedia! The knights were burning up from the sense of betrayal and their sense of justice. The magicians felt the same way.

    However...

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Gate partially destroyed?¡±

    ¡°Have you never done an Artifact Restoration Quest? Don¡¯t you know that the requirement needed to restore a partially destroyed item ispletely different from apletely destroyed item?¡±

    Artpe took out a portion of the Kraken¡¯s corpse from the Dimensional Pouch. He threw it towards the Warp Gate, and he Reinforced the Warp Gate. It really was that simple. In a sh, the Warp Gate regained its functionality, and it started to activate.

    ¡°Wait a moment. The specimen you just used........¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do it two more times.¡±

    Whenever he used his Reinforcement skill, he took out by-products from high level monster he had killed. They were all over level 200. He indiscriminately used them as minor ingredients! Thanks to the ingredients, Artpe was able to finish three Reinforcements. The Warp Gate was sturdier andrger than before.

    Basically, the repair of the Warp Gate was no longer a problem. It would take a little bit of time, but if he wanted to, he could send everyone gathered here across the Warp Gate!

    ¡°.....what the hell did he just do right now?¡±

    ¡°My head hurts. Are you sure he used magic?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s smile deepened. His smile was truly dark.

    ¡°I¡¯m putting together a punitive party for the former king of Aedia.¡±

    Of course, no one enthusiastically said ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ when they were put on the spot.

    Artpe led the tens of thousands of people into the Gate.

 Chapter 98 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (1)

    Chapter 98 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (1)

    Artpe¡¯s party passed through the Gate to arrive in Tiata. When they arrived, the sound of an explosion in the distance assaulted their ears. In an instant, Artpe assessed where the spell had originated. He grinned when he found the source of the Mana.

    ¡°It¡¯s Regina. She¡¯s doing her part well.¡±

    ¡°Regina is attacking the Elves!?¡±

    As always, Maetel misunderstood his words in the oddest way. He flicked his fingers on her forehead. Then he turned to look at the Gate. A stream of humans were exiting the Gate, and he waited for them to get in line. The king of Daitan asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°What are we going to do now, magician?¡±

    ¡°First, we¡¯ll have to take care of the humans that are rushing towards us.¡±

    Artpe pointed his finger, and the king could see arge number of soldiers and knights rushing towards them!

    When the king of Aedia and his party escaped through the Gate, they were able to move in stealth since their party was small. However, Artpe¡¯s party wasn¡¯t trying to be stealthy. They were moving people on arge scale. Of course, Tiata would notice!

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    ¡°.....Artpe, why does your expression look as if you are trying to say, ¡®I choose you!¡¯?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s education had born fruit. Maetel¡¯spetence had improved a lot. Artpe felt pleased. He nodded his head as he yelled out his words.

    ¡°I choose you! I want you to break them as gently as possible!¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    ¡°In fact, I want you to face Tiata, while we go visit the Forest of Eternity. Ah. If possible, don¡¯t kill them.¡±

    ¡°You sound indifferent! You are too much!¡±

    The gist of the current situation was to shed as much blood of their ¡®enemies¡¯. In the end, a very few number of humans had manipted Daitan, Aedia, Tiata and the Forest of Eternity. The rest of the humans were meless in this matter.

    Artpe wanted to get through this as smooth as possible. Such line of thinking had brought about the God Flush being used, so it was ironic that he was having such thoughts. He decided to ignore it.

    If the trouble within the Forest of Eternity spread, there was a possibility Tiata would be involved. What if an absolute power drew away the gaze of Tiata.... He would be able to stop Tiata¡¯s involvement at the root. Moreover, if the Elves escape the Forest of Eternity, Maetel would be able to subdue them without doing too much damage!

    ¡°You arguments are falling a bit short¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    Artpe immediately gave his denial, but in truth, Maetel was correct. He was trying to leave her behind, because unsavory things were happening within the Forest of Eternity. He wanted to solve it without getting her involved.

    This was a situation that he couldn¡¯t end cleanly. It wasn¡¯t something he could end without injuring someone. However, it wouldn¡¯t be like his past life. Artpe had already taken several measures, so there wouldn¡¯t be a tragedy like before..... Still, Artpe didn¡¯t want Maetel to get involved in what was going on within the Forest of Eternity.

    ¡°Please, Maetel. This is my wish.¡±

    Artpe firmly took both hands of Maetel. He moved in close to look into her eyes as he made his request. She knew Artpe was trying to evade answering her question, yet she inevitably became fooled by him!

    ¡°Yes. Leave it to me!¡±

    This was why he liked uplicated woman like her. Maetel unsheathed her bastard sword as she charged forward. Artpe had an expression of a bad boy as he turned around. The king of Daitan was dumbfounded as he replied.

    ¡°She is a powerful warrior, and I also heard that she is a hero. However.... Will it be possible for her to stop the entire dukedom by herself?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ryahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Right on cue, Maetel used her Bash skill to roughly impact on the ground. She destroyed the entire corridor where several thousand soldiers and knights were running across. They were all buried in one go. The king shut his mouth when he saw this. In certain aspects, the sight of Maetel was scarier than Artpe¡¯s magic.

    ¡°I told her to minimize the casualties. It seems she is going to pull back only when they are on the verge of death.¡±

    ¡°Her power has already transcended the realm of humans......¡±

    ¡°Later on, the Demon King¡¯s army will experience her power ad nauseum. It¡¯ll be in your best interest to focus on the growing your elite troops.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, you are a hero! I just realized that there is a possibility that the Demon King will make his appearance!¡±

    The king was able to say such rude things as if it was nothing. Artpe red at him then he turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡±

    There were tens of thousands of knights, magicians and other audiences following him. Artpe blew a hole in the wall enclosing the pce. He led everyone out through the hole.

    ¡°Howe destruction follows everywhere you pass through!¡±

    ¡°The Mana is overheating! Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    The Forest of Eternity was pretty far away, but the distance was easily ovee by the humans in Artpe¡¯s party. They had the ability to do so. It was as Artpe had boasted. Maetel was able to block the advance of Tiata by herself. Artpe and his party quickly exited Tiata, and they arrived at the border of the Forest of Eternity.

    At that point, the other¡¯s in the party had noticed it. They realized that there was a ominous energy permeating the forest. There sensed Mana being opposed by a curse and ck magic. Everyone in the party grinded their teeths when they felt it.

    ¡°This is the energy we felt within the king¡¯s secret room.¡±

    ¡°We might be toote!¡±

    Not everyone came here with the thought of protecting the Elves. They just couldn¡¯t allow someone to break their biggest taboo of using ck magic against a race capable of rational thought.

    They were fully aware that such magic could be turned against humanity too.

    ¡°If you think this is toote, then we are couple monthste. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Artpe increased the speed of his Float spell as he put his party at ease. It didn¡¯t matter if they were early orte. This was something that was supposed to happen, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be blocked easily.

    However, there was one important point. Artpe held a trump card that could nullify everything that was done here.

    [Nyaa, nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa, nyaa nyaa-aht nyaa-ahahhh!]

    ¡°All right. I get it, so calm down. .....we have to wait a little bit. If we heal the wound before it gets infected, their sense of caution won¡¯t develop.¡±

    Roa was being unruly. She wanted to immediately eat all the energy permeating the forest. Artpe calmly soothed her as he spoke to her. There was another reason why he had kept Maetel away from here. He was afraid Maetel would discover his ck heart.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that called image management, oppa? You really treat her with a lot of love and care.¡±

    ¡°You are already aware of it, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    If he wanted to end this situation cleanly, he should have sent Roa with Regina to Tiata. However, Artpe hadn¡¯t done that. If he solved everything at the get go, others wouldn¡¯t be able to gain anything from this situation.

    The people of Aedia and Regina had to see this for themselves. They had toe their own realization. They had to see the true nature of what they had done, and they had to find their own path forward.

    ¡°If we do this, we¡¯ll have an easier timeter on.¡±

    ¡°This is already a tiresome situation for you, oppa. Even if you push others forward, there wille a time when oppa will have to solve everything.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, you dork.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-eeeeee.¡±

    Both of Artpe¡¯s hands were mushed against Sienna¡¯s cheeks, yet she was enjoying it. Somehow, he was able to have a little fun in this situation, but he started to hear whispers.

    ¡®He has two women.....¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s a hero, yet he¡¯s fooling around with two girls.....¡¯

    He stopped what he was doing.

    ¡°I feel a magical energying closer to us.¡±

    ¡°Is it perhaps the Mana of the Elves?¡±

    It was the correct answer. The disturbance that was urring at the middle of the Forest of Eternity had agitated the Elves. They were on the move. Currently, their bodies were being dominated by the Emotion Amplification curse. Of course, they would go crazy when they found tens of thousands of humans within their forest.

    ¡°We found them! They are humans!¡±

    ¡°Kyahh. They showed up before I could say anything.¡±

    The voices of the Elves rang in the ears of Artpe¡¯s party. The voices indicated that a battle would be imminent, and several dozen arrows appeared from between the trees. Of course, all of them were blocked by the Holy Barrier activated by Artpe.

    Since his identity as a hero was exposed, there was no reason for him to hide his other skills. He didn¡¯t hesitate as he used a spell that wasn¡¯t associated with the Magician ss.

    ¡°Kook. There are several hundred Elves within the forest..... Unfortunately, we can¡¯t just surrender to them. Everyone get ready for battle....!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to!¡±

    He interrupted the king¡¯s speech as he chanted out another spell. It was none other than a Fire spell..

    ¡°W...wait a moment.......¡±

    ¡°Human, let¡¯s talk!¡±

    ¡°Go!¡±

    In a sh, the Fire spell had be as big as a full moon. In a sh, it left Artpe¡¯s hand, and it detonated in a far away portion of the forest!

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°The forest....the forest is burning!¡±

    ¡°How much Mana does he have? It is just a simple Fire spell, yet he created such a terrible disaster! We won¡¯t forgive you, human!¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if the Elves wanted to kill Artpe or not. In a sh, several dozen trees started to burn, and the fire started to spread to other regions! The humans were taken aback. The Elves were so horrified that they had stopped attacking. At that moment, Artpe yelled out in a gant voice.

    ¡°Do you want to fight us or do you want to extinguish that fire! If you choose to extinguish the fire, we won¡¯t attack you!¡±

    ¡°Koohk! Wicked humans!¡±

    ¡°You are craven!¡±

    Artpe had gone for the low blow by holding the forest hostage! They were witnessing a hero threaten the Elves, and it was effective!

    ¡°Koo-ooohk..... You wait and see, human!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t forget this!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhk. The fire is spreading! Hurry up everyone!¡±

    The most important thing to the Elves were the forest. It was where they lived. Their fighting spirits were amplified, and they were filled with the will to kill humans. However, the forest was burning in front of them. There was no way they would let the forest burn in front of them even if it meant letting the humans go!

    ¡°Wow. Look at them ebb away like a low tide. It seems they are well aware of the importance of the forest. As expected, the Elves received a fantastic upbringing.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤where did you learn all these cheap tactics?¡±

    The king of Daitan had been getting ready to fight the Elves. He sheathed his sword, and he asked the question with a despondent voice. Artpe didn¡¯t answer him. He just grinned as he stepped forward.

    Afterwards, groups of Elves kept appearing at irregr intervals to stop the party of humans. However, Artpe create a new fire ball each time, and he set fire to a portion of the forest.

    The Elves were horrified, and they ran off to put out the fire. Artpe¡¯s party was able to travel through the forest at high speeds. Those that were following Artpe had been prepared to get into a fight, and they looked liked idiots right now.

    ¡°Humans!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhk!¡±

    Artpe loaded a fireball on each hand, and he ran through the forest as he set it on fire. It was a truly brutal sight. He had already damaged 30% of the Forest of Eternity, but no human or Elf had been killed in the process. In some ways, it was truly a peaceful method.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m having such bitter thoughts¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°You guys think the process is important. You guys are under a delusion, because of this wrong mindset. From now on, you should try to fix that mindset..... Ah.¡±

    Artpe had been calcting the most effective way of chasing off the Elves that appeared from anywhere and at anytime. However, his feet suddenly came to a stop. The humans, who had been busy chasing after him, naturally came to a stop as if by magic. The two fireballs burning atop his palms disappeared as if they were a mirage

    ¡°We are here. This is the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°World Tree?¡±

    When the king of Daitan gave his reply, the trees that were blocking their view was obliterated by a brilliant explosion magic. Artpe created winds using his magic, and he pushed aside the debris as he walked forward. The rest of his party found out what Artpe had been talking about.

    ¡°You bitch¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Do you n on going against your master!¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t my master.¡±

    Several adult humans were fighting against a small girl. It was a cowardly sight.

    Artpe¡¯s party caught sight of the fierce magical battle, and.....

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°How can a tree grow so big? Even if it endured the passage of untold years, how can this be!¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah. This is........¡±

    The girl had her back against a truly giant......

    From the surface of the ground, it was over 300 meters in height. A tree of ridiculous size was standing tall.

 Chapter 99 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (2)

    Chapter 99 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (2)

    The World Tree was a sacred tree that was called the mother of all Elves. While the World Tree remained alive, the existence of Elves couldn¡¯t be ended. Moreover, their power remained undiminished unless the World Tree wilts away.

    The World Tree apanied the race of Elves from their birth to its demise. Basically, it was a god-like existence to the Elves.

    That being was in front of the party.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it intact.¡±

    ¡°Intact.....?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying this is the first time I¡¯ve seen it.¡±

    When he saw the several hundred meter high World Tree, his heart rxed a little bit. This was why he had let out an exmation that contained information connected to his past life. Sienna picked up on it as she asked him a question. He quickly came up with an excuse. Of course, Sienna was also in awe of the World Tree, so she just took his excuse at face value.

    Artpe wasn¡¯t the only one that felt impressed by the World Tree. Various humans were letting out words of admiration.

    ¡°I can see why the Elves are so hellbent in protecting it. I can feel incredible amounts of Mana throughout the World Tree..... I wonder how many great Artifacts one would be able to make with the World Tree as an ingredient.¡±

    ¡°That is the problem with the mindset of humans. This is why Elves are hostile against humans, you asshole.¡±

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he smacked the back of the king¡¯s head. The king wanted toe back by using Artpe of destroying more than 10% of the trees within the Forest of Eternity. However, he was weak. He had no choice but to take the beating. He was upset by it, and he vowed to raise his level more in the future.

    ¡°Koohk! Other humans!? Moreover, that bastard.....!¡±

    ¡°.........excessively fast.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party had reached the World Tree. Of course, Regina, Aedia¡¯s king and his group had realized this fact. However, they were too busy attacking each other to divert their attention towards Artpe¡¯s party.

    The king of Aedia was over level 240, and he was an Archmage. The high ranking nobles with him were of simr level. If not, they were only a bit short of the king¡¯s level and skill. They were all attacking Regina, yet the contest was even. It was a testament to Regina¡¯s skill.

    ¡°As expected of a group that had represented Aedia, their intentions are evil, but their strength is undeniable......¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the girl that is going neck and neck with them? The magical energy within her body is much deeper than the others!?¡±

    ¡°Huht. Reginna..... Regina rebelled against the king!?¡±

    The knights of Daitan didn¡¯t know about the existence of Regina. A good portion of the magicians didn¡¯t know about her either. Those that knew about her were surprised by what they saw.

    Regina had never acted against Aedia, yet she was attacking the king and those that held authority over her!

    ¡°Oh. She¡¯s a golem that mutinied.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤this isn¡¯t a mutiny.¡±

    She had picked up on Artpe¡¯s not so ttering words. Regina was busy fighting, yet she pouted as she responded to Artpe.

    ¡°There are no restrictions. Humans are all swindlers.¡±

    What was the order that had made her go against the king? The trace of the battle indicated that the battle had started deep within the forest, and it had reached the World Tree. At the very least, it seemed she had found out about the curse and the ck magic prepared by Aedia within the forest.

    It seemed she knew what the king nned on doing the Elves. Her aversion to the n was the impetus for her to sessfully push back against her orders.

    ¡®She¡¯s able to endure the cor choking around her neck, yet she couldn¡¯t stand others being victimized. In the end, that spurred her into action...... Well, she was like that in the past life too. Still, she was way toote in realizing this fact in the past.¡¯

    In his previous life, the ck magic had sessfully been implemented, and it had closed in around the necks of Elves. Only then did she finally think about going against her masters. By the time she stood with the hero, too many had died to repair the situation. From that point on, Regina tried to rectify her actions by trying to fix reality. She sacrificed much in the process.

    However, Artpe had encountered her at an earlier date in this life, and he was able to use various methods to marinate and season her. He had motivated her to stop everything before things could get out of hand.

    Of course, even if she hadn¡¯t stopped them, he would have solved the problem somehow. Anyways, the best option to solve this situation remained viable. At this point, he patted himself on the back. He thought his ability to predict what would happen was a step superior to the Demon King.

    On the other hand, the king of Aedia still believed that the situation could be reversed. He desperately tried to stall her thought process. He tried to shackle her again through the power of suggestion!

    ¡°A much bigger bacsh wille to you soon! You are like this, because your thought circuitry is malfunctioning!¡±

    ¡°The restriction works in real time. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m very angry right now!¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!? Block-aht!¡±

    Of course, it would no longer work against her. When Regina spread both her hands, her magic resolved into a wind spell called the Dragon¡¯s w. The wind wed at the king and his party. It was a strike that was filled with her rage and magical energy.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    In a battle between magicians, great magics that required long incantations weren¡¯t ideal. If one had the magical energy, it was better to use a spell that materialized immediately. It was more effective to use one-off attack magic! The magicians, who were suffering under the attack, tried to activate their barrier magic. However, two of them were too slow in reacting. Their bodies were torn into pieces.

    [Nyaa-ah. Nyaa-ahhhhhhh. Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhh!]

    ¡°Wait. Endure it for a little bit longer.¡±

    ¡°Oppa has a really bad personality. I like that about you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who¡¯s beat you are dancing to. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You should start getting ready, Sienna.¡±

    ¡°If its Purification, I¡¯m confident in my abilities. Leave it to me..¡±

    A magic battle of the century was urring in front of the World Tree, and the battle agitated the ambient Mana within the forest. Currently, the Elves werepletely taken over by the curse, so their base instinct was overriding their rationality. Even now Artpe could feel the Elves converging on the World Tree.

    Thankfully, the Elves hadn¡¯t ventured out of the forest. If they did, it would have made Maetel¡¯s task more annoying.

    ¡°What do you want us to do, magician? If you upy the girl with the horrific amount of magical energy, we can take care of the remnants of Aedia.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging all of you guys here. In truth, I don¡¯t need you guys for anything. You guys can just sit back and eat some buttered corn on the cob.¡±

    ¡°B...buttered corn on the cob?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it is a specialty of Diaz? This is why I don¡¯t work with country bumpkins.¡±

    They were mere audiences that will record the dirty history of Aedia. They were here, so they would start looking in the mirror. The main characters for this stage was Regina, Artpe, Roa and the World Tree.

    ¡°Humans are here!¡±

    ¡°How dare you sully the holy World Tree..... Humans!¡±

    ¡°The World Tree gave us an order to kill all of them!¡±

    ¡°Dark Elves? No, those that do not follow the World Tree¡¯s orders is supposed to be Dark Elves!¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for all the Elves to descend on the World Tree. The number of Elves kept increasing, and there were tens of thousands of them . Their levels were low, but they were in their forest. They were receiving the World Tree¡¯s Blessing. This was why their abilities doubled in power, and there were tens of thousand of them! Of course, the humans became nervous.

    ¡°M...magician. Is the buttered corn on the cob some kind of a secret code word? At this rate, things are going to get really dangerous Aren¡¯t you doing this, because you want to protect the Forest of Eternity!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. They aren¡¯t in a situation where they¡¯ll be able to attack us. Do you really think those Elves look normal?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, the king of Daitan obediently turned to look at the Elves, and he froze in ce.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Dark Elves? No, they are falling at this very moment!¡±

    The Elves were showing up from all sides. Almost half of the Elves possessed brown skin.

    ording to Elven tradition, the Dark Elves were fallen Elves. They became Dark Elves if they broke a rule set by the World Tree. If all of them believed this..... It meant that most of the Elves were currently going against the World Tree¡¯s will.

    ¡°No! My skin!¡±

    ¡°Please stop, elder! Your skin is turning brown!¡±

    ¡°W...why did the World Tree do this to me!¡±

    The Elves hade to punish the humans, who had intruded into their territory. However, they were sent into a state utter confusion.

    How could this be?

    They had responded to the World Tree¡¯s will, and they were fighting to protect the forest from the humans! So why were the Elves degenerating into bing Dark Elves?!

    ¡°Oppa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m curious about something.¡±

    The humans were confused, and the Elves were confused.

    In the midst of everything Sienna carefully asked Arpte a question.

    ¡°Did oppa intend for this to happen?¡±

    When he heard her words, the corner of his mouth lifted. He smirked.

    As expected, Sienna was smart unlike someone he knew. Instead of answering her question, he lightly threw a question towards Sienna.

    ¡°Sienna, do you know how the Dark Elves are born?¡±

    ¡°They are Elves being punished by the World Tree for breaking its rules....... I guess that¡¯s not true since oppa is asking me that question.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe exined it to her in a kind voice.

    ¡°Dark Elves are a form of an upation. The World Tree chooses Elves with a certain disposition as a defensive response. The World Tree gives these Elves a Blessing.¡±

    ¡°Blessing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Sienna asked him a question, because his words didn¡¯t match up with the current situation. Artpe snickered as he gave a further exnation.

    ¡°Dark Elves were slow at developing manufacture type skillspared to the regr Elves. Instead, they had a special characteristic. They developed faster in terms of battle magic and skill.. Elves are the custodians of the forest. Dark Elves are the guards of the forest.¡±

    ¡°But the Elves are......¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. When they saw Dark Elves developing more inclination towards battle, they assumed that the Dark Elves had broken a rule. This was why they were ostracized and chased out of the forest. However, arge number of Dark Elves couldn¡¯t forget about the forest, so most hang around at the outskirts of the forest. They fulfill their roles as guards.¡±

    This was the reason why Mycenae was chased out of the forest. Despite this fact, she tried to protect the forest even as she worked as a merchant. She was able to sense a dangering towards the forest. Amongst the guards, Mycenae was probably the most active in her efforts to protect the forest. She was also able to get great results.

    ¡°Just look at the current situation. The World Tree is in great danger right now. There are several magicians present that are capable of burning down the World Tree. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of knights gathered here. It is is a situation where the World Tree is frightened.¡±

    ¡°Is that why it is giving out so many Blessings¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    The World Tree was trying to increase the number of guards that would protect it. Then there were the Elves, who were tormented, because they couldn¡¯t understand the significant meaning behind the World Tree¡¯s actions. It was a truly foolish yet funny sight. Of course, in his previous life, it had been a horrible spectacle.

    ¡°So why did you insist on creating this scenario, oppa? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah, I see.¡±

    Sienna watched as more than 50% of the Elves were turned into Dark Elves. She was puzzled, so she started asking Artpe a question. However, she came up with the answer by herself. She nodded her head.

    Until now, the Elves had always been victimized by humans. They didn¡¯t have the power to protect the forest. Elves were either kidnapped or cursed by the humans. Even if one summarized the history of the humiliation suffered at the hands of the humans, it would be enough to fill three 500 page books.

    Despite this fact, the Elves didn¡¯t think about epting and nurturing the Dark Elves, who were superior in terms of martial prowess. Instead, they were busy kicking the Dark Elves out of the forest once they were born. Of course, this was why the power of the forces within the Forest of Eternity never grew.

    In the end, Aedia and Tiata moved in against the Forest of Eternity, because they were weak. What would have happened if they hadn¡¯t kicked out the high level Dark Elves like Mycenae. If those Dark Elves were put into a squad, would the curse be able to take hold inside the forest? Would the humans easily be able to kidnap Elves for their curse experiments?

    ¡°Of course, the perpetrators for creating this situation were the humans. However, the Elves contributed to exacerbate this situation. If they continue to remain in this state, it doesn¡¯t matter if I police the humans. There wille a day when they¡¯ll experience something simr or worse.¡±

    ¡°I understand now. You want to be fair in punishing both the humans and the Elves.¡±

    ¡°Correct..¡±

    That¡¯s right. He hadn¡¯t let the situation devolve this far only as a cautionary tale to the humans. He also wanted to feed some bitter medicine to the Elves. He was forcefully changing their way of thinking!

    ¡°Evil! Bad!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°You are too cool!¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t help but worry about Sienna. As time passed, Sienna¡¯s Maetel-ification was getting worse. For now, he decided to treat it as something good.

    ¡°Ah. This can¡¯t be! The Dark Elves are¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    While the king of Aedia was fighting Regina, he realized that his n had gone awry. He let out a shout.

    Why?

    ording tomon human social preference, they preferred white skin over brown colored skin. It was a scream that reflected and revealed the truly disgusting desire of humans.

    ¡°Your majesty, the situation is getting out of hand! Let¡¯s blow up the World Tree! We have to use that spell!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it immediately..... Eeeeek, Regina!¡±

    ¡°Agreed. My name is Regina. That is the only thing I received from Aedia.¡±

    Regina raised her head. There was a thick ck Mana emanating from the king. It was lumpy, and it felt very unpleasant. The thought of his Mana affecting the Elves made it much more unpleasant. She was very annoyed, because she could easily imagine what was going through the king¡¯s head.

    ¡°Follow me, Regina! This is for the prosperity of Aedia!¡±

    ¡°Aedia is no more. It has fallen..¡±

    She gave a cold reply as she spread both her her hands. The king knew he couldn¡¯t win against her, so he gave up on destroying the World Tree. He immediately activated his ck magic spell.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh. Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhh.]

    Roa had reached the end of her patience. She let out an impatient cry as she begged Artpe. Her tail was thumping against his arm. Se was imploring him to put her down. He smirked when he saw this.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve waited for a long time. It¡¯s fine now, Roa.¡±

    He let go of her leash.

    ¡°Eat it all!¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhhh!]

    Mana was emanating from the king¡¯s body, and at that moment, Sienna eyes opened into a fierce gaze.

    Aedia and Tiata had casted dark clouds over the Forest of Eternity. The final main character that would pull back dark clouds let out a fierce cry as she shot into the air.

 Chapter 100 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (3)

    Chapter 100 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (3)

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°Wow. Roa is incredibly excited.¡±

    In a sh, the ck fog covered the entire region. Roa started sucking in all the negative Mana from the region. This was the most she had eaten, since she was born. The Forest of Eternity was like a buffet to her.

    The fruit always tasted sweeter when one refrained from eating it for a long time. She ate all the cursed energy that had sprouted using the Elves as nourishment. She also ate the ck magic gathered by the humans. It was the tastiest meal she had eaten up until now.

    She had a thought. Maybe, all the curse in this world was gathered to be hers. Roa let out a roar of delight.

    [Mee-yahhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    ¡°Koohk. How can this be!?¡±

    Roa¡¯s gluttonous activity immediately affected the king of Aedia and his high ranking nobles.

    They had been unscrupulously learning ck magic as ck magicians. They had been about to use their ck magic, but the Greed Beast had abruptly sucked away all the energy in the region. They weren¡¯t able to control their Mana properly.

    ¡°The Mana is......¡±

    ¡°No, the magic circle is shattered! This shouldn¡¯t be possible!¡±

    [Nyahhhhhhhht!]

    If their levels were overwhelmingly higher than Roa¡¯s level, it might have been a different story. However, Roa had travelled with Artpe, since she was born. As a Greed Beast, she had travelled the Royal Road. In terms of level, she was close in level with the ck magicians!

    ¡°Huht. This is.... Koo-hahk!?¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhh!¡±

    Of course, they became flustered when their spells weren¡¯t manifesting properly. Regina used this opportunity to send out a single strike that caused the heads of the nobles to explode. Everyone except for the king had their head cleanly blown off.

    If the king of Aedia hadn¡¯t quickly brought up his defensive magic, he would have suffered the same fate as them. When he realized this fact, his teeth clenched from fright. He looked towards Regina. However, he didn¡¯t have time to wonder why his ck magic hadn¡¯t activated. He couldn¡¯t investigate where the Mana was being sucked away.

    ¡°R...Regina! You bitch! How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Lucky. I¡¯m not worried. Let¡¯s focus on the business on hand.¡±

    She had a vague sense that everything would work out if Artpe was present. However, she hadn¡¯t expected him to show up with a magical beast possessing a cheat-like ability.

    Anyways, she no longer had to focus on protecting the World Tree. Moreover, the ck magic wouldn¡¯t be interfering with her either. Since she was freed from such restrictions, Regina could use the full extent of her power, which was about twice as strong as before.

    ¡°I am your master! I am your master! How dare a golem go against its master!¡±

    ¡°I am a Demite. I am my own master. I will exercise my free will.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t a golem. She could do whatever she wanted to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of leashes. Even the one around my neck.....¡±

    As she squeezed out every ounce of Mana within her, she looked at her surrounding. She saw the tormented Elves. The curse had permeated in their bones, and they had lost their sense of self. For some reason, her eyesnded on Artpe next.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤denial. That man has always been free. He might have a bit too much freedom.¡¯

    When she had traveled with him, she had felt a sense of kinship for a short amount of time. However, she was deluding herself. Artpe liked younger women, and he had acted passionately in an attempt to seduce her. She had been taken in only a little bit.

    That was it. Regina took her eyes off of Artpe as she continued to speak.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m tired of seeing leashes on others too.¡±

    ¡°When I said the Elves will obey the humans, that¡¯s not what I meant! That¡¯s right. I meant I was going to borrow the power of Elves, so we can defend against our outside enemies!¡±

    ¡°Humans are foolish. They keep repeating the same mistakes.¡±

    Regina raised both her arms. Her spell was already finished, and she was just waiting for the right moment to unleash it. Regina used the strongest spell in her arsenal. It was an ice type short range ultimate spell. It was the Ice Dragon¡¯s Rage.

    ¡°However, I am a Demite.¡±

    ¡°Regina, wait a moment.... Koohk!? Kah-hahk!¡±

    The first stage of the spell released a cold air that nullified and restricted the enemy¡¯s Mana and physical movement.

    The second stage was an ice storm that condensed into a very small region before being shot. It froze and destroyed one¡¯s enemy.

    ¡°I will not make the same mistakes.¡±

    However, there was no reply. The Ice Dragon¡¯s Rage had squarely hit the king of Aedia. There was no trace of him left in this world. He was dead.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hoo.¡±

    She had killed someone that she had considered to be her master. Regina floated in midair for a brief moment as she took an inventory of herself. She waited to see if anything bad would happen to her. However, nothing happened as time passed.

    ¡°Freedom. It really is freedom.¡±

    If she was going to face the consequences for breaking restrictions ced on her as a golem, she would have felt the bacsh when she went against the order of waking up the Elves. She would have suffered right when she manifested her explosion spell against the nobles.

    She was going through a confirmation process.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been free.. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤my ignorance led me to hardship. This feels much better than being given a leadership role.¡±

    After she reaffirmed her freedom again, she descended from the air. There was nothing around her neck, but she rubbed at her neck with a satisfied expression on her face.

    Was it a coincidence?

    A sickeningly good looking and merciful magician was waiting for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile. What did you say when we parted ways? A golem follows its master¡¯s order? I think you said something simr...kuh-huhk.¡±

    ¡°Mean.¡±

    Regina was aware of the fact that she was inferior to Artpe in terms of physical capabilities. That was why she had casted a Strengthening spell on her fist as she punched Artpe in the stomach.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too far with someone who helped you regain your freedom....kuh-huhk.¡±

    ¡°Mean.¡±

    It was as if she was punching him every time he spoke, so Artpe closed his mouth. Despite this fact, Regina¡¯s assault wasn¡¯t at an end.

    ¡°You knew all of this from the start. My situation....you had aplete assessment, yet you were silent. Mean. Mean. Mean.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have believed me even if I told you the truth! Help me, Sienna!¡±

    ¡°Aht. The Elves are suffering from the curse over there! I¡¯ll be right back, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Are you betraying me!?¡±

    Regina was barely able to let go of her vexation after she punched Artpe¡¯s stomach several more times. She pouted as she took two steps backward. Then she lowered her head.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Your way of thanking me is excessive. If you thank me twice, you¡¯ll break couple of my bones.¡±

    ¡°My anger towards you have recharged.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do it. I¡¯m at fault.¡±

    Regina canceled the spell she was about to use.

    She carefully posed a question to Artpe.

    ¡°Are the Elves safe?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. Maybe.¡±

    After speaking those words, Artpe raised his head to survey his surrounding.

    The ex-king and the ruling ss of Aedia had died by explosion. There was no trace of them left now. The humans in his party just blinked their eyes as they looked on. They couldn¡¯t help but feel despondent. The Elves were gathered below the World Tree as Roa forcefully sucked out all the ck magic from them. The process was painful, but it seemed the Elves were more tormented by the fact that they had fallen into being Dark Elves. Roa let out a roar as if to state that she was going to absorb all the negative energy in the region

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

    ¡°At the very least, they won¡¯t be stained by the curse or the ck magic. Since most of the energy is being forcefully drawn out of them, their Mana Circuitry will suffer some damage. Still, they¡¯ll recuperate from it.¡±

    ¡°Even your way of saving them is evil. You are like a candidate for the next Demon King. However, we were fortunate.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like brats like you, who pick things up too fast.¡±

    Artpe gave a reply in jest as he smirked. She already knew that he had induced the change of the Elves into Dark Elves. He had no excuse he could give.

    Once the Elves became Dark Elves, they couldn¡¯t recover their original skin color. At least half of their poption had be Dark Elves. They had only two choices left as a race. They could either ept them or banish them. Of course, half of the Elves would be able to live a better life no matter what decision they came to. That part of Artpe¡¯s n was already a great sess.

    ¡°Anyways, I have to attempt to speak to them, so I¡¯ll have to call Mycenae here.... Ooh-ahhhh. She going to scold me. I¡¯m getting depressed just thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤shocked. You have another woman.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my personal merchant.¡±

    He immediately cut off Regina¡¯s words. He refuted her words. He grinded his teeth as he turned around.

    The humans, who had apanied Artpe to this forest, continue to look on with a dumbfounded expression on their faces. Things were developing in a weird direction.

    ¡°Well, we wiped out the remnant of Aedia¡¯s ruling power. You guys can go back now.¡±

    ¡°But.....¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling crappy, because you did nothing?¡±

    ¡°Y...yes. I believe so.¡±

    It was as if Artpe had picked out the exact thought that was going through his mind. The king of Daitan frowned as he acknowledged Artpe¡¯s words.

    Tens of thousands of knights and magicians had been gathered for this heroic venture. They were going to root out the evil men, who had used ck magic! However, these evil men had been killed by some unknown girl. A scary magical beast was taking care of the curse and ck magic, which had been tormenting the Elves.

    Something was most definitely wrong here. They wanted a main role, yet they weren¡¯t even allowed to take on a minor role. They felt a sense of loss when they realized that they were mere extras in this story.

    ¡°Well, you can take several souvenirs like the Artifact used by the king of Aedia. Since you are heading back, you should also conquere Tiata. Ah. I¡¯ll be retrieving Maetel, so the conquest will have to be done through your own power. Are the magicians of Aedia going to cooperate with Daitan?¡±

    ¡°W....we¡¯ll cooperate.... However, this feeling.......¡±

    ¡°What is this unbearable feeling of shame¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because..... It¡¯s because you guys aren¡¯t heroes.¡±

    No matter how strong one¡¯s individuality was, one became a bridesmaid when a hero made his appearance. They were there, so the hero could stand out from the crowd.

    Pretty women fell for the hero, and men admired the hero. Old men would marvel at the hero¡¯s wisdom, and the lords felt an unbearable urge to hand control of theirnds to the hero!

    ¡°I see. I guess it can¡¯t be helped.....¡±

    ¡°Tiata has lost its ruler. If you consolidate and show off the power of Aedia and Daitan, you will be able to resolve this with minimal violence.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s.... I think so too.......¡±

    The king of Daitan gave up on discussing the subject. He retreated. It was ironic that he would have to conquer Tiata with the knights and magicians gathered here. However, his business at the forest hade to an end, so he had no grounds for butting into Artpe¡¯s affairs.

    ¡°Well..... I¡¯m withdrawing the troops, and we¡¯ll head straight towards Tiata.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmm. I don¡¯t think our actions will be judged kindly if we head towards Tiata like this.....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. In the end, Tiata also participated in this disaster. The ruling ss of Aedia and Tiata hadmitted high crimes. If we are going to search for a new path forward, I believe the king of Daitan is our only option.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, the hero is with Daitan.¡±

    That¡¯s how it was.

    Arpte hadn¡¯t realized it yet, but Artpe¡¯s upation as the hero yed a big part in swaying the opinions of people! This was why they were able to ept this unreasonable situation and retreat.

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t care about the reasoning behind them epting his orders. He was focused on whether Roa was eating well, and he checked to see if Sienna had enough Mana to treat all the Elves. He raised themunication item, and Maetel immediately answered his call.

    [Artpe!]

    ¡°The situation has been resolved. I want you toe to the Forest of Eternity right now.¡±

    [Yes!]

    First, he ordered Maetel to stop acting as a gatekeeper. He told her toe to the forest, then he tried to contact his personal merchant Mycenae. It had truly been a while, since he had contacted her. It didn¡¯t take too long for her to reply after the transmission had went out..

    ¡°Hey, ajumma.....¡±

    [You really contacted in an expedient manner! Where are you right now? Were you able to enter Aedia without much problem? Even if you don¡¯t need to buy anything from me, you should have contacted me to let me know you are ok. You didn¡¯t contact me for so long, and I was really worried........]

    It seems a lot of her feeling piled up, so she unloaded on Artpe with sharp words. She spoke in rapid session. In an attempt to calm her down, Artpe put emphasis on his next message.

    ¡°I finished the Eternal Forest Quest.¡±

    [It would look unseemly if I contacted you first.... What? What did you say? May you repeat that again?]

    ¡°The Quest has ended, so I want you to give me my reward.¡±

    Mycenae became silent.

    Her lifelong wish was granted just like that.

 Chapter 101 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (4)

    Chapter 101 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (4)

    It was unknown as to how much time had passed after the king of Daitan withdrew from the forest with his troops. However, all the curse and ck magic filling up the Forest of Eternity were gone. It was as if they hadn¡¯t existed in the first ce.

    [Nyaa-ah. Burp.]

    All the energy were within the stomach of the little magical beast. She let out a burp.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±

    After she ate every drop of the ck magic energy, she flew into Artpe¡¯s arms. When he took her into his arms, he could see her full stomach.

    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be able to eat anything else if you want to digest all that.¡±

    [Nyaa!? Nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    He wondered if she wasn¡¯t a cat. Maybe, her true identity was a pig. Artpe seriously pondered over this thought as he took a step towards Sienna. She was still healing the Elves. However, Regina grabbed his sleeve.

    ¡°Demite.¡±

    ¡°Yes.. I already know you are a Demite.... Ah.¡±

    ¡°Demite.¡±

    Regina¡¯s piercing gaze was trying to see into his robe. Of course, he knew what she wanted. Artpe smirked as he took out the Demite. He had seeding in refining it, and he had also used it in battle for the first time.

    ¡°Completed..... Demite.¡±

    He was immediately able to focus Regina¡¯s gaze on the Demite. Her eyes twinkled. She looked so innocent that it was hard to believe that she had blown up numerous people not too long ago. He couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°Yes. Here.¡±

    ¡°Present?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to swindle me? You can look at the Demite. You should learn about the proper rtionship between a Demite and its magician.¡±

    ¡°Proper rtionship.....¡±

    When the Demite was handed over into Regina¡¯s hands, the Demite let out a much luminescent more light. She carefully observed the Demite. The Demite in her hand also realized her identity, so it vibrated as it let out a light.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Demitesmunicate with each other. Ah. First.....¡±

    It was a sight he hadn¡¯t seen in his past life. As the owner of the Read All Creation ability, his curious was peaked. However, his party member was under hardship, so he couldn¡¯t leave this matter unsettled. Artpe left the two Demites alone, and he approached Sienna.

    ¡°Heal!¡±

    ¡°H...human... Thank you. Koo-ooh.¡±

    ¡°Heal! Please stay here and rest.¡±

    She was healing the Elves through Mana that negate all magic. The curse and the ck magic had created bruises and tears in their Mana Circuitry. She healed the Mana Circuitry, and she eased their body and soul.

    ¡°Ah, oppa.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t over do it, Sienna.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. The Elves need to be healed right now.¡±

    Normally, she was overlooked, because she traveled with Artpe and Maetel. However, she had already shot past level 260, and she had reached full maturity in her skills. As a special race characteristic of an Evil Reflector, she possessed overwhelmingly more Mana than a human of equal level.

    In the brief amount of time, she had already healed close to a thousand Elves. Despite this fact, she had energy to spare.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve regained your energy, please bring the other Elves here!¡±

    ¡°Koo-mmm. Since you are the one requesting it.....¡±

    ¡°I never realized there was someone amongst the humans that possessed such a kind smile.¡±

    As a race, the Elves had a lot of pride. However, the curse had messed with their emotions, and this was followed up by an invasion of the forest by humans. As a cherry on top, the Dark Elf-ification phenomena had urred. Their state of mind of ragged right now.

    Was that the cause?

    The Elves had acted as if the world had ended, but they slowly started moving as if they were being saved by Sienna¡¯s pure voice.

    However, the positive turn to the situation hadn¡¯t ended there.

    ¡°My god. The elder really did be a Dark Elf.¡±

    ¡°If we follow the rules of the forest, we cannot stay in contact with the Dark Elves. It seems the elder did something so egregious that it made him fall.......¡±

    ¡°Maybe, something went wrong. We moved with one goal in mind. How could we have broken a rule in such a short amount of time?¡±

    They were suspicious as to why such an abnormallyrge number of Dark Elves had formed. The Elves had perpetuated a foolish mistake over the long years. A couple of Elves that were brave enough to face the mistake headon started to make their presence known.

    ¡°If they did something bad enough to turn them into Dark Elves, shouldn¡¯t we have turned into Dark Elves too?¡±

    ¡°No, the World Tree is never wrong!¡±

    ¡°What if it isn¡¯t the World Tree¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What if we had been wrong from the start?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t desired to give Daitan the victory, and he hadn¡¯t wanted to bring down Aedia. Maybe, the event that was urring right now was something he desired more than stopping the World Tree from burning.

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. That can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°How could it not be? We were cursed by the humans, so we were moving with one heart. So why would some be Dark Elves, while others remain as Elves..... Is it really true that the Dark Elves are born, because they had broken a rule?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even doubt that.!¡±

    ¡°What if that is the truth..... What does that imply about us? We¡¯ve been chasing out the Dark Elves under that assumption.¡±

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°You are now a Dark Elf.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    When one Dark Elf was born, it was easy to chase out that individual. It was easy to expel someone from a homogenous group. They hadn¡¯t given much thought to it.

    However, almost half their number had be Dark Elves. The Elves were unsure about what they had to do. Wives would be separated from their husbands. Children would be separated from their parents. There would be too many cases where this would happen.

    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t let this be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we did something wrong.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all the same! Are you going to chase all of us out, because we became Dark Elves?!¡±

    The Elves felt bitter, but the Elves couldn¡¯t truly admit that they had been wrong. Still, if they continued to discriminate between Dark Elves and Elves, themunity would broken apart. They had no choice but to modify their way of thinking.

    However, Artpe was satisfied with this result.

    In the end, they would no longer be able to ostracize the Dark Elves.

    Those that used to ostracize Dark Elves had be Dark Elves themselves. If they wanted legitimacy within themunity, they couldn¡¯t spout nonsense such as the Dark Elves were an abomination.

    ¡°All right. Everything is perfect now.¡±

    After being healed, the Elves and Dark Elves were helping each other. Artpe mumbled to himself. He was content.

    This was something that never urred in his past life, and in the end, the Elves had met a tragic end. On top of that, he had stopped an outbreak of ck magic. Of course, he felt pleased.

    Sienna watched it all, and it was so ridiculous that she had to refute his words.

    ¡°You lowered everyone to create equality.... Oppa¡¯s way is too violent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not only creating equality. It looks like the only thing the Elves are capable of doing is chew grass. In the future, they will have to face the Demon King¡¯s army. It¡¯ll be more helpful to have Dark Elves, who are more suited for battle.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Sienna was about send a Heal spell towards the Elves, but she froze in ce. After her body rxed, she tilted head in puzzlement as she sent a Heal spell towards Artpe.

    After Artpe had entered the forest, he hadn¡¯t even received a scratch on his body. Therefore, nothing changed when Artpe received the Heal spell. When Sienna saw this, she exaggerated the surprise she was feeling.

    ¡°This is strange. I don¡¯t feel any evil energy from you.¡±

    ¡°Did you just have rude thoughts about me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Still, it is fortunate that oppa is a human.¡±

    ¡°You really did have rude thoughts about me.¡±

    Artpe grumbled as he moved to help Sienna. Since Maetel wasn¡¯t here, he couldn¡¯t share his Mana with Sienna. Instead, he used his magical energy to repair some of the damage done to the forest. He was able to erase the traces of the destruction caused by Roa and the magicians.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    Artpe was unsure as to how long he had started the repair work in earnest, but it didn¡¯t take too long for Maetel to jump into his arms. She had quickly covered the grounds between the kingdom of Tiata and the Forest of Eternity. Artpe received her in a familiar manner, and he ced her down.

    ¡°Everything is already over!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since you are here, you should transfer some of my Mana to Sienna.¡±

    ¡°You really are too much!¡±

    However, she obediently followed Artpe¡¯s words. Artpe meditated as he quickly gathered the Mana in the forest and the world. He handed it over to Maetel, and Maetel transferred it all to Sienna.

    Lastly, a healing light emanated from Sienna¡¯s hands! The Elves, who were scattered all over the ce, regained their vitality from the light. It took only several hours to heal hundreds of thousands of Elves.

    ¡°Thank you, human. Your name is Sienna?¡±

    ¡°You trespassed into the forest, and you burned the trees. That can¡¯t be forgiven.....¡±

    ¡°However, they didn¡¯t raised their weapons towards the Elves. It is said that we should treat the World Tree like our mother. If their actions were done to save the World Tree.......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤we¡¯ve decided to ept you as guests. Our greeting is a bitte, but we wee you into the forest.¡±

    Since they were allowing the Dark Elves to stay, were the Elves bing more lenient in other aspects? Artpe was a bit taken back by the overly positive reaction from the Elves. Fortunately, he would be able to pass on the baton to someone else. She would be flustered instead of him.

    ¡°M...my god. I wondered what was going on when I didn¡¯t seen any Elves guarding the forest¡¯s borders. What the hell......¡±

    It was the Dark Elf Mycenae. She had also rushed through the forest with a heavyden cart in tow.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, what the hell did you do! Over half of the forest is made out of Dark Elves!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what happened. Everything is taken care of by my secretary.....¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a secretary!¡±

    When she saw Artpe¡¯s sly smile, she couldn¡¯t trust his words. However, she didn¡¯t think Artpe could corrupt the Elves en masse. That would be too ridiculous. Mycenae could only grind her teeth as she tried to figure out how Artpe was rted to all of this.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Mycenae......¡±

    ¡°Why are you in this forest..... Koo-hmmm. That came out wrong¡±

    Until couple hours ago, these Elves had discriminated against the Dark Elves. They were about to threaten Mycenae, but they shut their mouths.

    ¡°Mycenae!¡±

    ¡°It really is Mycenae!¡±

    A portion of the Elves, who had been friendly with Mycenae before she was kicked out, came forward to grab her hands. They were the Elves that still missed her.

    ¡°Mycenae, it is ok for you to return to the forest now. We admit that we were wrong. Being a Dark Elves doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve fallen!¡±

    ¡°Mycenae, I¡¯m really d you came!¡±

    ¡°You guys¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She was dazed as she grabbed the hands of her friends. When she turned to look at the other Elves, she realized that they were all of the same mind.

    What the hell happened within the forest!

    Her mouth automatically fell open.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, what¡¯s happened here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take too long to exin it fully, so I¡¯ll give you a summarized version.¡±

    Artpe looked at the Elves gathered beneath the World Tree as he spoke.

    ¡°The fight with the humans is over. I negotiated a treaty with the head of the humans, and they will never interfere in the matters of the Forest of Eternity. Therefore, you guys don¡¯t have to worry about fighting against the humans.¡±

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to fight?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that¡¯s right.¡±

    The Elves nodded his head. The Elves had acted in a war-like manner, because they were under the influence of the curse. Now that the curse was gone, they didn¡¯t feel the need to fight against the humans!

    Artpe smirked as he continued to speak.

    ¡°Your minds were being dominated by a curse and ck magic. At some level, you know this fact, since the curse had been extracted. It was a n hatched by the magic kingdom of Aedia. They were trying to lure you guys outside of the forest. It would have weakened your defense, and they would have burned down the World Tree. They put shackles around your minds to dominate you. It was a disaster created by desires of humans. The n isn¡¯t something new. It had been going on for dozens of years.¡±

    The World Tree had determined that the Elves and itself were in great danger, so it tried to mass produce Dark Elves to prevent their demise. At that point, Artpe had achieved his goal, and he had unleashed Roa. She had put an end to everything. Of course, as a bonus, Regina had dered her independence.

    ¡°I killed every human that hadmitted crimes against you all. That is why I don¡¯t want you to be antagonistic towards the humans that are meless. This is for the good of humans and your race. Lastly, it is for the good of the world.¡±

    ¡°For the good of the world¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    One of the Elves queried him. She was middle-aged Elf that had been turned into a Dark Elf. She was also one of the elders.

    Of course, middle-aged meant that the Elf had lived for several hundred years. If it was her, she would have understood the meaning behind his words. Artpe nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°Yes, it is for the world. You don¡¯t have the luxury to fight against the humans. Moreover, you don¡¯t have the luxury to fight with Dark Elves, who are of the same race as the Elves.¡±

    ¡°That means¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Since the humans had already found about it, there was nothing holding him back. Artpe yed his trump card. It was a master spell that allowed him to lead all situation towards his advantage.

    ¡°We are heroes. We are here to stop the fight between humans vs humans and humans vs other races. We are here to give you a warning against the domination by the Demon King¡¯s army..¡±

    He attempted to reveal their identity.

 Chapter 102 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (5)

    Chapter 102 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (5)

    It was hard to travel around, while hiding the fact that they were heroes. On the other hand, it was very easy for Artpe and Maetel to prove that they were heroes. They just needed to use at least two skill. Each skill had to be from a different ss.

    ¡°Oh oh. They really are a hero!¡±

    ¡°I should have realized it when humans willingly helped us.¡±

    ¡°So why isn¡¯t Sienna a hero?¡±

    After the Elves confirmed that Artpe and Maetel were heroes, they let go of every bad feelings they had against Artpe¡¯s party. This is what being a hero was all about. Their mere existence allowed them to be weed by everyone, excluding Demons. They were cheat-like existence that received absolute support from everyone.

    In certain aspects, it was a lonely path. Everyone had a preconceived notion of the heroes even before they met the heroes. They looked at the heroes with enviable eyes, and they stipted rules that the heroes had to follow. They expected the heroes to act within their ideals. The individuality of the heroes were ignored. The only thing left to the heroes were their duty and achievements. It would be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t find it annoying.

    ¡°Oh, heroes. Pleasee this way. The current situation is a bit.... We¡¯ll prepare some tea for you.¡±

    ¡°Mycenae has a contract with us as a merchant. Treat her well.¡±

    ¡°M...mmmm. We nned on doing so. You shoulde with us, Mycenae.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t care what other people thought about him, and he didn¡¯t care for their rules. Artpe¡¯s motto was to use whatever he could exploit.

    He hadn¡¯t revealed their status as heroes before, because he didn¡¯t want to be entangled with the Demon King¡¯s army. However, he was about to start his activities in earnest. There were plenty of goodies he could eat by using his status as heroes. He had no n on passing upon these opportunities.

    ¡°Are there any more injured Elves?¡±

    ¡°Aside from the heroes, all the humans have left the forest. Moreover, all the trace of the curse was erased......¡±

    ¡°Since the heroes have made their appearance, I¡¯m sure the Demon King¡¯s army is on the move somewhere. It seems all the Elves should start getting ready for war. ....yes. We¡¯ll do so with the Dark Elves.¡±

    The situation was pretty much wrapped up. Aside from Artpe¡¯s party and the elders, the Elves dispersed to go do their work.

    The remaining group moved to a nearby home. It was the home of an elder.

    ¡°This is a tea brewed from leaves that are periodically dropped by the World Tree.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party was served the world¡¯s greatest tea, which couldn¡¯t be purchased even if one had money. Artpe used his Read All Creation to look into the tea cup. He watched as the liquid let out a soft blue light. He let out an exmation when he confirmed the tea was truly made with the World Tree¡¯s leaves.

    ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t believe these survived that mess.¡±

    ¡°If the odd emotional amplification status had continued, this vige might have be wiped out...

    Fortunately, the heroes appeared before that could happen.¡±

    The Elves had aged the World Tree¡¯s leaves with great care. Its clear, sweet and refreshing taste was secondary to the effect it had on a magician¡¯s Mana. It permanently cleared up one¡¯s Mana. It was a treasure that all magician¡¯s wanted to drink in their lifetime!

    However, these leaves never exited the Forest of Eternity. Even those that lived within the Forest of Eternity didn¡¯t get many opportunity to drink it. This precious tea was served to them, because they had revealed themselves to be heroes. At this moment, Artpe had never been so happy for being a hero.

    ¡°Artpe, this is bitter. It isn¡¯t tasty.¡±

    ¡°All right. I knew you would say that. Just eat the candy I prepared for you.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Artpe wanted to seal Maetel¡¯s mouth, so he put a candy in her mouth. He pushed Maetel¡¯s tea towards Mycenae.

    ¡°Ah. This is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Mycenae was meless, yet she was self-conscious as she looked towards the elder. Like her, the elder possessed dark brown skin color. When the elder nodded her head, Mycenae¡¯s ears moved slightly as she took up the tea cup. When she took a sip, a smile of delight appeared on her face.

    ¡°I heard the Dark Elves aren¡¯t liked by the humans..¡±

    ¡°It was caused by the attitude of the Elves. The humans followed the example set by the Elves. They looked down on the Dark Elves. However, I hate being prejudiced against someone based on their external appearance.¡±

    ¡°You are saying that the difference between Elves and Dark Elves are only superficial..... Do you perhaps know the difference between an Elf and a Dark Elf?¡±

    ¡°Even if I do tell you the difference, will you be able to go against the preconceived notion you guys have kept for hundred of years?¡±

    ¡°Our preconceived notions have already been flipped, so we¡¯ll be fine. If we stick to our preconceived notions, the Elves won¡¯t be able to avoid our own destruction.¡±

    When Artpe heard the elder¡¯s word, he realised the elder was right. Maybe, this elder was trying to borrow the power of the heroes to settle the current situation.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give you a simplified exnation.¡±

    This was something Artpe had wanted to do, so he nodded his head. He dly gave an exnation.

    ¡°It is true that the Dark Elves were created by the World Tree. I¡¯m sure you guys have already realized that this didn¡¯t happen through an internal power.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is why we thought it was a punishment meted out by the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°So why do you think it is a punishment to develop darker skin and an inclination towards fighting?¡±

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The elder was silent. This was amon perception that was set in stone for couple hundred of years. It was something they considered to be obvious, but when one looked at it through a new perspective, they realized that it was a prejudiced view that didn¡¯t make any logical sense.

    In this aspect, Elves weren¡¯t too different from humans. The had preconceived notions based on aesthetics. The humans valued light skin over dark skin. It was the same for the Elves. This was why they considered it a ¡®problem¡¯ when an Elf¡¯s skin turned dark.

    ¡°However, the World Tree views the world through different eyes from you guys. It isn¡¯t a punishment. It is a blessing. You have been turned into a Dark Elf. You can probably feel this now. The benefits you gained from the forest has decreased, but in turn, your battle capabilities were boosted. Isn¡¯t it so?¡±

    ¡°That is.... You are correct.¡±

    ¡°In an attempt to protect itself, the World Tree chose aggressive and lively Elves to be turned into Dark Elves. The predominant opinion that Dark Elves are fallen beings came to be, because they are more active. This is why the probability of them getting into idents is higher. You probably all know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡±

    ¡°Kooh-ook¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ook.¡±

    Mycenae had been meekly drinking her tea from the side as her ears twitched, yet she received ssh damage from his words. It seemed she truly was a troublemaker during her stay in the Forest of Eternity.

    ¡°I just told you that this was all done to protect the World Tree, right? Of course, the number Dark Elves would increase when the World Tree is in danger. Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to say?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see. That is why earlier......¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems you have aplete understanding now.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the World Tree had faced a danger that would have killed it. This was why it had went nuts in giving out Blessings to create the Dark Elves. There was almost a 1:1 ratio of Elves to Dark Elves now.

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    His exnation sounded very usible. There was a casual rtionship, and she couldn¡¯t use logic to dispute Artpe¡¯s exnation. The elders were at a loss for words. It was so simple that the elders wondered why they couldn¡¯t havee up with it. That was how foolish they had been. She let out a sigh as she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°I just wanted an excuse I could tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°You finally revealed your true intent.¡±

    Since events had turned out like this, it was necessary for the Elves and the Dark Elves to live together. However, they might ostracize each other without realizing it.

    What if Artpe¡¯s words were spread through the elders? If everyone believed the words of a hero....... They would be able to preemptively prevent the misapprehension between the Elves and the Dark Elves.

    Artpe was satisfied with achieving just that.

    ¡°Hero, how do you know all of his?¡±

    ¡°That is my ability. I can see much more than others.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At his words, the elder automatically nodded her head.

    ¡°Innate Ability¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I knew that there was a unique Mana gathered in your eyes, so I knew it was something extraordinary. I never expected it to be a hero¡¯s Innate Ability. This generation¡¯s hero is amazing.¡±

    ¡°This generation¡¯s hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe suddenly had a thought. The Elves were a long-lived race. There were information that Artpe didn¡¯t know about. Maybe they knew about it.

    ¡°Do you know about the hero that was my predecessor.?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    As expected! Artpe made a fist as he asked the question.

    ¡°So you met him? What kind of a person was my sunbae-nim?¡±

    ¡°He was a very confident man that was full of drive. However, if you were to ask me if his skills were absolute.... I do not think so.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party had encountered two altars, and the hero had written his own praise on these altars. It was unexpected to hear a negative appraisal of the past hero. Artpe nodded his head inside, then he gestured for the elder to continue.

    ¡°He was an extremely normal man. Of course, he held the title of hero, so the Elves treated him with utmost respect..... I didn¡¯t get close to him. Somehow, it felt as if he had bad intentions towards me.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I think he was just a yboy.......¡±

    ¡°That is all I know about him. At the time, the war between the human realm and the Demon world didn¡¯t reach the Forest of Eternity. The hero said he didn¡¯t want the war to spread, so he went to the Demon world. Afterwards, he really ended the war.¡±

    He said he would end it by himself by entering the Demon world, and he had done what he set out to do. It seemed his power was indisputable. Moreover, he was able travel around leisurely afterwards, since he had left traces of himself behind. It was clear as to who had won.

    ¡°Do you have any other information? For example, do you know where he visited before?¡±

    ¡°I do not. He wasn¡¯t that friendly with the Elves.....¡±

    She wasn¡¯t that helpful. Artpe clicked his tongue as he changed the subject.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll find that out by myself. I want to propose a course of action for you guys. It is one of the reason why I came to the Forest of Eternity..¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve spent time with your predecessor, I know what you are going to say. It isn¡¯t just the humans that will have to fight against the Demon king¡¯s army. The Elves will fight too, and we will get ready for war......¡±

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be enough. That is why you guys weren¡¯t that helpful to the previous hero.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t want to see the catastrophe from his past life repeat itself. This was why he hade to the Forest of Eternity. The next most important reason was to awaken Regina. (Regina was standing next to Artpe as she yed with the Demite.)

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t think like a humanitarian.

    ¡°I need you all to get ready for war in earnest. You¡¯ll have to push harder. Let me see if I can put it in a different way. I want you guys to ¡®cultivate¡¯ yourselves. I think that¡¯s the right expression.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    All the elders answered back with the same question. Artpe had a serious expression on his face as he made the request.

    ¡°Give me the map to this forest. Now.¡±

    ¡°M...map?¡±

    In some aspects, the Elves put more trust in a hero¡¯s words than humans. Humans couldn¡¯t let go of their greed even when the threat of the Demon king¡¯s army was right in front of them Elves weren¡¯t like that.

    They were able to think logically, and they were able to sacrifice for the greater good. The heroes had made their appearance, and the presence of the Demon king¡¯s army was exposed. Artpe knew what they had to focus on right now.

    ¡°What is this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The Elves gathered in the elder¡¯s house were focused on the map within Artpe¡¯s hand. The map had been clean when it left the elder¡¯s hands. There were dozens of circles drawn on the map.

    ¡°There are many Dungeons in this forest. This ce is known for having one of the highest concentration of Mana in the human realm. Of course, there are Dungeons here.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t found that many Dungeons.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you guys aren¡¯t heroes¡¯ Anyways, each circle represents a Dungeon..¡±

    This was something he had provided Silpennon in the past. It was the hero¡¯s Dungeon map! Artpe kindly separated each Dungeon by levels. When the elders received the Dungeon map of the forest, they were struck dumb.

    ¡°How¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°His Innate Ability could even see that..¡±

    ¡°My god. Our forest had so many Dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Kyaaa, Artpe-nim! How can you just give away a map containing such precious information!¡±

    ¡°You dork. You should be on the side of the Elves.¡±

    Artpe flicked Mycenae on the forehead as he spoke.

    ¡°The Dark Elves are more suited towards battle. I want you to create parties centered around the Dark Elves, and I want you to send them into the Dungeons. I want you guys to fix yourzy way of thinking. I want you to cultivate your levels and battle capabilities.¡±

    ¡°T...the Dungeons are full of the unknown. If casualties ur......¡±

    ¡°It is better than being wiped out by the Demon king¡¯s army. Moreover, I¡¯m the one holding back the humans right now. What are you going to do when I¡¯m gone? What if humans be tempted by the Forest of Eternity again? You should prepare for that day in advance. It won¡¯t be a bad choice to cultivate the Elves.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s exnation was eloquent! It felt wrong, but the elders epted his words as they bit their lips.

    ¡°I¡¯vebeled the level of the Dungeons. If you want a more safer Dungeon run than this, you are better off working the fields. Well, what do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask the opinions of the other Elves.....¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    All the elders were showing caution except for the elder that was turned into a Dark Elf. She firmly bit her lips as she shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°If we are of one mind, the rest of the Elves will follow. This might be a good opportunity. The invasion of the humans and the Dark Elf-ification of the Elves have created confusion amongst us. We should let them focus on battle and growing their level. I believe that will allow the Elves to ovee the confusion.¡±

    ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°There is no downside to this. The hero was kind enough to tell us the level of the Dungeons. We¡¯ll be able to minimize the risk. Moreover, we have to grow. That is the best way not to be threatened by the humans. The hero is correct. If we don¡¯t ept this, we¡¯ll stagnate. In the end, we¡¯ll disappear into history like the Ancient Mermaid race.....¡±

    ¡°Koo-hoo. You are right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ However¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The Ancient Mermaid race, which the elder had just spoken about, had been revived. However, Artpe didn¡¯t feel the need to tell them that.

    He asked them a question.

    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The Elves and Dark Elves exchanged gazes. The Elves exchanged bitter smiles.

    This was only the beginning to the wave of change that swept over the Elves.

 Chapter 103 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (6)

    Chapter 103 - Even if We Look Different from Each Other (6)

    After the elders had a serious discussion in front of the forest¡¯s Dungeon map, they agreed to Artpe¡¯s wishes. The elders gathered the Elves, and they delivered Artpe¡¯s will to them. The elders thought there would be a lot of bacsh, but the situation flowed in a smooth manner.

    At a basic level, they were obedient towards heroes. Moreover, there were a lot of Elves that had been won over by Sienna¡¯s healing magic. However, the decisive factor was the fact that everyone personally felt the need to change. They knew what choice they had to make if they wanted their race to persevere and prosper.

    The appearance of the heroes implied that the Demon king¡¯s army was mobilizing. However, this wasn¡¯t the only reason why the Elves were choosing this route. Could the body of these small heroes really block the desires of all the other races focused on the Elves?

    The recent cmity could happen again in the future. The Elves didn¡¯t want to repeat their past mistake. This was why the Elves and Dark Elves cooperated with each other in earnest. Moreover, they had to cultivate themselves too. They had to do so to protect the Elves and the World Tree.

    ¡°Mmm. My n worked. I didn¡¯t block it too early, and I didn¡¯t block it toote. I blocked it at the most appropriate moment..... Mmm. Should I call this the half-cooked technique?¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe-nim manipted this situation.....¡±

    The Elves and the Dark Elves were gathered underneath the World Tree. The Elven elders divided them into several thousand parties. Artpe watched all of this with a satisfied smile on his face. Mycenae approached him, and she spoke to Artpe.

    ¡°No, I just blocked it at the right time.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, you knew how the situation would develop, and you directed the events to progress to the timing you desired. Am I wrong?¡±

    When he replied in a sly manner, Mycenae pouted. He grinned when he saw that.

    ¡°This was for ajumma too. Look over there. I don¡¯t know what they are thinking inside, but at the very least, the Elves and Dark Elves are treating each other equally on the surface. Your friends can give you a wee back party without worrying about the consequences. The married couples won¡¯t have to separate, because they are Elf or Dark Elf.¡±

    ¡°Even if you say such words, I won¡¯t fall for Artpe-nim anew. Also, I¡¯m not an ajumma. Please call me by Mycenae.¡±

    Her reply was gruff, but Mycenae¡¯s ears were fluttering in happiness. He could see a group of Elves, who were of simr age as Mycenae, watching her. About half of them had turned into Dark Elves. It was hopelessly funny.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. I didn¡¯t want to return like this.¡±

    It seemed she realized where Artpe¡¯s gaze was headed. Mycenae grumbled in a sullen manner. When Artpe answered her, his voiced turned a little bit kinder.

    ¡°One doesn¡¯t be corrupted when one bes a Dark Elf. Ajumma, you are a Dark Elf, but you shouldn¡¯t be embarrassed about that fact. You shouldn¡¯t feel a sense of loss, because your friends became Dark Elves.¡±

    ¡°However, choice wasn¡¯t given to me or those children over there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    However, how many things in life could be chosen for oneself? One could be born as a Demon, human or a different race. Then there were the sses. Most of it was predetermined, and it couldn¡¯t be changed. How broad was one¡¯s freedom? It was a difficult subject to talk about.

    ¡°That is why ajumma should make hell within the limits you are given. That is the only freedom we have. That is the freedom we can enjoy.¡±

    ¡°If your conclusion hadn¡¯t headed towards such a fucked up direction, it would have been very nice.... Eh-whew. Anyways, I only have minorints. Otherwise, you carried out the Quest perfectly.¡±

    Mycenae let out a sigh as she took out a small crystal bottle. There was slightly translucent liquid within the bottle. The five cardinal colors were emitted when the liquid was shaken.

    ¡°This is the reward for this Quest. I lived in the human world for hundr.....a long time! This is the most precious item I¡¯ve acquired over the years as a veteran merchant. Of course, Artpe-nim stopped the threat from the humans. You also stopped the conflict between the Elves. You did it in one fell swoop, so this is weakpared to your.......¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t weak. It¡¯s an elixir.¡±

    Artpe was so taken aback that he replied in a slightly dumbfounded manner. Mycenae let out a gentleughter as she exined herself.

    ¡°If it is a true elixir, how would I have been able to acquire it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but... Give it to me.¡±

    He quickly took the item from Mycenae, and he meticulously looked over it with his Read All Creation ability.

    [Imperfect Elixir]

    [When the highest of magic and alchemy isbined, this reagent of eternal youth and immortality forms. It took a miracle to form this genuine elixir, but the alchemist infused other medicinal herbs and magic stones to increase the volume of the elixir. Of course, the effect of the elixir became diluted, and a side effect arose. There¡¯s a low probability of death if one took this elixir. Despite this fact, the worth of this elixir is worth more than any other pure drugs.]

    ¡°Ah, it is an iplete product.¡±

    ¡°Of course. This particr alchemist trades with me on a regr basis. He miraculously created the Elixir, but unfortunately, the quantity he created was too small. That is why he tried all kinds of methods to increase the quantity, and this was the result. Of course, his reputation would suffer if he sold it as an elixir, which is worth a lot. Moreover, he had incurred many debts in the pursuit of creating this elixir. That is why he had to sell the Imperfect Elixir at a cheap price.¡±

    ¡°It is a coup worthy of a veteran merchant.....¡±

    Somehow, his words made her stick out her chest in pride as she exhaled through her nose. Her shoulders were retracted in a boastful manner.

    ¡°Hue hue. You are acknowledging me as a high rank Merchant?¡±

    That¡¯s right. Mycenae had acquired her Achievement during the battle against the Kraken, and she was able to smoothly advance into the high rank Merchant ss!

    Artpe snorted when he saw her show off. He once against checked the content of the crystal bottle. It was letting out a mysterious light. He knew that it was imperfect, yet he was tempted to drink it. It had that much of an allure.

    ¡°Y....you can¡¯t just drink it! If it¡¯s Artpe-nim, I thought you would have a way to use this.....¡±

    ¡°I know. As a reward for the Quest, you gave me defective goods. Ajumma, you have a lot of guts.¡±

    ¡°You are saying that when you received the item as if you were mesmerized?¡±

    He wondered what he should do with it. The thought that immediately came to mind was the Reinforcement skill. If the other added ingredients were causing the imbnce, he could Reinforce these ingredients to harmonize the added ingredients with the Elixir. He thought it could work.

    However, it wasn¡¯t time yet. He might need more ingredients, and he determined that his Reinforcement skill was stillcking.

    ¡°Anyways, this is eptable.¡±

    Artpe put away the elixir into his Dimensional Pouch, and he dered the Quest to bepleted.

    However....

    ¡°W....what if it had been uneptable?¡±

    Mycenae squirmed as she spoke those words. The fluttering of her ears became worse. On top of that, her face was dyed red.

    ¡°There is something else I can give.... Do you want me to give it to you?¡±

    Her lips trembled, and her hands moved in a very mysterious manner. Artpe instinctively shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡±

    He had merely turned down the extra pay, yet Mycenae expressed her anger.

    ¡°You are too much! I did my utmost toe to this resolution! It is a once in a lifetime resolution, yet it was all naught¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m fine with receiving just this¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s kind reply, Mycenae¡¯s body trembled. When he saw this, a smile formed on his lips.

    ¡°You should go to your friends. They are waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah. They are so tactless..... Enough of this! Even if you ask me to do it, I won¡¯t do it!¡±

    She looked as she was about to cry as she turned around. Artpe called out her name at that moment.

    ¡°Mycenae.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Please continue to take care of me in the future. Don¡¯t think about taking root in the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hmmph.¡±

    She hesitated for a brief moment. Then she snorted as she walked away. She didn¡¯t even look back as she spoke.

    ¡°I am contracted to be your personal merchant. I can¡¯t run away even if I wanted to!¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s ears fluttered as she went to the Elves, who were waiting for her. He shrugged his shoulders as he turned around.

    ¡°You used your status as the hero. Very popr. You are the worst..¡±

    ¡°Hey you......¡±

    Regina was there. Thankfully, he had sensed her with his Read All Creation ability. If not, his heart would have stopped from being surprised.

    ¡°I quietly waited here until you finished talking. He rejected the older woman. I¡¯m impressed by his attitude. He cut her off like a knife.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even bat an eye now as you spout bullshit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to Pipi.¡±

    ¡°Who is Pipi¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hey.¡±

    Regina carefully extended the Demite towards him. It floated above her two palms as it let out a bright light. There was a ribbon decorated around the body of the Demite. Was the Demite trying to look pretty? Artpe was truly puzzled by it..

    ¡°Name. Pipi.¡±

    ¡°Hell no.¡±

    ¡°Pipi.¡±

    ¡°You probably just want to give it a pretty name, but I have to use it when I chant my magic! I¡¯m the one that¡¯ll be embarrassed!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Pipi.¡±

    It was truly unfortunate. When Regina spoke the word Pipi each time, the Demite twirled in the air as it let out a brighter light. It seemed the name had been imprinted. If he knew it was going to turn out like this, he would have named it before handing it over to Regina!

    ¡°The right rtionship between the Demite and a magician.... I heard it from Pipi.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. What do you think about it?¡±

    After he resigned himself to the situation, he put Pipi away. Regina slightly nodded her head as she gave an exnation.

    ¡°Demite¡¯s Gemstone is unable to think and act on its own. A high ranking magician can refine it. The contract between the two starts at that moment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°The refinement of the Demite is a form of contract. Demite receives this service, and in turn, a partnership is formed. The magician supports the Demite, and the Demite supports the magician.¡±

    A Demite couldn¡¯t do much by itself. It couldn¡¯t move freely. Moreover, it was hard for them to make specific decisions and movements. This was why a contract was made when a magician refined a Demite. It allowed a Demite to experience the world alongside the magician. It allowed their Record and Level to grow..

    ¡°It recognizes freedom. The partnership between a magician and a Demite..... Freedom.¡±

    She was correct. The Demite couldn¡¯t do anything by itself. The magician finding and refining a Demite was already a huge boon for the Demite.

    The Demite had exited the pce when Silepennon had escaped the pce. Until that moment, the Demite had lived a lonely existence within the darkness for several hundred years. That was why the Demite was eternally thankful to Artpe for finding and refining the Demite.

    ¡°Pipi likes you.¡±

    ¡°Are you able to ept it?¡±

    ¡°I ept it.¡±

    Regina didn¡¯t hesitate as she nodded her head. She was finally able to understand that the the fate of the Demite and her had changed in many ways thanks to him. Moreover, Pipi was living the correct life of a Demite. It was enjoying its freedom.

    ¡°I started off wrong. It was a mixture of greed by the humans and my ignorance. My situation was the worst..¡±

    ¡°Still, they did refine you, so you were able to think and act for yourself. They gave you a great amount of freedom. You probably felt thankful, and you would have formed a contract with the magicians in order to help them..... However, they did you wrong by trying to control you through the magic of suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Ibored for 200 years. I did enough. I¡¯m free.¡±

    She took the lives of her masters to bnce the sheets. It was a very brutal calction. However, when he saw the smile appear on her face, he became indifferent to her methods.

    ¡°Well, it is time for you to give me an answer regarding my proposal.¡±

    ¡°Refused.¡±

    Huh? He thought the two of them were in a good ce, yet she had refused him! It seemed he had timed it wrong!

    ¡°My ability to make decisions is stillcking. I don¡¯t want to make a rash decision. Not possible.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡±

    From knowing her sense of value, he thought she would willingly join the hero¡¯s party. However, Artpe wanted to respect Regina¡¯s free will. That is why he didn¡¯t argue any further.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I understand. I¡¯ll give up.¡±

    Afternding on Aedia, he had gone through a lot of trouble as he travelled through Daitan, Tiata and the Forest of Eternity. At that moment, one of his biggest goals for traveling to these ces had gone up in smoke. However, Artpe didn¡¯t look too devastated.

    ¡®I¡¯vepletely removed her restraints. When the Demon King¡¯s army mobilizes, she will inevitably join our side. At the very least, she won¡¯t be enved by the Demon King¡¯s Innate Ability if she knows about it.¡¯

    Why did he purposely reform her consciousness to bring out her free will? First, he wanted to free her from the shackles ced on her by Aedia. After enving the Demon race, the Demon King was trying to turn humans into Demons The Demon king was trying to rule over everyone, and Artpe knew what Regina would do when she found about it! It was the ultimate strategy where he would be able to kill multiple birds with one stone.

    ¡°Instead, I want a contract.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He thought she wanted nothing to do with him, so the wordsing out of Regina¡¯s mouth were a bit unexpected.

    ¡°I want a form a contract with you like Pipi. I¡¯ll support you with my power. I want you to to help me grow mentally and physically. Mutual dependence.¡±

    ¡°That is a bit.....¡±

    ¡°Contract.¡±

    Artpe was about to reject her cleanly, but he saw the worried look on her face. He shut his mouth.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡¯

    Regina had just been freed from her bondange from the humans. However, her sense of self had yet to be ripened. Her power was much greater than her mind.

    Maybe she was afraid?

    If she made a rash choice, the consequences of her actions would be massive. She was well aware of this fact. In truth, her most recent actions exemplified this. She had easily killed the king of a country.

    ¡°Contract.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right. Let¡¯s form a contract. However, if you think I¡¯m wrong, you should learn how to speak up.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll probably ignore you and do what I want.¡±

    ¡°Hate you.¡±

    Artpe lightly evaded Regina¡¯s punch, then he extended his hand towards her. For a brief moment, Regina didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind his gesture, so she tilted her head in confusion. Soon, she carefully extended her hand, and she grabbed Artpe¡¯s hand. A little bit of color appeared on her pale cheeks.

    ¡°Your heart is breaking to touch me. I¡¯ll allow a little bit.¡±

    ¡°You can just go away.¡±

    This was how the hero¡¯s party forcefully united Aedia and Tiata under the rule of Daitan. The mess within the Forest of Eternity was put to sleep, and they were sessful in bringing the Archmage Regina into the hero¡¯s party.

    The process was so bumpy that his thigh was figuratively bruised. However, he was able to end the Quest cleanly.

    ¡°Maetel, why did you wait up for me......¡±

    ¡°Artpe,e lie next to me.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a moment. I did nothing wrong.¡±

    ¡°I know everything. Just lie next to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The night in the Forest of Eternity came to an end as Artpe had ovee a minor crisis where his virginity could have been nearly lost.

 Chapter 104 - It isnt Going as Planned (1)

    Chapter 104 - It isn¡¯t Going as nned (1)

    The Forest of Eternity greeted a morning that was a bit more chaotic than usual.

    ¡°I want you guys to match levels! You guys are still too weak!¡±

    ¡°However, we became Dark Elves, and we¡¯ve be stronger. We no longer want to be treated as a resource or a ve by the humans. Even if we have to push ourselves, we have to get stronger quickly!¡±

    ¡°We are already pushing ourselves too far. You should think about yourrades, who¡¯ll mourn your death!¡±

    ¡°Koo-oohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°There arerge Dungeons. The hero ordered us to attempt it with a party of 20 members.¡±

    ¡°Will you be eating breakfast before you go? Mycenae brought a lot of tasty food from the heart of the continent. ....there is enough to fill this square.¡±

    ¡°How did Mycenae get so strong? Is this true for the other Dark Elves, who went out into the continent?¡±

    ¡°As expected, we acted too rashly. If there are ones that needed to be punished, it isn¡¯t the Dark Elves. It should have been us.......¡±

    He was used to Elves, who loved peace and silence. It felt foreign when he saw them insisting on power and strength in the morning. He had to sleep cuddled in Maetel¡¯s arms. In the early mornings, he escaped from her embrace, and he monitored the activities of the Elves.

    ¡°Hero, I¡¯m already awake.¡±

    ¡°Good morning. .....are you going too?¡±

    Artpe had been monitoring the movement of the Elves, and the first one to approach him was the Dark Elf elder. She was the first one to ept his proposal.

    Normally, the Elves moved through the forest wearing light equipments. The Elves were wearing leather armor that protected their vital organs, and they had a bow and quiver slung across their backs. They looked really cool.

    ¡°Elves that live the longest within the Forest of Eternity are named the elders. Basically, the elders are the strongest in terms of skills, spells and battle experience. We trained our skills for several hundred years, yet our skills wereparable to Mycenae, who is barely over 100 years old. It caused a good amount of shock amongst us.....¡±

    It seemed Mycenae had exceeded the century mark in terms of age. He unexpectedly learned Mycenae¡¯s greatest secret. She was so sensitive about it that she never talked about it. In any case, he wasn¡¯t interested in her since she was an ajumma.

    Artpe nodded his head as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything important.

    ¡°Mycenae had to fight tooth and nail in the outside world for survival. The time she had spent out there differed in quality to the time you guys spent here, so it can¡¯t be helped. Still, you guys will make up for the difference starting now.¡±

    ¡°The elders will take turns in guarding the World Tree. The rest will head to the Dungeon. That is what we have decided.¡±

    ¡°It is good to evolve. Do your best.¡±

    The Elves knew that they had made a mistake, so they were working hard to rectify it. They were much better than humans in doing this. It looked as if the deep-seated prejudice towards the Dark Elves were breaking down, and the solidarity between the Elves and the Dark Elves would be cemented.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you will be leaving today.¡±

    ¡°You are quite perceptive.¡±

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t leaving, we were thinking about leaving one of the Dungeons for the hero¡¯s party. However, it seems you will be leaving all of the Dungeons in this region to us.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it isn¡¯t like that. We are already at a point where the Dungeons in this region won¡¯t raise our levels.¡±

    If one went by outward appearance, this was a topic that an adult should take control. However, this very young human had already reached an unfathomable level. This truth once again made the elder surprised.

    ¡°This generation¡¯s heroes...... You guys are really really incredible. Moreover, there are two of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I hear you. Why do you think there are two of us?¡±

    ¡°It means that the Demon King¡¯s power is that strong. God puts importance on bnce.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph. I¡¯ll kill both of them someday.¡±

    He didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal his ambition as he turned around. The elder burst outughing as she called out after him.

    ¡°Oh, hero.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Please take care of Mycenae.¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want her. Take her back.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s firm reply, a deeper smile somehow appeared on the elder¡¯s face.

    ¡°We really did much harm to the past Dark Elves. Despite this fact, Mycenae didn¡¯t hold any grudge against us. Instead, she always worried over the forest. She worked to help us. We¡¯ve finally realized our mistake, and we want to to find a way topensate her. However.... We don¡¯t have much we can do for her.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for her either. At the most, I can give her a discount.¡±

    ¡°She seems very satisfied with the life she has made for herself. If she continues to be with the hero, I believe wholeheartedly that she¡¯ll be able to gain even more happiness with the hero.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t reply to her anymore. He just waved her away. The elder let out a rxedughter as she took leave. When he read the meaning behind her smile, he thought about Mycenae¡¯s figure from yesterday. He became worried. He was reminded of the fact that Mycenae had tried toy im to Artpe since his childhood.

    ¡®Maetel excessively intervenes in my life. One is enough..... Ooh ooh ooh.¡¯

    In his past life, women had caused a lot of headache for him. Somehow, it had gotten worse in his current life. He kept sighing as he walked towards the Elves below the World Tree. They were about to head towards the Dungeons.

    ¡°Hey, you guys.¡±

    ¡°Hero!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the hero!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s young.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s handsome.¡±

    The Elves acted like five year olds as they kept repeating the word ¡®hero.¡¯ They gathered around him. It seemed they were fascinated by the fact that he was a hero. He let out a bitterugh as he waved his hand.

    ¡°I want all those that are going to the Dungeons toe to me in order.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to give us a Blessing!¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    He didn¡¯t ce a Blessing over the Elves. He used Reinforcement. One round of permanent Reinforcement didn¡¯t consume much Mana. Their armor became lighter, and their weapons became much sturdier. It was enough to allow them to escape from situations that would have killed them.

    ¡°My body feels lighter!¡±

    ¡°It feels as if my bow gained more sticity. The hero¡¯s power is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Elder! You shoulde receive his Blessing!¡±

    Elves, Dark Elves and even the elders benefited from Artpe¡¯s Reinforcement skill. When they checked their gears, they all had a happy expression on their faces. He quickly sent away those that received the Reinforcement. He moved onto the equipments of the next batch of Elves.

    ¡°The World Tree is happy.¡±

    ¡°Just saying thank you will be enough.¡±

    However, the Elves were telling him the truth. Artpe had already used Reinforcement on the equipment of the Elves that numbered in the tens of thousands. Suddenly, the World Tree shook slightly, and a branch broke off from the World Tree. It fell to the ground.

    ¡°Ooh-huhk. We¡¯ll die if we get hit by that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an incrediblerge branch!¡±

    The branch fell right in front of Artpe. It had hit the ground after falling for several hundred meters, yet it didn¡¯t break. It was a testament to how strong the branch was.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the World Tree!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh oh. The World Tree has given such arge present to the hero!¡±

    ¡°I think the wind broke that....ah-yaht.¡±

    At some point, Mycenae had approached Artpe from the back. She smacked him on the back of his head.

    ¡°This is a gift of appreciation given to you by the World Tree. Even the Elves rarely get this present, so you should ept it with thanks.¡±

    ¡°You are like a fanatic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The broken branch from the World Tree was fairly thick, and there were a lot of branchlets attached to it. On top of that, there were a great number of healthy leaves at the end of the branch.

    Despite this fact, Artpe calmly picked up the branch, and he put it away into his Dimensional Pouch. Regina, who had been watching this sight, saw a small branch fall towards her.

    ¡°The World Tree is giving away much today.¡±

    ¡°It is to be expected, She personally stopped the humans....¡±

    ¡°M...me! I want one too!¡±

    ¡°I want a branch from the World Tree-nim!¡±

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s immediately rush the Dungeons! Let us gain power that will allow us to protect the World Tree!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡±

    It might be the result of half the race bing Dark Elves, but it seemed assertiveness was somehow bing normalized amongst them. Artpe decided to think of it as a good sign.

    However, there was a Dark Elf that continued to stare at Artpe as she stood next to him. It was none other than the ¡®high rank¡¯ Merchant Mycenae.

    ¡°Artpe-nim~ Are you going to sell that branch to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not selling even a single leaf to you.¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    ¡°If you think that is so unfair, you should do something that¡¯ll make the World Tree give you a branch in thanks.¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Artpe! What are you doing over there!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    The Elves were bustling about early in the morning, so of course, Maetel and Sienna woke up from their sound sleep.

    Since all his party members were awake, he retrieved Regina, who was absentmindedly staring up at the World Tree. The branch was in her hands. He decided to leave the Forest of Eternity. Even if he stayed longer inside the forest, there was nothing more to be gained here.

    ¡°Please contact me a bit more in the future. If not, how will you be able to purchase skills and spell books at the right time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Ah. You friends are calling for you over there.¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooh. Really! They really are bad at reading the situation!¡±

    Once again, Mycenae looked as if she wanted to leave with Artpe¡¯s party. However, she had friends, who had longed to see her over the long years. Then there were the Elves, who were attempting the Dungeons for the first time. It seemed she was going to stay in the forest for the near future to support the Elves.

    ¡°You look happy, ajumma. I want you to live well here!¡±

    ¡°If that little brat wasn¡¯t one of my exclusive customers, I would have...!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s expression indicated that she would be happy if Mycenae stayed in the Forest of Eternity for her whole life. Maetel waved her hand as she took Artpe¡¯s hand into hers. Artpe¡¯s other unupied hand was taken up by Sienna, and Sienna¡¯s other hand was carefully taken up by Regina.

    The hero¡¯s party had grown to four members, and they looked like children leaving for a pic. They left the Forest of Eternity.

    ¡°This ce is really big. I can see how a different race could live within it.¡±

    They were on the road back to Tiata. No matter how much they walked, the World Tree remained in their sight, so Maetel spoke those words. Sienna also felt the same way as she added her own opinion.

    ¡°It feels as if we can find heaven if we climb to the top of that tree.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Before you can climb to the top of the World Tree, you¡¯ll be attacked by the Elves. I guess it¡¯ll be possible to send them all to heaven.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, you are too much!¡±

    Artpe crushed the hopes and dreams of the girls with cruel reality. When he turned his gaze away, he caught sight of Regina, who was walking alongside them. She still had a absentminded expression on her face.

    ¡°What did you do with your branch of the World Tree?¡±

    ¡°I changed it into a bracelet.¡±

    It was as she said. There was a bracelet, which he had never seen before, around her slender wrist.

    The brown fibers of the branch were intertwined, and the abundant leaves were covering the bracelet.

    It was full of life energy. It was an Artifact capable of amplifying one¡¯s potential andtent power by its mere presence.

    Artpe¡¯s branch was muchrger than her branch, but his branch amplified magical energy rather than life energy. It seemed the World Tree¡¯s gifts were tailored to the individual.

    Maybe, if he used the Artifact on Regina...... No, he was making a rash judgement. Artpe shook his head to dislodge the idea that had took root in his mind.

    ¡°If all the Elves were equipped with such Artifacts, the humans wouldn¡¯t have dared to mess with the forest. How foolish.¡±

    ¡°We received special treatment. So proud.¡±

    Artpe ignored Regina, who had on a slightly prideful expression. At that moment, Maetel was able to pry her eyes away from the World Tree. She asked him a question.

    ¡°Artpe, where are we headed?¡±

    ¡°First, I want to monitor the situation within Tiata, Aedia and Daitan. I have to be sure to intimidate them, so they won¡¯t bother the Forest of Eternity. Then.....¡±

    Their identity as heroes were already exposed. They had to spread this knowledge to all the humans, so they can slow down the rampant actions of the Demon King¡¯s army. The information that the heroes were born in Diaz had been spread throughout the continent. However, there was a different level of awareness when the hero talked about the threat.

    ¡°Of course, the humans won¡¯t mobilize easily as the Elves. Still, I have to prepare them. It means my conscience will be clear even if the humans gets steamrolled by the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    ¡°Your personality is the worst. You are a rare piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°I like that part about him. It seems Regina is still in the dark about this fact.¡±

    ¡°I feel bad for Sienna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe decided to ignore Sienna too.

    ¡°So what¡¯s next, Artpe? Are we going to go find the male party member you talked about before?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Since Regina joined our party, we don¡¯t have to try so hard to find the other members.¡±

    ¡°Shoulder shrug.¡±

    She was being annoying. He ignored Regina, who became full of herself. Artpe spoke the most hero-like words he could think up.

    ¡°We are going to acquire all the treasure of this world.¡±

 Chapter 105 - It isnt Going as Planned (2)

    Chapter 105 - It isn¡¯t Going as nned (2)

    They were on the road back from the Forest of Eternity, and they were headed towards Tiata.. Their walk refreshed their mood, but they soon got sick of walking. Regina was capable of Flight magic, and Artpe was able to use Float magic. Artpe carried Sienna and Maetel in each arm. It took them only an hour to exit the forest.

    ¡°Flying is fun!¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was thinking about acquire a flying pet.¡±

    [Nyaa?? Nyaa nyaa?]

    ¡°No, this is fine. I like it the way it is!¡±

    Roa was nervous about apetitor showing up. Maetel liked being in Artpe¡¯s arms while they were flying. When he saw their reaction, he firmly shook his head.

    ¡°No, this is already a settled matter.¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    [Nyaaaaaaaaaaah!]

    The hero¡¯s party did stunts in the air as they flew over Tiata. When they looked down from the sky, it looked as if Tiata was maintaining their peace. At the very least, it looked like that on the surface. He had worried Tiata would resist against thebined forces of Daitan and Aedia. Fortunately, the king of Daitain had handled the situation in an appropriate manner.

    ¡°The king of Daitan..... Ah. It seems he is in Aedia. I guess it is understandable. It is more important to stabilize Aedia right now.¡±

    ¡°So how are you going to raise awareness in regards to the threat posed by the Demon king¡¯s army?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to receive help from Aedia¡¯s magicians and the Dungeon merchants affiliated with merchantpanies. I¡¯m sure the king of Daitan will wee this. It is the same concept as the king of Daitan invading Aedia to divert the attention of his popce. He¡¯ll want to direct the confusion and anger felt by the people of Aedia and Tiata elsewhere. That is why he¡¯ll most likely promote my actions extensively.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, how many threads of thoughts do you have going on at one time?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes were excessively bright. That was why Artpe decided to cancel his ¡®Chatter Away while Bluffing¡¯ skill.

    Soon, they returned to see the striking sight of the destruction caused to the pce of Tiata. The corridors were destroyed in its entirety. They arrived at the Warp Gate where the magicians and knights from Aedia and Daitan were performing a strict watch.

    ¡°Huht! Hero!¡±

    ¡°What happened to Elves within the forest..... Huhk! She¡¯s the magician fromst time!¡±

    ¡°My name is Regina¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to introduce yourself.¡±

    Artpe once again warned them about the Forest of Eternity. Then he injected his Mana into the Gate to activate it. They passed through it, and of course, magicians and knights were also on guard on the other side.

    ¡°Huht! Hero!!¡±

    ¡°What happened to Elves within the forest..... Huhk! She¡¯s the magician fromst time!¡±

    ¡°My name is Regin.....¡±

    ¡°Did you guys practice these lines from some script?¡±

    The king of Daitan wasn¡¯t at the pce. When Artpe asked a knight about it, he was told that the king had taken the initiative by leading the knights and magicians outside to clean the capital, which was covered in filth. Artpe thought for a brief moment, then he nodded his head. He turned to look at Sienna and Regina.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to stay here for couple days with Maetel. Everything will go more smoothly if the heroes steps forward.¡±

    ¡°What about Regina and me?¡±

    ¡°I want you guys to go and empty all the Dungeons in Aedia. I want you to raise Regina¡¯s level, so I¡¯ll plot out a course that will be very hard.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe took out a map of Aedia, and he started marking the location of the Dungeons and the ruins. When they saw this, the eyes of Sienna and Regina turned white. As if she was very unsatisfied with what he was proposing, Regina kept hitting Artpe¡¯s midsection. However, Artpe was tempered by Maetel¡¯s body tackles, so her attacks didn¡¯t even itch.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. I want you to give all the Unique spell thates out from these ce to Regina. I want her to learn it all.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°There are Unique skills that can only be used by heroes. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t learn other spells. However, if I monopolize all the spells, your power will be rtively weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m plenty strong.¡±

    ¡°If we go to the Demon world, there are plenty Demons that will be as strong as you. If you are satisfied with your current power, you¡¯ll suffer in the future.¡±

    Of course, there weren¡¯t that many that were on Regina¡¯s level. She was in the top 10 percent. However, the top 10% of the Demons meant that there were over tens of thousands of them.

    ¡°Maetel and I fall within the top five percent. Of course, our abilities are basically a cheat, so we can content with the top three percent. However, that still means at least 10 thousand Demons are stronger than us. There is only one thing that we are better at than them. It is our growth speed. We have to utilize this fact to the fullest.¡±

    ¡°You are a cheat.¡±

    ¡°You are unnecessarily handsome.¡±

    Artpe once again flicked Regina and Sienna¡¯s forehead. As an afterthought, he handed over the map with the Dungeons marked.

    ¡°I want you toe back in one month. I want Sienna to target an increase of 10 levels. Regina should target 20 levels. ¡±

    ¡°Our levels will rise that fast?¡±

    At that point, Artpe took a peek at Maetel. When he saw Maetel slightly nod her head, Artpe let out a bright smile as he gave an affirmation.

    ¡°Yes, you will grow fast.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I sensed some kind of emotional exchange. I demand an exnation.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s meet after a month.¡±

    ¡°I demand an exnation.¡±

    Artpe took out Pipi, and he handed it over to Regina.

    ¡°I¡¯m letting you borrow it. Normally, the Demite only follows its contractor. However, you are also a Demite, so I think there is enough familiarity between the two of you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤thank you.¡±

    She received Pipi. She hugged it as she gently stroked it. It was as if the Demite wasn¡¯t an Artifact that helped one¡¯s use of magic. She looked as if she was handling a pet or a doll.

    He didn¡¯t mind it, so he turned away. He had smoothly changed the subject, so he had achieved his goal.

    ¡°Wow. There¡¯s five Dungeons and a ruin. Let¡¯s hurry up and go, Regina.¡±

    ¡°Pipi made me stronger. Fast flight.¡±

    This was how Regina and Sienna left. When Maetel was left alone with him, she was about to die from happiness. She tried to link arms with him, but Artpe let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go out into the streets to clean it up.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is the one that made the mess.¡±

    ¡°Humans are beings that always act first and regretter. I knew that this burden would fall on my shoulderster on, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I did it to feel that momentary sensation of pleasure. Hue hue. This will be hard.....¡±

    ¡°When you resign yourself to your fate, there is a slight taste of hopelessness thates off you. I really like it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get scared when you give a detailed ount of what you enjoy.¡±

    Artpe and Maetel immediately started cleaning up the capital. Maetel couldn¡¯t use magic, so she used Record Divide to share her Mana with Artpe. It was enough to elerate his progress in doing this job.

    ¡°Huht! That guy is...!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the magician that dirtied the capital!¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that he is a hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hero? That makes no sense! No way!¡±

    Artpe had already given up on cleaning up his image! He had given up on the idea of cooperating with the humans to fight the Demon King. He had done so when he escaped Diaz¡¯s evil influence. In terms of other nations, he just wanted them to strengthen their defense against the Demon King¡¯s army.

    ¡°Clean! Clean! Cl---ean!¡±

    ¡°Amazing. The smell is gone! I don¡¯t even smell any dust or fungus!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you don¡¯t have have to make such a detailedmentary. Clean!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s Clean spell was on a different levelpared to the other magician in terms of range and efficacy. Hundred magicians had sweated as they cleaned for an hour. They were only able clean one street. A single round of spells from Artpe hadpletely cleaned an entire block.

    ¡°Aht! Magici.... Hero! You are back!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter! Clean!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is he really a hero? Or is he a janitor?¡±

    Artpe walked past the sweating party led by the king. He used his Clean spell at random. When he walked past through a street, not a speck of dust was left behind! In the beginning, the civilians had resented Artpe as they worked hard to clean their city. Now they just wanted Artpe toe to their homes as soon as possible.

    It didn¡¯t matter if it was the shopping district, personal homes or government buildings. He cleaned them all in a fair manner. He didn¡¯t eat or sleep for four days as he cleaned everything. Suddenly, he realized he had restored the capital to a pristine state.

    ¡°The capital is clean again!¡±

    ¡°He even fixed the sewer system. What an incredible ability¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It really is an incredible ability. It almost makes me ept the fact that he is a hero......¡±

    How could humans be so simple! They knew Artpe had made this mess, yet they were cheering for him. The number of people cheering for Artpe was growing rapidly after they saw the clean city!

    ¡°As expected, humans are simple. If I do a little bit more here, they¡¯ll sing my praises.¡±

    ¡°They really are idiots!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe stared at Maetel. She tilted her head in puzzlement, and she asked him a question with a bright expression on her face.

    ¡°What is it, Artpe? Is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing..¡±

    Artpe took his idiot towards the kingdom as fast as possible. The king of Daitan had already changed his clothes, and he had been waiting for Artpe.

    ¡°Thank you, hero. I never expected you to help in the cleanup.¡±

    ¡°We just want to move this along as fast as possible. Let¡¯s get into the main topic.¡±

    The knights of Daitan and the magicians of Daitan were lined up along the sides. They were on standby. It seemed the king of Daitan had been sessful in securing the magicians of Aedia. Half of their resentment was headed towards Artpe, and the other half was directed towards the king of Daitan. Still, the king of Daitan was pretty skilled in finessing the situation.

    ¡°Are you nnig on establishing your empire?¡±

    ¡°I still want to keep the two kingdoms... Since there are three kingdoms including Tiata, I need to repair each kingdom. I was thinking about pushing the establishment of the empire to ater date.....¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.. You have to bind the unsettled hearts of the people into one. You probably already know how to do this.¡±

    In his past life, the Demon king¡¯s army had invaded the human realm in earnest when the hero was over 20 years old. Several ns had been percting underneath the surface, and they ad all bubbled up to the surface at the same time. The hero had been disillusioned by humanity, but she methodically blew up these ns with the help of her party members.

    Of course, the current heroes were only 15 years old. However, the heroes weren¡¯t the only ones that had changed from their previous life. It was the same for the Demon king¡¯s army. There was a group of Demons that moved independently from the Demon king¡¯s army. They didn¡¯t follow the Demon King¡¯s orders. He knew more changes would continue to ur in the future.

    ¡°Will you allow me to sell the name of the hero?¡±

    ¡°From the moment I searched you out, that was my aim. Basically, I thought you would be aligned the most with me amongst the three nations.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see what you are trying to do, hero.¡±

    ¡°It took you long enough.¡±

    They exchanged evil smiles with each other. It was a crime if one used someone else without their knowledge. However, if both sides agreed to it, it was a deal being made. The phrase, ¡®If you scratch my back, I¡¯ll scratch yours.¡¯, was quite apt.

    ¡°What do we have to do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to dere the establishment of your empire. Then we¡¯ll borrow the power of the magicians of Aedia and the merchant organizations. We¡¯ll unite Daitan, Aedia and Tiata. Then we¡¯ll create a Mana Transmission route between them. When you announce the formation of your empire, you¡¯ll notify everyone of the existence of the heroes, You¡¯ll exin the implications of the Demon King¡¯s army showing up. Ah. I want everyone to see us, so it is imperative that we¡¯ll be able to transmit images. What do you think? Easy, right?¡±

    ¡°Easy, my ass!¡±

    One of the magicians let out a shout of dismay, but his voice didn¡¯t reach anyone. The king of Daitan....no, the man that would be an emperor of an empire was firmly shaking hands with Artpe. The contract was satisfactorily concluded.

    It took them two weeks to expand Aedia¡¯s Mana Transmission route to Daitan and Tiata. Immediately, Angelo Zard was crowned first emperor of the Zard empire. When he constructed the united empire, their most important mission was revealed.

    ¡°The king of Aedia and the duke of Tiata was in league to destroy the peace of the human realm. They had been creating an evil magic! I had been ying in the palm of their hands unknowingly, but two people helped me break apart this conspiracy. These two people are none other than the heroes.¡±

    The existence of the heroes was made public to the three nations...no, the empire of Zard...no, it was announced to the entire continent.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Oh, my people! We don¡¯t have time to hate each other! The Demon King has appeared! The fight between humans are over. Our enemy.....is the Demon race!¡±

    It was the moment when the human realm were made aware of the existence of the Demon King¡¯s army.

 Chapter 106 - It isnt Going as Planned (3)

    Chapter 106 - It isn¡¯t Going as nned (3)

    ¡°Heroes.¡±

    ¡°They really are heroes. The heroes that were born in Diaz are in Aedia.... No, they are in the empire of Zard.¡±

    ¡°If the heroes are going along with this, I might be able to ept this situation.¡±

    ¡°A nation that was born alongside the heroes..... The fall of Aedia does make my heart burn, but it feels as if I¡¯m watching a lotus flower bloom from within the mud. Of course, I can¡¯t help, but celebrate its birth......¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if one knew about it or one didn¡¯t know about it. Everyone epted the reality of the situation when confronted with the title of hero and Demon king. Heroes were the only existence that could transmute a human vs human struggle into a struggle between humanity and the Demon race.

    Of course, the ruling ss of each nation would have tried to somehow profit from the situation, but the entire ruling ss of Aedia and Tiata was gone right now.

    Artpe was cooperating with the ex-king of Daitan. The current emperor Angelo Zard had a good grasp of the situation, so there were many magicians and knights on his side. He used them to establish the Zard empire, and the promation of the heroes were able to be spread throughout the united empire of Zard.

    ¡°Hoo. I¡¯ve somewhat set the stage.¡±

    ¡°Is this what Artpe wanted?¡±

    ¡°This might not sound so great, but a war had broken out at the right time. I was able use this to my advantage.¡±

    In a situation where it was potentially unstable and dangerous, it was hard to perceive and fix the problems as they appeared.

    The people had received a huge shock, but until the dangers rose to the surface, most of them would maintain the mentality of ¡®We¡¯ve been fine until now, so it¡¯ll be fine in the future.¡¯ and ¡®It worries me, but there are other more important things to focus on.¡¯ These kinds of attitudes were problematic, but he decided to worry about this problem at ater date.

    ¡°The war made everything obvious. It revealed the ns of Aedia and Tiata. It exposed the problems being shouldered by the Elves within the Forest of Eternity.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is a situation where everything is exposed. It makes it easier to cut out and heal the malignancy. I acknowledge that there were inevitable sacrifices.....¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hue hee. Artpe is really kind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kind. Hey. Don¡¯t pet me like that.¡±

    At that moment, his ears picked up murmured voices..

    ¡°The two heroes are really friendly with each other.¡±

    ¡°They are a man and a woman in their prime. They spent many years together. It would be weird if there wasn¡¯t any affection between them..¡±

    How could they be so predictable!

    There were too many people that were saying words that were straight out of the ¡®Words That Shouldn¡¯t Be Spoken Unless You Want to Be a Supporting Character in Another Person¡¯s Life Volume 1.¡¯

    ¡°There! Look at what they are saying.¡±

    ¡°Hue hue. If we disy our rtionship like this, no other bitc.....women will dare to get between us.¡±

    ¡°Hey. What word were you about to use right now?¡±

    They were participating in a weird parade. It was a parade celebrating the ascension of Angelo Zard to the position of emperor. On top of that, they were advertising the presence of the heroes. It was a parade that disyed the alliance between the heroes and Zard in no uncertain terms.

    ¡°Please grab my hand once, hero-nim!¡±

    ¡°Hero-nim!¡±

    Of course, voices of support from the people could be heard intermittently. However, hepletely ignored them. If he developed an image of being too friendly with the civilians, they would want his help over every trivial problem!

    When the opportunity to kill the Demon King arrives, he didn¡¯t want some messed up quest involving Flower Selling Girl A to pop up. It would make him go all over the ce for nothing. Artpe wanted to stop the possibility of such routes from developing.

    ¡°Ooh-oong. You were being kind hearted, but you suddenly became bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve alway been bad.¡±

    ¡°Still, it is better than Artpe holding the hand of another woman, so I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you do realize that you are not much better than me recently?¡±

    Where did he go wrong in nurturing the hero? Artpe mulled over this question during the parade, but he couldn¡¯te up with an answer.

    The extremely close rtionship between the two heroes was seen by the civilians watching the parade. Moreover, the recorded images were spread throughout the empire, and everyone became aware of this fact.

    A week passed before the celebration finally came to an end. Emperor Angelo Zard elevated the capital of Aedia to be the capital of his empire. In turn, this meant he needed a more intimate connection with thends of Daitan. He needed a Warp Gate like the one linking Aedia and Tiata. He started constructing one that connected Daitan to Aedia.

    He was already able tomunicate with the entirety of his empire thanks to the Magic Transmission magic. When the Warp Gate was finished, he would be able to easily rule over his empire.

    ¡°Thank you for acting on my behalf, hero. It must have been tiring.¡±

    ¡°This was part of the deal. You are the one with the tough task ahead of you, emperor.¡±

    When the hero called Angelo by his title of emperor, a small smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°I was able to rise to this position thanks entirely to you, hero. That is why I¡¯ll protect this empire. I¡¯ll prove to you that I deserve to be in this seat..¡±

    ¡°You know that the Demon King¡¯s army is on the move, yet you have such ambitions. I kinda like that.¡±

    Artpe nodded his head in a satisfied manner as he took out a map. As if she knew the identity of this map, Maetel¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. Angelo Zard tilted his head in puzzlement as he received it..... His reaction was the same as those that received simr maps from Artpe.

    ¡°Is the information within this map true!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve marked Daitan, Aedia and Tiata. I categorized them into regions that will be good to grow your soldiers, knights and magicians. You should be thankful.¡±

    This was obvious, but the map was marked with the location of the Dungeons. The high level Dungeons were left out, and he had only marked the Dungeons that the humans could handle. This was enough to surprise Angelo Zard.

    ¡°You went this far for me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°This will allow you to grow the power of your empire. Moreover, it will allow you to gain the loyalty of your subjects. It sounds possible, right?¡±

    ¡°It is more than adequate! Even if this map is half.....no, even if this map is 90% wrong, the remaining 10% would greatly increase the strength of the empire!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you know the worth of what I¡¯m giving you.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t release this information all at once. The people will be entitled. They¡¯ll take the information as a given, and they¡¯ll bezy. They¡¯ll want more from you. I¡¯m sure you know what I am talking about.¡±

    ¡°I will take your words to heart. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤is that why the levels, Dungeons and quantity of the loots were categorized like this? I¡¯m not sure how you know all of this, but.... No, I won¡¯t pry into it.¡±

    Angelo Zard took the map, and he put it deep within his robe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put my trust in you. I will carry this out.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s the answer I wanted.¡±

    The hero from his previous life had grown the power of her party through Dungeon exploration.

    She had ignored the stress that her actions had caused on her rtionship with each nation on the continent. She focused on the concept that everything would be fine once the Demon king was defeated. That was why she hadn¡¯t been able to create a friendly rtionship with other nations. Everything broke apart before any amicable rtionship could be started. It forced her into a much more brutal fight.

    However, things were different now. He had sessfully created a positive rtionship with the Elves within the Forest of Eternity and the humans on this continent. It was possible for Artpe to grow their strengths, and they would remain vignt against the Demon king¡¯s army. The process had been aplete mess, but he had achieved the best possible result.

    ¡®Diaz is akin to the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. I don¡¯t have to do anything in regards to them. On the other hand, the holy nation of Pdia..... They already found a candidate that is more suitable for their needs.¡¯

    He arrived at the conclusion that he should make a clean sweep of the riches of this world. He just had to wait for Sienna and Regina toe back. Then they could depart! They could have fun clearing the Dungeons of this world!

    ¡°Your highness, an envoy from the temple has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Bring him in.¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤there was a time when Artpe had such thoughts.

    ¡°I congratte you on your ascension, your majesty. The temple does not involve itself in the feuds between royalty. That is why we could only sit by and watch the war. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    The envoy dispatched by the temple wore the hat of an archbishop. He was the archbishop in charge of all the temples within Aedia! This was obvious, but in terms of power within the temples, he was highly ced. He was in the top seven.

    The God Flush had covered everything. It was called the Upthrust Cmity.(The event had already gained a name.) The temple suffered under the same predicament, but the temple was clean now. Maybe, he was imagining things, but it felt as if the archbishop was ring at Artpe. This was why Artpe decided to ignore him.

    ¡°However, you did reveal the names of the heroes in the parade and the coronation ceremony. It was something that wasn¡¯t sanctioned by the temple. The pope in Pdia is deeply worried about this.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. About what?¡±

    At the emperor¡¯s reply, the archbishop was able to raise his head. The archbishop was clearly ring at Artpe. He hadn¡¯t been imagining it! Of course, he became terrified by Maetel¡¯s fierce gaze, so the archbishop immediately turned his head away!

    ¡°The Hero¡¯s ss is bestowed and managed by the temple, It has to be all done inside the borders of Pdia. These two heroes haven¡¯t been confirmed yet. Moreover, your majesty dered this information instead of the temple. It isn¡¯t something you should have done. It shouldn¡¯t have been done.¡±

    ¡°However, they are the heroes. They match the description released previously by the temple. Moreover, I saw them use skills and spells of at least 35 different sses. How can they not be heroes?¡±

    The emperor emphasized his words as he tried to dissuade the archbishop from nitpicking at the situation for no reason. The archbishop had no choice but to nod his head.

    ¡°I also do not doubt that they are heroes. However, they should have visited the temple before their identities were revealed. I was merely pointing out this fact. If the temple was involved, everyone would know for sure that they were given the Hero¡¯s ss. There would be no doubt, and everyone could follow the heroes with an easy mind.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. You do have a point¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In his previous life, the hero had went through this process. Diaz, the temples and Pdia had pretty strong ties. This was why the hero of his past life had btedly visited Pdia.... However, Artpe knew about the disaster that had urred at the end, so he wanted to leave Paldia alone.

    ¡®It seems whatever I think about or worry aboutes to pass. This is why being a hero is tiresome. Shit.¡¯

    That¡¯s right. This was one of the reasons why Artpe hadn¡¯t liked revealing the fact that he was a hero. He didn¡¯t want to be involved with the temples. The temples liked to manipte the situation. They made it look as if they had caused the heroes to descend into this world. They also liked to meddle in the affairs of the heroes.

    ¡°Everything that is done in the hero¡¯s name has to be sanction by the temple. Of course, a hero hasn¡¯t appeared in this world for several hundred years. It is understandable that your majesty didn¡¯t know about this. I¡¯m not trying to criticize your actions. I just want to request that you should be more careful in the future.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Are you trying to excessively restrict the freedom of the heroes?¡±

    ¡°We are not trying to suppress the hero¡¯s freedom. However...¡±

    The archbishop¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°The hero¡¯s mission is to confront the Demon King¡¯s army. We just want to help them, so their work goes smoothly. That is why I want you to be more careful in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Understood.¡±

    Angelo Zard had just established his empire, and it would create a massive headache if he went against the temple. For now, Angelo Zard nodded his head as he gave a meaningful nce towards Artpe. He was asking Artpe as to whether he found all of this eptable. Artpe gave a slight nod.

    ¡°Oh, heroes....¡±

    As if he had been aiming for this moment, the archbishop changed his target.

    ¡°We¡¯ve searched for the two of you for a very long time. Still, we waited until the parade ended. It almost makes us want tomend our own patience. We really felt.....¡±

    ¡°Dude, get to the point.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, the archbishop¡¯s eyebrows rose. In the next moment, Maetel red at him. She was like a devil that had crawled out of hell. His eyes dropped down. He was frightened by Maetel¡¯s terrifying gaze.

    ¡°The pope is looking for both of you. Pleasee to Pdia. There is a divine revtion that was given as a preparation for the heroes. It will help you face the Demon king¡¯s army. Moreover, the holy priestess is urgently waiting for both of you.¡±

    When Maetel heard about the priestess, she took a firm grasp of Artpe¡¯s arm. In the past, she said she wouldn¡¯t mind if the number of women increased in their party, yet she had immediately used force like this. As expected, all women were liars!

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Maetel..¡±

    However, Artpe gently pried her arms from his, and he smiled at her.

    ¡°You can rx. I¡¯ll exin it to youter, but you can restfortably.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll rest easy then.¡±

    Artpe soothed Maetel then he turned to look at the archbishop. The emperor thought Artpe was going to immediately cut off the archbishop¡¯s head. Maetel started to look for a good moment to cut off the archbishop¡¯s head. However, the words that came out of Artpe¡¯s mouth betrayed everyone¡¯s expectation.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go to Pdia.¡±

 Chapter 107 - It isnt Going as Planned (4)

    Chapter 107 - It isn¡¯t Going as nned (4)

    ¡°Hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    When Artpe agreed to the archbishop¡¯s request so easily, Maetel and the emperor became surprised. Even the archbishop became surprised.

    ¡°Y...you really want to go¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you want me to go? You don¡¯t want me to go now? Should I not go?¡±

    ¡°I...it isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    ¡°All right. I want you to prepare afortable carriage that befits the station of the heroes. I also want you to gather a lot of guards too.¡±

    ¡°You are a proper snob..... Koo-hmm. Understood!¡±

    The temple had to advertise that the temple had a rtionship with the heroes. They had to advertise this fact beyond the borders of Zard. That was why the archbishop was thankful for Artpe¡¯s suggestion. The archbishop quickly nodded his head. The emperor and Maetel was still dumbfounded.

    ¡°Why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Since it has turned out like this, let¡¯s get ready, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    Artpe and Maetel rode the carriage prepared by the temple on the next day. The carriage was quite luxurious, and they were guarded by several dozen Warrior Priests and Holy Knights. They left Aedia. The act of roasting a peanut with lightning magic would be slower than this!

    It was two days after they started traveling on the carriage. The carriage was rolling down Aedia¡¯s main road.

    ¡°Hoo-hnng. Hmm hmm hmm.¡±

    The view outside the carriage¡¯s window was passing by, and it was neither too fast or too slow. Maetel couldn¡¯t help but enjoy herself. She started humming a tune. Maetel had been taken aback in the beginning, but she was showing an upbeat attitude. It was quite the difference. Of course, Artpe knew why she was like this.

    ¡°Are you that d¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We can do this for the rest of our lives, and I would still like it!¡±

    Maetel tightly grabbed onto Artpe¡¯s sleeve with one hand. On the other side of him...... No one was grabbing onto Artpe¡¯s remaining sleeve.

    That¡¯s right. Artpe and Maetel was the only ones riding inside the carriage.

    ¡°Hero-nim, is there anything you need.....¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t disturb us. All right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The priest had exquisite timing. He opened the door to the carriage as he pushed his head into the carriage. Maetel let out a kind smile as he pushed the priest out of the carriage. She once again closed the door.

    The carriage started rolling again as if nothing had happened. Maetel once again put on a bright smile as she leaned into Artpe¡¯s body. There was a satisfied smile on her face.

    ¡°In Diaz, freshly married couples travel outside of their hometown. It is supposed to solidify the rtionship between the couple. They witness things that they normally wouldn¡¯t see in their everyday lives. This custom is called the honeymoon trip. It is how the newly married couples greet their new lives. It feels like we are on a honeymoon. Right?¡±

    ¡°Many married couples lost all their belongings when theye across bandits. That is why it is an abolished custom.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll rip apart any bad bandits that tears apart a person¡¯s moment of happiness.¡±

    ¡°Normally, a bride doesn¡¯t possess the ability to rip apart a bandit like you.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh, and he lowered his shoulder. He wanted Maetel to be in a little bit morefortable position. This small consideration made Maetel feel happy. Suddenly, Maetel asked him a question. She was curious.

    ¡°Artpe, why did we leave behind Sienna and Regina? Did you finally feel the need to treat me with care?¡±

    ¡°You are saying I have to get rid of all women near me if I want to treat you with care? Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Before they left Aedia, the archbishop had asked Artpe about his other party members. Artpe had told him that Sienna and Regina were temporary party members. Heroes were the only ones that were important to the archbishop, so he easily epted Artpe¡¯s exnation.

    This was how they had arrived at their current situation.

    ¡°Once the temple starts targeting us, they won¡¯t let us go easily. Still, the fact that they are annoying doesn¡¯t mean we should wipe out the temples. I worked hard to fix the image of the heroes in the minds of the people, so what would happen if I did that?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m pretending to ept the temple¡¯s request with you. On the other hand, Sienna and Regina will continue to receive orders from me. They¡¯ll take care of the work we have to do in our stead.¡±

    Sienna was an Evil Reflector. Once the temple found out about her, they would focus on her once she entered Pdia. She would receive as much attention as the heroes. He made the right call in keeping Sienna apart from the temple.

    ¡°Regina and Sienna is really far apart with us in terms of level. This will give them time to catch up with us. Moreover, this will allow us to move more freely until we finish our work in Pdia. Sienna has closebat abilities. Regina has long range fighting abilities including support capabilities. The two of them are a perfect party.¡±

    ¡°You have something to do in Pdia.... Why do humans have so many problems?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just humans. It is the same for all the other races capable of rational thought.¡±

    Still, he wanted to leave Pdia to ¡®others¡¯. However, the other side had searched his party out first, so he had no choice. Since it had turned out like this, he would willingly go into their midst, and he would crush them.

    ¡°Still, it seems like we destroy every ce we search out in recent days...... I¡¯m getting confused as to whether we are heroes or Demon King type beings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have no idea if it would end even if we destroy them. It might not end even if we reconstruct them. We¡¯ll have to see.¡±

    ¡°The premise of the two options you just stated involves destroying the temples.....¡±

    Was it because Maetel had gotten a bit smarter? It was harder for him to read what she was thinking about. Artpe tsked as he raised the Communication apparatus.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget about putting up a barrier inside the carriage before he used the Communication apparatus. It was a pretty high ranking barrier, so it repelled sound and physical damage. A being with decent power would exhaust oneself if one tried to break this barrier. This was obvious, but he hadn¡¯t possessed this spell before this.

    ¡°I¡¯m really d I emptied out Aedia¡¯s storage room before we left. I acquired a lot of useful magic.¡±

    ¡°When did you loot it? I didn¡¯t see you do it.¡±

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Roa ate anything that was infused with Mana. Of course, Roa and Artpe wouldn¡¯t forego the opportunity to find treasures. Artpe let out a smile as he turned on the Communication apparatus. Then he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Uh, Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Silpennon!?¡±

    By the flow of their conversation, she had expected him to speak the name of Sienna or Regina. He betrayed her expectation! However, Artpe didn¡¯t care if Maetel¡¯s eyes opened wide or not. He spoke into the Communication apparatus.

    ¡°What¡¯s your level right now?¡±

    [I¡¯m level 218. What do you think? I¡¯m pretty good, right?]

    ¡°Yes, you are pretty slow..¡±

    [Koohk!]

    Artpe had wanted Silpennon to be at level 250. It seemed this wasn¡¯t possible without Maetel¡¯s Growth Speed Multiplier. Silpennon grinded his teeth at Artpe¡¯s words

    [What level are you!]

    ¡°283.¡±

    [I lost¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    It didn¡¯t matter if there was a level difference when they first met. Leveling became much harder when one climbed to the higher levels. This was especially true for those that were over level 200. A single level looked like a small difference, but the quality of one¡¯s ability was stark when one raised a level.

    So how was he able to reach level 283? Silpennon had worked like hell for the past two years, yet he realized he couldn¡¯t catch up to Artpe no matter what.

    ¡°What about your party members?¡±

    [Leseti is 208. Deyus is 206.]

    Silepennon was a party member of the hero from his past life. He possessed a cheat-like ability. When one took that into ount, he could tell Leseti and Deyus had worked hard in increasing their levels. At their current level, Artpe decided they could carry out his immediate goal.

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±

    [I¡¯m moving ording to the map you gave us through your merchant. That is why we are.... Ah. We are near Pdia.]

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    Maetel had overheard the conversation, and her eyes slightly narrowed. It seemed he had sent another map to Silpennon using Mycenae. This was the first time Maetel had heard about Silpennon¡¯s party being near Pdia! This was why Artpe had a grin on his face.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯ll leave this to someone else. Who else was I going to entrust this task to?¡±

    [You¡¯ll entrust us with a task? Ah. Are you talking about the items you wanted us to find and store?]

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I want you to clear one more Dungeon, then I want you to immediatelye to Pdia. Let¡¯s meet up in Pdia.¡±

    [You want us to meet up!? Are we finally joining your party?]

    ¡°I¡¯ll make the decision after I see how you take care of this task.¡±

    Artpe ended the call. Maetel let out a beautiful smile as she made a demand.

    ¡°Exin it to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t want to get close to Pdia. Coincidentally, I have a good hand I can use in Silpennon. After he finished clearing all the Dungeons in Diaz, I gave him a map to the next region. Naturally, I made him move towards Pdia. I originally wanted to dump this task on him. For your information, I met Mycenae before we went into the ocean.¡±

    ¡°Your exnation is quite honest¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In truth, Pdia was much closer to Diaz than Aedia. Aedia was developed in terms of magic, but they were too far for the words of the gods to reach them. This was why there were more magicians that were trying to grow their own power instead of using the power of the gods.

    ¡°Basically, Pdia doesn¡¯t really wee magicians into their fold. I¡¯m a hero, but my abilities are heavily nted towards being a magician. That is why I was reluctant in going there. I don¡¯t trust the temple, who are allied with gods. Moreover.....¡±

    Artpe once again checked his barrier, then he spoke in a lowered voice.

    ¡°I find the holy priestess to be annoying.¡±

    ¡°However, you still haven¡¯t met her. She might be an innocent beautiful girl, who only eats dewdrops as she prays to the gods all day.¡±

    ¡°Your description of her is spot on. It is correct, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m right?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s expression turned menacing. If he praised the holy priestess¡¯ looks a little bit more, it looked as if Maetel was about to do something very rash. That is why Artpe quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t my cup of tea! I hate everything that is rted to the gods.¡±

    ¡°Artpe always says a woman isn¡¯t to your taste. However, they always like Artpe, and you aren¡¯t able firmly reject them.¡±

    It would have been a lie to say Maetel¡¯s point didn¡¯t hold any water. However, there was something he could say for certain in regards to the holy priestess.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think the holy priestess will like me.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure? You haven¡¯t met her yet. I understand Artpe has personal information of others, but you can¡¯t guarantee that she won¡¯t be to your taste, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have a point, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In his past life, Artpe had seen the men that had developed rtionship with the holy priestess. That is why he knew her taste in men. If he spoke this truth, there was no point in hiding his past life to Maetel. In the end, he decided to gloss over this point.

    ¡°Anyways, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. When my peaceful life as a dairy farmer bes guaranteed, I don¡¯t n on getting involved with women.¡±

    ¡°Artpe just needs me, right? Hue hue..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if you are asking that question in a friendly manner, I would like you to take your hand off your sword hilt.¡±

    He let out a sigh as he roughly tousled Maetel¡¯s hair.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so insecure. Aside from few select people, most people aren¡¯t permanent fixtures in a hero¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ This all because Artpe is too handsome.¡±

    Maetel stuck a bit closer to Artpe. Since they would have to meet up with another party in Pdia, it seemed she wanted to gather an ingredient that she could only acquire from Artpe.

    Her intent was too apparent that he found it troubling. As he had these thoughts, Artpe took out a book. It was a very thick book encased in a leather binding. There was a serious amount of Mana within it. Maetel¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the magic tome from before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve beenzy up until now. I should start using it now.¡±

    It was the magic tome containing the essence of the Demonification curse. He had acquired it after killing the Demon Teana.

    Of course, he had use it to guide Sherryl. It allowed her to be a Genesis Mermaid. He had poured a massive amount of Mana into the tome, and he was able to forcefully change the direction of the process enacted by the tome. That was why the magical tome was in a ambiguous state. However, he nned on transforming the magic tome by Reinforcing it with the ink he acquired from the Kraken and the Ancient Kraken.

    ¡°Let me check the content.... Good. It is starting to be affected by my Record.¡±

    ¡°The magic tome is continuously letting out a light..¡±

    ¡°Its owner had changed, yet it hadn¡¯t epted this fact yet. It is resisting against me. Of course, its actions are useless.¡±

    First, Artpe used the Kraken¡¯s Ink Pouches as Reinforcement ingredients. Each Ink Pouch was Reinforced to the fullest extent, then they werebined into its final form. Then he dipped a quill into the ink.

    [Nyaaaaaaaaa.]

    ¡°No, I¡¯m aiming for a more ambitious goal.¡±

    If he simply wanted an ability to destroy a curse, he already had Roa for that task. This was a magic tome created with the intent of transforming a human into a Demon. Artpe thought aboutpletely flipping that process.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤this might be more important than anything we¡¯ve done up to this point.¡±

    ¡°A focused Artpe is.... Too cool.....¡±

    ¡°Roa.¡±

    [Nyaaa-ah nyaa.]

    Maetel was in an aroused state. Artpe asked Roa to stop Maetel if she tried to jump him. He raised his pen, and he ced it on the first page of the magic tome.

    They still had a lot of time left until they arrived at the Holy Nation of Pdia.

 Chapter 108 - Stagnant Water Puddle (1)

    Chapter 108 - Stagnant Water Puddle (1)

    There were two oceans and a continent between Aedia and Pdia. It was a massive amount of distance. It would take several months to cross one ocean, then one had to travel onnd before traversing a different ocean. However, they didn¡¯t have to take this route.

    The temples possessed Warp Gates in various regions spanning the whole continent.

    ¡°So this is where they hid them.¡±

    ¡°The location of the Warp Gates possessed by the temples are considered to be top secret. Of course, we are willing to expose their locations to the heroes. When the battle with the Demon King¡¯s army starts in earnest, you¡¯ll have many asions to use it.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, if the location of the Warp Gates could be traced, it could really fuck us up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident that such a thing can¡¯t happen.¡±

    The priest¡¯s confidence was well founded. The performance of the Warp Gate was on par with the Warp Gates possessed by Aedia. When Artpe looked over the Warp Gate, he found out the reason why this was the case.

    ¡®There are traces of sunbae-nim left here too.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t just that. The previous hero had just renovated it. This Warp Gates were old even before the previous hero had put his hands on it.

    These Warp Gates had existed throughout the evesting history, and they had grown their abilities by eating the Records of countless other beings. They weren¡¯t simple Warp Gates. They were so advanced that they could be considered to be holy relics.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to travel seven times through the Warp Gate. Before the Gate activates, please imprint hero-nim¡¯s Mana into it.....¡±

    ¡°Ah. Of course. I¡¯ll do that. Since the two of us always travel together, I¡¯ll be the only one that¡¯ll imprint my Mana on it.¡±

    For some reason, Maetel was happy about Artpe¡¯s gesture. The priest was taken aback, since Artpe wasn¡¯t following established protocols. There was no way the two heroes could be together at all times. However, the priest had no choice. He epted Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°Mmm. Understood.¡±

    There were Warp Gates installed all over the continent, and they were all hidden. However, they were all tied together by a cord of Mana.

    These Warp Gates needed permission from the temple to be used. There was a holy spell ced on them. It acted as a locking mechanism. However, if an individual was registered to be an ¡®owner¡¯ of one gate, one could freely use all of the other gates.

    ¡°It is time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a walk in the park.¡±

    The priest activated the Gate, and Mana poured out of the Gate. The Mana reached out towards the whole party, but at Artpe¡¯s guidance, it was all gathered in his hand. While the priest and the holy knights were shocked by his Mana Control, Artpe quickly finished the registration.

    ¡°It really¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is an ability befitting a hero.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is. I¡¯m the hero. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Before Artpe registered himself, the Mana pouring out of the Warp Gate had worked in opposition against Artpe. Now the Mana was like a warm and soft energy that was diffused around him. They immediately entered into the Gate, and soon, they arrived on a remote ind located in the middle of the ocean.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes turned into dots when she saw the vast stretch of water in front of her. Artpe grinned as he gave her an exnation.

    ¡°The priest said we have to go through seven gates. Of course, we have to cross the ocean in the process of doing so.¡±

    ¡°I see. So this ind is....¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just an ind. There was a powerful barrier anchored to the Warp Gate, and it covered the entirety of the ind. It was said the temples were the most powerful force within the human realm instead of Aedia. When one saw the structure of this spell, such an assessment sounded usible. Artpe scanned the entirety of the ind, then he nodded his head.

    ¡°As expected. I can see why you guys were able to protect the frontline against the Demon King¡¯s army in multiple wars. This probably allows you to maintain your power over the years.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it seems you have studied a lot after being designated the hero.¡±

    These words weren¡¯t something a 15 year old should be saying. The priest asked in a dumbfounded voice. Artpe nodded his head as if it was nothing.

    ¡°When we left Diaz, I knew we would one day be involved with the temples. Of course, I made preparation for that eventuality.¡±

    ¡°We are the absolute allies of the heroes. You don¡¯t have to make such preparations..... Actually, we were disappointed when both of you declined the summons of Diaz. That caused us to run in circles......¡±

    ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t like outside interference. I understand that you guys are trying take care of us, but you should back off at this point.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood. I¡¯m d that you understand that point.¡±

    Artpe rebuffed the priest nosing into his business. However, he couldn¡¯t help but break out intoughter.

    The priest wanted blind trust, because they were absolute allies. It had been awhile since he had heard something so dumb.

    Even if he could trust their character, that didn¡¯t mean he could trust theirpetence. A dumb ally was more dangerous than a smart enemy. Artpe had realized this fact when he watched the Demon king!

    ¡®These guys are worse than the Demon king. I¡¯d rather trust Etna than you guys.¡¯

    Fine white sand filled the sandy beach. Maetelughed as she kicked the sand. As he watched Maetel¡¯s back, he confirmed a piece of information with the priest.

    ¡°So it is impossible to cross over to the next gate right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we need around four days for the Mana to be gathered.¡±

    ¡°If I supply some of my Mana, I can cut that time into two days..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if it is hero-nim, it really might be possible to do as you said.¡±

    Fortunately, not all priests werepletely blind. They saw Artpe¡¯s skill when he seized control of the Warp Gate. The priest determined that Artpe wasn¡¯t making any false assertions, so he backed off in an acquiescent manner. Artpe poured hispletely full Mana into the Warp Gate.

    ¡°Huh. Even if it recognized you as a user, a Mana withpletely different nature was able to charge the Warp Gate.....¡±

    ¡°Well, I just have to make the Warp Gate perceive my Mana in the same way as it perceives the ambient Mana in nature.¡±

    ¡°You really have an incredible amount of knowledge in the way of magic......¡±

    After spitting out the party, the Warp Gate had been emitting a subdued light. A more intense light was being emitted now. Of course, the amount of Mana within the Warp Gate couldn¡¯t transport Artpe¡¯s party, the priests and the holy knights all at once right now. It would be too burdensome.

    ¡°We have no choice, but to stay here for two days.¡±

    ¡°That is why we¡¯ve arranged amodation here. I¡¯ll lead both of you to it.¡±

    ¡°All right. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah. Wait a moment.¡±

    Artpe looked at Maetel, who was ying on the beach with her heavy armor on. He smirked as he spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go after we y here for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it seems both of you have a good rtionship with each other. It looks very good.¡±

    ¡°Your expression doesn¡¯t look too good.¡±

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The holy priestess is really looking forward to meeting the hero. However, the two of you are very close to each other, so I¡¯m a little bit worried that there would be no room for the holy priestess between the two of you.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been looking forward to meeting the hero.... Me or Maetel?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s mischievous question, the priest had a puzzled expression on his face.

    ¡°Of course, she is waiting for Artpe-nim. This is especially true when your exploits in Aedia were spread. Hmm..... The rumor that Artpe-nim¡¯s looks are exceptional has been spread across Pdia.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤she¡¯s waiting for me? Not Maetel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, Maetel-nim is beautiful, but she.....¡±

    The priest shut his mouth. Artpe was also at a loss for words. An ufortable atmosphere developed between the two of them. Artpe was sensitive to such things, so Artpe backed off a little bit.

    ¡°I want you to go over there¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess isn¡¯t waiting for her! She¡¯s waiting for you!¡±

    ¡°I understand, so just go over there.¡±

    Artpe chased away all the priests, then he approached Maetel. She was still ying with the sand..

    ¡°Artpe, look at this. The sand is white, and it is so fine!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since you acted like a kid.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel was too upied by the white sands, so she didn¡¯tpletely catch what he had said. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he spoke.

    ¡°Nothing. You should take off your armor and y.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to protect Artpe from unexpected situations if I take off my armor.¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any unexpected situation here. You don¡¯t have to worried about that.¡±

    ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ok. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±

    She returned after she took off her red armor, which had been covering her upper and lower body. She came back with only light clothing on. Of course, her armor had gone through three Reinforcement, so their weight was negligible. Still, it couldn¡¯t bepared to moving without the armor.

    ¡°Look! Look, Artpe! I¡¯m leaving behind footprints! It is like running atop snow!¡±

    ¡°You are amused by all kinds of things.¡±

    ¡°Wa-hah! Ooh-heehee.¡±

    Maetel had already seen the ocean in the port city of Frate. However, there were no beaches with sand there, so it had been impossible for her to y there. This was also true of the port city of Bta in Aedia.

    She finally was able to enjoy the ocean in this ce. It had been a long time since he had seen her enjoy herself like this. She was feeling pure joy. Artpe suddenly realized that he was also having fun.

    ¡°It seems even the temples can be helpful like this.¡±

    Artpe mumbled to himself as he turned his head. He could see the priests and holy knights gathered near the amodation provided on the deserted ind. They were secretly watching Artpe and Maetel.

    [Fuck off.]

    ¡°Heek!?¡±

    ¡°Wide Area Message spell!?¡±

    He frowned at them. Artpe chased the men into the lodging. He didn¡¯t want them to interfere in such a moment.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    ¡°You want to y too?¡±

    [Nyaa-ah nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Roa,e here!¡±

    When he released Roa, she transformed into her small cat form. She ran across the beach, and she chased down Maetel. The footprints of a girl and the paw prints of a cat were imprinted on the sandy beach, and they were being washed away by the ocean water. This sight automatically put a satisfied smile on his face.

    ¡°Instead of farming, it might not be too bad to live near the beach..¡±

    Artpe carefully added a beach house to his retirement n. Then he took off his robe and shoes. He returned with only his light clothing on.

    As a finishing touch, he took out the branch of the World Tree from his Dimensional Pouch. He nted it on the beach. The branch¡¯s wide leaves created a canopy, and it kept the sun off of him. The World Tree hadn¡¯t given him the branch so he could block out the sunlight as an emergency measure. However, he didn¡¯t care about that.

    ¡°Shall I continue my work?¡±

    However, Artpe couldn¡¯t work on his magic tome for long. Maetel wasn¡¯t satisfied with ying only with Roa. She ran up to him, and she started urging him toe into the ocean.

    ¡°Artpe, the ocean water is cold! It feels good! Let¡¯s y!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. I don¡¯t want topromise myself to such youthful follies. I¡¯m suited to a dark life.... Ooh-ahhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    Artpe was trying to act dignified, but Maetel used her overwhelming physical ability to reverse the flow of the water. He was upended by the water. Thankfully, he was able to protect the Magic Tome and the Ink in time. However, that was the only thing he could protect. He had taken off all of his defensive gear, so he was soaked to his underwear.

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m working right now. You are being annoying.......¡±

    He quickly manifested his magic, and he floated into the air. Maetel¡¯s eyes were still fixed on him. His hair was wet, and his underclothes were sticking close to his body. Maetel¡¯s eyes spun when she saw this.

    ¡°Gulp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Why is your mouth watering?! Our roles are reversed!¡±

    ¡°Artpe, let¡¯s y together.....?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m already in a bad mood.... Ooh-heek!¡±

    Artpe sensed that his body was in danger. From that moment on, Artpe and Maetel started ying a game of tag. Something that was more precious than their lives were on the line. As if she found all of this pathetic, Roa cried out.

    ¡°Artpe, let¡¯s y together!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean when you say you want to y with me! If you don¡¯t give me an exact exnation, I¡¯ll be put in a difficult spot! Hey! Stop trying to catch me! Roa, help me!¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    The heroes yed tag for five hours. It continued until the sun set on the beach. Artpe performed a monumental feat. He didn¡¯t get caught by Maetel before she became tired and hungry. However, he received punishment from her as a consequence of his actions. She kept rubbing her cheeks against him during the entire dinner time.

    They had to cross six more Warp Gates.

    At each gate, Artpe didn¡¯t spare his Mana as he recharged the Gates with his Mana. It took them only two weeks to enter into the holy nation of Pdia.

 Chapter 109 - Stagnant Water Puddle (2)

    Chapter 109 - Stagnant Water Puddle (2)

    [Oppa, you really are too much.]

    ¡°Please be a little bit more patient. I¡¯ll end things here very soon, and I¡¯ll head towards you guys.¡±

    [You won¡¯t give bait to a fish you¡¯ve already caught. What a devilish method.]

    ¡°Where the hell did you learn such words?¡±

    Artpe epted theints that were being transmitted by Sienna and Regina. Then he gave them directions.

    ¡°If you travel north of Daitan, there is a Ice Continent called cia. It is a ce where humans can¡¯t live. I want you to go to the heart of cia before spring.....¡±

    After he ended the call with his party members, he let out a sigh as he raised his head. Maetel was staring at him.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How lucky. I want to go to the Ice Continent.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll just be cold.¡±

    ¡°I can use the cold as an excuse to stick to Artpe.¡±

    Artpe was dumbfounded, so he gave a retort.

    ¡°You are already sticking to me right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already sticking to you, but I want to stick to you in a more aggressive and intense manner.¡±

    At that point, Artpe wanted give up on rehabilitating the hero. It seemed Maetel realized the carriage ride wasing to an end, so she wanted to enjoy the current situation as much as possible. She was glued onto Artpe. She was in a state of nirvana. He started his next call as he epted her feeling.

    ¡°Ajumma.¡±

    [Please call me by Mycenae.]

    ¡°I want you to supply Sienna¡¯s party for thest time. They are heading into cia.¡±

    [That¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m capable of entering into the Dungeons of cia. I¡¯m a high rank Merchant now.]

    ¡°Next, I want you to supply Silpennon¡¯s party for thest time. I want you to give them consumable explosive Artifacts and lock picking tools. I want them them to be of the highest quality. We are all going to run amok in Pdia..¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Arpe-nim, are you sure you are a hero?]

    In some ways, Pdia was basically the home of the heroes. Mycenae¡¯s voice stiffened when he said he would run amok in Pdia. However, Artpe replied in refreshing manner.

    ¡°The hero eliminates evil. However, I¡¯ll tell you this beforehand. The standard of judgment as to what is evil is subjective. There is a stenching from Pdia. It is the smell of evil.¡±

    Since he retained his memories from his past life, Artpe could say this. Of course, others didn¡¯t know this, so his words sounded very unreasonable.

    [Why don¡¯t you just be the Demon king!]

    ¡°Heroes are one step away from being seen as the Demon King, and the Demon king is one step away from being seen as a hero. Well, I made my request.¡±

    [Wait a moment. If you think you can always end the call first, you are sorely mistak........]

    He ended the call with Mycenae. Hisst call was to Silpennon.

    [You want us to infiltrate into the capital of Pdia?]

    ¡°Everyone in Lihazeta will be focused on the heroes. I want you to carry out your task during that time period. Leseti and Deyus will only be there for support. You¡¯ve grown your skills as a thief, and I want you to use that skill in earnest this time.¡±

    [Artpe..... Can you give me more details? What exactly do you want me to steal? I think it is time for you to reveal some information.]

    Silpennon¡¯s request was reasonable. Artpe cleared his throat. He nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°Lihazeta¡¯s city is subdivided, and it is based on the ranks of the priests. You already know this, right?¡±

    [Of course.]

    ¡°Some regions can be essed by outsiders, but there is a region essible only to the holy priestess, pope, several high rank priests and the heroes. They call this ce the Zero ss.¡±

    [I never heard of this Zero ss......]

    ¡°I want you topletely clean out the Zero ss region. That is what I wanted to ask of you.¡±

    [Dude! Your words don¡¯t add up! I¡¯m an outsider, so how am I supposed to get in there!]

    Ah. How long had it been since someone resisted against his ns? He had missed it! In recent times, Maetel and Sienna started pushing back against his ns, but on a basic level, they always followed his directions. This was why he had been a bit disappointed. However, it was as if Silpennon had broken apart this feeling of frustration felt by Artpe.

    However...

    ¡°It is as I¡¯ve said. Heroes can enter into the Zero ss.¡±

    [So what?]

    ¡°When I enter into the city, I¡¯ll make a move. You¡¯ll just have to take advantage of this. It is like a backdoor. You should enter at night. I¡¯ll somehow make it so that you¡¯ll be able to enter that region tonight.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    These were words that shouldn¡¯t be uttered by someone that was called the hero. He was about to enter into the capital of the holy nation of Pdia. He would be escorted by priests and holy knights as he headed into heart of Lihazeta. This was something that shouldn¡¯t be spoke by someone like him! While Silpennon was silent from the dismay he felt, Artpe continued to speak.

    ¡°There are many suspicious things going on in Pdia. You already know this. I want you to bring out all the details. I want you to show the world the true nature of the temples. That is my n.¡±

    [All right. Let us say that the temples are hiding something, and I miraculously find out this secret. How are you going to spread this truths to the continent?]

    ¡°That is a really good question! In truth, I will use a magic technique developed by Aedia. I brought several Video Transmission devices.¡±

    [You evil bastard!]

    It felt as if Artpe was ying atop of Silpennon¡¯s head. Silpennon couldn¡¯t nitick any of Artpe¡¯s actions. It felt as if Artpe was even prepared for a pestilence that would sweep over the continent in several hundred years!

    [Understood. I¡¯ll try to infiltrate them... Truthfully, I¡¯m not confident I can do it.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust in yourself. Trust in your Artifacts. You emptied out Diaz¡¯s entire past to arm yourself. You can do it!¡±

    [Even if you have to lie to me, I would like you to cheer me up! You really are the worst!]

    ¡°Hang in there, Silpennon!¡±

    [You have no talent in cheering other people up! Hmmph. You hang in there too!]

    Silpennon grumbled as he ended the call. He was now done with contacting those that were on the outside. It would be practically be impossible to contact anyone outside for the near future. He just had to put faith in everyone that they could work well in concert with each other.

    Artpe put away hismunication device then he raised his head with a refreshed expression on his face. However, Maetel was ring at him with a sulking expression on her face.

    ¡°Artpe, why do you like Silpennon so much? Do you perhaps like men better than women? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the only intellectually honestrade I have. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°Your words are making me worry more!?¡±

    Before Maetel¡¯s interrogation could start in earnest, someone knocked on the door to the carriage.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. We are hoping to show the esteemed faces of the heroes to the people of Pdia. It¡¯ll be a parade where everyone will celebrate.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s another parade?¡±

    ¡°This is what happens when you be a hero. Still, you should be thankful that you didn¡¯t have to go through from a young age.¡±

    ¡°That..... Yes, please forgive us.¡±

    The priest didn¡¯t know what to say when confronted with Maetel¡¯sints and Artpe¡¯s weirdly philosophical view of this situation. The priest asked for their forgiveness. Artpe and Maetel immediately exited the carriage. There were countless people gathered there.

    ¡°Wa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°They are the heroes that were born in this generation!¡±

    ¡°They look exactly like their description. However.....¡±

    ¡°There really are two of them. Both of them are heroes?¡±

    The people were tilting their head in puzzlement. It was understandable. Even after being named a hero, Artpe had a headache trying to reconcile the idea of two heroes.

    ¡°Pleasee this way. We¡¯ll travel once around the outskirts of the city then we will head into the great temple. You¡¯ll be blessed there, then we¡¯ll head into the inner city. That is our schedule.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Artpe dragged along Maetel, who hated all of this. They moved towards a new mode of transportation. There were holy knights in shining armor waiting for them. They surrounded the vehicle as escorts.

    ¡°This vehicle was made with magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The previous hero cooperated with the temple in creating this treasure.¡±

    Artpe and Maetel ignored the priest, who had spoken with a bit of pride in his voice. They moved into the raised seats, so they could greet the people.

    It was a parade vehicle infused with the previous hero¡¯s magic. It was impossible for the passengers to lose bnce on the vehicle, and it could rise into the air,. It could reach an altitude of several dozen meters. When they were floating in the air, they were able to see the design of the city. This city was built as the veryst line of defense. It was the final stronghold in the fight against the Demon King¡¯s army. This was why the entire city of Lihazeta was acting as a defensive magic circle. They caught sight of the capital of the holy nation Pdia.

    ¡°Wow. The city looks like it was made from toys.......¡±

    The city was built with a n in mind. Of course, the various building inside the city was neat and pretty. When she looked down at the city, Maetel¡¯s eyes shone. Artpe nodded his head as he gave her an exnation.

    ¡°It looks really neat, right? Of course, it¡¯ll all be destroyed once the Demon King¡¯s army invades this ce. Actually, there is a more horrifying magic built into this ce. It¡¯ll activate once this ce is destroyed. Aren¡¯t you reassured thinking about it?¡±

    ¡°Arpte is a master of breaking apart a person¡¯s dream.¡±

    In some ways, this city was simr to the capital of Aedia. However, the city of Lays¡¯ magic circle merely functioned as an underground sewer system. Lihazeta¡¯s magic circle had the ability to reduce the power of the Demon king¡¯s army. Its function waspletely different from Aedia¡¯s magic circle.

    Depending on the situation, the magic circle was unspecialized, so several types of magic could be activated at the same time. If one focused on the power of one type of magic, it turned into a amplification type magic circle....

    ¡°My head! My head hurts so much, Artpe! Ooh-goo-ahhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°All right. I won¡¯t exin it any more......¡±

    If he was to simplify his exnation, the previous hero¡¯s had a hand in constructing this ce. He wondered if he¡¯ll be able to find out the identity of the high and mighty sunbae-nim. Artpe was looking forward to it a little bit.

    Rather than making something new with his own hands, it was more enjoyable to use something someone else had already built!

    It had been awhile, but Artpe became engrossed in thoughts that was befitting the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. While he was having such thoughts, the parade finally started.

    ¡°Maetel-nim! You grew up to be very beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim, please look over here? He¡¯s exquisite?¡±

    ¡°Oo-ook. There are too many gazes.¡±

    ¡°Cheer up, Artpe.¡±

    They had already experienced being in a parade in Aedia. However, they had shared the spotlight with the emperor. This time the spotlight was solely on the two of them. The burden and the heat of their attention was twice as strong.

    ¡°Artpe-nim is too cool!¡±

    ¡°Maetel-nim!¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaahk! Artpe-nim looked this way!¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it was quite strange. There were more instances of people calling out for Artpe rather than Maetel. It felt weird. He turned to look at Maetel, and as expected, he caught sight of Maetel¡¯s twisted smile.

    ¡°Hey, you are in front of people! Keep your face together! Control your expression!¡±

    ¡°But those people... How dare they say that to my Artpe.......¡±

    ¡°Is that why you are angry!?¡±

    Despite his warning, Maetel¡¯s rage meter filled up everytime she heard women scream Artpe¡¯s name. Artpe was careful in not antagonizing Maetel. This was why he was very timid in his hand waving.

    ¡°I think the male is the true hero? Look! Look! The girl keeps scowling.¡±

    ¡°However, the priests said they will be guiding both of them onto the road of the heroes. The priests are those that deliver the messages from the gods. We dare not doubt their words.¡±

    ¡°Everything will be clear when they meet the pope.¡±

    Artpe smirked when he heard the conversation going on between the throng of people. Maetel didn¡¯t know why he wasughing, so she poked at his thigh. Then she whispered in a voice that could only be heard by Artpe.

    ¡°When we return, I¡¯ll kiss you 100 times.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if you are punishing me, kissing doesn¡¯t sound like a great punishment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving Artpe a punishment. It is a reward you are going to give me for being patient..¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I have to agree to it! Hey!¡±

    The parade through Lihazeta was moving at a much slower pace than the parade they had participated in Aedia. It made the two heroes tired. Moreover, they had to move through the outer city and the inner city to get the holy ground. When they arrived at the great temple, they were allowed to rest.

    ¡°Do you feel any gazes on us?¡±

    ¡°I feel none.¡±

    When the two of them left behind the crowd, they let out a sigh of relief. Maetel and Artpe leaned against each other. The priests and holy knights let out a bitterugh when they saw this.

    It happened at that moment....

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, hero-nim¡±

    Maetel¡¯s body tensed when she suddenly heard a woman¡¯s clear voice. Artpe and Maetel turned around at the same time.

    ¡°My name is Vad Kuareu Pdia. Please call me by Vad.¡±

    There was a ck haired girl that looked to be of simr age as the two heroes. She really was a innocent and beautiful looking girl. She looked as if she had grown up eating only dew.

 Chapter 110 - Stagnant Water Puddle (3)

    Chapter 110 - Stagnant Water Puddle (3)

    ¡®Ah. That crazy priestess finally made her appearance....¡¯

    He had such idle thoughts as he saw the girl. She had ck hair and blue eyes. Maetel instinctively hid Artpe behind her back. The girl, who had revealed revealed her name as Vad, caught sight of this. She covered her mouth as she giggled in a demure manner. Maetel found the sight of Vad to be very nauseating.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so vignt against me. I am still inexperienced, but I am called the holy priestess of Pdia. I was basically born to help the hero-nim.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Oh my. What a cute cat.¡±

    Roa suddenly pushed her head out from within Artpe¡¯s robe, and she let out a small cry as she watched the holy priestess. Artpe put Roa on his shoulder, and he patted her.

    ¡°You have to stay still for now. I¡¯ll tell you when you will be able to y.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°It is as if she understands human speech.¡±

    [Nyaa]

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Roa let out a cry as if she was answering the holy priestess. Vad once again giggled. When she saw this, Maetel became more guarded. Until now, an innocent pretty girl like her had never appeared around Artpe. Maetel was worried that Artpe¡¯s heart might lean towards a girl like her, so Maetel did her best to stop Artpe from meeting her!

    ¡°You really are acting like an idiot. You should step aside, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°But!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll guide you into the temple. There is a blessing that we¡¯ve prepared for the hero-nim from a long time ago. I¡¯ll be able to carry it out immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s head in.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmmmmm.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah. Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    Artpe, Maetel and Roa were like country hicks. They were rubbernecking at the great temple as they followed the holy priestess. Several dozen priests and knights followed behind them as escorts, so it was a sight to behold.

    ¡°I feel the trace of a thick Mana, Artpe..... Aren¡¯t Mana supposed to be circted? Is it ok to keep it hostage in one ce for so long?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t keeping the Mana hostage. This is what the Artifacts and magic circles are for. If the Mana was stored without the now-how, the Mana would either decay or it would run out of control. However, the Mana you are feeling right now is being directed towards amplifying or purifying the magical energy within the great temple. The great temple primarily filters the Mana. Secondarily, the city¡¯s magic circle is connected to the great temple, and it purifies the Mana. That is why a normal priest could replicate powers of a high rank priest in this ce.¡±

    ¡°You really are enlightened in the ways of magic. Even I became focused on your calm and logical exnation..¡±

    The holy priestess had been walking in front of them in the hallway. She turned around to look at Artpe, and she had a smile of favorable impression on her face. Maetel poked Artpe in the back, and Roa cried out as if she found this all to be pathetic. However, the holy priestess wouldn¡¯t drop the subject once she became interested in it.

    ¡°When I heard that you refused to affiliate yourselves with any country, I personally became concerned. However, it seems your actions have resulted in you gaining deeper knowledge. Moreover, you now possess excellent skills and ability. In the end, your decision was the correct one.¡±

    ¡°The food in the pce taste ba..... Ooh-boohp.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing¡±

    ¡°Yes.....¡±

    The holy maiden was puzzled when she saw Artpe block Maetel¡¯s mouth. However, her smile returned as she turned around. She led them deeper into the temple.

    ¡°This is our destination.¡±

    ¡°Wah-ah.¡±

    It took them 5 more minutes to reach the cathedral. The mana of light was focused there. The altar was letting out a subdued light. There was also an enormous cross that signified the advent of the gods and thend of the humans. Behind these items, there was an open space that reminded one of a massive square. Maetel, who had been in a poor mood, let out an exmation when she saw this.

    ¡°It is a ce filled with really warm Mana.¡±

    ¡°If Lihazeta is the heart of Pdia, the great temple is the heart of Lihazeta. It is as Artpe-nim exined earlier. This ce is where the purified Mana is gathered.¡±

    Of course, there was another central location. It was the Zero ss area, but she declined to mention this. She moved towards the Altar. Other priests were waiting for them there. However, when she lightly shook her head, the priest moved to the side as they lined up in rows. She was able to stand at the heart of the altar.

    ¡°It is the duty of the holy priestess to bless the hero-nim. We¡¯ll finish the ceremony here. After a brief break, we¡¯ll start the second half of the parade. We¡¯ll move into the inner city.¡±

    ¡°Do we really have to be blessed?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Unexpectedly, the one to answer Maetel was Artpe instead of the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°This is a blessing given to the heroes. It is the most simple method that will allow us to prove that we are heroes. Moreover, there is a lot of Mana concentrated here. The bonus that we will gain from it would be significant. It might also give us an additional Record that I don¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Artpe-nim.¡±

    Vad was taken aback by Artpe¡¯s frank exnation. On the other hand, Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked a question.

    ¡°However, we don¡¯t have ss upgrades. I thought we are able to learn skills and spells from all sses?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will receive a blessing on top of that. That is why it is an absolute cheat.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooh-ooh.¡±

    Vad was taken aback when she was confronted with the thought process of the bad hero! On the other hand, Artpe was smiling a smile of triumph inside.

    ¡®It is a blessing. I knew about it, but I thought it was insignificantpared to the annoyance I would experience here. However, the pure Mana gathered here is beyond my imagination. Since events have been hastened everywhere else, I thought it would be the same here. This is unexpected.....¡¯

    Since things have already turned out like this, it would be a waste if they didn¡¯t receive the blessing. Artpe led Maetel forward as they stood in front of the altar. The holy priestess¡¯ eyebrows twitched by a minute amount.

    ¡°Then¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll start the blessing.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    The holy priestess raised both her hands a little bit higher. Artpe could feel all the Mana within the great temple gather into her hands. Moreover, there was the altar, which had been created for the express purpose of the hero¡¯s blessing. It was a holy artifact that had stored Mana, which didn¡¯t hold a speck of impurity. The altar was letting out a golden light.

    ¡°Pretty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡±

    The holy priestess¡¯ blue eyes turned into gold. This was evidence that she was raising her holy power to its limit! The priests and holy knights were witnessing a sacred moment, so their voices of admiration automatically rose in volume. Artpe was monitoring the Mana reaction that was urring with his Read All Creation ability. The information was being delivered to him.

    However, when the holy priestess¡¯ eyes widened, Artpe sensed something was off for the first time.

    ¡®Will you look at this?¡¯

    There were two heroes. Of course, the blessing would have to be split equally. As the holy priestess sacrificed the holy artifact to active the permanent blessing spell, the blessing was being directed towards one person. In other words,. It had locked onto Artpe.

    ¡®They are already starting their little game.... Or maybe it is like the civilians outside. Maybe, there are some here that can¡¯t ept the fact that there are two heroes?¡¯

    It was unbelievable! This was so ridiculous! A priest affiliated with the temple had determined that Artpe and Maetel were both heroes. Both of them were true heroes, and they had acted ordingly up until now. The holy priestess was the central figure of the temple, yet she was discriminating against Maetel!

    ¡°Oh god. Please let your warm hands touch those that are qualified.¡±

    ¡®La-di-da.¡¯

    Artpe realized that he had gone soft on this matter. It didn¡¯t matter how the business in Pdia was progressing. The holy priestess was crazy from the start!

    ¡°No lies will remain. Please show us only the true hope.¡±

    The priestess¡¯ blessing was heading towards it zenith. The overwhelming amount of holy power gathered at the end of her hands were waiting for the moment where it would be able to descend on the hero. The holy power was being amplified as it was once again purified itself. The holy power was taking shape.

    While this was going on, Artpe used Mana Link to tether his Mana to Maetel¡¯s Mana. Maetel sensed what was going on, so she raised her head in confusion. Artpe gave a light wink, and strangely enough, Maetel picked up on the meaning behind his gesture.

    She activated her Record Divide. Maetel and Artpe shared each other¡¯s Records. They were already linked by Mana Link, so the bond between the two became stronger. Since both of them were heroes, they were able to achieve unity.

    ¡°Ah. Ah ah ah.¡±

    Maetel let out a sound as if she was loving what was going on. She was almost dead from pleasure. Normally Artpe didn¡¯t open himself up to this extent. In reality, this was the first time she had established a true connection to Artpe.

    Artpe wanted to flick Maetel on the forehead, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal their actions to the holy priestess. Therefore, he kept silent.

    ¡°Oh god, please descend upon us!¡±

    The holy priestess¡¯ chant finally came to an end. The golden light containing the overwhelming amount of Mana fell onto Artpe..... It was being shared with Maetel.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    The holy priestess¡¯s voice expressed the confusion she was feeling.

    It was an expression that said, ¡®This can¡¯t be?¡¯

    Artpe put on a reverent expression as if he didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    ¡°Wah-ahh. Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Shh. Just enjoy the show.¡±

    Since the blessing was sent out, the holy priestess was no longer in control of the blessing. The powerful energy of the blessing touched Artpe, and it flowed into Maetel. Her Record was aplete Replica of Artpe¡¯s Record. This was why half of the energy flowed into her. Everything went so smoothly that it looked as if the blessing had gone as the holy priestess had intended.

    The energy settled within the two heroes. Finally, a wing with feathers made out of golden light sprouted from their backs. The holy priestess couldn¡¯t suppress her shock when she saw this.

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    A wing appeared on Artpe¡¯s left shoulder, and another wing appeared on Maetel¡¯s right shoulder.

    ¡°Ah ah. So beautiful.¡±

    ¡°There is one wing on each hero¡¯s shoulder. They have to be together for them to have a whole wing.¡±

    ¡°Since it like this.... I have no choice but to ept it. This generation has two heroes. No one made a mistake in determining this. The two of them will rely on each other to magnificently take down the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°The sight of them warms my heart.¡±

    In the moment of the blessing, a wing had sprouted from the shoulders of Artpe and Maetel. Since the two heroes were connected by the Record Divide, the two wings fluttered in rhythm. It was quite surreal. Then the wings withdrew into their body.

    If both their clothes were removed, there would be a small tattoo of a golden wing ced on their shoulder de.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t.....¡±

    After the blessing ceremony came to an end, the great temple regained its original appearance. Despite this fact, the holy priestess looked unsatisfied. She looked taken aback as she kept grasping at the empty air with her hands.

    However, the holy artifact was gone. The Mana prepared for the blessing ceremony waspletely consumed. Even if she wanted to reverse this, she couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Vad?¡±

    Artpe acted dumb as he slyly asked the question. It looked as if Artpe was truly worried for her. Vad bit her lips. A small amount of tear formed near her eyes.

    ¡°It is nothing. The blessing ceremony was sessfully.... It¡¯s finished.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for working so hard for us.¡±

    ¡°No.... I should be the one thanking you. This is my first time doing the blessing ceremony, so I was nervous..... Thankfully, I was able to carry it out sessfully.¡±

    Artpe wanted to burst out intoughter. He had to try really hard to suppress hisughter. Maetel finally realized what was going on, so she wanted to hit Vad once. She was having a hard time restraining herself.

    ¡°If you are exhausted.... Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡±

    ¡°You do look exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes. In truth, I am feeling a bit.... I have to apany both of you in the parade. I¡¯m sorry, but please wait until I feel better.¡±

    ¡°All right. Rest to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    Artpe waved his hand as he sent her off. When he saw Vad turn around, he thought about taking a rest. However, at that moment, a very faint light started to emanate from Artpe and Maetel at the same time.

    At that moment, there was a short snippet of memory that flowed into Artpe¡¯s head......

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°End it!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s cold words, Maetel quickly cancelled the Record Divide. Artpe¡¯s expression had turned unimaginably rough. Maetel knew that the situation was very serious. She looked like she was about to cry as she gave an excuse.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Artpe. I didn¡¯t mean to deepen the connection. My skill was suddenly strengthened, and it worked without regards to my own will,¡±

    ¡°I know it isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. But Artpe looks really mad right now.¡±

    The exnation to what had urred was extremely simple. The output of the Record Divide had suddenly increased, and the Record between Artpe and Maetel had synced more than ever before.

    As a result, their memories had flowed into each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ee. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, Artpe. Hoo-eeee.¡±

    He said he wasn¡¯t mad, but Maetel continued to cry. He let out a sigh. However, if everything was fine, he would have consoled her by hugging her. He wasn¡¯t able to do that.

    He had almost revealed his past life to her.

    In truth, his heart was beating fast. He knew it wouldn¡¯t happen, but he was afraid that everything would be conveyed to her if he touched her again.

    This all happened because.....

    ¡®Fucking sunbae-nim! You should have told us that the strengthening would happen when we receive the blessing!¡¯

    With exquisite timing, the Unique skill and spell became strengthened. It was all sunbae-nim¡¯s fault!

 Chapter 111 - Stagnant Water Puddle (4)

    Chapter 111 - Stagnant Water Puddle (4)

    The hero¡¯s party stood atop and that was dyed ck with the blood of Demons and Mana. They were confronting a girl, who had once been a member of the hero¡¯s party

    ¡°I cannot ept it.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Vad. I want you to look straight at me.¡±

    ¡°I am looking straight at you! Only you! Not the hero, but you!¡±

    The city of Lihazeta had preserved its sanctity for several hundred years. However, the city had fallen at the hands of the Demons and the hero¡¯s party. As intended, the hero¡¯s party had stopped the horrific machinations of the Demon King¡¯s army, but the only person capable of reversing the situation had fallen. She had made her own decision to corrupt herself.

    ¡°Howe you¡¯re not the hero? Why! Why!¡±

    ¡°Why does it matter who is the hero! We all have to help Maetel in defeating the Demon King! That is our goal!¡±

    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t my goal.... I¡¯ve been patient, but I can no longer be patient!¡±

    The fallen holy priestess raised her staff, and her eyes were dyed red.

    ¡°I cannot ept this reality¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I cannot ept the fact that you¡¯re not the hero.¡±

    ¡°Vad¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Stop looking at me with those eyes!¡±

    The hero was trying to persuade the holy priestess by any means possible. However, the hero was tired from the battle. Her tired eyes were read as her looking down at the holy priestess.

    The hero gritted her teeth. She knew her entire existence was being denied by the holy priestess. The thief stepped forward instead of her.

    ¡°Vad, we worked together to defeat the Demons.... We defeated the corrupt temple. We also rebuffed the Demon King¡¯s ambition for the human realm..... We worked hard to minimize bloodshed, and we were somehow able to stop them. So why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the dream I had.... I didn¡¯t go through all the strenuous training, so I can be the maid of honor!¡±

    ¡°Pathetic!¡±

    The warrior rebuked her, but his words weren¡¯t registered in the holy priestess¡¯ ears.

    ¡°Yes, now I can see why the temple cooperated with them. There is a difference between what they learned and what they wanted to protect. Surely, they became sick and tired of the difference. It is the same with me. The goal of my life has been shattered into pieces. Yes. I¡¯m sick and tired of it too! As it stands, I don¡¯t like any of this!¡±

    ¡°They were merely dancing to the Four Heavenly King¡¯s tune. We exposed their conspiracy! We even sacrificed the capital to stop their plot. Please, Vad!¡±

    ¡°Pffft, hoo-hoo-hooht.¡±

    The holy priestessughed.

    ¡°No, their n hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You should know about this by now? I¡¯m the one that leaked their secret to you. I¡¯m the one that led you by the nose to bring about this situation.¡±

    ¡°Vad¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The hero felt something was wrong. She was taken aback as she unsheathed her sword. Unfortunately, the situation had reached the precipice where nothing could be done.

    ¡°All of Lihazeta was made by incorporating magic circles. When needed, it can bepressed to function for a single purpose. It is possible to change its shape. Moreover, the magic circle is more than optimized thanks to the mayhem caused by the Demons. Yes, the n was a sess. ......it was a sess only for me.¡±

    All the ck Mana in the region was focused solely on her. In a sh, her energy was amplified. The energy was headed towards a direction that shouldn¡¯t be traversed. The energy was endless, and there was no limit to it.

    In the end, the overwhelming Mana altered the existence called the holy priestess.

    ¡°Vad, you.....¡±

    ¡°I hate my position as the holy priestess. I also hate the fact that Maetel is the hero. However, I cannot change Maetel. That is why I have no choice but to change myself.¡±

    ¡°Everything we¡¯ve worked so hard to achieve.......!¡±

    The thief, Silpennon, yelled out loud. The woman, who used to be a holy priestess, snickered when she saw him. Her eyes werepletely dyed red, and demonic wings shot out from her shoulder des. It was proof that she had lost her holiness.

    ¡°Silpennon, my love. This is the only way for us.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t believe what was uring in front of their eyes, but they had no choice. In the end, they had to ept it.

    They always believed that the priestess would protect them from their side. However, she had fallen as a human to be a Demon.

    Maetel kept crying as she apologized. However, it took a little bit of time before Artpe was able to console Maetel. When he made sure that the Record Divide waspletely canceled, he took a deep breath as he carefully approached Maetel. He hugged her.

    ¡°Hee-ggoohk. I¡¯m sorry..

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I was just a little bit surprised.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes.¡±

    Maetel had been crying like a child, and she was barely able to calm down after Artpe hugged her. He hadn¡¯t approached her for a while, so she had been afraid that Artpe¡¯s displeasure towards her was absolute. When Artpe consoled her, she was finally able to rx.

    ¡°Artpe, you really aren¡¯t mad?¡±

    She was nestled within his hug. Maetel looked up with tearful eyes as she asked him a question. Artpe let out a bitterugh as he wiped away the tears near her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. From now on, I won¡¯t kiss you when you say you don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°In truth, it isn¡¯t as if I hate it.¡±

    ¡°Then I can continue to kiss you when you are asleep?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe stared at Maetel as he asked her a question.

    ¡°How many times did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh-mmmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel had gone into her docile mode of behavior. She thought long and hard before she shook her head from side to side. However, the words that came out of her mouth was quite the spectacle.

    ¡°Artpe, do you remember the number of times you ate bread¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Get away from me. We¡¯ll definitely sleep in different rooms from now on.¡±

    ¡°Ah-oooooh. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorrrrrry! Anything but that!¡±

    It felt as if she had fallen in a trap that she couldn¡¯t escape from. He turned passive as he let out a big sigh, and he mussed her hair.

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Still, you shouldn¡¯t see my memories without my permission.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t see it. I¡¯ll only see the ones that Artpe shows me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right. That is enough.¡±

    At times, he got the feeling that her words were incongruous with her normal self. The current situation was like that. However, when Artpe saw Maetel¡¯s innocent eyes, he shook off such uneasy feelings.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see much, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Arpte reacted so fast that I didn¡¯t see anything. I also canceled the skill really fast. I did well, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did well.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hee.¡±

    When Maetel waspletely sure that Artpe was no longer mad, she was able to ask him the question. She continued to hold his hand tight.

    ¡°That means Artpe¡¯s spell was strengthened too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That damned sunbae-nim didn¡¯t say a single word about the blessing......¡±

    Over a year ago, they had visited a temple where the Ancient Kraken was sealed by the previous hero. They were able to absorb a skill book and a spell book that had been prepared by him.

    Sunbae-nim had been firm in his words that the items would strengthen their Unique skill and spell. However, their Unique skill and spell hadn¡¯t been strengthened, and it had caused them much confusion. The strengthening happened today!

    Of course, it only urred after a massive amount of Mana from an outside source was injected into them. From the beginning, maybe it was intended to bepleted through the blessing. As the possessor of the Read All Creation ability, Artpe was unsure if that was true. However, the process had been too seamless, so it was possible.

    If he could make one guess, the sunbae-nim might have thought the receiving of the blessing from Pdia was a given. It had been the same with the sunbae-nim¡¯s grave. He had expected the next generation¡¯s hero to find it.

    ¡°That damned sunbae-nim. I¡¯ll find everything he left behind, so I can look down on him.¡±

    ¡°Even when Artpe moves with shady intentions, he is cool.¡±

    Artpe tried to manifest a single Mana String as a test. He didn¡¯t even need conscious thought to bring it out, and the Mana String was of simr thickness as his previous ones. However, the amount of Mana within it was in a state of flux. It felt as if it was an extension of Mana.

    ¡®The Mana String bes a spell, and the energy of the spell is released again to be made into a Mana String. It¡¯s possible to do this?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t have to manifest it as a simple thread. The current Mana String was pushing the boundary of freedom given to Mana. He could imbue physical characteristics over the magical energy, and he could manufacture it into any shape. Even after manufacturing Mana into a shape, it could be changed into a spell.

    ¡®This is no longer the Mana String¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I see.¡¯

    As always, Maetel had been staring at Artpe. His eyes met hers. Artpe¡¯s figure was contained within her clear green eyes.

    [Artpe]

    [Human]

    [Hero]

    [Level : 283]

    [Strength : 619 Agility : 581 Stamina : 708 Magical Energy : 2,674]

    [Hero¡¯s Aura Lv1]

    [Materialization Lv1]

    ¡°I became Initialized again!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    He had thought it was a simple matter of his spell being strengthened. It seemed there was a name change, and he had to start over from level 1! Of course, the Record of his spells up to now was still there, so his spell was a level 1 spell that wasn¡¯t a level 1 spell. Still, he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t a bit dejected by it.

    ¡®Materialization? What do I materialize? Do I materialize my imagination? Ideal? Do I get to materialize whatever I want? If so, this is the terminal end of magic!¡¯

    Of course, there wasn¡¯t anything Artpe couldn¡¯t do with his original Mana String. He wasn¡¯t just merely using a spell. He embodied the spell as a whole, and in that aspect, there wasn¡¯t much difference between the hero and the Demon King! No, when he thought about it in this term, they seemed very simr!

    ¡®Still, there are a lot of restrictions......¡¯

    If there weren¡¯t any restrictions, he could basically conclude the tale of the hero. Of course, there were restrictions. If he tried to materialize a spell that wasn¡¯t in the form of a thread, he would have to consume Mana to an abnormal degree. Even with Artpe¡¯s massive reservoir of Mana, he couldn¡¯t add borate conditions to the Materialization spell.

    ¡®All right. I¡¯ll gradually research this. On the other hand, I have a newly acquired skill called the Hero¡¯s Aura.¡¯

    It was a congruous skill between those that possessed the matching tattoo on their shoulder de. Even if they tried to use the skill, the only benefit that woulde from it was an emission of golden light. Other functions would probably be added when the skill level rose. Of course, the hero from his previous life didn¡¯t possess this skill....

    Lastly, their status had risen.

    Artpe was a hero. He possessed high strength and agility stats. It was so high that he couldn¡¯t bepared to other magicians.

    However, he had received an overwhelming amount of Mana and the Record within the holy relic. As his magical energy increased, his strength, agility and stamina increased alongside it. Even if he didn¡¯t have magic, he could credibly mimic high rank Warrior over level 200.

    Then there was the fact that he was capable of strengthening his body with magical energy. If so, would he beparable to a lvl 250 Warrior?

    ¡°Anyways, this was a boon for me. Maetel, you also....¡±

    ¡°Yes, my skill.... Ooh-mmm. I think it¡¯s called the Record Master.¡±

    Artpe had been strengthened in totality. It was the same for Maetel. She had gained the Hero¡¯s Aura like him. All her stats were boosted, and the Record Divide had evolved. It couldn¡¯t bepared to before.

    If she wanted, she could steal someone else¡¯s Record. She wouldn¡¯t need permission. She also could give her Record to someone else without any restrictions.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I made it clear that you can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¯s level is so high that I probably can¡¯t even attempt it on you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t want to make Artpe mad again, so she waved her hands. Then she suddenly discovered the presence of the priests and the holy knights. They had been there all along. She pulled at the sleeve of Artpe¡¯s robe.

    ¡°Artpe, they are looking at us with strange eyes.¡±

    ¡°It is understandable. The heroes finally received their blessing, yet we look to be romancing each other right now. Of course, they would look at us with such eyes.¡±

    ¡°R...romancing.......¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes turned starry. Artpe realized that he had unintentionally turned on her switch.

    ¡°I meant that it looks like that on the surface.¡±

    ¡°I see. From the perspective of other people, we already look like that.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yes. I guess so.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-hee. I see.¡±

    It was hard to believe that she had been crying until a moment ago. She had an unimaginably bright smile on her face. Artpe was thankful that Maetel felt better, but he kept letting out a sigh.

    It was at that moment that the holy priestess returned to them. She hade back after controlling her emotions.

    ¡°Now.... The two of you will have to apany me in the parade that is heading towards the inner city.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please watch over us.¡±

    This was how the march towards the inner city started. Artpe, Maetel and the holy priestess Vad were having different thoughts as the parade continued. Despite this fact, they maintained a broad smile on their face. In the eyes of the people of Lihazeta, they looked beautiful.

    ¡°Oh my. The holy priestess is with them. They really look great together.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear the news? Two heroes received the blessing. That is quite convenient.....¡±

    ¡°I wonder what the gods are painting. I shouldn¡¯t be having such thoughts, but I¡¯m a bit curious as to how the war with the Demon King¡¯s army will progress.¡±

    ¡°You rascal. You shouldn¡¯t even specte about such things.¡±

    It seemed the people of this country had read the ¡®Words That Shouldn¡¯t Be Spoken Unless You Want to Be a Supporting Character in Another Person¡¯s Life Volume 2.¡¯ The nearby civilians were talking about their perception of the proceeding, and they were mixing in some dialogue about the future. It truly were words befitting extras!

    ¡°Hero-nim, the parade wille to an end soon. When it ends, we¡¯ll enter a location that is inessible by the other priests and holy knights. The two hero-nim will be apanied only by me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, all right.¡±

    The proceeding was really long and drawn out. When the holy priestess whispered to him, he schooled his expression. He tried his best to act as if nothing was wrong. However, there were a lot of thoughts going through his head.

    ¡®If the same situation from my past life urs again, it¡¯ll be really annoying. Will Silpennon be able to pull this off sessfully? Of course, it isn¡¯t as if there aren¡¯t scenarios where he¡¯ll fail. Still, I want to get through this cleanly. I want to change the direction of the events topletely fuck over the Demon King¡¯s army......¡¯

    He took a peek at the holy priestess. Her expression still contained some of the dismay she was feeling. However, she was a priestess blessed by the gods. This was why she had on a saintly smile on her face. Maetel was still in her self-restraint mode, so she couldn¡¯t poke at Artpe¡¯s thigh like usual.

    At that moment, the holy priestess suddenly spoke.

    ¡°The two of you look very close..... I am envious.¡±

    ¡°You should find a good man for yourself.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s apathetic response, the holy priestess let out a bitterugh as she replied.

    ¡°My body was dedicated to the gods. That is why I am unavable to men. That is how it is. However, if the god do allow a mate for me, it would probably be a her........¡±

    ¡°People of Lihazeta! Please give your blessing to the two heroes and the holy priestess! They will be going on a journey to defeat the Demon King!¡±

    Before the holy priestess could finish her words, a holy knight shouted out his words. The people of Lihazeta shouted their blessings towards the party at the same time. There were people that had followed the parade from the start to the end. The people gathered at the current location numbered in the tens of thousands. Of course, Artpe couldn¡¯t hear the holy priestess¡¯ words.

    ¡®What? So that¡¯s what it was?¡¯

    However, Artpe didn¡¯t have a screw loose like the main characters that appeared in the hero¡¯s tale. He possessed abilities that waspletely different from them. It didn¡¯t matter that the civilians were yelling at him. It didn¡¯t matter that Maetel was ring at him. He could clearly read the lips of the holy priestess!

    ¡®The holy priestess can¡¯t meet men aside from the hero? This bitch actually believed in such lie!¡¯

    Artpe gained an understanding. He understood why the holy priestess had acted like a psychotic bitch in his previous life. He also realized why she had tried to intentionally exclude Maetel from the blessing.

    The holy priestess in his past life had believed in a lie, and she had lost control as she continued to work towards her goal of a marriage!

 Chapter 112 - Stagnant Water Puddle (5)

    Chapter 112 - Stagnant Water Puddle (5)

    ¡®Hah. Should I kill her or not......¡¯

    Artpe always thought about his previous life as his previous life, and he thought about his current life as his current life. In his past life, Artpe was one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the Demon King¡¯s army, but that was history to him. There was no guarantee that what happened in his past life would ur in his present life.

    In his past life, Silpennon had put a dagger through Artpe¡¯s heart, yet he had a decent rtionship with Silpennon in his current life. If he had kept his personal grudge about his past life, Silpennon wouldn¡¯t have grown to be a thief that was over level 200. Artpe would have buried him in the mountains of Diaz. Silpennon would have slept the eternal sleep.

    ¡°Hah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hero-nim, why are you looking at me like that? Ah ah. Perhaps.....¡±

    However, he was faced with the holy priestess right now, and she was truly happy when he showed interest in her. Should he really treat her in the same way as Silpennon? Should he do this despite the fact that she was a psychotic bitch, who had turned herself into a Demon in an attempt to get with a man?

    When he sussed out the whole situation, this woman looked scarier to him. If there was some monumental reason behind her actions, it would have been understandable. However, she had caused trouble that was based 100% on blind love!

    ¡°No, it is nothing. I just have something I want to tell you.¡±

    ¡°I still have hope! Aht. Ah. It is nothing.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t that old, yet the holy priestess Vad was thinking about marriage. Artpe was truly perplexed by it. In fact, he wondered if she would believe his words even if he told her the truth.

    ¡®Will it be possible to rehabilitate her¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    This wasn¡¯t a problem about cause and effect. This problem was entirely rooted in her personality. Even if he brought her in as a party member after averting the disaster, the inherent unstable factor remained. This was the reason why Artpe was worried. He could see the possible desire andck of control hidden behind her smile!

    If the reason for her corruption really stemmed from ¡®men¡¯, he would be able to solve the problem. It might be possible for him to eliminate any discord. He could turn this woman over to Silpennon. He just had to makes her ept the fact that the holy priestess didn¡¯t have to have rtionship with the hero! It was all bullshit!

    ¡®That¡¯s right. If I can cleanly hand her over to Silpennon.....¡¯

    This was hisst problem.

    In his past life, Silpennon loved Maetel. The current Silpennon was... Artpe had no idea. Silpennon probably held a lot of interest towards Maetel. Artpe couldn¡¯t forget the fact that the young Silpennon had fallen for Maetel at first sight.

    ¡®However, I immediately separated the two of them. Moreover, Silpennon is dependent on me in terms of materialistic and emotional support. This is why he¡¯ll take a step back. The only problem that still remains is the fact that I didn¡¯t know if he¡¯ll ept the holy priestess.¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    Oh well! Since Silpennon will be a king of a nation, he could probably take in a wife or two! Since Silpennon didn¡¯t know about the disaster caused by Vad in their past lives, he would see Vad as a beautiful girl. He might be interested in her innocent charm. There was a chance that Silpennon might like her!

    ¡°Heeng. Artpehhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Ah. She really needs a lot of work.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ooh-doohk.¡±

    Afterwards, the party satisfactorily ended the parade. They entered into the Zero ss area. In that moment, Artpe did something he had assured Silpennon he could do. He created a byway that would allow Silpennon to enter into the Zero ss!

    ¡®There is something more important you have to steal, Silpennon! Please do well!¡¯

    Artpe didn¡¯t even blink as he passed on the bothersome task to Silpennon.

    The party had arrived at the Zero ss area veryte. This was why the meeting with the pope was pushed to the next day. They were guided to their amodations. There were no priests or disciples in this facility. The holy priestess, Artpe and Maetel were the only ones walking down the silent hallway.

    ¡°In truth, it isn¡¯t as if we don¡¯t have those that wait on us. However, they are only allowed in at times that wouldn¡¯t interfere with the lives of the high rank priests. Everyone that works in this region are chosen from the daughters of the high rank priests. They were handpicked and trained.¡±

    ¡°They volunteered themselves for such a troublesome role. They are very devout to the gods.¡±

    ¡°Everyone wants to lift the name of the gods, and we are all doing it for the heroes. I¡¯m sure all of them will be thrilled to know that hero-nim will be residing here.¡±

    They stopped walking down the hallway when they reached a small wooden door. There was a carefully made oval door te ced on the door. There was the word, ¡®Yes¡¯, written in red letters. He didn¡¯t ask what the ¡®Yes¡¯ was referring to.

    ¡°This is my room.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I already know that.¡±

    ¡°It seems you knew this in advance. Oh my.....¡±

    The holy priestess was making a big deal out of nothing, yet she looked happy. In some ways, she looked simr to Maetel at that moment.

    Mmmm.

    It was actually a discourtesy towards Maetel for him to make such aparison, so he dropped the thought.

    ¡°This ce is Artpe-nim¡¯s room. Maetel-nim just has to go down a little bit more for her room.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s room was very close to Vad¡¯s room. They looked towards Maetel¡¯s room. However, the distance to Maetel¡¯s room wasn¡¯t small at all. Theyout of the rooms were too transparent in its intention!

    Artpe had a feeling as to who had a hand in assigning the rooms. Maetel had been very patient, because she had sinned against Artpe. However, she was slowly reaching a boiling point.

    ¡°Artpe will sleep with me.¡±

    She could no longer hold herself back. In the end, Maetel opened her mouth. Vad giggled as she gave a retort,

    ¡°It might have been possible when both of you were younger, but you can¡¯t do that now. Maetel-nim¡¯s room is over there......¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    Maetel put on a soft smile as she tugged Artpe¡¯s arm towards her. She clung tight to his arm.

    ¡°Artpe will sleep with me..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Vad and Maetel fought fiercely with their eyes. However, in the middle of the battle, Artpe flicked Maetel on her forehead.

    ¡°Ah-yaht!¡±

    ¡°This dork¡¯s thought level is that of a child, Vad. We really are just sleeping in the same room, so please don¡¯t have weirds thoughts about us.¡±

    ¡°W...weird thoughts! I¡¯m not called the holy priestess for nothing. I just didn¡¯t want something profane happening between minors. Moreover, hero-nim is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That is why you can rest easy. I¡¯m going to Maetel¡¯s room. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ah-ah-ooh.¡±

    Vad was making strange noises.

    It was urgent for him to get Silpennon!

    If things continued along this path, Artpe might really get eaten by this woman. As he had such thoughts, he quickly dragged Maetel towards her room. He opened the door. They entered through the door and he locked the door. He was barely able to rx after doing all of this.

    ¡°Huh-uhk, huh-uhk..... I¡¯ve never experienced a woman so young throw herself at me with such thirst.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Artpe. Look at my room.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I see. It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    He had worried that Vad had done something weird to Maetel¡¯s room. Fortunately, this room wasn¡¯t under the domain of Vad. The room was very clean, and it was beautifully decorated. The room possessed arge and soft bed. It was a luxury that Maetel had never experienced before.

    ¡°The nket is very cozy! Let¡¯s quickly wash then sleep!¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. You should wash first¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wash togeth-ahhhk.¡±

    Maetel was quite awkward as she attempted to seduce Artpe. She received a flick on her forehead, and she was chased into the bathroom.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. Shall I do this now?¡±

    He was barely able to find a calmness in his surrounding. First, he sat on the chair ced in front of the dressing table. He was thorough in checking for surveince and interference type magic spells. Then he ced a sound dampening barrier and anti-intrusion spell around him. He finally took out themunication device.

    ¡°Silpennon.¡±

    [Hey, I really was able to sneak in. What did you do? It was as if the barrier was waiting for me. A very small region of the barrier opened for me. Of course, Leseti and Deyus are moving separately from me.]

    As expected, Silpennon had significant talent for this type of work. Artpe had a satisfied smile on his face as he gave his next order.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the location of our lodgings. My room is empty, so you should use that one.¡±

    [Won¡¯t I be find out?]

    ¡°With your skills, you won¡¯t be caught by the servants. Even if you are found, it is just one person..... In truth, it would be great if you were found out by her.¡±

    [What did you just say?]

    Artpe spoke with a very serious voice.

    ¡°Would you like to seduce a particr woman for the sake of saving a country?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are you perhaps thinking about letting go of Maetel?]

    ¡°I won¡¯t give let you have Maetel, you idiot.¡±

    He had unintentionally spat out some embarrassing words. He was very nervous about the fact that Maetel might have heard his voice from the bathroom. Fortunately, there was no reaction.

    This was all thanks to Silpennon, who had spoke such idiotic words! He had taken on the upation of thief, and now he spoke like a worthless thief that worked in a back alley!

    [Ah. Then what are you talking about!]

    ¡°There is a very beautiful holy priestess named Vad here.¡±

    [If she is a very beautiful holy priestess, why don¡¯t you seduce her?]

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t get along with Maetel. If I seduced her, there will be a war. Moreover, that woman doesn¡¯t really like me.¡±

    He was telling the truth. From the moment she saw him, she had tried to look appealing to Artpe. However, she was doing this, because she believed that she had to be matched up with a hero. That was the only reason. She didn¡¯t have any special emotions towards him. At the very least, it looked like that from Artpe¡¯s perspective.

    Moreover, she had been in love with Silpennon in their past lives. There was a clear difference. If Vadient had the choice of choosing her love interest between the two of them, she would most definitely choose Silpennon!

    [Still, I¡¯m having a hard time trusting you.....]

    ¡°You are the only one, Silpennon. This woman is directly involved with the corrupted faction within the temple. We have to either root them out or this whole country will rot. This all hinges on that woman.¡±

    [Eh-eeeee. This is supposed to be a holy nation! Why are they like this!]

    That was what Artpe wanted to say too. Silpennon anguished over it before he decided Artpe was telling the truth. In the end, he nodded his head.

    [I¡¯ll look into it first. I¡¯ll be taking on the role of an intruder, so I have no idea how I¡¯ll seduce her......]

    ¡°I¡¯ll create a manual for you. You can rx and seduce her!¡±

    [If I meet you again, I want to strike you full in the face.]

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk again after we meet. Ah. Of course, you have to make sure to steal everything else.¡±

    [You are working me really hard. I¡¯m ending the call. I have to move now.]

    ¡°All right. You should contact me after you infiltrate my room. I¡¯ll bring my manual to you.¡±

    [Quit it, you asshole!]

    Artpe ended the call with Silpennon, then he took out a pen and paper. He wondered if he should go this far in doing this, but he decided to temporarily suspend such thoughts. He knew Vad¡¯s personality and Silpennon¡¯s abilities. Artpe would use his power to create a manual that¡¯ll work 100% on her!

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯m done washing.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mmmm.¡±

    Maetel opened the door to bathroom. She came out when Artpe was focused on making the manual.

    ¡°This ce has better facilities than Aedia.¡±

    ¡°All waste is purified using holy magic.... Anyways, you should put on some clothes.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel was covering her body with a bath towel. It was a wonder that she was able to pull it off at such an age, but she couldn¡¯t hide the luscious line of her body. Moreover, her cheeks were flushed right now, and it entuated her allure. Even Artpe was affected by her dizzying sensual charm, so he desperately turned his gaze away.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, it has been awhile since only the two of us slept together, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m going to go wash.¡±

    ¡°All right! Ah. You know what, Artpe?¡±

    Maetel asked her question in a nonchnt manner.

    ¡°Artpe said my mind is child-like?¡±

    ¡°......w....what about it?¡±

    ¡°You said we are just going to sleep. Does that mean we can do something other than sleeping?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In that moment, Artpe encountered the biggest crisis of his life.

    ¡°Also, Vad talked about something profane happening between a man and a woman. What was she talking about? Huh?¡±

    ¡°T...that is.... You¡¯ll find out once you are an adult.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an adult yet?¡±

    As she asked the question, Maetel looked down as she tried to check her own body. Artpe suddenly stood up, and he quickly walked towards the bathroom. As he did so, he made a request towards Maetel.

    ¡°Be patient, Maetel. Don¡¯t pull off your towel right now. You should get into your pajamas while I go into the bathroom. All right?¡±

    ¡°Artpehhhh~ Please tell me about it. Huh? Huh?¡±

    ¡°It is too early! I¡¯ll tell you when you be an adult!¡±

    ¡°When will I be an adult! Huh?¡±

    Before Maetel could chase after him, Artpe desperately closed the door to the bathroom. Cold sweat appeared on his back.

    ¡®This is a problem.¡¯

    It was said that the enemy within was the scariest. Those words described his situation to a T. Currently, Maetel was the scariest! She was scarier than the Demon King¡¯s army and Vad!

    ¡°Artpe, you¡¯ll tell me when youe out? Huh?¡±

    ¡°You should sleep first!¡±

    ¡°You are too much!¡±

    Artpe was tormented. He wondered how he would convince Maetel to sleep with him without ¡®sleeping¡¯ with him.

    On that night, Artpe was fortunate. Maetel kept pressing him for answers, but he was sessful in putting her to sleep first.

    Also, Silpennon was sessful in infiltrating into Artpe¡¯s quarters without being caught.

 Chapter 113 - Stagnant Water Puddle (6)

    Chapter 113 - Stagnant Water Puddle (6)

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe he is acting so outrageous in a joint mission.¡¯

    He had left behind Leseti and Deyus. He allowed them to move independently. Afterwards, he infiltrated the Zero ss area. He continued to grumble as he moved from one shadow to another.

    As he approached level 220, he continued to train as a thief. He was able to sense all life and Mana within a limited region. He also learned how to avoid detection of others. It was as Artpe had said. He possessed genius level talent towards thief-rted abilities.

    ¡®He trusted in my abilities, and that is why he supported me. Did he do all of this, because he knew this day woulde.....¡¯

    When he thought about it, it was very suspicious. Silpennon frowned. Even as his mind struggled over this problem, there was no adverse effects to the body. He continued to move quickly as he avoided the Mana Net that filled the whole area. He was able to easily get past the traps as he approached Artpe¡¯s lodging.

    ¡®I should head over to the room he told me about.¡¯

    He had received maps with locations of Dungeons from Artpe. As he methodically cleared the Dungeons, he was able to train his thief skills for two years. He had a basic n of action on how he should act in an unknown territory.

    We wasn¡¯t a warrior that was wearing an invincible armor. He wasn¡¯t a magician that possessed powerful magic. If he was asked to fight enemies head on or destroy a building in its entirety, it was beyond his ability.

    It didn¡¯t matter if it was a Dungeon or a ruin. He infiltrated them first to make sure that his safety was assured.

    He slowly crawled through a region like a spider as he expanded his knowledge of a region. When he gathered all the information, he seized his target. He did thisst. It allowed him to cleanly escape after acquiring his target. This was Silpennon¡¯s mindset as a thief.

    ¡®There really is a damn fine mesh of magical energy interwoven in this ce. It would have taken me a long time to analyze this ce. How did Artpe manage to twist the structure of this ce?¡¯

    He used his quick feet to safely avoid several secret traps, and he was able to enter into the residential area. He was able to read the signature of the people moving within. He moved quickly and stealthily as he avoideding across them. He reached the room pointed out by Artpe.

    No. In truth, there was another room that worried him before he reached Artpe¡¯s room.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know why that room has a Yes sign on the door, but I feel an incredible amount of Mana within.¡¯

    Did he perhaps need to seduce the person within the room? Did he have to do it for the prosperity of Pdia and the advancement of the hero¡¯s party? If so, he could ept doing such a task. Since she was this talented, he could understand why she wanted to enter into the hero¡¯s party using whatever method within her means. The only problem was the fact that he had to seduce her.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure her appearance is perfect, but her personality is probably terrible. That bastard, Artpe. He keeps an angel like Maetel by his side, yet he wants me to..... Ah ah ah. I don¡¯t care. I want to rest first.¡¯

    Silpennon let out a sigh as he grabbed the door to the room. He used a specialized thief skill called ¡®Quiet Infiltration. He disabled the rm and observation type magic as he picked the lock. He opened the door. He was able to do everything without making a sound..

    There was one girl inside.

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Both of them were at a loss for words at the unexpected situation. She wore a headpiece and a in apron. She wore loose one piece dress that wasfortable to move in. No matter how he saw it, she had the appearance of a servant. A thought came to him as he looked at the girl.

    ¡®With your skills, you won¡¯t be discovered by the servants.¡¯

    Ah ah. That¡¯s right. Artpe clearly said those words, yet Silpenon let Artpe¡¯s words go in one ear and out the other. Silpennon had every reason to be ashamed.

    He really didn¡¯t expect to be found out by a maid!

    ¡°W.....who....who are you?¡±

    He wore a sword strapped to his body. He also wore a tight ck suit, and a ck hood covering his face. Silpennon looked entirely suspicious. The maid looked ready to cry as she asked her question. She had assumed he would kill her if she let out a scream. That was why she was keeping her voice low, and he was thankful for it.

    ¡°First¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m not a bad person.¡±

    ¡°Liar!¡±

    Silpennon spoke as he closed the door. He acted as if nothing was wrong. The maid loudly refuted his words. Silpennon let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°If you follow my words, you won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll try to find a happy oue for the both of us.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoohk. How were you able to enter into the Zero ss? I was expecting to meet the hero-nim. Instead I met a thief.....¡±

    Silpennon wondered if he should tell her that he was able toe into this ce thanks to the hero. However, he decided to hold that information back for now. First, he closed the window, then he looked at the girl as he sat on the bed.

    ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hee, heek.¡±

    She looked in, but she wasn¡¯t a pumpkin. She actually had clean and bright skin. Her eyes wererge and clear. If she was made-up, she would look quite pretty.

    However, her appearance wasn¡¯t what was important right now..... It was the fact that her presence was very faint.

    ¡°Howe you weren¡¯t detected by my senses? I was sure this room was empty.¡±

    ¡°It started from when I was young..... I heard simr words about me from others. That is why my father said I was suited to be a maid in the Zero ss.........¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just faint. I think it¡¯s an ability.¡±

    ¡°I was able to meet a thief thanks to this ability. Hoo-eeeeeee.¡±

    It seemed the girl was overwhelmed by her fear, so she finally started to cry. Did this girl really think he was going to kill her? It seemed she had an innocent personality befitting a maid of Pdia. A smile came unbidden to his mouth.

    ¡°Stop crying. I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ggoo-oooh. Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t if you heed my words.¡±

    The thoughts within Silpennon¡¯s head becameplicated, since his ns were starting to go sideways. Still, he wasn¡¯t someone that would kill a person to uplicate a situation.

    Anyways, Silpennon had nned on resting in this room for a little bit. He was going to recover his Mana as he checked what was going on nearby. Instead, he decided to cajole information out of her.

    ¡°You should let go of your cleaning supplies for now.¡±

    ¡°The hero-nim might enter this room at any moment, so I have to clean it......¡±

    ¡°Let it go.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The maid quickly let go of her cleaning supply, and she approached him. When he made sure no one else was approaching Silpennon¡¯s domain, he took off his hood. He revealed his face. If he wanted tomunicate with her, he would have to get rid of attire that was causing the fear within her.

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you surprised, because I¡¯m too young?¡±

    ¡°That... Yes.¡±

    Silpennon possessed red hair and burning red eyes. His appearance spoke of his nobility. He couldn¡¯t reach the growth speed of Artpe and Maetel, but he was 15 years old. He wasn¡¯t a boy, but a young man. He had grown that much.

    The unknown thief suddenly changed into a dignified and handsome young man. The maid couldn¡¯t help, but feel less threatened by him. When he saw that the maid had rxed a little bit, he became relieved. He asked her a question.

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is.....Aria Kuar Serieta.¡±

    ¡°Kuar? Serieta? What the hell? Are you a disciple studying under a high rank priest?¡±

    ¡°The servants of the Zero ss are made up of those that have the potential to be high rank disciples.....¡±

    He had acquired a very surprising yet useless information! Silpennon nodded his head as he continued to speak.

    ¡°All right, Aria. My name is Silpennon. I came here, because I want something from this ce. If you cooperate with me, my work will be easier, and your life will remain safe. It will also help out Paldia.¡±

    ¡°Liar. Aren¡¯t you a thief? You probably came here to steal Pdia¡¯s precious holy relics....ooh-mmm..¡±

    She thought Silpennon was being shameless as he continued to lie. She thoughtlessly undercut his words. However, she suddenly remembered what kind of situation she was in, so she shut her own mouth. However, Silpennon didn¡¯t show any signs of anger. She was careful as she opened her mouth again.

    ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of a priest. I can pretend that you aren¡¯t here, but I cannot cooperate with any actions that would hurt the people of Pdia. I also cannot help you steal any of our relics.¡±

    ¡°You will do so even if the consequence of your actions will result in your death?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    He saw a pretty resolute expression on her face. He hadn¡¯t seen the sign of her backbone when she had been cowering in fear. When Silpennon saw this....

    ¡°In truth, I am here at the request of the hero.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true!?¡±

    He thought it was truly easy to use the name of the hero.

    ¡°Just think about it. I came here on the day when the heroes entered into the Zero ss. No matter how you look at it, doesn¡¯t it look intentionally done? Moreover, I immediately came to the hero Artpe¡¯s room. If I didn¡¯t have foreknowledge of this ce, it would be impossible for me to do this.¡±

    ¡°N...now that I think about it.... However, why would he do that? Why would the hero-nim need to hire a thief......¡±

    ¡°If you wait a little, I can give you proof. I want you to listen to me closely. This is the important part, Aria.¡±

    He had just met her, yet he took the liberties of calling her by her name.

    ¡°This generation¡¯s heroes had refused the summons from their kingdom before. Moreover, they took a very roundabout path to get to the temple. You know this, right?¡±

    ¡°I...is that so? Not much outside informationes into the Zero ss.... H...however, I do know that the hero-nims took an unusually long time toe to the temple after they were discovered...... They had to cancel the nned event several times within the Zero ss¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    A small smile appeared on Silpennon¡¯s lips. She looked like a maid, but in the end, she was ady that had been cultivated within a greenhouse. He just had to mix 10% lie with 90% truth. She was merely a prey that could be tricked.

    He was also a prince that was cultivated within a greenhouse. It hadn¡¯t been too long since he had put behind such an environment, yet he thought in such arrogant terms.

    ¡°The hero know that there is corruption within the temple. Please don¡¯t be surprised by what I¡¯m about to tell you. Currently, the temple is conspiring with the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    ¡°What!? Oohp oohp.¡±

    She unconsciously spoke very loudly. Her voice rang out within the room. He desperately covered her mouth with his hand. At the touch of this strange man, her face became beet red. It was as if her face was about to explode.

    ¡°Are you going to be quiet and listen to me?¡±

    ¡°Ooooooh-bbbbbp.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Silpennon let her go, and he quickly gave her an exnation. He bulldozed over her confused mind!

    ¡°That is why the heroes didn¡¯te here until they made all their preparations. Only after acquiring me as arade, they narrowly decided toe here. This was all possible, because of my presence.¡±

    ¡°How can that be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are a thief!?¡±

    ¡°The hero¡¯s party directly entered into the Zero ss to draw the attention of the priests. While they are doing so, I have to search for evidence that would expose the corruption within the temple. I have to expose their ¡®righteousness¡¯ to be false. I am cooperating with the heroes to purify the temple. That is our final goal.¡±

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was truly funny. Silpennon was spouting words that wasing to his mind, but most of his words were true! Moreover, Aria was a naive maiden. At his dramatic words, she epted his words at a logical and emotional level.

    ¡®This truly sounds like something that urs within the hero¡¯s tale!¡¯

    This was the thought going through her head! It was expected. Pdia were filled with women that like to have their heads in the clouds!

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve observed select high rank priests or the pope show strange behaviors. They probably tried to hide something within the Zero ss. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°However, these are holy relics important to the rituals of our religions. Of course, they would try to hide such holy relics.....¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is a good cover for their actions, but the evidence of their wrongdoing wille out soon. I¡¯ll find it.¡±

    ¡°B...but......¡±

    ¡°Just think about it, Aria. This is the duty of the heroes. The temple always stays rooted to this ce, but the two heroes travel around the continent defeating evil. They carry out good in this world. Who¡¯s more trustworthy between the two? Do you even have to think about it?¡±

    ¡°T...that is.....¡±

    She had believed and followed the temple for her entire life. However, she also had absolute worship towards the heroes. As a naive girl, it seemed believing in the heroes had a little bit more appeal. The girl was taken aback as she stammered. In the end, she shook her head.

    ¡°It is usible that you came here on the behest of the hero-nim. I can believe it. There is no need for you to give such a lie. However, my life and body was entrusted towards serving the temple. I cannot easily change my heart in this matter.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The girl¡¯s golden eyes twinkled. Silpennon wondered why things weren¡¯t working out so easily for him as he clicked his tongue. However, the words that came out her mouth next were sensational.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤not yet. That is why I want you to show me proof. I want you to show me proof that the temple has be corrupted!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I was cleaning the hallway not too long ago. I saw the pope quickly rush past me, and I saw him enter into a secret tunnel. In truth, I thought his actions were a bit suspicious.... If it is you, you can show me what is in that tunnel. I¡¯m sure we can get a definite answer to all of this!¡±

    She was already determined to join forces with Silpennon!

 Chapter 114 - Mission Impossible (1)

    Chapter 114 - Mission Impossible (1)

    Silpennon was looking at her with a baffled expression on his face. She gave a detailed exnation of her reasoning.

    ¡°My sense of presence has always been weak. Even after I joined this ce, people aren¡¯t able to perceive me very well.¡±

    ¡°At this point, it doesn¡¯t sound like your sense of presence is weak. I cane up with another adjective that would describe your ability.¡±

    Aria cheerfully ignored the very normal retort to her words. She continued to speak.

    ¡°That is why the pope.... asionally, the other high priests performed important tasks in my presence. They didn¡¯t realize I was near.¡±

    ¡°You saw something suspicious. So why did you do nothing about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only a maid. I have no power. The only thing I can do is put my faith in the pope, and in addition, the priests.¡±

    It was bullshit to say that she didn¡¯t have any power. She possessed a stealth ability that was capable of deceiving even the pope. How can she be so shameless by speaking such words! Silpennon was bbergasted. However, Aria was on a roll, so he didn¡¯t stop her from speaking. He just stood still.

    ¡°However, when I heard your story today, I came to a decision that I can longer stand by doing nothing. When I think back on it, the pope had a really odd expression on his face. It was as if he was mesmerized..... If I¡¯m to be blunt, he looked like a perverted old man.¡±

    He thought she was being way too blunt.

    ¡°So you do think that old man is doing something unseemly.¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I cannot confirm it for myself, but it will be possible for you to do so.¡±

    Silpennon had the ability to infiltrate into the Zero ss! Her eyes contained great expectation as her gaze washed over him. He became a little bit cocky. Up until now, he had been caught up in his need to growing faster. This was why it felt pretty good to receive recognition from someone else.

    ¡°All right. I want you to guide me to the secret tunnel.¡±

    ¡°D...do I have to go too?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll only believe it if you see it with your own eyes?¡±

    ¡°That is.... Yes. It is so. What about the hero-nim?¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll have to contact Artpe first.....¡±

    In the middle of his speech, Silpennon suddenly disappeared from Aria¡¯s sight. It had urred so fast that she stood in ce as she blinked her eyes.

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmm.¡±

    Afterwards, the door opened and someone came in. It was none other than the holy priestess Vad!

    She came into the room, then she tilted her head in puzzlement.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I definitely heard a voice in here.... It was the voice of a young man, so I thought it was the hero-nim.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Holy priestess-nim....¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t here. I guess I misheard.¡±

    Of course, Aria was ignored by Vad. It seemed she hadn¡¯t been discovered by Vad. It was to be expected. Silpennon had grown as a thief, yet he was only able to register Aria after he had opened the door.

    ¡°Ha-ah, hero-nim. He was as I had imagined. He¡¯s a wonderful person. He isn¡¯t exactly my ideal type, but.... That fact makes me like him even more......¡±

    The holy priestess slowly entered into the room, and she sat on top of the bed. Aria was frozen like an ice sculpture as she looked on. The holy priestess¡¯ actions steadily escted, and it became quite the spectacle. She fell onto the bed as she started to grope the nket.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh..... I want to see him up close. Will hee to this room tomorrow? If that meddling woman wasn¡¯t here, everything would have been perfect.....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was clear as to who the meddling woman was! They had been trying to expose the pope¡¯s true nature, yet they were faced with the holy priestess¡¯ true nature! When faced with this reality, Aria didn¡¯t know what to do. She looked like she was about to cry.

    ¡°The blessing was supposed to be given only to Arpte-nim. I wonder why it turned out like that.... I¡¯m sure that witch used some weird trick. The position of hero is only for Artpe-nim, yet she is sharing that spot with him. I¡¯m sure she used simr methods in the past to steal his power. Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the only exnation that makes sense.¡±

    There was murderous intent dripping from her voice. It would be much more dangerous than before if Aria¡¯s presence was found out! Aria desperately tried to use her skill that allowed her to assimte into her nature environment. While she was doing that, the holy priestess finally spoke the worst possible words that she coulde out of her mouth.

    ¡°If that woman disappears, hero-nim will only look at me.¡±

    The holy priestess¡¯ face was filled with desire and jealousy. It was an expression that shouldn¡¯t be made by a woman called the holy priestess.

    ¡°That woman is evil. She is an evil woman that is getting in between the hero-nim and me..... How do I reveal that bitch¡¯s true nature? How? How......¡±

    She rolled around the bed as she brainstormed. In the end, she couldn¡¯te up with an answer. She had a preupied expression on her face as she exited the room. Of course, it was enough for the two in the room to make an assessment of the holy priestess.

    She was quite rotten.

    ¡°Ah, ah-oooh. Even the holy priestess......¡±

    Aria found out a truth that she hadn¡¯t wanted to know. When Aria looked like she was about to cry, Silpennon dropped to the floor. He had been hiding in the ceiling. He had a miserable expression on his face.

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You want me to seduce such a woman......!¡±

    ¡°S...seduce?¡±

    ¡°It was one of the requests given to me by the hero. However....¡±

    He was supposed to seduce the woman. After procuring her as an ally, Silpennon had nned on exposing the corruption that was being propagated by the pope and his faction. It would have been revealed in glorious fashion. He was going to do this with her. His story would have unfolded dramatically starting tonight... That was the n. However, he unexpectedly met a coborator in Aria, and he had set out on a different route.

    Moreover, he waste in finding out the true nature of the holy priestess. She was a bit....

    ¡°Nope. It isn¡¯t just a little bit. She ispletely trash.¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess always smiles at us as she gives us blessings. She is a good person...... So why is she acting like that?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t hesitate tobel Maetel as being evil. It is actually impressive. I never knew a human could be so twisted.¡±

    ¡°A...are you...going to seduce her?¡±

    Aria carefully asked him the question. Silpennon let out a kindughter as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°No, I have no interest in seducing a woman that is hell bent on having a different man. Moreover, she has such a dirty and ill-tempered personality. I¡¯d rather die than seduce her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.... Aht.¡±

    After hearing his words, Aria blurted out something odd. Aria quickly shut her mouth. Silpennon was too busy cursing Artpe inside that he didn¡¯t hear her words.

    ¡®As expected, she¡¯s a bomb! Her appearance is perfect, but everything else is all messed up. Why would I seduce her? On top of that, he wants me to seduce someone that is clinging to him. Does he n on humiliating me?¡¯

    It was the moment when Artpe¡¯s Pass on the Bomb n failed! Silpennon kept swearing as he picked up hismunication device. He tried to contact Artpe. Artpe immediately answered the call.

    [Are there any spells being used near you?]

    ¡°I checked using the Artifact. There is none.¡±

    [Is anyone there?]

    ¡°There is another person with me.¡±

    [I see. All right. I¡¯ll go there right now, and I¡¯m going to kill you.]

    ¡°Rx. She¡¯s an ally.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I want you to keep the person you call an ally in ce. I¡¯ll be there.]

    ¡°What about Maetel?¡±

    [I was barely able to put her to sleep. Oooh ooh ooh.]

    The mere fact that Artpe could sleep with Maetel made Silpennon feel envious. Artpe should be in heaven, yet he was acting as if it was a terrifying experience. Silpennon couldn¡¯t understand what was so bad about it, but Artpe ended the call. Artpe didn¡¯t borate on the subject. Aria stood next to him, and her eyes were twinkling.

    ¡°That really was the hero-nim!?¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you believed me. Were you worried?¡±

    ¡°It is like hearing a description of the 5 Great Dishes of the world and eating them yourself. It is apletely different experience!¡±

    ¡°Those weren¡¯t that tasty. I thought the buttered corn on the cob was tastier.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? You ate the 5 Great Dishes.....?¡±

    How long had passed since the two of them struck up a conversation that sounded a little bit out of ce? The door opened, and a young man possessing ck hair and bewitching purple eyes entered into the room. It was Artpe.

    ¡°It has been a while, Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Kek, Artpe. You are bigger than me? I thought you would have be frail....¡±

    It had been 2 years since he met Artpe. Silpennon grinded his teeth as he sighed in grief.

    He had fallen behind in terms of level, but Silpennon believed that he would be able to overwhelm Artpe in terms of height and body build. Artpe hadpletely taken the route of a magician, yet he possessed a sturdy build. Moreover, he had grown into a young man that was handsome and tall!

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m big. I¡¯m the hero. Aren¡¯t you a little bit too skinny?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m skinny. I¡¯m a thief! Shit!¡±

    This was something Silpennon had recognized when they were young, but as a 15 year old, Artpe looked really handsome. His appearance had been upgraded by two steps. He possessed good looks that could be called bewitching! It automatically made Silpennon dete!

    ¡°Wa-ahhhh. It really is the hero-nim! He¡¯s wonderful¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    On the other hand, Artpe treated the reunion with Silpennon as if it was no big deal. Artpe was about to close the door when he paused. He had discovered Aria, who was shouting with joy at the sight of him.

    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°I see. Someone like you exists within the temple.¡±

    ¡°Did you find out something about her on first sight?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes took in the young maid, who possessed an endlesslyrge and clear eyes.

    She was the daughter of a high rank priest, yet she was working as a maid. That part was a bit unusual, but aside from that fact, she was a very normal maid. She was from the human race, and her level was 3.

    On the other hand, there were two characteristics that made her abnormal.

    [Aria Kuar Serieta]

    [Human Girl 14 Years Old]

    [Level : 3]

    [Innate Ability : Assimtion]

    The first thing of note was the fact that she didn¡¯t have a ss. Secondly, she was only a level 3, 14 year old girl, yet she had already awakened to her Innate Ability.

    ¡°Hello, Aria. Why don¡¯t you have a ss?¡±

    She was flustered by Artpe¡¯s question, but she obediently gave him an answer.

    ¡°T...the maids that work within the Zero ss aren¡¯t given a ss. After finishing 5 years of volunteer service, we gain recognition, and we are blessed for the first time. Then we begin the course to be an elite priestess..... That is what my father told me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that they are so picky!¡±

    Artpe totally ignored Silpennon, who had be surprised by the information.

    ¡°That is why they didn¡¯t know about your potential. You have an Innate ability called Assimtion. You are assimting with a part of your surrounding even as we speak. The effect of this ability just makes others not take notice of you. However, your ability has the possibility to grow into something amazing.¡±

    ¡°I have an Innate ability¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is very important for you to fully grasp what your ability is. The more you have an understanding of your Innate ability, you can draw out the potential that is nestled within you. Your Innate ability will be powerful. You should take this to heart.¡±

    ¡°Assimtion......¡±

    ¡°No wonder.¡±

    She was level 3, and she didn¡¯t possess any skills. However, she was able to fool the holy priestess and the pope. The only possible exnation was an Innate ability. Silpennon nodded his head as if he had already epted it as fact. Artpe also nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°Yes, this girl has an Innate ability, which is something you don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°You are a hero that possess a true gift for annoying other people.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I great?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    While Silpennon and Artpe conversed, Aria kept mumbling, ¡®Innate ability¡¯, repeatedly to herself. If she had to pick what had been the biggest surprise for her today, it would be the realization that she possessed an Innate ability.

    ¡®I became one of the Four Heavenly King using an Innate ability. Maetel awakened to her Innate ability after she became a hero. Then there is Sherryl. After a lot of fuss, she was able to be the Genesis Mermaid Queen, and she acquired an Innate ability. Such a rare talent is working here as a maid.....¡¯

    It was an extraordinary coincidence. No, it might be fate if one looked at it in a certain way. If she didn¡¯t have her Assimtion ability, her meeting with Silpennon wouldn¡¯t have urred.

    ¡®All right. Things have gone off the rails a little bit, but if I think about her potential, my eventual profit might be quite lucrative.¡¯

    Artpe grinned as he verified something with her.

    ¡°You said you wanted help with our work?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that, Artpe. She wants to see positive proof before....¡±

    ¡°Yes,hero-nim! If you will have me, I will help you as much as you want!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Her words had changed! It hadn¡¯t been long since she had met the hero, but Aria had already developed an endless trust for the hero. There was no hesitation within her.

    ¡°Please follow me. I¡¯ll guide you to what I consider to be the most suspicious location.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah. I can¡¯t ept it!¡±

    ¡°You are being noisy, dude. Let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡±

    While everyone was asleep, the hero, the thief and the maid started exploring the Zero ss. The makeup of the party was quite odd.

 Chapter 115 - Mission Impossible (2)

    Chapter 115 - Mission Impossible (2)

    Artpe followed Aria as they walked down the hallway. He came to a stop before she did. His eyes were emitting an iridescent light.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s here. Right?¡±

    ¡°You are correct. Huh? You knew it before I told you....¡±

    ¡°I also possess an Innate ability.¡±

    He grinned as he gave her an exnation. First, he checked his surrounding. The pope and the other big fishes were asleep. The holy priestess wasn¡¯t asleep yet, but she wasn¡¯ting out of her room. Unless there was another weirdo like Aria amongst the maids, they wouldn¡¯t be a problem either.

    ¡°All right. There should be no problem now.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You won¡¯t be able to open up the pathway without engaging a special mechanism.¡±

    Artpe was going to tell her that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, he stopped himself before he gave that answer. He turned to check with Silpennon.

    ¡°Silpennon, can you open it?¡±

    ¡°I can, but it might take a little bit of time. ¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll leave it to you..¡±

    Of course, Artpe could see through the structure of all spells and traps using his Read All Creation ability. He would have no trouble finding out the secret to this mechanism.

    However, he had went through the trouble of supporting Silpennon¡¯s growth. Why did he do that? He wanted Silpennon to grow in his ability, so Artpe wouldn¡¯t have to do anything!

    ¡°You thought something unpleasant right now.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha. No way.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph. You should step away from there. It¡¯ll be troublesome if you always think of me as a spoiled brat.¡±

    As expected, Silpennon¡¯s skill was undisputed. He was able to y an active role in the hero¡¯s party in his past life.

    The identification system wasn¡¯t something that one could solve by raising the level of one¡¯s lock picking skill. However, Silpennon had gained many Artifacts from the Dungeons of Diaz, and he had been provided tools of his trade through Mycenae. He was able to properly send false holy energy into the mechanism, and he was able to induce an error. He used this method to loosen up the defense. He neutralized the trap, and he was sessful in opening up the passageway!

    ¡°Amazing.... Even the pope spent 5 minutes on that.¡±

    ¡°It means that there is a reallyplex safety lock ced here. Artpe, you should be careful. There are alot of traps within.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    An odd smell emanated from within the secret tunnel. If one wasn¡¯t sensitive to Mana, it would have been hard to pick out the properties of the Mana.....

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh.]

    ¡°As expected, you wake up only when you smell something tasty.¡±

    ¡°C...cat? Where did ite from? It¡¯s so cute.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa.]

    ¡°No. I want you to wait patiently for now.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhh.....]

    Howe she had to wait everytime she wanted something? Or was the fruit that at the end more sweeter because of the wait? Roa quietly nestled into Artpe¡¯s arms as she had such philosophical thoughts.

    Silpennon also became distracted when the cat made her appearance. However, he pped both his cheeks before he stepped forward.

    ¡°Aria, you should be on alert too. You should only ce your feet in locations where my feet has tread. Also, you should walk as upright as possible.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Understood.¡±

    ¡°Shit. I don¡¯t think this will end here......¡±

    If one looked at theyout of the passageway, one could tell that it hadn¡¯t been constructed solely for the purpose of hiding items. The passageway branched out, and it was apparent that this ce could be used for other activities. When Silpennon had this thought, he clicked his tongue. Moreover, his expectation wasn¡¯t too far off the mark. They arrived at a fork in the hallway.

    When Silpennon hesitated for a moment, Artpe shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°It will be a bust if we head down that passageway. It is like the secret entrance we found. It is another path that leads into this ce.¡±

    ¡°I see. There are a lot of tunnels here. It is proof that more than one person uses this ce.¡±

    ¡°I like that you are quick in picking things up...... You are right. I believe over half of the high rank priests are involved in this..... Their number will steadily grow, and.... There wille a day when everyone will be on their side.¡±

    When such a time arrives, they would no longer need to use the secret tunnels. The leading figures of Pdia, which was the Zero ss, would change hands. This had urred in his past life.

    Ah. Of course, the holy priestess stepped forward to mess everything up for them. She took their power for herself!

    ¡°Artpe, I suddenly had a thought.¡±

    Silpennon kept walking forward as he asked the question.

    ¡°What if someone enters this ce while we are exploring this ce?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see what they do.¡±

    ¡°What if we are found out by someone?¡±

    ¡°We kill that person.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s unwavering answers, Silpennon gave up on questioning him. Silpennon wouldn¡¯t put it past Artpe to go through with his words. Artpe¡¯s eyes narrowed as he confirmed something with Silpennon. It seemed he had read something from Silpennon¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Are you still hesitating to act? Is it because this ce is Pdia?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hesitating...... I¡¯m not. I just think that we can¡¯t be sure that everyone that enters this ce has bad intentions....¡±

    ¡°That is a valid thought. You haven¡¯t confirmed their true nature yet......¡±

    ¡°What about you? Are you saying that you know everything?¡±

    Artpe did not answer his question. Silpennon grumbled, but he had no choice. He had to move forward. Aria followed behind, and she was starting to enjoy the experience a little bit.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Even if the tunnel was long, it was still within the Zero ss. It was 15 minutes after they discovered the secret passageway. They arrived at a dead end containing a small bookcase. There was a desk ced near the wall of the bookcase, but there was nothing else.

    ¡°What the hell? There¡¯s only bookcases here.¡±

    When he took in Artpe¡¯s words into ount, Silpennon had expected to find a Demon summoning circle. Silpennon was disappointed, so he grumbled to himself. Artpe tsked as he spoke.

    ¡°If it is a simple bookcase, do you really think they would hide it in a location that is so hard to reach?¡±

    ¡°However, these really are normal books. Look here. There is no sign that these books has anything to do with ck magic or the worship of the Demon king..¡±

    When he used the Thief ss¡¯ Observation skill, he immediately made an assessment.. He spoke with an attitude that said, ¡®You can check it for yourself!¡¯ However, Artpe let out a deeper sigh as a response.

    ¡°Silpennon, are you really a thief?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah. Wait a moment.¡±

    Silpennon stopped Artpe, who was about to step forward.

    ¡°Wait a moment. I found it. It is so intricate that I was almost fooled..¡±

    ¡°That is fortunate. If you disturbed the bookcase, a spell would have gone off. I¡¯ll leave it at that. You should take some safety measure before you start.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Silpennon took out an Artifact. It was a locket that was emitting a red light. When the cover to the locket was opened, it didn¡¯t contain a picture. It contained an eye that was covered with an eyelid.

    ¡°Open your eyes, Observer.¡±

    At Silpennon¡¯s whisper, the eye opened as it let out a red light. Even if he didn¡¯t activate it for long, the Mana consumption was quite high. However, when the light was shone on a subject, it had the power of greatly resisting against a spell being activated. This was especially true for subjects that were immobile. Basically, it was a top-grade Artifact to use against inanimate objects.

    ¡°I never knew such an Artifact existed.... You must really be an amazing thief.¡±

    ¡°It is the Observer¡¯s Eye. It is a good Artifact. If it is used against an object instead of a person, I can cancel spells up to level 250 without much difficulty.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s great. I acquired it from a Dungeon you told me about.¡±

    ¡°However, it iscking for this task. Give it to me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    How many people in the human realm could maintain a spell over level 250?

    Silpennon was shocked, but Artpe¡¯s eyes were dead serious. He handed his Artifact towards Artpe.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh..... Good.¡±

    When Artpe received the Observer¡¯s Eye from Silpennon, he used Reinforcement three times. It was such a high rank Artifact that it required a significant amount of Mana. It was a formidable amount even for Artpe.

    ¡°It isplete. This Artifact will suppress spells ced on objects. It¡¯ll do so in most asions.¡±

    ¡°You.... No. Nevermind. Since you are doing this for me, I want you to use Reinforcement on all my Artifacts.¡±

    ¡°You really are a smart aleck.¡±

    Artpe used Reinforcement on Silpennon¡¯s tools, defensive gears and weapon. While Artpe was doing this, Silpennon ced the Observer¡¯s Eye in a position where the light would shine on the bookcase. At the same time, he activated several Thief skills, and he started solving the secrets of the bookcase.

    ¡°Password¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ This also requires holy power. This is annoying.....¡±

    ¡°Aht. Clean holy power is being emitted from the silver key..... No, it changed shape!?¡±

    ¡°It would be great if I could trace the magic. All right.... Read it in my stead, Spirit Eye.¡±

    ¡°Another Artifact!¡±

    The fact that he had a lot of Artifacts weren¡¯t the surprising part. It was the fact that he understood which Artifacts he had to use in which situations. He was using multiple Artifacts at the same time as he steadily analyzed the bookcase. Slilpennon really looked like a thief that appeared in the old stories.

    ¡°Amazing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Aria, who had been watching all of this, felt her heart beat faster. She really was watching the hero¡¯s party in action! Maybe, her faith in her religion wasn¡¯t as deep as she thought Aria had that general thought.

    ¡°This is all thanks to the power of my gifted and talented education program. ......take this, Silpennon. I finished Reinforcing everything.¡±

    ¡°You are just in time. I need that.¡±

    It was an Artifact that looked like a in chalk. Silpennon pulled out a book. It looked like any other book one could find in any bookcase. He opened to the first page of the book, and he started scribbling on the page with the chalk.

    At a nce, it looked like a pretty useless gesture. However, the bookcase started to shake, and the lighting from the Observer¡¯s Eye had to settle it back down. It wasn¡¯t a useless gesture.

    ¡°What the hell? Some amazing spell must have been ced here. It is trying to resist against the Observer¡¯s Eye, which had been Reinforced by you.....¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I told you that already.¡±

    ¡°You did, but your words were about the Zero ss...,.. Ah, whatever.¡±

    The invisible words from the chalk were absorbed, and the book started letting out a bleak light. Then it started to turn its pages by itself. The book opened itself fully when it went through about one-fourth of its pages. An ted smile appeared on Silpennon¡¯s lips when he saw this.

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡±

    Artpe gave Silpennon apliment with good grace. Of course, Artpe could have done all of this by himself from the beginning. It was a trap he could dismantle using any book he pulled out from the bookcase. It was all thanks to his Read All Creation ability.

    On the other hand, there was someone other than him in the human realm that was capable of disabling a safety mechanism of this caliber. It was a blow to the Demon King¡¯s army.

    That¡¯ right.

    It was obvious, but the safety mechanism ced on the bookcase wasn¡¯t done by a human. It was done by a Demon.

    ¡°In other words.... There is a Demon within the Zero ss area?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I bet you¡¯ll be surprised when I point what which one is the Demon.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s expression and tone of voice held a mischievousness. Silpennon had been a bit mesmerized by Artpe, but in a sh, he regained his right mind. His body shook. Artpe¡¯s appearance had the power to lure even those of the same sex.

    ¡°Hmmph. If you aren¡¯t going to tell me, you should just shut up.¡±

    He tried hard to calm himself down as he focused on the book in his hands. At a nce, the content of the book looked normal.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a normal diary..... Ah, it¡¯s not. It is an exchange diary.¡±

    ¡°It means this group resides within the Zero ss, and obviously, they hold important positions within the temple. Since they cannot gather and discuss unsavory subjects out in the open, they leave words for each other.¡±

    ¡°T....there is something written here from today. ¡®Two heroes have entered into the Zero ss. We need the heroes alive for the long range n of the Demon King¡¯s army. However, do we really need both of them.....?¡¯¡±

    Silpennon stopped reading at this point. He couldn¡¯t hide the shock from his face.

    ¡°Did I really just read the temple¡¯s exchange diary? It sounds like an observation log from the Demon king¡¯s army.....¡±

    ¡°P...please show it to me. There is no way it says that!¡±

    Aria couldn¡¯t contain herself, so she ran forward to snatch the book away. Her eyes read the next portion.

    ¡°¡®Both were confirmed as being heroes. As a result of the parade, we found out that the people overwhelming favor the male hero. It is my assessment that there wouldn¡¯t be much of a setback if the female hero is killed or if she went missing. The Demonic god will be happy if she is used as a sacrifice.....¡¯ ......¡±

    ¡°¡®This is why I request permission to modify a portion of the magic circle made by our forebears. In my assessment, we will be able to summon a level 250 Demonic beast.¡±

    Both Silpennon and Aria nodded their heads at the same time. Artpe faced them with a kindly face, and he nodded his head.

    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°There are penmanship that looks familiar to me. I¡¯m sure it was written by a friend of my father.....¡±

    Silpennon weakly nodded his head. As expected of a high rank priest¡¯s child, Aria spoke words that increased the credibility of the evidence.

    At the heart of Pdia, the followers of the Demonic god was wriggling within the Zero ss area.

 Chapter 116 - Mission Impossible (3)

    Chapter 116 - Mission Impossible (3)

    What was the Demonic god? Humans worshipped the gods. The Demonic god was the god worshipped by the Demon race. It was as simple as that. However, there was only one reason why Artpe hadn¡¯t bothered to worry about it. It was the fact that the true nature of the Demonic god wasn¡¯t known.

    ¡®There is a myth that¡¯s been handed down that the Demon king is the first son of the Demonic god. However, it was merely a myth. I checked the Demon King with my Read All Creation ability, and he didn¡¯t originate from the Demon King. Moreover, I had to travel all over the ce to fulfill my duties as one of the Four Heavenly kings, and I never found even a trace of the Demonic god.¡¯

    At this point, he surmised the Demonic god was made up by the Demon king to establish his legitimacy. Artpe wondered if the Demonic god was a fictitious figure. Of course, normal Demons had absolute faith in the existence of the Demonic god. Artpe had ¡®pretended¡¯ to believe in the Demonic god in his past life.

    ¡°So why are the humans in this ce believing in the Demonic god with such fervor......¡±

    Moreover, these were high rank priests of Lihazeta! They were supposed to be the backbone of the temple¡¯s forces in Pdia!

    ¡°What the hell happened here? How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°These are people who are most favored by our god..... Hero-nim, how can this be?¡±

    Both Silpennon and Aria groaned. They didn¡¯t want to believe it, but the incontrovertible truth was in front of them. However, Artpe just shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. This is only a guess, but..... Since these people know the power of the gods, it might be easier for them to believe in the existence of the Demonic god too. Moreover, they existed to aid the hero, yet a hero hadn¡¯t appeared in several hundred years. Their sense of duty became weathered under the test of time, and a light stimulus from the outside was able to flip them easily to the other side.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ooooh. I still don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Aria looked like she was about to cry as she spoke.

    ¡°Not yet. I won¡¯t believe it just yet. I can¡¯t be sure with just this. Some psychoes might have written stuff here. I still have 27 other suspicious spots I want to check out. Will you apany me, Mr Silpennon?¡±

    ¡°In truth, you were suspicious of the temple before everyone else. Weren¡¯t you already moving against them?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that! I was just working, yet they did weird things in front of me!¡±

    At this point, Silpennon and Artpe wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if they found out that Aria knew all about what was going on within the temple. Artpe looked at Aria, who was afire with fervor. He discreetly whispered towards Silpennon.

    ¡°Hey. Why don¡¯t you seduce her too? She¡¯spletely a big fish.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Since you¡¯ve brought up this subject, I can¡¯t seduce the priestess..¡±

    ¡°Why!¡±

    When Artpe replied with shock and fright, Silpennon grinded his teeth as he told Artpe about what he had witnessed. The holy priestess had acted as she pleased by entering into Artpe¡¯s room. Sheid down on top of the bed, and she did things a stalker might do. She cussed out Maetel, and she was brainstorming about separating Maetel from Artpe¡¯s side.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When he heard the entirety of Silpennon¡¯s exnation, Artpe was at a loss for words. They had just met, so he hadn¡¯t never expected the holy priestess to be so rotten. Silpennon looked at Artpe, who looked out of it. He firmly told Artpe that it would be impossible to carry out the mission.

    ¡°That is why it¡¯ll be impossible for me. You have to take care of her. I¡¯ll work with Aria on the side to gather more evidence.¡±

    ¡°No.... Yes, I understand. I¡¯m sorry......¡±

    Artpe had believed that there was still time for the holy priestess to be rehabilitated. However, he never expected her move towards marriage would be so aggressive! It was so bad that she was thinking about eliminating Maetel in the near future.... Artpe¡¯s eyes automatically turned cold.

    ¡°Do I have to kill her?¡±

    His resolve was about to harden, but at that moment, Silpennon threw out his opinion.

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, you probably have a way to resolve this without killing her.¡±

    ¡°However, if I let things be, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll try to harm Maetel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. You can probably change that with just few words.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Silpennon was using the Image Recording Artifact given to him by Artpe. He recorded the bookcase. Of course, he also recorded the content that discussed the worship of the Demonic god and the plot of assassinating the hero by the high rank priests of Pdia. As he did so, he continued to speak as if Artpe¡¯s problem was trivial.

    ¡°She is still just talking about it. If I¡¯m to put it bluntly, anyone can curse someone. I wish that rotten bastard, who holds sole possession of Maetel¡¯s heart, would die. If he didn¡¯t exist, I would be by the hero¡¯s side. These kinds of thoughts could be had by just about anyone.¡±

    ¡°Those sounds like your thoughts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In truth, I fell for Maetel on first sight.¡±

    The thief spoke in a bold manner.

    ¡°There was a time when I wished that I could rece you. However, I realized how much Maetel likes you. I also know how much you take care of Maetel, so I gave up my heart¡¯s desire. Still, a part of my desire is still left within me. I would be lying if I said I don¡¯t asionally curse you. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so, are you going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°However, you used rationality to suppress such desires. You are working for yourself, and you are working for us. You know what is more important, and you are able to live it out. You left your delusions behind.¡±

    ¡°Right. I like you as much as I hate you. I want to work for Maetel¡¯s sake as much as I like her.¡±

    Silpennon acknowledged Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°I also believe that it is well within your power to change the psychotic holy priestess. In the first ce, she hasn¡¯t acted out her delusions.¡±

    ¡°However, wouldn¡¯t it be weird for Maetel if I tried to seduce a woman with ill intentions towards her?¡±

    ¡°Then you should check with Maetel first. If Maetel says it¡¯s ok, you canpletely bring the holy priestess to your side. If you want to use the holy priestess¡¯ abilities, you should be willing to make the effort.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The content of Silpennon¡¯s words were hard to ept from Artpe¡¯s way of thinking. However, Silpennon continued to speak with a cold light in his eyes. In the end, it was a logically sound argument.

    ¡°You are a hero. I know it is good to look out for Maetel¡¯s feelings, but you should spend as much effort into eliminating the Demon King. Don¡¯t you need the holy priestess¡¯ abilities to seed in that task?¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s words stabbed into Artpe¡¯s heart. Silpenno¡¯s words had hit the bullseye. Up until now, Artpe had based his moves too much on his emotions, and he had done whatever he wanted. Silpennon¡¯s words acted as a brake to Artpe.

    So what should he do? In the end, Artpe had no choice, but to agree with Silpennon¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. All right. If you can¡¯t do it, then the correct move is for me to step up. I won¡¯t act in haste by being hostile towards her. First, I¡¯ll try to find a way to make her our ally.¡±

    ¡°Good. You are finally acting like a hero.¡±

    Silpennon had a wide grin on his face. When Artpe faced Silpennon¡¯s smile, Artpe couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had lost this round.

    When the two of them turned to look at Aria, her eyes were twinkling.

    ¡°For some reason.... When I saw both of you quarrel with each other, I felt my heart grow hot!¡±

    ¡°You should cool it.¡±

    ¡°You should put it to sleep.¡±

    Silpennon and Artpe spoke their words at the same time. They looked at each other at the same time as they let out a bitterugh. Unbeknownst to them, their actions had lit a bigger fire within Aria.

    This was how the adventure that night came to an end. If they really roamed around any more, they might be found.

    Duplicates were made of all the evidence they found, and when the footage was in hand, Artpe was able to leave the ce with an easy mind. He didn¡¯t forget to warn Silpennon and Aria.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to help you guys from now on. It¡¯ll be a whirlwind for me starting tomorrow. Will the two of you be ok by yourselves?¡±

    ¡°Yes, hero-nim! Please leave it to us!¡±

    ¡°Hmmph. Can you not trust me after you saw me disable the traps?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤normally, the ones that are confident alway makes the mistake..¡±

    They weren¡¯t reliable, but what could he do? He could only leave them to their own device. Artpe took off the boots he always had on. He handed them over to Silpennon. Silpennon tilted his head in puzzlement as he checked out the boots.

    ¡°What is this..... Boots?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Blink Boots. It¡¯ll help you in a perilous situation.¡±

    ¡°Even if you give me such an item, I won¡¯t seduce the holy priestess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you! I¡¯m lending it to you!¡±

    After giving them future missions, Artpe let out a sigh as he returned to his room.

    When the next day arrived, Artpe and Maetel was able to meet the pope for the first time at breakfast.

    ¡°My name is Fredrick Kuar Pdia. The two of you can call me by Fredrick.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m Maetel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Artpe.¡±

    Kuar was a middle name given to those that rose to the rank of high priest. The name was also given to their family. Vad and Aria possessed it, and of course, the pope possessed that middle name too.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤pope-nim?¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Maetel tilted her head as she looked at the pope. Artpe smirked. It was as if the pope didn¡¯t even acknowledge their reaction. He just let out a benevolentughter.

    ¡°As expected, both of you possess extremely clear eyes. When I first heard that two heroes were born, I was surprised. However, I can ept it now that I see the two of you. The two of you truly possess the spirit of heroes.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    Even at Artpe¡¯s insolent words, the pope justughed in a good mood.

    ¡°I pray that you receive a massive amount of the god¡¯s blessing during your stay here. I will also pray for the heroes..¡±

    ¡°It is much appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Your holiness, I¡¯ll be disappointed if you left me out.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯m sorry. However, your wish for the hero¡¯s safety exceeds mine, right?¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoo-hooht.¡±

    The holy priestess and the pope exchanged brightughters. When Artpe saw her, he remembered what Silpennon had said yesterday.

    He shouldn¡¯t be rash in turning the holy priestess into an enemy. It would be much easier to use couple words to turn her into an ally. Silpennon made Artpe acknowledge this line of thinking.

    While he was having such thoughts, Maetel kept looking back and forth between the holy priestess and the pope. A questioning light started appearing within her eyes

    ¡°Artpe, I think......¡±

    ¡°Later. ......I have something I have to talk to you about.¡±

    ¡°A...all right.¡±

    Maetel automatically nodded her head when she saw the serious light in Artpe¡¯s eyes. The holy priestess was sitting across from them, and sparks flew when she caught sight of the exchange between the two heroes. Artpe decided to ignore her for now.

    After the breakfast finished, it was free time. Artpe and Maetel were in their room, and they sat facing each other. Silpennon and Aria were probably residing in his room right now. The holy priestess was probably grinding her teeth, and the pope...... No, he didn¡¯t have to pay attention to that right now.

    ¡°Maetel, I have a request.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Maetel sat still as she listened intently to his words. Artpe took couple breaths before he spoke.

    ¡°You probably picked up on the fact that the priests here aren¡¯t of their right mind.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I smelled something strange from the pope.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the pope. Most of the high rank priests are in the same state. I asked Silpennon to infiltrate this ce, so he can investigate further into it.....¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe knew about it.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s expression immediately became brighter. In truth, she had felt the difference in energy between the holy priestess and the pope. She had been troubled as to whether she should ask Artpe about it or not. However, Artpe confirmed her suspicion on the spot!

    ¡°The weirdest smell came off from the guy called the pope. It was like the Demon called Teana, whom we met before. There is a bizarre yet annoying energy.....¡±

    ¡°You read him correctly. The pope is a Demon.¡±

    Artpe made an explosive deration that would have overturned the entirety of Pdia. However, Maetel just nodded her head as if it all made sense! However, Artpe wasn¡¯t done talking yet.

    ¡°Currently, the pope is recruiting the high rank priests into the Demon King¡¯s army. However, the holy priestess hasn¡¯t gone over to them yet. Before it is toote, I want to bring the holy priestess to our side.¡±

    ¡°However, that woman seems to be suspicious in an entirely different way?¡±

    As expected, Maetel¡¯s sense was best in the world. Maetel realized that the holy priestess didn¡¯t side with the Demon King¡¯s army, but she was still rotten to the bone. However, Artpe feigned ignorance as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°That woman is focused only on the upation of the Hero ss. She is obsessed with fulfilling her role. I.... Yes, I think there is still time for her to be rehabilitated. That is why I want a little bit of your cooperation, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. I already want to decline it.....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what I¡¯m about to say is a bit awful, but from this point on, I¡¯ll have to.... Yes, I¡¯ll have to try to get along with her.¡±

    When she heard those words, Maetel had a dead expression on her face. However, Artpe kept a stiff upper lip as he continued to speak.

    ¡°This is only an act. I just have to be a little bit more friendly towards her.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you sound like a really bad man.....¡±

    ¡°You just have acknowledge this fact. The attitude that I will adopt towards that woman isn¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is always like that. You always hide the truth, and you are focused on packaging the outside.¡±

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    There was a sincere light in Artpe¡¯s eyes. Maetel wanted to pout. She was quite clear in expressing her displeasure, but in the end, she nodded her head.

    ¡°Instead, I want you to grant my wish.¡±

    ¡°All right. If it isn¡¯t too over the line, I¡¯ll grant you one wish. However, you cannot work against the holy priestess joining our party. All right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The contract was satisfactorily made.

    Artpe started his work in earnest at lunch.

 Chapter 117 - Mission Impossible (4)

    Chapter 117 - Mission Impossible (4)

    It was a sunny day. The flowers were in full bloom. The bees were flying around, and the birds chirped.

    The sky was blue and clear as if it was reflecting the ocean¡¯s water. The holy priestess was standing alone in the middle of a well tended and beautiful garden. She was enjoying the sun. Her eyes were closed and there was a smile of pleasure at the corner of her mouth. It truly made her look innocent and pure.

    ¡®By looking at her right now, she really is a beautiful girl that deserves the title of the holy priestess.....¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t as if she was wearing an outfit with distinct characteristics. It was a homogeneous white outfit for the female disciples. It was a simple attire that was decorated with a golden cross, which was the symbol of the holy priestess. However, her straight ck hair was flowing atop the attire. Her hair acted as the best essory that could adorn her.

    The sunlight was falling on her, and It was as if a halo was being casted around her. However, she was emitting a light that exceeded the sunlight. Even though Artpe knew her true nature, he almost became fooled by her appearance.

    ¡°I know the weather is nice, but you shouldn¡¯t fall asleep standing up.¡±

    ¡°H...hero-nim.¡±

    When Artpe approached her, the holy priestess was very taken aback. It was understandable. The afternoon schedule for the hero¡¯s party was quite packed. As if Artpe understood all of this, he had a grin on his face.

    ¡°I left it all to Maetel. I can¡¯t open my mouth wide open as I mindlessly wave my hand to the crowd atop the balcony. Also, I cannot listen to the boring old tales told by those smelly old men.¡±

    However, Maetel could do it, since she really was an idiot.

    ¡°But..... These are tasks you mustplete if you want to gain recognition as the hero in Pdia. If you only send Maetel-nim.... If you continue to do this, Maetel-nim¡¯s position will grow as Artpe-nim¡¯s position lessens.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what others think of me. Anyways, I wanted to have a conversation with you. I don¡¯t want anyone to bother us.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ooh ooh.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s straightforward words, the cheeks of the holy priestess turned red. She was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. It made him wonder how she was able to say such words in his room. It made him wonder if she was the same woman.

    Of course, the holy priestess was already rotten to the roots. She didn¡¯t be rotten, because impurities were introduced from the outside. She had be rotten from within herself. In some ways, she was like Aria. She was an innocent maiden brought up in a good family. In fact, she hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to meet boys of the same age as her. This was why she had grown up pining for the hero!

    ¡°I...I see. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. It wouldn¡¯t have gone over well if his holiness saw this, but he is busy right now.... Let¡¯s sit here.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Vad was flustered as she led Artpe towards a pavilion setup within the garden. Artpe stopped Vad, who was about to go get some tea. Artpe took out a tea set and teapot set from his Dimensional Pouch. When she saw this, her eyes widened.

    ¡°You carry all of these with you?¡±

    ¡°In truth, these are all Artifacts.¡±

    ¡°Hoo hoo. I see.¡±

    The holy maiden didn¡¯t take him seriously, but they really were true Artifacts. The tea set could check if the tea leaves had poisonous properties. It could also check for magical effects. If the effects was negative, it was eliminated. If the effects was positive, it would amplify the effect. It was an Artifact that possessed an excellent ability. After going through Artpe¡¯s Reinforcement, the Artifact had reached a pretty amazing state.

    ¡°If you inject Mana into it, it¡¯ll produce clean water. It¡¯ll also boil the water.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    However, today¡¯s leading character wasn¡¯t the teapot. Artpe took out another pouch from within the Dimensional Pouchl. He carefully took out a handful of the content within the pouch. The tea hadn¡¯t been brewed yet, but she could already smell a clear fragrance. She tilted her head in puzzlement.

    ¡°Those tea leaves¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°World Tree. I acquired it after I helped the Elves.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah. I heard about that incident from others. It was an incident caused by the desires of countless humans. If hero-nim hadn¡¯t stepped forward......¡±

    In such matters as this, she manifested normal behavior. She dramatically changed into someone else when it came to anything that dealt with the hero. Artpe let out a sigh as he put the tea leaves into the pot.

    ¡°It seems hero-nim isn¡¯t only facile in the ways of the magic. You have talent for other disciplines.¡±

    ¡°No, I mostly use magic for everything.¡±

    The water was letting out a fragrant smell. He waited until the tea cooled to a drinkable temperature. Vad was touched by the gesture as she received her tea. She was once again deeply moved when she took a sip. Her blue eyes was filled with a golden light.

    ¡°I am so happy that I want to make this day a holiday.¡±

    ¡°I see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am honored.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is why I want to float this idea to the popeter on.¡±

    She was really going all out!? Artpe put on a pleased expression on his face. He wondered if he should quash the holy priestess¡¯ idea, but he hesitated. There was genuine delight on her face for a change, so he didn¡¯t want to disturb that. He decided to let it go.

    ¡®Her behavior is a bit excessive if she is simply acting this way, because I¡¯m the hero..... What the hell is she thinking about? Fuck. I have no idea.¡¯

    He had no idea how he could bring this woman back to her right mind. Silpennon had already declined this task, so he couldn¡¯t just bully Silpennon into taking up this task again. Still, he was having a hard time believing that this woman had truly fallen in love with him......

    ¡°Hero-nim. Hero-nim?¡±

    He had fallen deep within his thought, but he broke out of it when the holy priestess called out to him.

    ¡°Hero-nim, weren¡¯t you going to ask me something? I¡¯ve always lived in this ce, so there isn¡¯t much that I can answer.....¡±

    ¡°Ah. That is enough. You¡¯ll be part of our party soon, so it would be strange if we didn¡¯t know anything about each other. I just wanted to know about you.¡±

    ¡°Then¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The holy priestess¡¯ eyes twinkled once again. He thought her reaction was a bit excessive.

    ¡°Will hero-nim tell me about yourself?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    That had been his aim from the beginning. Artpe¡¯s eyes also twinkled.

    ¡°Then.... There really isn¡¯t much to tell you about me, so I¡¯ll start first....¡±

    Her cheeks turned slightly red as she opened her mouth. She faced Artpe¡¯s face, and she finally put aside the ¡®How do I separate Maetel from Artpe?¡¯ thoughts from her mind for a short amount of time.

    She started telling him about herself.

    Maetel was covering for Artpe by doing all the tasks that was scheduled within Lihazeta. She gave a bright yet vicious smiles to the high rank priests, who had been trying to take care of all her needs. She returned to her room. When she entered, she saw Artpe lying atop the bed. He looked like a dried squid stretched out on top of the bed.

    ¡°Uh. You are here......¡±

    ¡°Artpe, why do you look so tired?¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. I¡¯m really sick and tired of women.......¡±

    Moreover, he really hated trying to please a woman.

    ¡°That right. All women other than me is bad. I¡¯m d to hear you acknowledge this fact.¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand mepletely......¡±

    He had been with Vad until Maetel came back. He had been face to face with Vad, and during the whole meeting, he thought about what she was thinking and what she wanted. When he was freed from such thoughts, his mind was in a very exhausted state.

    ¡°Hmmmmm.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯;s words, Maetel narrowed her eyes as she approached Artpe on the bed. She flopped down next to him. There was the faint smell of sweat, but there was also that sweet body odor that he always smelled on Maetel. The two scents mixed together as the smell gently tickled Artpe¡¯s nose. Artpe let out a faint smile as he spoke.

    ¡°You smell of sweat. Go wash yourself.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you are too much! I suffered on my own all day, yet you talk to me that way! Eh-eet!¡±

    Maetel tly ignored Artpe¡¯s words. She went out of her way to stick close to him. It was a result that he had expected, so he decided not to say anything about it. He just decided to enjoy what was going on right now.

    ¡°Did those old men do anything abnormal?¡±

    ¡°Nope. They were pretty tame today. The pope grandpa wasn¡¯t overt about his actions, yet there were alot of men that was letting out a musty and irritating smell.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t confused with the smell of bachelors? Ah-yaht.¡±

    Artpe was having fun with her again, so Maetel made a light fist. She brought it down on top of Artpe¡¯s head. Then she flung her body atop him as if she was a bedding.

    ¡°Heavy!¡±

    ¡°You yed with that woman the whole day. Artpe is bad. This is the price.¡±

    ¡°I did agree to endure this, but this is quite sudden and unexpected.¡±

    ¡°I might have restrained myself in the day, but it is fine since you are mine at night.¡±

    Mmm. As expected, Matel was as dangerous as the holy priestess. Artpe made a cool judgement as he made a retort.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about searching her out tonight?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe?¡±

    The voice of Maetel could be heard from above Artpe. The voice sounded very brutal. It scared him a little bit, but he regained his right mind. He gave her an exnation.

    ¡°It is important for me to keep her upied during the day and night. I have to make sure she doesn¡¯t have any other thoughts. At the same time, I have to get her to let her guard down against you. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m not sure if she really has feelings for me.¡±

    ¡°You two aren¡¯t just going to sleep! You are going to do the other kind of sleeping! You will do the thing you refused to teach me until the end!¡±

    ¡°That is the one thing I won¡¯t do, so you can rest easy.¡±

    Afterwards, Maetel continued to press down on Artpe from the top, and she pinched his cheeks. She continued to torment him. However, it seemed she didn¡¯t realize that her actions were more of reward than a punishment. She wouldn¡¯t be able to break him until she realized this fact.

    ¡°Artpe, you really are too much. It is my pleasure in life to cuddle with you while we sleep.....¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to find a different pleasure in life?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°Stop pressing down on me! Stop pressing down! You should study up on the basic concept of shame!¡±

    ¡°I buried all of that within the Ancient Temple!¡±

    While Artpe and Maetel were rolling around the bed as they acted silly, Silpennon was slowly awakening from his sleep. Moreover, he realized that Aria was quietly looking down at his face.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Your face isn¡¯t that of a thief. I was thinking that was really strange.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡±

    Of course, there was a story behind his circumstance if he got into the details of his background. However, this was a musinging out from a pure and unsullied girl like Aria. He just snorted as he decided to forgive and forget. He got up.

    ¡°Did anything out of the ordinary happen?¡±

    ¡°I skipped the morning roll call. However, people don¡¯t usually notice me, so it wasn¡¯t much of a problem.¡±

    ¡°You are saying such a sad thing as if it is nothing.....¡±

    Silpennon let out a bitterugh as he looked at his surrounding. It was the same as when he went to sleep.

    ¡°They gave him a really good room. It is quite unexpected.¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess strongly insisted.....¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t a holy priestess. She a witch bitch.¡±

    They were in the residential area of the Zero ss, and this room had been assigned to Artpe. There was a standing order that said no one should intrude into the room since one never knew when Artpe would use the room. It became Silpennon¡¯s base of operation thanks to that order.

    ¡°I brought you some things to eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat it with thanks.¡±

    Silpennon took the bread in her hands. He took a bite as he picked up the map on the desk. It was the map he started working onst night. It was an inner map for the Zero ss.

    ¡°Did he say one week? That is a short amount of time. How am I supposed to go through all of this ce in a week? Moreover, I can only move at night.....¡±

    ¡°Actually, I practiced after I heard hero-nim¡¯s words yesterday.... Like this...¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Kek!¡±

    Silpennon stopped looking at the map. He raised his head to check on Aria, and he choked. He could hear her voice, but he couldn¡¯t see her anywhere!

    ¡°I¡¯m able to hide a little bit better now!¡±

    ¡°Y...you.... You were able to do this in one day?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I already know how to do this in the first ce¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be normal?¡±

    Airia once again revealed herself to Silpennon, and she tilted her head in puzzlement. It was such a cute gesture that it got a rise out of Silpennon.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be found by anyone. That is why I¡¯ll go on ahead to see if it is safe. If it is, I¡¯ll call for you, Mr Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t the problem... No, it¡¯s all right. If you are so eager, I¡¯m fine with that.¡±

    ¡°E...eager! I just want to return the corrupt temple to its clean state!¡±

    She pretended to be coy as she answered him. However, Aria couldn¡¯t hide her child-like excitement. Silpennon wondered if this arrangement would be fine as he once again started his exploration of the Zero ss.

    Artpe had been hell-bent in supporting Silpennon in his growth. He was a thief that had his entire body armed with Artifacts. Now he moved in concert with someone that possessed an Innate ability. His worry had been for naught. They weren¡¯t even found once as they searched out the secrets of the Zero ss.

    Everyone was carrying out their mission faithfully, and the promised time of one week was one day away.

 Chapter 118 - Mission Impossible (5)

    Chapter 118 - Mission Impossible (5)

    The weather was still nice. When they left Aedia, it had been winter. It was thest part of spring in Pdia.

    Artpe and the holy priestess continued to have a date in the same location as they enjoyed the nice weather. They had done this for six straight days.

    ¡°Hero-nim, I made you some apple tarts. Would you like to have a taste?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yes. I¡¯ll have some. As it happens, I wanted to eat some apple.¡±

    ¡°Ya-ho¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! In truth, I thought it might have been better to bake a quiche filled with meat, since you are still growing.¡±

    ¡°No. I eat meat every day, so this is fine.¡±

    Vad took out a tart loaded with apple and whipped cream, and she ce it on the table. Artpe looked at her with bitter eyes. However, he was met with blue eyes that shone with life. She was filled with great expectation as her eyes remained nted on Artpe.

    ¡®She has no opening.¡¯

    During the past six days, he had tried various methods to target her feelings. He tried very hard. However, he had barely made any progress. At the very least, that was his opinion.

    This was why he was rethinking his n at that point. Maybe, the n was wrong from the start? He was having such thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut it, so it¡¯ll be easier for you to eat. .......ah.¡±

    Vad took out a knife that looked well matched with her, and she enthusiastically cut the tart into pieces. It might be just his imagination, but it looked as if Vad suddenly had an idea. Her cheeks became dyed red.

    Afterwards, she picked up a fork, and she stabbed at a bite-sized piece of the tart. She raised it towards Artpe¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°W...would it be better if I feed this to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just eat.... Nevermind. Thank you.¡±

    Artpe was going to refuse her in the beginning, but he hurriedly changed his words when he saw the disappointed expression on her face. If Maetel found out about this, the holy priestess would be killed. However, if that happened, it was fate.

    ¡°Is it tasty, hero-nim?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe closed his eyes tight as he ate what was given to him. The holy maiden was so happy that she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. This sight made him rethink his response.

    ¡°Yes. At the very least, it is the tastiest tart I¡¯ve tasted.¡±

    ¡°Ah, jeez. Hero-nim....¡±

    ¡°In truth, this is the first time I¡¯ve eaten a tart.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really bad. I¡¯ll make a lot more tarts for you. From now on, you have to only eat tarts made by me. Hoo-hooht.¡±

    As expected, this n was wed from the beginning. From the moment she met him, her fondness towards him had been maxed out. So how was he supposed to seduce her more!

    ¡®I don¡¯t understand her. There is no way I can understand her.......¡¯

    Artpe ended the date a little bit early, and he returned to his room. It wasn¡¯t the room he was residing with Maetel. It was the original room assigned to him. It was the room where Silpennon was hiding.

    ¡°You are here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Hello, Aria.¡±

    ¡°Y...yes, sir. I am happy Artpe-nim looks well......¡±

    She should be used to him by now, but Aria became nervous every time she faced Artpe. Silpennon spoke bluntly when he saw this.

    ¡°The way you treat him is different from how you treat me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because Mr Silpennon is Mr Silpennon¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Aria turned to look at Silpennon, and she spoke in afortable manner as she answered him. Artpe smirked when Silpennon looked slightly hurt by her words. Silpennon wondered if he should tell her that he used to be the crown prince of Diaz. He wonder if that would allow him to regain his dignity in her eyes. However, he gave up on that idea. He thought he would look pathetic if he did that.

    ¡°Silpennon, how are you doing on your side?¡±

    ¡°By the sound of your sagging voice, I can tell that you haven¡¯t made much progress. Everything is going smoothly on our side.¡±

    Artpe red hard at Silpennon, who had went straight for the jugr. However, Silpennon continued toy out the documents in a leisurely manner as he spoke.

    ¡°Your way of doing things won¡¯t bring about any progress. You are merely preventing the holy priestess from doing anything else. Of course, if your n is to preserve the office of the holy priestess after you bring down the temple, your n is a sess.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t I making any progress with her?¡±

    ¡°In the mind of the holy priestess, the rtionship with you and her is alreadyplete.¡±

    As expected, Silpennon¡¯sment was right on the money. The holy priestess had considered Artpe to be her mate from the moment she met him. This was why there was no change in her mental attitude. The good will towards Artpe and the hostility towards Maetel were running down parallel lines.

    ¡°How is that possible? That is what I¡¯m asking. Even if her delusion is severe, we just met, so how can she.....¡±

    ¡°That is..... It is hard to verbalize.¡±

    In his past life, the holy priestess had loved Silpennon. This was a truth that he had clung to. There wasn¡¯t a hint of doubt in his mind about that. Artpe couldn¡¯t ovee his frustration, so he was mumbling to himself. At that moment, Aria carefully spoke up.

    ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s because Artpe-nim is handsome¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes narrowed. Silpennon looked at Aria with a simr gaze. Aria became flustered as she tried to exin herself.

    ¡°Ah. No! You aren¡¯t simply handsome.... I think you are so handsome that anyone would fall for you on first sight!¡±

    ¡°You are quite bold in your confession.¡±

    Silpennon sounded baffled, and this made Aria be much more flustered as she gave her denial.

    ¡°That is.... Of course, I think Artpe-nim is handsome, but it isn¡¯t like that! ....anyways, it isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    ¡°You can speak the truth. That man is a lecher. He likes it more when there is more women.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    Aria became angry at Silpennon¡¯s ount of the event. Her ears became red to the roots. The sight reminded Artpe of the holy priestess, who he had been seeing for the past couple days. This was why he had unintentionally been in a position to study the anatomy of a woman¡¯s heart. This was why he was uncharacteristically keen in realizing something.

    ¡®She has her eyes set on Silpennon. I guess it was to be expected.¡¯

    From Maetel¡¯s perspective, Artpe was her prince. From Aria¡¯s perspective, Silpennon was probably her prince. She had been living a life of a maid, yet a thief had found her as if by fate. On top of that, he was an extremely handsome young man!

    She was moving around the temple with arade of the hero. She was cooperating with him to find out the corruption within the temple. It really was a storyline from a novel. It would have been strange if she didn¡¯t have any interest in Silpennon!

    ¡°Why do all women fall for Artpe? Even our Leseti speaks his name once or twice a day. She speaks his name as if she believes he¡¯ll somehow be magically summoned in front of her.¡±

    It seemed Silpennon was clueless. He was the quintessential obtuse main character.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it seems you are like me in many ways.¡±

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but you are making fun of me, right?¡±

    ¡°A...anyways! I¡¯ll say it again.¡±

    Aria realized that Artpe had realized the truth, so she quickly ended the conversation by giving an exnation.

    ¡°If I¡¯m in the holy priestess¡¯ shoes, I would think of the hero-nim as my destiny..... I was trying to say that I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist falling in love with Artpe-nim on first sight. It is because the holy priestess-nim is in an ideal situation that all women want to be in.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, the only obstacle in her way is Maetel.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The inside of Artpe¡¯s head kept getting moreplicated. Silpennon spoke as he watched Artpe.

    ¡°Anyways, you should probably change how you treat the holy priestess. We are almost finished on our end¡±

    ¡°You guys are almost finished? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah. I see.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he looked at the documents ced on top of the table. One of the document was the inner map of the Zero ss, and most of the map was covered with ck check marks. There really wasn¡¯t much ground to cover. They were getting close to the finish line.

    ¡°I think our search will end tonight...no, it¡¯ll end tomorrow night. Also....¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s eyes were filled with a cold rage.

    ¡°Their n is going to be carried out soon. When you sent Maetel to the forefront, Pdia¡¯s image of a ¡®hero¡¯ started to move on from you. It was transferred to Maetel. They want to get rid of Maetel before it is toote.¡±

    ¡°Until now, Artpe-nim did well in keeping the holy priestess in check. However, our enemies will try to send an invitation to her before they carry out their n. They probably believe that Artpe-nim is deep in love with the holy priestess-nim. I believe they will use her to separate Maetel-nim from Artpe-nim.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that really sounds usible.¡±

    Artpe silently looked over the files as he listened to Silpennon and Aria. He suddenly raised his head as he mumbled to himself. A high rank priest, who was hiding his demonic energy, had just knocked on the room next door. When Silpennon was notified of this fact, he became anxious. He asked Artpe questions in an argumentative manner.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to stop them right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.... Let¡¯s listen in on them for a little while before we make the judgement.¡±

    Artpe ced his hand on the wall of the room, and he activated his Listen-in spell. It was a spell that could capture voices through any sound dampening spells or barrier type spells. He was always thankful of Aedia. It was a spell he took from them.

    [It seems the rtionship between hero-nim and holy priestess-nim have improved a lot.]

    [Does it look that way? Hoo-hue. Ooh-hue hue.]

    [However, you always meet him in the same location, and that must be stifling.... As it happens, a festival weing the heroes is about to open. The pope gave his consent. Both of you will be allowed to go downtown. I came here, because I wanted to notify you of this news.]

    [Oh my. What an excellent suggestion....]

    As expected, this was how they were going to proceed. From their perspective, it was the most logical step. They would avoid exposing their actions to anyone outside their circle by sending the hero and the holy priestess out for the day. When one took into consideration of the improving rtionship between Artpe and the holy priestess, the n sounded much better.

    [I¡¯ll have to thank the pope directly. I want to go thank him in person.]

    [The pope wanted to personally cheer you on, but unfortunately, he is busy doing another task.]

    [He is cheering for me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is as if everyone is trying to help me. I am so very happy.]

    [We know how much sleep you lost waiting for the hero-nim. It was a sentiment we also felt alongside you.]

    On the surface, it sounded like a conversation between a fool of a priest and a maiden in love. However, Artpe knew their intentions, so the conversation gave him the creeps.

    [Then we will prepare the carriage for you tomorrow.]

    [Yes. I want to thank you again.]

    The holy priestess saw the priest out with a bright voice. When the priest left the room, she was left alone in the room. She sat down, and for a moment, she let out augh.

    [That is such a thinly disguised n. They want to get rid of Maetel by putting Artpe-nim and me out of the way..... It seems they are finally going to show their teeth in earnest. He stank of demonic energy. He couldn¡¯t even smell his own rotten smell. Before long, the reputation of the temple will crash to the ground.]

    Artpe wasn¡¯t too surprised when he heard her words. In his past life, Vad had been a little bit older, but she had known all about the corruption within the temple. It wasn¡¯t surprising to find out the current Vad also knew about the corruption.

    However, the words that came out of her mouth afterwards truly surprised him.

    [This can¡¯t happen. If I don¡¯t go to Artpe-nim right now.... He¡¯s probably with that bitch right now.]

    After saying those words, the holy priestess shot out of her seat. Artpe couldn¡¯tprehend what had just urred, so he just blinked his eyes. Silpennon and Aria had been watching him, and they wondered what had happened. They looked at Artpe with expectant gazes.

    ¡°The internal force within the temple is dead set on killing Maetel.¡±

    ¡°And? What about the holy priestess?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it sounded as if she is trying to prevent that from happening?¡±

    He had spoken those words in a dazed manner. Silpennon and Aria had on a simr expression as Artpe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°Did she realize that you were listening in? What if she knew you were using the Listen-in spell? Maybe, she purposefully spoke those words, so she won¡¯t buy any ill will from Artpe-nim!¡±

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m able to manifest my spells without anyone in the Zero ss finding out about it¡±

    ¡°So what the hell happened then? If we take into ount the hostility towards Maetel-nim by the holy priestess-nim, she should be cooperating with their n in earnest! She shouldn¡¯t be trying to stop it!¡±

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m also lost as to what is going on!¡±

    The three of them couldn¡¯t ept the reality, so they kept prattling on with each other. However, they had forgotten one important fact. Vad was heading towards Artpe to tell him the truth. Of course, Vad would meet Maetel, who was guarding the Artpe-less room!

    Artpe desperately got up from his seat.

    ¡°You guys continue your search. I¡¯ll have to listen in on what Vad has to say to Maetel.¡±

    Yes, he would listen in on the conversation between the two. This would allow him to decipher what Vad was thinking. He was sure of this.

    He¡¯ll know if she was simply a psychotic bitch, or if she had other ns. He would be able to find out if Vad wanted to turn into a Demon again in this life, or if she wanted to stand by Artpe¡¯s side as the holy priestess!

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤we are heading out!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ah-ooh-ooh. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared to find out what wille of this.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤let¡¯s just continue our investigation. We have to end it quickly.¡±

    In his past life, he hadn¡¯t shown this level of resolve even when he fought against the hero. Artpe looked resolute as he slipped out of the room after cing a camouge spell on himself. Silpennon and Aria were resolved to just focus on their own work.

 Chapter 119 - Mission Impossible (6)

    Chapter 119 - Mission Impossible (6)

    Maetel was in the midst of rolling around on top of the bed. She was waiting for Artpe to return when she heard someone knock at the door. She froze in ce.

    [May I enter, Artpe-nim?]

    It was a voice that sounded simr to the bell that rang during the morning and dinner hours inside the great temple. It was a very clean and pure voice of a woman.

    It was amazing. For some reason, her mood turned very sour when she heard that voice.

    ¡°Artpe isn¡¯t here right now.¡±

    [Ooht¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    When the woman on the other side of the door heard Maetel¡¯s voice, she hesitated. However, she once again knocked on the door.

    [Maetel-nim, may I enter?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you cane in.¡±

    When she said Artpe wasn¡¯t there, Maetel expected Vad to turn back immediately. Why was Vad searching her out? In truth, Maetel was curious as to what Vad wanted to say to her, so she nodded her head. Of course, she regretted her decision when she let the holy priestess in. The holy priestess was shooting darts with her eyes when she came face to face with Maetel.

    ¡°Hello. I hope you are doing well, Maetel-nim.¡±

    ¡°Your expression makes me think that you don¡¯t want me to be doing well.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Unlike how you look, you are pretty quick on the uptake.¡±

    If one was just listening to their conversation, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see the two girls stand up and shank each other! However, they decided not to fight in earnest at this moment in time. Of course, even if they did fight, Vad would be ughtered by Maetel. It would be her end.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here, because you wanted to meet Artpe? So why did you insist oning in here?¡±

    ¡°You are right. I really really wanted to see Artpe-nim. It was driving me nuts. I couldn¡¯t wait, so I came here. However, I was plunged into despair when only Maetel-nim was here. Still, I believe I should at least have one conversation with Maetel-nim. That is why I am here.¡±

    ¡°If you want to know something about Artpe, you can ask me. I know everything regarding Artpe. Everything.¡±

    ¡°Hoo hoo hoo..... I¡¯m thankful for such words.¡±

    If Artpe was present, he would have died from being unable to breathe when he heard the blunt words being exchanged between the two girls. In truth, he was camouged outside of the room, and he was listening to their words through the Listen-in spell. Artpe was listening to their words live, and he started feeling pain in his stomach.

    ¡°So why are you here? Did you reallye here, because you wanted to ask about Artpe?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll gradually find out about Artpe-nim through my own efforts. Thank you for the offer. It is the thought that counts.¡±

    ¡°So what? You said you had business with me. I want you to quickly resolve it before Artpees back.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t even think about getting up from the bed. She just stared at Vad. Vad felt significantly overwhelmed by Maetel¡¯s sheer presence, but she gutted it out.

    ¡°What does Maetel-nim think about the temple?¡±

    ¡°It is a stagnant and putrid puddle of water.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are unexpectedly urate in describing the problem.¡±

    ¡°You are in the middle of that puddle. The pope and the other high rank priests are rotten in a different way, but you are also rotten. The light in your eyes is improper for a person that is called the holy priestess.¡±

    At Maetel¡¯s blunt words, Vad let out a bitterughter. She was already cognizant of this fact to a certain extent.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m part of that putrid water. As a priestess, it shouldn¡¯t manifest in me, but I possess unsightly desire, obsession and twisted delusions. I have it all, and I don¡¯t n on denying this fact. There is only one reason why I can state that I am better than the other priests......¡±

    Vad took short and quick steps to approach Maetel. She lowered her head, and she spoke into Maetel¡¯s ear with her lowered voice.

    ¡°At the very least, I haven¡¯t conspired with the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    ¡°So you knew about it?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. In fact, Vad was much more surprised by Maetel¡¯s non-reaction.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I knew about it, but I couldn¡¯t do anything about it on my own. However, he came when I was about to give up. That is why I consider my meeting with Artpe-nim as a fateful encounter. In some ways, it is to be expected. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°You are free to think that Artpe is your destiny. I won¡¯t say anything in regards to that.... However, have you told this to Artpe?¡±

    ¡°No. I genuinely wanted to enjoy the sweet time I had with him a little bit more. However, I can no longer do that anymore.¡±

    Vad gritted her teeth as she spoke.

    ¡°Those bastards finally revealed their teeth. They¡¯ll make Artpe-nim and I vacate the premise. While we are gone, they are going to try to cause you harm.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At that moment, Maetel became surprised more than ever before. She replied as if she couldn¡¯tprehend Vad.

    ¡°Why are you telling me that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°If you let it be, there was a chance that I might have died? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you if that happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m the holy priestess, and I always stands by the hero¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°However, I thought you didn¡¯t think of me as a hero?¡±

    Their words were truly scary. Each girl were able to see into each other¡¯s true intentions. She only acted like a ditz in front of Artpe. Maetel was truly sharp at reading the heart of others. Vad was confident in her ability to hide her her heart from others, but she became very nervous in front of Maetel.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think of you as a hero. Artpe is the only hero, and I am very sure of this deep within my heart. I am a holy priestess for a single hero. I am a holy priestess only for him.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t matter if you aren¡¯t the true hero. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that Artpe-nim truly treasures you. When he conversed with me, half the topics were about you. I had to try very hard to tamp down my surging anger..... You probably didn¡¯t know this.¡±

    When Maetel heard Vad¡¯s words, a smile blossomed on her face. In her mind, Vad wanted to p that smile off of Maetel¡¯s face, but she continued to speak.

    ¡°If you are killed when we are absent, Artpe-nim will receive a very deep wound in his heart. At that point, I will never be able to win against you in my lifetime.¡±

    ¡°You are really interesting. You really are rotten.¡±

    At that moment, Artpe and Maetel felt the same sentiment about the holy priestess.

    ¡°Yes. That is why I can¡¯t lose you like this. At the very least, that time isn¡¯t right now.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mm. I like you, because you are honest. Hoo-hee.¡±

    Maetel trilled as she stood up. She was sure Vad hadn¡¯t said everything within her mind. However, it was enough for now.

    ¡°So do you know what their n is to kill me?¡±

    ¡°I dont have the exact details. However, if I¡¯m to make an educated guess, there is only one possibility. It is the magic circle.¡±

    ¡°Oohk.¡±

    When Maetel heard those words, she groaned. She remembered the disaster in Aedia. As if the holy priestess knew what Maetel was thinking about, she shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°The age of Aedia¡¯s magic circle can¡¯t even bepared to ours. Of course, the level of security present can¡¯t bepared either. Even with Artpe-nim¡¯s vast knowledge and transcendant magical energy, he won¡¯t be able to handle the power of the magic circle. He would need to receive control authority from the pope and the holy priestess.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing impossible for Artpe..¡±

    Of course, she wanted to trust and rely on Artpe too. That is why the holy priestess didn¡¯t undercut Maetel¡¯s idiotic words.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve told you right now, I also possess control authority to the magic circle. My authority is certainly inferior than his. However, it is enough to interfere with him exercising his power.¡±

    ¡°You want to stop him with just that?¡±

    ¡°I cannot stop him with just that. When we confront him, the pope and the high rank priests will show their true nature. That is why we have to start thinking of a surefire n that will bring them down.¡±

    At that point, Artpe let his worries go. He was still worried about it, but at the very least, it seemed the holy priestess was capable of rational thought.

    ¡®As expected, she won¡¯t turn out like the one from my past life. Her personality remains the same, but the situation around her haspletely changed. In her past life, she believed the ridiculous lie that she can¡¯t mate with anyone that wasn¡¯t a hero. This caused her to go berserk, and she had be a Demon of her own volition. However, there are two heroes now. I¡¯m male. There is no way she would use such an extreme option now.....¡¯

    Of course, she didn¡¯t hide her hostility towards Maetel, and that did worry him. It seemed holy priestess only saw Maetel as a rival. Basically, she wouldn¡¯t give up the position of holy priestess, while he remained the hero. She wouldn¡¯t try to harm Maetel.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m kind of dumb. If you want to make ns, we should wait for Artpe toe back.¡±

    ¡°All right. However, that wasn¡¯t the main reason why I came here. There is something that I want to discuss that is more important than the danger you face.¡±

    ¡°Ho-oh. I see. I also wanted to tell you something before Artpe gets here.¡±

    Huh? If he didn¡¯t go in right now, he had a bad feeling that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see either of them in the eyes for a while.

    Artpe had assessed the situation through his intuition. He canceled his Listen-in spell, and he was about to rush into the room. However, the entire Zero ss shook at that moment. A very low vibration rang out.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the magic circle.¡±

    Artpe mumbled in a low voice as he stood still. This was something that urred only when a very specific requirements had been met. It was the resonance between the magic circle and the Mana.

    It was manifesting at the heart of the Zero ss, and it¡¯ll probably spread to the entirety of Lihazeta soon. At that point, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. He would be basically fighting against Mana that had umted within the city for the past couple hundred years.

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa nyaa-ah?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Shit. The situation is turning into a shit show.¡±

    Until a moment ago, his enemies had been plotting to get rid of Maetel. However, they had suddenly and aggressively assumed the offensive. It didn¡¯t make sense from amon-sense standpoint.

    There were only two possibilities that could exin the current situation.

    First, there was a possibility that they found out about the holy priestess¡¯ actions. If she was moving against them, their current actions were understandable. However, Artpe was currently using his Read All Creation ability and his spells to monitor the situation nearby. This possibility wasn¡¯t likely, so he shelved it.

    That meant the second possibility was the only one left now.

    It was the possibility that Silpennon and Aria were found out.

    ¡°Those idiots!¡±

    The magic circle wouldn¡¯t have been activated unless something critical had been discovered. Artpe gritted his teeth as he tried to chase down their location.... At some point, he realized that the city¡¯s sky was filled with an artificial light.

    ¡®Huh? Isn¡¯t this.....¡¯

    The light came from an unknown location in the city, and it stopped at a certain altitude. It created an enormous screen that anyone in the city could see. It was the item given to Silpennon by Artpe! It was the projector Artifact, which was capable of visual transmission!

    [I never expected the heroes to know our secret.... I hadn¡¯t been worried, because they had been so well-behaved. I never expected them to use underlings. I can¡¯t let that happen. I can¡¯t let them interfere with the grand design of his highness, the Demon King.]

    The pope¡¯s voice rang out as it reached the entirety of the city. The quality of the transmission wasn¡¯t great, but one had to take into ount that Silpennon was hiding the Artifact from the pope. The fact that he was able to pull this off was amazing in itself.

    [Your highness the Demon King? You are the pope. How can you speak those words?]

    [You are speaking about the requirement of my position. That cannot bind my will and actions. Do you realize that ¡®god¡¯ is such a pitiful concept? The only thing we can believe is power! Massive power! Moreover, his highness the Demon King possesses that power!]

    These were words that shouldn¡¯t be spoken by a pope, yet his words came out without constraint. The citizens of the city were dazed as they looked at the massive screen that had appeared above the city. They became shocked when they were faced with the picture and voice of the pope.

    The people of the city were all aware of the transmission, and it seemed the pope was the only one that didn¡¯t know about it.

    [Everything will be tiresome because of you. I nned on cleanly eliminating one hero. At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to guarantee the life of both heroes.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe and Maetel won¡¯t be as easy as you think.]

    [Hoo-hah. We¡¯ll see about that. Since the status of the sacrifice is quite excellent, I¡¯ll look forward to seeing the result.]

    ¡°Sacrifice¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe knitted his brow as he mumbled to himself. He looked beyond the blurry image, and his eyes finally picked up the figure of a girl thrown into the center of the magic circle.

    It was the sight of the maid Aria, who possessed an Innate ability.

 Chapter 120 - Double Crisis (1)

    Chapter 120 - Double Crisis (1)

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim!¡±

    If one was awake, one wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the chaos that was sweeping through the entire city. It was that chaotic. The holy priestess and the hero had been immersed in a war that could only be waged between women. However, they saw the images outside, and they heard the voices apanying the footage. They immediately stood up, and they ran out of the room. Their eyes turned round when they discovered Artpe outside of the room.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, do you know what is happening right now!?¡±

    ¡°I have a rough idea, but I don¡¯t have time to exin it to you.... Just follow me!¡±

    Silpennon had shown him his map today, and there was only one region that hadn¡¯t been exploredpletely. Artpe was sessful in narrowing down the location that would be most suitable for what was going on right now. Artpe took the two girls, and he abruptly started running.

    ¡°Aht! Holy priestess-nim-kahk!¡±

    A priest had caught sight of them, and he started running towards them. The priest¡¯s head was sent flying when Artpe swung his Mana String.

    ¡°Act now, ask questionster.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I won¡¯t kill anyone that doesn¡¯t possess Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°Demonic energy.... As expected, hero-nim.....!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everythingter. We have to move right now.¡±

    Artpe let out a lightughter as he tossed the corpse into his Dimensional Pouch. Vad was at a loss for words when she saw this.

    Artpe seemed to know everything that was going on inside the temple. However, that fact was secondary to what he was showing her. Until now, Vad had strictly known him to be a magician, yet he was showing her feats that was unimaginable. It ran counter to what he had shown everyone on the surface.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry before more priests gather here. We have to save our friends.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Aria? Who is that girl? Howe she is taking on the main role of a misfortunate heroine?¡±

    ¡°She is Silpennon¡¯s ally. She also possess an Innate ability, and her magical energy beyond her Record. She is the ideal candidate to use as a sacrifice for a spell.¡±

    Artpe grinded his teeth as he spoke. They were very unlucky. If Silpennon and Aria weren¡¯t discovered by the pope, he would have be able to leisurely move the pieces on the board to his liking....

    At least, Silpennon was able to activate the Artifact, and he was able to expose the true identity of their opponent with truly exquisite timing. Fortunately, their true identity was being spread across the city. Artpe was within the Zero ss, yet he could feel the city be red hot. He could feel the anger, shock and suspicion of the people. He could vividly hear the shoutsing from them.

    ¡°The masquerade is at an end. Even if we resolve this as soon as possible, it will take a very long time for this city¡¯s faith to recover.....¡±

    ¡°It seems Artpe-nim had made preparations for all of this. While youughed and conversed with me, you ordered your underlings to expose the dark underbelly of the temple to the whole world..... I cannot begin to fathom the new Artifact and the type of magic being used right now.¡±

    ¡°Hue hue. Isn¡¯t Artpe too cool?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he really is.... He is too amazing.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if friendship blossomed after their fight. The two women were showing off their affections for Artpe, and in the end, they had made a connection.

    Artpe started not liking the idea of being connected to these women.

    No. Didn¡¯t he have hope yet?

    Silpennon will encounter Vad at the site, and she¡¯ll miraculously awaken to her true love towards Silpennon....

    Was he expecting too much?

    ¡°Koohk!? Hero-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Bye!¡±

    There were two types of priests that were running around the Zero ss. There were the priests that were a bit slow in the head. These priests still didn¡¯t know what was going on. Then there were the priests, who were jittery. They were anxious at the prospect of being found out.

    The former group would never cross paths with Artpe¡¯s party. Thetter group was immediately killed when encountered. Roa growled every time a priest was killed, but he wouldn¡¯t let her drain the Demonc energy from the dead bodies.

    ¡°Later. I¡¯m pretty sure a more appetizing prey will show up soon.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhh.]

    Maetel had a good idea as to who that prey was. Maetel steadily went into her battle mode as she confirmed something with Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe, what level is the pope?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s around 340.¡±

    ¡°340!?¡±

    ¡°For your information, he is also one of the Four Heavenly King in the Demon king¡¯s army.¡±

    Maetel and Vad felt like they had turned stupid when he dropped this enormous bombshell. He smirked as he continued to speak.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s army always enjoys hitting humanity on the back of the head. By taking the temple, the hero will despair even if they aren¡¯t able to kill the hero. That is the way of the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    Moreover, there were two heroes this time around. This was also the reason why they were insistent on killing one of the heroes. This n was the height of inefficiency, so it definitely had the touch of the Chef¡¯s hands!

    Moreover, the one overseeing this whole n was.....

    ¡°His name is Jeriet, and he possesses an Innate ability of Transformation. He is..... He is the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.¡±

    In his past life, Jeriet had been one seat above Artpe in the Demon King¡¯s army. It was fair to assume that he was probably the weakest now.

    He was like Artpe. His abilities weren¡¯t focused solely on the martial aspects. If the hero¡¯s party had to fight a higher level opponent, he was probably the most fair opponent.

    ¡°I sense something was wrong with the pope, but I never expected him to be a Demon.....¡±

    ¡°That bastard eats his chosen prey. The consumption of his preys allows him to duplicate all the special characteristics of his preys. He is able to transform into their form. At some point, he took the ce of the real pope.¡±

    ¡°My god.....¡±

    She knew their current situation was urgent, but Vad couldn¡¯t help it. She asked another question.

    ¡°How do you know all of this, Artpe-nim!?¡±

    ¡°It is the nature of my Innate ability. You cannot hide anything from my eyes. Like right now....¡±

    Several Mana Strings extended from his hand, and the strands swiped at empty air.

    In the next moment, a part of the hallway naturally crumbled, and a staircase leading downward was revealed.

    ¡°My god..... Your powers really gives me the chills. As expected of hero-nim....!¡±

    ¡°So, Artpe....¡±

    Vad¡¯s eyes were full of love and admiration. On the other hand, Maetel was somewhat used to his abilities, so she unsheathed her sword as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Is there a way we can win against a level 340 enemy? We were able to win against the Kraken and the Ancient Kraken thanks to extremely favorable circumstances. The current situation.....¡±

    ¡°It really is the perfect situation for us. You don¡¯t know this yet, but there is a reason why Demons don¡¯t directly confront a hero in the human realm.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head in confusion, but Artpe wasn¡¯t the one to exin the situation. The exnation was given by none other than the holy priestess.

    ¡°A Demon¡¯s ability is weakened in the human realm. There is also a difference in Mana depending on the realm. Demons are weakened up to a certain point here, and they aren¡¯t able to manifest their power given to them by their level.¡±

    She continued to speak as the party descended the staircase.

    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say this, but...... It is possible to weaken them further with the power I possess. It is the significance of being a holy priestess.¡±

    ¡°As their first act, this was why the Demon King¡¯s army decided to render the temple powerless. It is also why one of the Four Heavenly King transformed into the pope to infiltrate this ce. He did it despite knowing the danger.¡±

    In truth, the n had been very sessful in his previous life. A Four Heavenly King died in that venture, but he had expertly razed the temple to the ground. The holy priestess¡¯ tragic end was just a bonus.

    ¡°However, even if I¡¯m capable of weakening them, I¡¯m merely a holy priestess with no battle capabilities. That is why I acted ignorant until Artpe-nim arrived. I had no choice.¡±

    ¡°The fact that you became aware of their intentions is amazing in itself. Even a normal hero won¡¯t be able to see through that bastard¡¯s transformation ability.¡±

    Unfortunately for their enemies, Artpe and Maetel weren¡¯t normal heroes. It was as if they were heroes that had experienced killing a Demon King before. On the other hand, Vad was only a holy priestess. It was quite the feat that she was able to notice the seditious energy crawling through the inner temple.

    ¡°I guess we are just going to rush him. He is level 340, but he is weakened since he is in the human realm. If this woman casts an additional weakening spell..... Yes, I think it¡¯ll be possible.¡±

    ¡°However, the biggest variable that could sway the oue of this situation is the magic circle.¡±

    She had used the magic circle in her past life to transmogrify herself into a Demon. As expected, the holy priestess made an astute observation.

    ¡°You said the Demon has a transformation ability, and he ate the pope. In turn, this gives him everything possessed by the pope, so he probably gained the ability to use the magic circle.... However, it doesn¡¯t seem he was able to activate 100% of its power. Anyways, there is a high probability that he¡¯ll use the magic circle to amplify his power.¡±

    ¡°No. If he did that, he¡¯ll be tied to the magic circle. He isn¡¯t just aiming for Silpennon and Aria. He wants to eliminate either Maetel or me. Instead of amplifying his power, there is a high chance that he¡¯ll use it for a summoning magic.¡±

    ¡°Summon magic.... I see. I didn¡¯t realize there was that possibility.....¡±

    In truth, simr words were written inside the exchange diary found within the Zero ss by Silpennon and Aria.

    At the time, it said they wanted to summon a level 250 magical beast. However, they had a sacrifice now, so they would probably attempt to bring out a much higher level magical beast. It might not be a one-off. They might attempt multiple summons.

    The price of this magic was Aria.....

    Artpe bit his lips.

    ¡°She said she wanted an active role, but she keeps acting like a heroine in a knight¡¯s tale.¡±

    ¡°Artpe.... That girl too....?¡±

    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t mine. She¡¯s with Silpennon.¡±

    After descending the staircase, they ran through a dark hallway. The voice and the image being projected above the city no longer reached them. However, one thing was for sure. Aria¡¯s situation would not get better. In fact, her situation was turning graver by the minute. Even if one factored in the fact that the Four Heavenly King Jeriet was weakened, Silpennon hadn¡¯t reached level 220 yet. Jeriet wasn¡¯t a foe that could be ovee by Silpennon.

    ¡®If he is like the one I knew, he¡¯ll act big. He¡¯ll try to show off. He¡¯ll give the hero¡¯s party the time to make preparations. He¡¯s supposed to be the prototypical Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army.... If he finds out about the footage that is being sent out through Silpennon¡¯s magical tool, the situation will get worse. Then Silpennon will try to save Aria even if it is unreasonable for him to do so. He might get hurt..... Shit!¡¯

    That was why it would have been better if they weren¡¯t found out in the first ce!

    If so, the reformed holy priestess would have worked with the two heroes to gratifyingly fuck over the pope and his core allies. Artpe would have been able to induce a ssic scenario. However, he was about to lose two precious talents if things continued along this path! On top of that, the temple was going to be destroyed in its entirety!

    ¡°Artpe! Over there!¡±

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The secret hallways reached all corners of the Zero ss. The priests, who had thrown away their god to worship the Demonic god, were using the secret hallways to converge on the magic circle!

    Artpe and Maetel were merciless as they cut down anyone in their path. Vad was very flustered as she watched them. Then she finally realized she could do something to help them.

    ¡°O...oh, my god! The heroes are fighting against evil as you¡¯ve ordered. Please imbue them with power suitable for this situation! Hero Bless!¡±

    This was something only a holy priestess could use on a hero. It was a buff spell. This was obvious, but this was the first time Artpe and Maetel had received it.

    There wasn¡¯t a clear amplification of their power, but it felt as if their bodies were light as feather. The feeling was temporary, but it felt as if they had leveled up multiple times at once.

    ¡°It is a buff that increases the quality of your soul! I thought it might be something that both of you must have when facing an opponent with a higher level.....¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. This is the first time I¡¯ve received a buff. It¡¯s something new.¡±

    Fortunately, this blessing wasn¡¯t headed only towards Artpe. It would have been a lie if he said he hadn¡¯t been worried. However, even Vad was able to discern what was most important right now.

    When Artpe saw this, he carelessly smiled towards Vadient. At his gaze, Vad felt embarrassment and happiness. She lowered her head.

    ¡®Does Artpe-nim know about what I did back then.....? Ah. Ah-ooh-ooh. Artpe-nim is so advanced in the path of magic that he might have noticed it. I see. He actedpletely innocent during the Blessing..... I can¡¯t believe how truly great he is.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter what Artpe did. In the end, she felt herself liking him more. Her feelings surged. In that aspect, she was simr to Maetel. Artpe, who was unaware of her feelings, just continued to move forward.

    After several more priests(There were only 20 priests residing within the Zero ss. They had killed a lot of them.) were killed, they were finally able to reach the scene.

    ¡°Silpennon, are you somehow holding out..... Huh?¡±

    He was ready to overturn everything as he poured his magic into his Magic String. He forcefully kicked the door open, and he saw the underground square. Artpe was having a hard time believing his eyes.

    He didn¡¯t want it to happen, but he had been ready for the worst case scenario of Aria being sacrificed. He had been prepared to face a level 300 three-headed monster¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.

    ¡°Aria!¡±

    ¡°Ooht. Ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Koohk. Y...you bitch!¡±

    The center of the magic circle was still letting out an uncontroble amount of light.

    However, the magic wasn¡¯tpleted for the duration. The Mana of the magic circle was pouring into the sacrifice, who had been ced in the middle of the magic circle.

    ¡°What the¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe rubbed at his eyes as he looked at the scene again. He used his Read All ability, but the information he received wasn¡¯t different from what he already knew.

    Aria was using her Innate ability.

    She was assimting with the magic circle.

 Chapter 121 - Double Crisis (2)

    Chapter 121 - Double Crisis (2)

    ¡°She is a lowly level 3 civilian. She possesses an Innate ability, but she is of extreme low station! How can this lowly bug use the magic circle¡¯s power!¡±

    ¡°Koo, koo-ooooooh-ha-ahhhhhh!¡±

    It seemed the old pope didn¡¯t even bother hiding his identity anymore. He was too taken aback by the situation. He extended his hand towards Aria.

    However, his magic was neutralized and dispersed into the magic circle when it touched Aria. It was turned back into Mana, and it was imbued into Aria. This cycle had probably repeated itself once Aria went into her assimtion state.

    This was obvious, but it was impossible for Artpe to do anything to her either. He didn¡¯t possess the control authority, and he didn¡¯t possess the Assimtion ability.

    ¡°M...my god.......¡±

    ¡°Artpe, if you are here, do something! At this rate, Aria will......!¡±

    When faced with the sight that transcended every expectation, Artpe was struck dumb. Silpennon became aware of the intrusion. He yelled out in anger towards Artpe.

    His body was already a mess. Fortunately, he suffered normal wounds. Silpennon hadn¡¯t suffered any critical wounds. It seemed Aria had awakened before Jeriet could attack Silpennon in earnest.

    ¡°From my point of view, I¡¯m critically wounded. These aren¡¯t normal wounds, you bastard..... Koo-ook!¡±

    ¡°You are an idiot. If it can be healed, then it isn¡¯t a critical wound. Vad, please heal that guy.¡±

    ¡°If it is Artpe-nim¡¯s request, I will always do as you wish!¡±

    If possible, he wanted to buoy the love of Silpennon from her past life to the surface. He left Silpennon in Vad¡¯s care. Afterwards, Artpe¡¯s entire body emitted Mana Strings, and he faced off against the Four Heavenly King.

    ¡°Koohk, hero. You were quick in getting here.¡±

    Nervousness was clearly etched on his face. If his n had worked, he would have sessfully summoned a magical beast by the time the heroes arrived at this location. He would have felt reassured with a magical beast under his control. However, the magic circle was out of his control now, and the holy priestess had arrived with the heroes. It was the worst case scenario for him.

    ¡°It seems you can¡¯t do as you please with the magic circle, Four Heavenly King Jeriet of the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    Artpe judged that Jeriet¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t in a healthy state right now, so he wanted to further destabilize his mind. He attempted one of the the critical skills of a Four Heavenly King called ¡®You really thought I didn¡¯t know?¡¯ skill.

    ¡°How did you know my name!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was thinking it was about time. The hero would fight the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King, and after a fierce struggle, the hero would win in the end. The weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King would tell the hero that there are three stronger Four Heavenly Kings left. This would make the hero bite his lips in consternation. I knew this moment woulde!¡±

    ¡°What!? How did you know I¡¯m the weakest......!¡±

    Artpe was skillful in using the tactics of a Four Heavenly King. This was why he took the offensive by attacking Jeriet¡¯s mind. Jeriet was extremely flustered, yet Artpe¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t at an end yet.

    ¡°However.... By the look of things, you weren¡¯t able to pull it off. Don¡¯t you thinks so?¡±

    As the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King, Jeriet was in charge of filling the hero with despair and fear! However, things weren¡¯t turning out as he expected. The magic circle was out of his control, and he was sweating buckets in front of it. How was such a sight supposed to strike terror into the hearts of Artpe¡¯s party? It was impossible.

    ¡°Hoo. I¡¯llpliment you for finding out that I¡¯m one of the Four Heavenly Kings within the Demon King¡¯s army..... You are getting too big for your britches! It has only been several years since you¡¯ve developed your power as a hero, yet you dare to think that you will be able to defeat me!¡±

    Artpe turned a questioning look towards Silpennon, who was being treated by Vad. He tried to confirm something with Silpennon. Silpennon discreetly raised his thumb.

    Everything was perfect now.

    ¡°However, Jeriet..... You are currently in your transformed state. It is true that it would be difficult for us to face you in your true form. However, you are borrowing the form of the pope. You are much weaker than normal right now. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°Ha. It is merely a level penalty of 20%......¡±

    Jeriet was speaking in an overbearing manner, but his words trailed off. He caught sight of the countless Mana Strings forming around Artpe, and the bastard sword. The bastard sword gripped within Maetel¡¯s hand was letting out a bright light. Jeriet hadn¡¯t expected much growth from them since only 3 years had passed. However, the heroes were quite menacing right now.

    If he returned to his Demon form......

    ¡°Shall I guess as to why you haven¡¯t returned to your original form?¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous. You are merely a human, yet you want to read my intentions?¡±

    ¡°If you return to your original form, you¡¯ll lose the control authority over the magic circle. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    He was right. The only reason why the Four Heavenly King was able to activate the magic circle was thanks to taking on the form of the pope after eating him. If he returned to his original form, he would lose all advantages he gained from mimicking the pope.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    He wanted to quickly activate the magic circle, and he wanted to return to his original form. If that happened, he could put pressure on the heroes. He would be able to create a truly perfect picture. He had been anticipating for such a scene.....

    ¡°Artpe, what is Aria doing? Is it dangerous?¡±

    ¡°It is dangerous. I don¡¯t know how she is able to do what she is doing right now.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying!?¡±

    In truth, it was a desperate situation, yet Artpe continued to make fun of his enemy. He was taking his time. However, as he kept attacking Jeriet¡¯s mind with truths, he was trying very hard toprehend what was going on right now.

    First, he knew that Silpennon and Aria had been exploring thest region left in the Zero ss. They were unlucky, and they were found out by Jeriet.

    Jeriet realized that it would be impossible to quietly dispose of Silpennon and Aria. Moreover, he realized that Aria possesed an ability that would make her a great sacrifice for the magic circle. This was why he had revealed his true nature by activating the magic circle. Silpennon had been smart, and he was able to use the Image Transmission artifact to broadcast everything above Lihazeta.

    Silpennon also attacked the pope in an attempt to save Aria, but his ability was sorelycking to be able to fight one of the four Heavenly King. He had suffered grievous wounds, and Aria was in danger of dying after being used as a sacrifice for the magic circle.

    This was the information he had discerned before he entered this ce. This was why he couldn¡¯t guarantee the lives of Silpennon and Aria before he got here. When he entered the underground za, he had found Aria ced in the center of the magic circle as a sacrifice, and she was assimting with the magic circle¡¯s Mana. She was doing an excellent job fusing with the magic circle.

    Even if Aria¡¯s Innate ability was amazing, Artpe was having a hard time epting what was going on. If she was able to assimte with anything or anyone she wanted, she would have already reached the realm of the gods.

    The magic circle waspleted through the countless years. A magic contract was created, and only a very limited number of people was able to use the magic circle. Despite this fact, Aria was assimting with the magic circle, so of course, Artpe was shocked.

    If she was able to do this, he was sure Aria was.....

    ¡°All right. Jeriet-nim will personally take care of you all!¡±

    It was already a situation where he couldn¡¯t use the magic circle ording to his will. This was why he gave up on controlling the magic circle. He took off the pope¡¯s outer shell, and he regained his original form of a Demon!

    ....for now, Artpe let Jeriet be.

    Artpe yelled towards Vad. She had finished healing Silpennon, so she was getting to her feet.

    ¡°Vad! Give that girl..... I want you to give that girl a Blessing!¡±

    ¡°What!? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood!¡±

    She didn¡¯t fully understand what Artpe wanted, but since it was a order from him, she would follow it. Vad used all the power avable to her as the holy priestess, and she activated her Blessing skill. She aimed it towards the girl located at the center of the magic circle.

    It was a basic skill of a priestess that allowed her to assign a ss to a person. Once assigned, one had to carry the same ss for the rest of one¡¯s life!

    ¡°Why are you all so carefree in this situation¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    Jeriet couldn¡¯t make neither rhyme nor reason of their actions, so he expressed his anger.

    He was about to interfere in their actions, but all the Mana Strings surrounding Artpe¡¯s body was shot towards him. A magical barrier was created around Jariet. It was childsy for Jariet to destroy each Mana String, but thousands were rushing all at once towards him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to move forward until he destroyed all of them!

    ¡°How dare you use such tricks on a Four Heavenly King.... Koohk!?¡±

    He was barely able to free his body, but by that time, Maetel had reached him by using her eleration skill. Maetel¡¯s eyes shone as she swung her bastard sword!

    ¡°Artpe, help me!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    If Jariet was facing one hero, it would have been enough. However, the teamwork between the two heroes were perfect. The Four Heavenly King Jariet was in the human world. Moreover, he was within the Zero ss where most of the holy energy was concentrated. On the other hand, Maetel and Artpe had been strengthened after receiving a buff from the holy priestess. They attacked the weakened Jariet with everything they got!

    A wing that let out a brilliant golden light sprouted from each of their backs. This deepened the connection between the two heroes, and it raised each other¡¯s power. As a Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army, he despised true bonds betweenrades. The bond between the two heroes was clearly manifesting in magical and physical form, and they were tormenting Jariet!

    ¡°Insolent¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ All right. I¡¯ll kill you first, bitch!¡±

    Even if he didn¡¯t use his Transformation ability, Jeriet was a legit level 340 Four Heavenly King. His body was covered in ck leather, and ck Demonic energy emanated from all over his body. The Demonic energy was letting out an ominous light as his body was strengthened. The ominous light pushed against the Hero¡¯s Aura.

    ¡°The power I gathered from those that I transformed into can be used to strengthen my body..... This ability allowed me to climb to the top of the Demon King¡¯s army. It allowed me to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings!¡±

    ¡°I already know everything, so stop with thementary! Just fight me!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    It was the portion of the fight where he was supposed to boast about his abilities, yet Artpe was ignoring him. Artpe shot his spell towards Jariet. Maetel shoved the bastard sword into Jariet¡¯s hardened stomach, and blood sprayed out. At the same time, she activated her Bash skill. It ripped apart his guts!

    ¡°Koo-ha-ahhhhhk!¡±

    They were heroes with no ethics!

    Jeriet desperately retreated backwards. He gritted his teeth as his wound healed itself. In the past, one of his prey had a regeneration ability, so he would just need five seconds to....

    ¡°Stopmenting on your abilities!¡±

    ¡°Koo-ahhhk! I didn¡¯t even speak those words out loud!¡±

    In Artpe¡¯s absence, Jeriet had be the new weakest Four Heavenly King. It was true that he possessed an amazing ability, but it also came with a downside. The added skills and abilities rted to his Transformation skill strengthened his body and special characteristics. However, there was a slight dy before he could use these added abilities. This very short dy was enough for Maetel and Artpe to attack him!

    ¡°Koo-haaaaah!¡±

    The enraged Jeriet swung his thick arm, and he struck out at Maetel! Maetel had activated her eleration in time, so she was able to dodge the blow. However, the destructive force within his arm still remained. His arm sliced through empty air before it struck the wall of the secret space.

    Boom!

    The wall exploded, and a deafening sound apanied it.

    In a sh, the secret room was exposed to the sky, and moonlight shone down upon everyone.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmmm?¡±

    Jariet finally realized that something had slipped his mind.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, the holy priestess was....¡±

    The holy priestess should be supporting the two heroes in battle, but she wasn¡¯t doing anything.

    Why was that?

    Was she unable to throw away her desire to monopolize Artpe?

    Was she going to wait until Maetel was dead?

    No, that wasn¡¯t it. She was still carrying out Artpe¡¯s orders.

    Her eyes were wide open, and she was shocked at the reality that was supposed to be impossible.

    ¡°A...Artpe-nim. Perhaps...... This girl is.....!?¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The duration of the Blessing depended on the ss¡¯ special characteristic. At its shortest, it took one second. There were cases where it took over a minute. Vad was finally able toplete her mission.

    Jeriet¡¯s rampage had caused a hole to form in the ceiling, and an unusually bright moonlight shone through it. The ss given to Aria by Vad was clearly revealed to the world.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh, ha-ahhhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    After earning her ss, the girl had changed into a new existence. She finally awakened. Her eyes opened.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°Holy prieste.....¡±

    She possessed golden eyes that was letting out an unimaginably brilliant light.

 Chapter 122 - Double Crisis (3)

    Chapter 122 - Double Crisis (3)

    The magic circle was etched into the capital of Pdia. There were only two people capable of activating the magic circle within the Zero ss. This was also true for the entirety of Lihazeta. It was the pope and the priestess.

    This was probably the product of the contract made by the predecessor hero. Even if Aria possessed the Assimtion ability, there was no way she could easily circumvent the safety measures. There was no way she should have had such an easy time assimting with the magic circle. On top of that, she had been ced within the magic circle as a sacrifice to activate ck magic. It made what happened all the more unlikely.

    If so, what was the only possibility that exined this situation?

    That¡¯s right. If Aria was a holy priestess, it would easily exin the current situation.

    [Aria Kuar Serieta]

    [Level : 36]

    [Holy Priestess]

    [Innate Ability : Assimtion]

    ¡°Y...you realized this, so you ordered me to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Of course. There are two heroes, and there is no rule stating that there can¡¯t be two holy priestesses.¡±

    He was speaking in this manner, but he was also taken aback when he realized his prediction had been correct.

    Why?

    There were two heroes and two holy priestesses.

    It meant it wouldn¡¯t be strange if there were two Demon Kings!

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    On the other hand, Vad had appointed the new holy priestess with her own hands. She was looking at Aria, and Vad clearly looked agitated.

    Was it because another girl upied the same position of the holy priestess that she had considered it to be solely hers?

    Or was it anxiousness that arose from the possibility of having another rival in her pursuit for love?

    Or was she feeling sympathy for the girl, who shared the same fate as her?

    Maybe, all of them were the correct answers or it might all be the wrong answers.

    However, she was sure about one thing. The rule, which she had considered to be absolute, waspletely broken into pieces.

    ¡°Aria, are you ok!?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I can¡¯t.... I¡¯m not able topletely control the magic circle!¡±

    After earning her ss, she was going through the process of leveling up after absorbing the Record of the magic circle. Even with the change, she couldn¡¯tpletely control the magic circle.

    When Jeriet gave up his control of the magic circle, the energy of the ck magic had run amok. If Aria rxed even a little bit, her body would be swallowed up by the runaway magic circle. Even if she had be a holy priestess, the benefit brought on by the change was extremely limited.

    ¡°E...even if there are two holy priestesses, it changes nothing! I¡¯ll kill both holy priestesses, and it¡¯ll just raise the fear and despair felt by the humans!¡±

    The appearance of the second holy priestess made Jeriet feel very flustered. However, he still acted brave. In truth, he hadn¡¯t received much damage from Maetel¡¯s attacks, and he was also attempting counterattacks now. It was clear that he still had power to spare.

    However, the mere presence of a holy priestess weakened a Demon¡¯s energy. With one holy priestess, the heroes were able topete with him even with the huge level difference. When there was only Vad, Jariet could push them back using the advantage of having a higherlevel. However, when Aria perfectly transitioned into being a holy priestess, her presence suppressed the power of Demons. Even if Jeriet was a level 340 Four Heavenly King of the Demon King¡¯s army, he couldn¡¯t help, but feel burdened!

    If things continue along this path, there was a chance that he would die before he could aplish anything. This thought made him break out into cold sweat.

    ¡®This is embarrassing to do as a Four Heavenly King, but.... It would be stupid to drag this out any further. The initiative waspletely seized by the heroes. For now, I have to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡¯

    ¡°Hoo-ohhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhk!?¡±

    His eyes shone in the next moment, and the ck demonic energy roiling near his heart started to manifest in an instant. The overwhelming amount of Demonic energy pushed back Artpe¡¯s Mana with brute force!

    ¡°Koohk!? You are all brawn and no brain. As expected of the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King.......!¡±

    ¡°Evil Fist!¡±

    Demonic energy settled around his thick fist, and it turned into the shape of a hammer. At once, he brought it down towards Maetel. It was called a fist yet it wasn¡¯t a fist! This was the gist of the skill!

    ¡°Eeek!?¡±

    Maetel had anticipated Jeriet¡¯s fist, but instead of his fist, her vision was filled with the fast approaching Demonic hammer. Maetel knew her party members would be hurt if she avoided this blow, so she raised her bastard sword to face the attack head on.

    ¡°Koo-ha-ha! You are quick like a little mouse, but it seems you can¡¯t run away with yourrades in danger!¡±

    An enormous shockwave was created when the two shed.

    ¡°Kyahhk!¡±

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t even in a proper defensive stance, and she was inferior in terms of level.

    Will she able to block a strike that contained the entire might of Jeriet? The shock was felt all over Maetel¡¯s body, and she was sent flying backwards.

    Artpe had been ready to attack Jariet with all the Mana Strings he had manifested. He clicked his tongue, and he turned his Mana Strings into the shape of a soft barrier. He caught Maetel.

    Moreover, this was what Jariet had been waiting for. In a sh, he shot into the air, and he flew towards the hole in the ceiling. He shot into the sky.

    ¡°Jeez. I never expected someone that¡¯s higher level than us to run away, so you are catching me off guard. That bastard is a more cowardly and cheap loser than I thought!¡±

    ¡°You can talk all you want! Your attempts to provoke me will no longer work!¡±

    After catching Maetel, Artpe desperately sent his Mana String towards Jeriet. However, the Four Heavenly King had already gained distance from the two holy priestesses, so he had regained his strength. He could easily resist against the Mana Strings!

    ¡°I¡¯ll retreat for now, but I will surely take one of the two lives of the heroes next time! Holy priestesses! It¡¯ll be the same for you two bitches! Hear me all humans! His majesty the Demon King¡¯s shadow had fallen over the holy nation of Pdia! You should all tremble in fear! Ooh-ha-ha-ha-ha!¡±

    It seemed he knew about the image transmission Artifact! Or he waste in realizing it, so he was probably putting on an act! He was trying his best to act naturally!

    Jeriet was about to exit the scene using his teleportation spell, but a figure suddenly appeared above him.

    ¡°You forgot about me, you son of a bitch!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    It was none other than Silpennon. He had just been healed by Vad, so there wasn¡¯t much strength left within body. Still, he had activated the Blink Boots, which had been loaned out to him by Artpe. Silpennon was sessful in getting behind Jariet!

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    He concentrated all his Mana into a Unique skill of a thief. It was called the Lucky Strike. He nted his dagger in the back of Jariet¡¯s head. There was such a big level difference, so the damage caused wasn¡¯t that big. However, Jariet lost a little bit of his bnce. He slightly dipped towards the ground, and that was enough....

    ¡°Now, Artpe-nim!¡±

    Jariet had entered into the sphere of influence of the two holy priestess, and his body weakened in an instant. He was letting out ck smoke. She didn¡¯t want to lose this opportunity, so Vad used the spell called God¡¯s Chain. Her spell restricted the movement of Jariet, and it applied a debuff that decreased his immunity.

    Even if Vad was outstanding, she couldn¡¯t ovee the wide gap in level with the Four Heavenly King. She could only restrain Jariet for couple seconds, but that was enough!

    ¡°Good job, Vad!¡±

    ¡°Koo-hahk!?¡±

    Afterwards, Artpe shot out couple thousand strands of Mana String. It took the form of an enormous spear, and it embedded itself in Jariet¡¯s stomach!

    ¡°Ggoo-rooooooohk!¡±

    Therge spear had embedded itself when Jariet was defenseless. In the next moment, the Mana Strings came undone inside his body, and Hyper Rubbing was used through the several thousand strands of Mana Strings.

    The Hyper Rubbing spell had already reached level 70. When the output of the spell was maximized, the friction was capable of causing the Demon¡¯s blood to boil! The spell was being used simultaneously through the several thousand strands of Mana String. Of course, even a Four Heavenly King would be damaged by it.

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The next person up was Maetel.

    The golden wing unfurled behind her shoulder as it let out a light. Maetel withdrew deeply within herself as she gripped the bastard sword hard. Artpe had used Reinforcement on her sword, so if one of talking about the sword¡¯s ability to amplify magical energy, the bastard sword performed simr to the holy sword of legends. The bastard sword had developed to that extent!

    ¡°Since you attacked me with all you got¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll return the favor by attacking you with all I got!¡±

    She transferred all her reserve power to her bastard sword. The sword let out a brilliant golden aura. She leapt towards Jeriet, and she shoved the sword into his stomach.

    That was painful enough, yet in the next moment, Artpe retracted the Mana, which had been supplying the Hyper Rubbing spell. He rerouted his Mana to Maetel¡¯s Aura. It allowed her to do additional damage!

    ¡°Kya-hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    The pain had already went past the threshold that Jeriet could endure, so the sound of his scream reached the heavens. However, Artpe wasn¡¯t done with his maneuvering.

    It was still immature, but he had his Materialization spell. It was a spell that could change his magic into Mana, and his Mana into magic! It allowed him to freely change back and forth!

    Artpe and Maetel were sharing Mana through Maetel¡¯s Record Master Skill. Hebined all his Mana with Maetel¡¯s Mana, and he kept cycling through the Hero Mana, Mana String, Hyper Rubbing spell and ze spell. Jeriet was continually attacked.

    ¡°Koo-hoohk! Ggooh-ahhhhhhhk!?¡±

    ¡°When the second holy priestess showed up, when you exposed your back to Silpennon, and when your stomach was pierced by me, you had already forfeited your life!¡±

    ¡°Amazing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hero-nim didn¡¯t even need to terminate his spell¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    There were two processes in which Mana was consumed when manifesting a spell. The first was the consumption of Mana in the process of shaping the spell. The second was the consumption of Mana as one maintained the spell as one attacked one¡¯s enemies.

    Artpe had to take a hit as he consumed Mana to manifest this spell. However, his Materialization spell didn¡¯t require Mana consumption to maintain it, and he could continuously change the shape of the Mana ording his will. Unless one was an extraordinary monster, their enemies would be killed before Artpe and Maetel¡¯s Mana ran out!

    ¡°Goohk, ggoo-roo-roo-roohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Jeriet was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, yet he wasn¡¯t an extraordinary monster. As he tried to resist against Artpe and Maetel¡¯s attacks, he tried to somehow activate his Mana. He wanted to use a spell. However, he couldn¡¯t withstand the attack, so he fell to the floor.

    ¡°Kah-hoohk!¡±

    When he opened his mouth, a massive amount of ck blood spilled out. Jeriet squeezed out hisst bit of strength to get out the words that seemed to be engraved in his DNA.

    ¡°Y...you...,.shouldn¡¯t breath a sigh of relief..... I am.....I am merely the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings......¡±

    ¡°Yes. You really lived up to the name of the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. You were really weak. In fact, I¡¯m not even afraid of the next one that¡¯ll show up!¡±

    The next one up was the 3rd ranked Four Heavenly King. She was so strong that she couldn¡¯t even bepared to this bum. It was the Fire Witch Etna. He knew this information, so at this moment, he decided to make fun of his enemy. After he was armed with this determination, Artpe belittled Jeriet! It was super effective!

    ¡°You bastard...kuh-huhk!¡±

    Hisst words were supposed to leave behind fear and despair. When Jeriet heard Artpe¡¯s words, his blood pressure rose, so he could no longer speak. He bled out before he could say anything. Jeriet had taken Artpe¡¯s ce as the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King. The weakest Four Heavenly King died at the hands of the former weakest Four Heavenly King.

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    The fact that Jeriet had died was confirmed when a splitting headache assaulted Artpe and Maetel. It had truly been a while since they¡¯ve felt this.

    Why didn¡¯t Artpe attack Jeriet as soon as possible?

    Why did he wait until Jeriet regained his true form?

    He wanted Jeriet to shed all the penalties that would be incurred by killing him in his pope form. Artpe wanted the full EXP that woulde with killing his real level 340 body.

    ¡°You did that for such a selfish reason!?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    One thing was for sure. If they could endure the pain, Artpe and Maetel would easily surpass level 300!

    ¡°Ahh-ooh! Hurts!¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooooooooooh!¡±

    However, the dance of pain included two more members this time. The root cause of why they were able to go toe to toe with the Four Heavenly King was the power imbued to them by the holy priestess Vad. Then there was the thief Silpennon, who had prevented Jeriet from running away in a crucial moment.

    Their level was especially lowpared to Artpe¡¯s party. For Artpe and Maetel, they had gained EXP that they could have gained in a month. This was why Silpennon and Vad suffered pain that couldn¡¯t bepared to what was being felt by Artpe and Maetel.

    ¡°Head. My head¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Hero-nim, it hurts so much. I think I need the touch of hero-nim¡¯s hands.....!

    ¡°It is growing pain, so stop being a baby! That isn¡¯t important right now¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    After confirming the death of the Four Heavenly King, he immediately turned his head away. He caught sight of Aria, who remained in the magic circle. She was desperately using her Innate ability to keep the rampaging magic circle in check.

    ¡°We have save her right now. Ah, Silpennon. This is secret information from now on, so I want you to end the transmission.¡±

    ¡°Secret? I¡¯ve already ended transmission of the images.....¡±

    ¡°You want to save her? How? Ah, wait a moment. I think I got it.¡±

    The Demonic energy had caused the Mana to run amok. Aria was being tormented, because she was epting this Mana. Even if Maetel wasn¡¯t great at studying, she was able to discern a pattern!

    ¡°You are going to create a new race again!¡±

    ¡°Bzzt. Wrong.¡±

    Artpe dismissed that idea as he took out a thick book.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of making a new new race when she is the holy priestess. This time I¡¯ll let her keep her human form.¡±

    In the past, Artpe had rewritten this magical tome. The magical tome had deviated from its original purpose. At that moment, a miracle opened its eyes through Artpe¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 123 - Double Crisis (4)

    Chapter 123 - Double Crisis (4)

    When Artpe opened the magic tome, it let out a soft light. It started to manifest its Mana in a specific direction.

    Good.

    Since he had re-written the tome with his hands, he had secured a link with it.

    He connected that link to the magic circle. The light being emitted by the magic tome and the magic circle started to mix. The equilibrium that was created was quite mysterious.

    ¡°Ah. Artpe-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    When Aria realized that Artpe¡¯s Mana was connected to the magic circle, she looked at him in surprise. Artpe wasn¡¯t just simply meddling with the magic circle. He possessed clear authority over the magic circle, and he was changing the magic circle¡¯s magic.

    Yes, he had no reason to hide this now.

    When he poured in his Mana to register with the Warp Gate, he had gained administration rights to anything rted to the temple. He also had a degree of authority over the magic circle. If Aria and Silpennon hadn¡¯t been discovered by the pope, he would have resolved everything using this.

    Of course, there had been a catch. It wasn¡¯t just about killing the Four Heavenly King. The key issue was finding a way that would allow everyone to level up as much as possible in the process of killing the Four Heavenly King. This mainly applied to Silppenon and the holy priestess Aria. Later on, the holy priestess Aria was added into this group.

    Thest part of his n had gone awry. If he took that part out, everything had progressed very splendidly.

    ¡°H...how is this possible.....¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m going to cancel the Summoning spell, so you just have to maximize your Assimtion ability from now on.¡±

    ¡°B...but.....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. There is something I¡¯ve prepared for this moment.¡±

    The magic tome let out a light. The pages started to flip on its own. Artpe¡¯s eyes became very withdrawn as he looked at the magic tome.

    He was thinking about his past experiences. He thought about the times when he had to guide Sherryl and Sienna. Then there was the time where he extracted Demonic energy from the Demon Tiana...... He consolidated his experience through the magic tome, and he created a spell. He transferred the spell into the magic circle.

    The rampaging magic circle felt a new ordere in. There was unyielding firmness behind the order, so the magic circle couldn¡¯t resist. It started changing the shape of its magic!

    [Nyaa?]

    ¡°Nope. You have no role this time. You should just go over there and suck on the Demonic energy from the corpse of the Four Heavenly King.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡®I went out of my way to worry about you, yet you give me such a cold reply!¡¯

    The enraged Roa pped Artpe¡¯s hand with her tail, then she headed towards the corpse of the Four Heavenly King Jariet.

    However, Artpe was focused on the magic tome. He didn¡¯t even realize that Roa had left him. His eyes were quickly reading the magic tome. If he wanted to increase the performance of the magic being created by the magic tome, he had to be mindful of his memorization of the spell. He also had to worry about his role in chanting the spell. It would allow him control the magic circle with ease.

    ¡°M...Mr. Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling my name? .....all right. I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Aria was desperately maintaining her Assimtion ability, yet she couldn¡¯t hide the apprehension she was feeling. Silpennon had just escaped the ¡®growing pains¡¯ of his rtionship with Aria. He couldn¡¯t win against Aria¡¯s gaze, so he cleared his throat as he approached her. When Maetel saw this, she let out a lightughter. Vad looked worried.

    ¡°She already has someone she loves.... Oh no. What should I do? If I don¡¯t inform that girl......¡±

    While Vad was struggling with a baseless worry, the Mana of the magic circle rose. As if it was trying to match the magic circle, the magic tome started letting out a stronger light.

    ¡°Aria, are you able to widen the domain of your Assimtion ability?¡±

    ¡°M...my mind and body is at its limit just restraining a portion of the magic circle....¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. Just tell me if it is possible or not.¡±

    ¡°I...it is possible.¡±

    When Artpe heard those words, he immediately grinned. He increased the output of the magic tome, and he shouted out loud.

    ¡°You should imagine yourself sucking in all the Mana of magic circle as you use your Assimtion! You should no longer pay any attention to the Demonic energy within the magic circle!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll believe in you!¡±

    She had been chosen as a holy priestess only moment ago. She acted like a holy priestess. Aria nodded towards Artpe. She spoke with conviction. Until now, Aria had restricted her Assimtion ability. She maxed out her Assimtion ability.

    Her ability to control her Innate ability was on par with Maetel and Artpe! In a sh, her Assimtion ability expanded past the magic circle and the Zero ss. Her Mana assimted with the magic circles equipped all over Lihazeta.

    The Mana, which had run amok under the machination of Jariet, and the Record of the magic circle rushed into her!

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Artpehhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Now! Lastly......! Materialization!¡±

    Demonic energy and all kinds of energy overwhelmed the holy priestess. She was in danger of losing her status as a holy priestess. However, an explosive light shot out from the magic tome, which was being held up by Artpe¡¯s hand. It paralyzed everything nearby. The Mana of the magic circle took on a specific characteristic thanks to the Materialization spell. The Mana formed another small magic circle in the air!

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Aria! Hey! My hand! My hand hurts! Hey!¡±

    It was done.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    From within the blinding explosion of light, Artpe let out a small sigh as he closed the magic tome.

    It hadsted a brief moment, but he had use all of his power in manifesting the spell. Of course, he was tired.

    ¡°It is done.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The one to be surprised the most was none other than Maetel.

    ¡°It is already done, Artpe? I thought you were going to struggle with it for a very long time!¡±

    ¡°It is tiresome, but the Demon King¡¯s army always uses the same pattern. It¡¯s about time that I¡¯m able to easily dispose of their antics.¡±

    When the light dispersed, the sight of Aria bound in the middle of the magic circle was seen. No, the magic circle no longer existed. It was just Aria. It was hard to put a finger on it, but she was letting out a somewhat noble aura.

    ¡°Ah. The probability of us using the magic circle to our advantage was lower than the probability of the Demon King¡¯s army using it to their advantage in the future. That is why I got rid of it¡±

    ¡°You got rid of it..... It was a magic that contained several hundred years worth of history and Record. You got rid of it so easily!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I split it half-and-half between the magic tome and Aria.¡±

    ¡°Half-and-half!?¡±

    The magic circle wasn¡¯t some boiled daikon that could be split easily into halves! It made no sense!

    Artpe left behind the shocked Vad. He headed towards Aria. She remained sitting in what used to be the center of the absent magic circle.

    ¡°Aria.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim......¡±

    She had used her Innate ability in excess, so she didn¡¯t have the strength to move even a single finger. She was leaning against Silpennon, and she was gasping.

    ¡°You leveled up too much all at once, so that is why you are having a difficult time. Still, it won¡¯t have any negative effects on your body, so you can breathe easy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.....for helping me.....¡±

    This was obvious, but there wasn¡¯t a single trace of Demonic energy within Aria¡¯s body. Jeriet¡¯s intention had been to use her as a sacrifice to summon magical beasts. However, at some point, the possibility of her descending into bing a Demon had be a real possibility. Artpe had used his magic tome to reverse the Demonic energy. Lastly, he used his Materialization spell to push all of the reversed energy into Aria.

    [Aria Kuar Serieta]

    [Level : 231]

    [Holy Priestess]

    The result of his actions was a ridiculous amount of level ups.

    ¡°Hoo, hoo-ooh......¡±

    ¡°She leveled up too much? Artpe, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I mean? Aria became higher in level than you.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying!?¡±

    ¡°I just exined it to you, you dork!¡±

    In growth, the most important requirements needed was Mana and Record. Most people achieved this growth when they harmed other beings or when they aplished an Achievement.

    Aria had been in a very special situation. She had received an overwhelming amount of Mana and Record from the magic circle, so it had been possible for her to achieve such explosive growth.

    The level of Artpe and Maetel was so high that Aria¡¯s level looked low inparison. However, she was much higher in levelpared to the thief Silpennon. Silpennon had followed Artpe¡¯s recipe for past two years, and he was considered to be a genius thief. Now Aria was clearly above him.

    ¡°Artpe, did you intend on growing this girl from the beginning¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°No. However, instead of wasting the Mana, I thought it would be best to help develop a rising prospect. Since she was already assimting the magic circle using her Assimtion ability, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel was baffled. She was at a loss for words.

    If Maetel knew what the magic circle had been used in their past lives, she would have understood why he had done this!

    ¡°Silpennon. Aria should be very tired. You should take her, so she can rest. The city is probably in a mess. We have to go patch up the situation.¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to do that? What I meant to say is..... Aria is the second holy priestess. She¡¯ll be traveling with you guys, so it would be best if she appears next to you in front of the people.¡±

    When Silpennon said those words, Aria unconsciously mped down on Silpennon¡¯s forearm. When Artpe saw this, he grinned.

    ¡°Aria is in your party. Our party already has Vad.¡±

    ¡°However, the duty of the holy priestess is to support the hero..... Ah, it hurts!¡±

    ¡°Heeng.¡±

    Artpe understood Aria¡¯s heart. Silpennon was being dense, and Aria looked like she was about to cry. At that moment, Vad interrupted them. She was very flustered.

    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry, Artpe-nim. I know I am not qualified to intertere with Artpe-nim¡¯s judgement and actions, but..... She is a holy priestess, and she cannot do what you propose.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess exists to support the hero. Moreover, the holy priestess is inextricably tied to the hero! If Aria hadn¡¯t be a holy priestess, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. However, she is a holy priestess that possesses the golden eyes. If she chooses someone else other than the hero.....¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ So that is what you wanted to say. Mmm. How should I say this.... All right.¡±

    After hearing Vad¡¯s words, Artpe thought for a very brief amount of time. In the end, he nodded his head after he came to a decision.

    ¡°Vad, you are under a huge delusion.¡±

    Everything that was said by Vad was a fantasy. Her delusions didn¡¯t make any sense, and he decided to break those delusions with his mouth.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it is the holy priestess or the hero. It is just a ss one possesses. There is no rights and duties attached to it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Let me put it another way.¡±

    Artpe put on a smile as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the rule that says the holy priestess must be in the same party as the hero. I¡¯m also talking about the rule that says a holy priestess cannot mate with another man other than the hero...... These are all delusions that were made up in the past.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    Vad was struck dumb. Aria couldn¡¯t hide the relief she was feeling. Silpennon still had no idea what was going on.

    It seemed Maetel was the only one that had theplete understanding of the situation. She could only snicker. At such moments, he felt a disparity between this Maetel and the normal Maetel.

    ¡°S...so....... I¡¯m allowed to love someone other than hero-nim?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the truth. If you see Aria right now......¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe had been about reveal Aria¡¯s pure heart in such an unceremonious manner. Aria yelled loudly to shut him up. She had been unable to move even a finger a moment ago. It seemed she had recovered a good deal of her energy.

    Artpe smirked as he confirmed the truth with Vad.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the holy priestess kisses, sleeps or bears the child of another man. The gods won¡¯t punish the holy priestess. Holy priestesses are already burdened with many responsibilities, so why would the gods try to control the emotions of a holy priestess? If such a god existed, he would be a Demonic god instead of a god.¡±

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That means I¡¯ve been under a ridiculous delusion.....¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Vad lowered her head. It meant that she had epted Artpe¡¯s words as the truth. Of course, if she had been told this earlier, Artpe¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t have been as effective.

    However, there truly were two heroes, and now a second priestess had made an appearance. She had witnessed the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King take on the visage of the pope, and he had been easily killed by Artpe¡¯s party. Everything that had urred had torn down what she had considered to bemon sense. This was why a crack had formed in her firm sense of self.

    On top of that, she had absolute trust in Artpe, and he had pretty much taken a hammer to that cracked sense of self. It would have been strange if it hadn¡¯t crumbled!

    ¡°I see....¡±

    In the next moment, Vad raised her head. Her expression didn¡¯t look dark. Instead, it felt as if her face was shining.

    ¡°Until now, I thought I had loved Artpe-nim, because I was the holy priestess.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, may I kill that woman?¡±

    ¡°You may not.¡±

    ¡°However, it wasn¡¯t like that at all.¡±

    Huh?

    Her intro was ominous, so he was thinking about stopping her right there. Unfortunately, Vad¡¯s words were faster than his.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for you! Not as a holy priestess! I¡¯m just simply in love with you!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hooo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Wowzer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah. Somehow, I feel much better! That¡¯s right. Is this why people call this fate.....?!¡±

    Her eyes started letting out a brilliant golden light. It was powerful enough to be on par with the newly named holy priestess!

    Artpe had been worried things would somehow turn out like this, so he froze in ce. He was like a statue. Maetel unsheathed her bastard sword. Aria had be extremely embarrassed even though the other holy priestess had expressed her love in no uncertain terms.

    ¡°You son of a bitch! Why don¡¯t you just take every woman of this world for yourself!¡±

    Silpennon was still very dense, and he didn¡¯t have anymon sense. Artpe didn¡¯t know why Silpennon had to bring up this topic right now. Silpennon just continued to curse him.

 Chapter 124 - Double Crisis (5)

    Chapter 124 - Double Crisis (5)

    It was found out that the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings had worn the mask of the pope. The Four Heavenly King was killed the very night he was found out. He was killed by the heroes and the holy priestess.

    No one in Lihazeta could sleep that night

    From out of nowhere, the pope had acted like a viin, and he had taken a maid as a hostage. The pope had faced off against the heroes, and the people definitely saw the pope transform into a Demon. It was such a bizarre scene that a y might have been more believable than this. It felt as if they were having an out of the body experience.

    As they were following the story urring within the footage, they could hear and see themotion that was urring within the Zero ss. They saw light and Demonic energy emanate from the Zero ss, so they knew all of this wasn¡¯t a hoax.

    It was truly fortunate that the sight of Aria bing the 2nd holy priestess hadn¡¯t been revealed through the footage. If that truth had been revealed, Artpe would have been able to work with it. However, he preferred not to have that truth bemon knowledge.

    [It really is rude to call someone this early in the morning. It is quite rude. If it wasn¡¯t Artpe-nim, I wouldn¡¯t have answered.....]

    ¡°It is still night over here, so let¡¯s consider it to be even. I want you to contact your merchant association. I¡¯ve attached images that is newsworthy. I want you to spread it across the continent.¡±

    [What is it?]

    ¡°We easily defeated the Four Heavenly king, who had been masquerading as the pope.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°It¡¯s big news, right?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are killing me. I¡¯ll send an executive. Please give us exclusive rights to the story!]

    From the moment he entered Pdia, he had nned on overturning the temple. This was why Artpe¡¯s subsequent actions were truly swift.

    However, the most urgent task right now was to settle down the people of Lihazeta by telling them the truth. Then they had to settle down Pdia. Lastly, he had to inform the people of this continent that a Demon had infiltrated the inner temple. The news of the hero¡¯s appearance had been spread not too long ago, and the people of the continent were still in a state of bewilderment. This news would properly arouse their attention to the presence of the Demons.

    The dam that had been surrounding the Zero ss had been brought down. The rotten water, which had umted within, would be revealed to the world. There was clear evidence that showed the corruption that had festered within the temple. It would show the presence of the Demon King¡¯s army on this continent. This proof would be shown to all humans residing in Lihazeta, Pdia and the whole continent.

    Artpe contacted Leseti and Deyus. He dumped the responsibility of settling down Lihazeta to them. Then he asked Mycenae to spread the news to the whole continent.

    Afterwards, he took Maetel and Vad to the Zero ss. They were going to take care of the priests that were gathering within the Zero ss.

    ¡°M...my god. The pope really fell to the Four Heavenly King.....¡±

    ¡°Aria! My daughter! Hero-nim, is my daughter safe!?¡±

    ¡°Look at these logs! My god! I never expected this to happen within the Zero ss.....¡±

    ¡°Ah. That guy is rotten.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Here is your punishment.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-ahk!¡±

    The pope, who had been their biggest enemy, was gone now. This was why Artpe didn¡¯t have to hesitate any more. Artpe and Vad met out punishment to everyone that was rted to the ¡®rotten water¡¯ within the Zero ss. Only the innocent were left alive.

    The hero and the holy priestess had carried out an execution of blood and iron!

    The priests shuddered when they saw the hill made out of the corpses of the corrupted priests.

    ¡°You are truly cool-head and bold. It seems Artpe-nim had covered up his true nature in order to fix what is wrong within the temple!¡±

    ¡°His judgement and patience.... Hecks nothing.¡±

    ¡°This generation¡¯s hero is the strongest we¡¯ve ever had. He killed a Four Heavenly King before he crossed over to the Demon realm.!¡±

    In truth, the hero from his previous life had aplished this too. At the time, there had been one incident that had gone against the Demon King¡¯s recipe. Instead of the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King dying, the 3rd strongest Four Heavenly had died first.

    At that time, the variable was the holy priestess. She had mastery over the magic circle, and she had been aware of what was going on within the temple.....

    The past hero¡¯s mistake was her inability to control the holy priestess. This was why she had lost the holy priestess after killing the Four Heavenly King.

    ¡®However, I was sessful in correcting that mistake. I killed the Four Heavenly King as nned, and Vad is...... Things hadn¡¯t turned out as nned, but I was sessful in acquiring her as a firm ally. If I can point to one problem....¡¯

    It was the fact that a second holy priestess had been born in Aria. When Artpe thought about this, his head hurt. It was unbearable.

    In truth, he had this suspicion in the past. He had met the Demon Teana, who hadn¡¯t been under the effects of the Demon King¡¯s Innate ability called Absolute Control. He also felt something was out of whack when Etna mentioned that there were two more Four Heavenly Kings above her.

    He became sure of it when the 2nd holy priestess came into being.

    There probably was two Demon Kings in the Demonic realm.

    ¡°Ggoo-ahng-ahhk-ahng-ahk.¡±

    He experienced it for 200 years in his past life. Fate was like that. He was sure fate was capable of twisting history in such a manner! He had nned on quickly killing the Demon King, so he could pursue a business in the dairy industry. He despaired when he realized that he had to climb two hills.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hero-nim?¡±

    ¡°Hoo. It¡¯s nothing.... What about the people? Is everyone gathered here?¡±

    ¡°I believe all the priests within Lihazeta is gathered here.¡±

    When Artpe destroyed the entire Zero ss, an open space had been created. Priests filled this open space. Artpe nodded his head as he looked at them.

    In one corner, he saw Deyus and Leseti. They were using the Image Transmission Artifact to record the scene. In another corner, an executive dispatched by the Anywherepany was holding up the same Artifact.

    It took an enormous amount of money and magical energy to set up the Image Transmission system across continents, but the current issue was too big to ignore. This was why everyone involved had taken the hit of the cost in implementing the system.

    ¡°First, I want everyone to focus your attention here.¡±

    Artpe took out the corpse of the Four Heavenly King Jeriet from his Dimensional Pouch. His transformation ability was no longer being maintained, so the corpse stank of Demonic energy. However, he was still wearing the Artifacts given to the pope. The sight was truly ironic.

    [Nyaa.]

    ¡°No. At the very least, we still need to preserve the evidence that the Four Heavenly King was here.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh.]

    Roa saw the leftover Demonic energy within the corpse, so she was smacking her lips. However, she firmly pressed down on her desire. When Vad saw this, she realized something for the first time.

    ¡°I see. She isn¡¯t a normal cat. She is a cat that consumes all Demonic energy..... She really is the ideal pet for a hero. I can think of no other being that is suited for that role.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°What did she just say?¡±

    ¡°She said you are pretty.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hoo-hooht. Thank you.¡±

    In truth, Roa¡¯s words were more nuanced than that.

    She said, ¡®You smell really rotten, yet you aren¡¯t rted to the Demonic energy? Fascinating.¡¯ However, Artpe didn¡¯t tell her what Roa had said for Vad¡¯s sake. She was finally a holy priestess that was filled with love. He didn¡¯t want to watch her turn dark again.

    He turned to look at the priests, who were focused on the corpse of the Four Heavenly King.

    ¡°You guys saw all of it, right? I¡¯m sure you saw the images that was illuminated above the city at night. I won¡¯t question you all as to whether you believe all of this is true or not. The proof is all here. Moreover, I¡¯m trying to spread this truth to Lihazeta and the whole continent.¡±

    Artpe picked up the corpse of the Four Heavenly King. The evil looking corpse was wearing the holy garments of the pope. This sight was clearly recorded by the Image Transmission Artifact.

    ¡°The temple¡¯s Zero ss was formed to help the hero defeat the Demon King¡¯s army, yet a Four Heavenly King turned priests into followers of the Demonic god. He did this under the guise of the pope. Those that were supposed to bless the hero tried to kill the hero instead. I received help from the holy priestess Vad and myrades to unearth this conspiracy.....¡±

    Of course, he was spouting bullshit.

    ¡°We killed the Four Heavenly King, who had been trying to summon a magical beast in order to kill us. In this process, the magic circle within the Zero ss and the entirety of Lihazeta was incapacitated. It is truly unfortunate since we lost a strong card that would have allowed us to stand against the Demon King¡¯s army. However, it is also true that uncontroble power is more dangerous than an unknown enemy. Several hundred years of history was lost, but as a result, we were able to catch one of the Four Heavenly Kings. From this point on, I¡¯ll continue to catch and kill those that are rotten within the temple. I will put us back onto the right path.¡±

    ¡°Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Hero-nim! Please look this way!¡±

    It seemed Artpe was suited to be a religious leader instead of a hero! He gave an eloquent speech! He nodded in satisfaction when he saw the priests go wild.

    ¡°Good. This is quite easy since they are all idiots.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you should try to hide inner thoughts.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t stepped forward, because he just wanted to inform the priests of the truth. That was only part of the reason why he did so. He wanted the presence of the heroes engraved into the minds of the people all over this continent. He wanted to show them concrete proof that they had killed one of the Four Heavenly King. No country would be able to treat them lightly any more.

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤stly, he wanted toy down the gauntlet to the Demons that were hiding all over this continent. He would bring the fight to them.

    ¡°Artpe-nim is giving a speech in front of all these people. His eyes are shining, and his powerful voice..... Hoo-oohk hoo-oohk.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. I really want to kill her.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah nyaa-ah.]

    Afterwards, Artpe took out all the information gathered by Silpennon and Aria. He revealed all the corruption that had urred within the temple. During this process, Artpe did something he had done within Aedia. There were worshippers of the Demonic god that were trying to hide amongst the priests. They were doing a poor job of it. Of course, he was decisive as he decapitated all of them.

    ¡°The hero knows everything.¡±

    ¡°The hero-nim knows everything!¡±

    This was how the mess in Lihazeta was clearly resolved. Paldia became busy as they tried to choose the new pope. Since the Zero ss was destroyed by Artpe, it was decided that they would build a new temple and housing on top of the ruins. This time all priests would have ess to this location.

    Now there was only one thing left that Artpe had to take care within the temple.

    After he turned back everyone, he settled into his newly acquired lodging. Then he brought in Lihazeta¡¯s archbishop. He had been anxiously searching for his daughter. Artpe called him into his room.

    ¡°Hero-nim, is my daughter safe?¡±

    ¡°If you are talking about Aria Kuar Serieta, she is safe.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    He let out a bitterughter when he saw the archbishop let out tears of relief. He continued to speak.

    ¡°However, she will no longer be able to work as a maid. Of course, it will also be difficult for her to work as a priestess in the main temple of Lihazeta. I¡¯ve decided to ept her into my party.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. What an absolute honor..... However, my child is still very weak.¡±

    ¡°However, she is special. You probably knew about this, right?¡±

    At his words, the archbishop meekly nodded his head.

    ¡°She truly is special. However, it isn¡¯t as if her level can be raised in an instant......¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be take all taken care of by us. I want the knowledge of Aria being in our party to be a secret. Moreover.... You cannot tell anyone about her ss.¡±

    ¡°Aria¡¯s ss¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t say anything as he pushed a Soul Contract towards the archbishop. It was fresh off the press from the Anywherepany. He received it early in the morning. On another note, he had received a signature from Vad. He received her promise that she wouldn¡¯t do as she pleased from now on. It was an attempt to stop her from going bad. For some reason, Vad became hot and bothered when she signed the contract. He didn¡¯t want to think too deeply on that.

    ¡°You shoud sign this first.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood.¡±

    When the archbiship finished cing his signature on the contract, Artpe flicked his finger.

    From the beginning, Aria had been waiting inside the room. Aria meekly revealed herself.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Aria?¡±

    ¡°Father.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Eh-heh-heh.¡±

    Aria let out a sheepishughter. Afterwards, a halo appeared behind her. The archbishop was at a loss for words. Of course, he knew which ss had been acquired by her daughter.

    After all the disturbance was put to rest, the hero¡¯s party left Lihazeta without any regret.

 Chapter 125 - Her Her & Her (1)

    Chapter 125 - Her Her & Her (1)

    It was the dead of night, yet a party was exiting Lihazeta. They made sure no one knew they were leaving. This group included Artpe, Maetel, Vad, Silpennon, Aria, Leseti and Deyus.

    Artpe thought about watching the new pope being elected, but it would take too long. He had went through the trouble of dering a war against the Demon realm, so he couldn¡¯tze around in one ce.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. I want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to sleep while I carry you, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°No. Please restrain yourself.¡±

    As always, Silpennon was jealous and envious when he heard the conversation between Artpe and Maetel. His body shook. Suddenly, he had a thought.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t you n on adding us to your party? You said you¡¯ll consider it after we settle matters here.¡±

    ¡°I did, and I decided. We¡¯ll walk parallel paths to each other, so we¡¯ll never cross paths again.....¡±

    ¡°You bastard!?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Silpennon approached him. He tried to grab Artpe¡¯s neck, but Maetel sent him a sharp gaze. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife. He slowly put down his hands. Artpe gave him an exnation.

    ¡°If Aria hadn¡¯t shown up, I probably would have merged the two parties. However, that is no longer the case.¡±

    ¡°The addition of one more holy priestess is a good thing! She was able to sufficiently weaken the Four Heavenly King we faced!¡±

    ¡°Two parties will each possess a holy priestess, and we will cause confusion to our enemies. Moreover.....¡±

    It was expected that there were two Demon Kings in the Demon realm. If they moved in a group of eight, they would just be an easier target. The hero¡¯s party was effective against the Demon King¡¯s army, because they were a light and sharp spear. There was nothing to gained by bulking up the party.

    ¡°I want us to operate as two parties. Your party is pretty bnced now.¡±

    ¡°Still, we are weakpared to you guys.¡±

    ¡°That is why you should get stronger. We¡¯ll draw the aggro of our enemies.. You guys can remain on the down low, while growing in power. We¡¯ll face the Demon King¡¯s army with two hero¡¯s party.¡±

    ¡°You......¡±

    Silpennon finally realized the meaning behind the words spoken to him by Artpe not too long ago. He realized why Artpe had insisted Silpennon apany Aria, and he realized why her identity was kept a secret.

    He also now knew why he was so bold in appearing in public with Maetel and Vad.

    ¡°Still, this sounds like nonsense! The real hero¡¯s party will act as a shield for fake hero¡¯s party? There should be a limit as to how many idiotic words cane out of your mouth!?¡±

    This was why he was taken aback by it!

    ¡°The other option is we can attack the Demon King¡¯s castle, while you guys act as a shield. However, you guys are too weak, so we have no choice. We have to do it the opposite way.¡±

    ¡°We are strong. It¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    Silpennon was at a loss for words when he heard Artpe¡¯s words and Maetel¡¯s calm words. Of course, he knew that the power of Artpe and Maetel was unfathomable. They probably became much stronger after defeating one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    Despite this fact, Silpennon thought they were being reckless.

    ¡°I want you all to work hard. Leseti. Deyus. Can you do this?¡±

    ¡°Hero¡¯s party.... I never expected a day toe where I would have to shoulder such a title.......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll do as you ask. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Leseti and Deyus didn¡¯t sound too satisfied with the current situation, but they didn¡¯t try to turn down the responsibility. Artpe was satisfied with that.

    It was a chaotic era, and there weren¡¯t that many people in this world that were capable of doing what they wanted. At the very least, the two of them would have a hand in determining the course of this era. Their lives were better than most in this world.

    ¡°Are you willing to put your life on the line?¡±

    ¡°If the Demon King¡¯s army wins, it either means the death of all humans or the humanity will be a ything for the Demon King.¡±

    Artpe calmly spoke those words. Lastly, he looked at Aria, who was holding onto Silpennon¡¯s sleeve.

    It had been merely 10 days, yet everything around her had changed. Everything was unfamiliar and difficult. Despite all of this, she had epted her role as the holy priestess, and she was trying to forge ahead. He put her next to Silpennon to provide encouragement.....

    ¡°Be strong, Aria.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Artpe-nim. I¡¯m sorry for being unable to support you by your side as a holy priestess..... However, I believe that your instructions will lead to the defeat of the Demon King. I will do my best next to Mr Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is enough.¡±

    When Silpennon heard her words, he thought Aria wasmenting over the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to join Artpe. His thoughts became gruff and surly. Everyone else was able to glean from her roundabout exnation that she was very satisfied with the current arrangement. Leseti turned pale when she observed Silpennon¡¯s reaction. However, she didn¡¯t go out of her way to spell out Aria¡¯s thoughts to Silpennon.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going now. I want you to focus on raising the level of Leseti and Deyus.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very familiar with Dungeons now. We¡¯ve done this for the past 2 years. Just leave it to me.¡±

    Artpe and Silpennon lightly dapped their fists as a goodbye. The two party started to move in different directions.

    -

    Silpennon¡¯s party would move as nned. They were going to clear the nearby Dungeons as they grew their abilities.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even look back once. .....should I give up on Maetel?¡±

    ¡°You should. I think Maetel-nim would rather die than be with someone other than Artpe-nim.¡±

    At holy priestess Aria¡¯s forthright statement, Silpennon groaned as he lowered his head.

    Leseti, who was supposed to be his guardian knight, didn¡¯t console her master. She just looked at Artpe¡¯s backside as she licked her lips.

    ¡°Artpe is more handsome now.... He looks like an adult. Each of his words and gestures is oozing with sex. Hoo-ooh...... Ssssp.¡±

    ¡°Your voice is dripping with desire and lingering attachment, Leseti. Why don¡¯t you just transfer into their party?¡±

    When Silpennon gave a prickly reply, Leseti smirked as she shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°If not for me, who is going to serve you? Even if I have to give up my youth, I¡¯ll make you seed in your role as the fake hero.¡±

    ¡°Koo koo. Ms Leseti is a pretty good person.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. You are able to see that? You are better than expected. Let¡¯s be on friendly terms from now on.¡±

    They had met not too long ago, yet Leseti and Aria was getting chummy. When Silpennon saw this, he pouted. Deyus roughly had an idea as to the feelings of the two women, so Deyus thought Silpennon was a bit of a git.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go, Silpennon-nim.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m miserable right now, so why are being testy, Deyus?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Let¡¯s hurry up and go! Let¡¯s go catch some monsters!¡±

    ¡°You bastard!?¡±

    They had gained a new party member. She was a level 231 holy priestess with an Innate ability. If he wanted to, Silpennon could im their party to be the hero¡¯s party. That was how strong they were. Silpennon¡¯s party once again moved to explore more Dungeons.

    No one in this world knew about their existence. When their power was revealed, it would truly fuck over the Demon King¡¯s army.

    On the other hand, Artpe¡¯s party was moving down their path at a much faster rate than Silpennon¡¯s party. It wasn¡¯tparable. While they were traveling from Aedia to Pdia, the distance between the two parties had widened. Silpennon¡¯s party had to catch up with them.

    -

    ¡°In this venture, we were able to locate all the Warp Gates that were ced around the continent. Moreover, we obtained the right to use it. Hue hue. It is as if the hero¡¯s party got a system upgrade.¡±

    ¡°System¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Hoo. Listen to me.¡±

    Artpe kindly gave an exnation.

    ¡°In a normal hero¡¯s tale, the early stage is focused on the hero. The details of the towns and Dungeons visited by the hero is focused around the hero.¡±

    ¡°I guess so?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which novel you look at. Once one goes past the halfway point of the story, a powerful foe that opposes the hero is introduced. It could be a country, continent, Dragon or the Demon King¡¯s army. No one wants to hear about what the hero ate at which town. No one wants to read about a depiction of which woman was pretty in which town.¡±

    ¡°The audience wants to listen to the hero¡¯s exploits instead of such minute details.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    This was why the heroes in the stories gained abilities like Warp, long distance teleportation spell or a pet that could fly very quickly through the air. They gained something that would increase their mobility. It wasn¡¯t as if their abilities had risen. These elements were introduced, because it made it more convenient for the plot to progress!

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but you are saying that we are once again walking on the path of the hero¡¯s story.¡±

    ¡°Amazing! I never knew it could be interpreted that way!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it feels as if Artpe is acting arrogant when talking about unnecessary topics.¡±

    Vad¡¯s goal was to tter Artpe. It didn¡¯t matter what he said. It hadn¡¯t taken long, but Maetel had be pretty good at undercutting Vad¡¯s words. He thought it might be fun to travel with this two....

    ¡°We¡¯ll gather our party members. I have a lot of presents I want to give to Sienna.¡±

    As he spoke those words, he showed them spell books that dealt with holy magic and holy battle magic. Maetel wanted to ask him when he had the time to take such items. However, when she saw Roa poked her head out from Artpe¡¯s arms, Maetel decided to give up on questioning him.

    ¡°Everything within the temple exists for the hero. Is Sienna perhaps....?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s female. Regina is with her, and she is also female.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Female wasn¡¯t quite right when describing Regina. It was a bit tricky to describe her, but on the surface, it sounded as if Regina was a normal woman. When Vad heard Maetel¡¯s words, her face stiffened. However, Vad tried very hard to regain herposure.

    ¡°I...I see. It is understandable. Of course, others would recognize Artpe-nim¡¯s appeal.....¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±

    He had done his best put Vad¡¯s dark side to sleep. He didn¡¯t want to disturb it, so he quickly used Blink. He moved his party a distance of several hundred meters.

    Vad and Maetel meekly clung to Artpe. In the next moment, they red at each other then they snorted. It was as if they had promised to act this way. He couldn¡¯t believe how synchronized their actions were in dissing each other.

    ¡°If the second holy priestess hadn¡¯t shown up, I would have been able to nder you without much worry.¡±

    ¡°Shall I bring down the number of holy priestess to one? It is still possible. I can do it right now.¡±

    ¡°Hoo hoo. That is quite the joke. Now that I think about it, can a hero be called a hero if one attacks a holy priestess? What do you think, Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are we really the hero¡¯s party?¡±

    -

    At that moment, it had been 20 days since Sienna had been separated from Artpe. She was showing deficiency syndrome in regards to Artpe. Regina had on an expression that made her thoughts unknowable. Both of them were following the orders of Artpe, and they were moving north of Daitan. They arrived at the Ice Continent of cia.

    ¡°Heeng. I want to see oppa. I¡¯m cold. I want to see oppa.¡±

    ¡°Sienna, your level is high enough that you shouldn¡¯t be affected by the cold temperature.¡±

    ¡°No, my heart is cold. Oppa isn¡¯t here, so my heart has frozen solid.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, that is a funny joke.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Rei, why do you hate me?¡±

    The two of them were over level 270, so they didn¡¯t feel cold standing in the middle of the Ice continent. This was why Artpe hadn¡¯t worried too much when he sent them to this location.

    ¡°If we stay here, we won¡¯t know when springes. No, what is spring in the first ce? If it is a spring without oppa, can I really call it spring?¡±

    ¡°Sienna has abundance of feeling. Envious.¡±

    However, Artpe hadn¡¯t joked about his order. They had to find the Ice Continent of cia before springes. It was a must!

    ¡°If you look at the map, it has the locations of the Dungeons. Let¡¯s stick to this ce for now. We¡¯ll hunt and grow from here.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s quickly level up, so we can leap over Maetel unni.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what is that?¡±

    They didn¡¯t know that Artpe and Maetel was at the cusp of reaching level 300 after defeating one of the Four Heavenly King. The two of them had a mutual understanding as their desire burned. However, at that moment, Regina¡¯s eyes saw something weird.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    They saw an abundance of steam rise in the middle of the continent of cia, which was covered with ice.

    Sienna also saw this. She tilted her head in confusion..

    ¡°What is that? Ah. I think I can see a person in the distance.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I detect a powerful Mana. It is a ridiculously strong Mana.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I think I recognize that Mana.......¡±

    It was an oppressive amount of heat. It turned the cold air washing over their skin into hot air. It seemed this being wasn¡¯t consciously using her Mana, yet all the nearby Mana had contracted into her. Even if the being took a step backwards, she would be able to secure her own domain.

    Yes, this was true even if she was in the Ice continent, which was filled with frozen and cold Mana.

    ¡°Rei, let¡¯s run away.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Sienna and Regina decided to run away before this other person noticed them. Regina tried to use the teleportation Artifact, which had been provided by Artpe for emergency situations. She nned on getting them out there as soon as possible, but they were unlucky. Their enemy sensed them!

    ¡°Ah. Girls! Help meeeeeeee!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    Unlike the power she possessed, the woman sounded as if she had a bit of a screw loose. Her voice made Sienna take a misstep, and she sprained her ankle. Regina desperately tried to support her, but their enemy had already noticed them. It won¡¯t be easy to run away!

    ¡°Everything keeps melting here! My legs keeps getting stuckkkkkkk!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤change our n, Sienna?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is impossible to run away now... Eh-whew. Let¡¯s go towards that woman.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t run away or fight their enemy.

    What were they supposed to do?

    Regina gave up on the n to run away. She decided to make contact with their enemy.

    When they got closer, the other side recognized Sienna first. The woman acted as if they were an acquaintance. The woman¡¯s body was already half-submerged in water. The ice around her was melting, and the water was boiling. It was a scary sight.

    ¡°Ah. I was right! You are the kid I met before! Huhk! You became really strong!?¡±

    ¡°You are still the same.... You are hot!¡±

    Her name was Etna Carlyfate Mirecard. She was the woman upying the role of a Four Heavenly King.

 Chapter 126 - Her Her & Her (2)

    Chapter 126 - Her Her & Her (2)

    ¡°Winter Sprite¡¯s Blessing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    When Regina casted her spell, the fire type Mana around Etna died down a little bit. Etna couldn¡¯t regte her own body temperature and Mana. One had to be a magician of Regina¡¯s caliber to calm down Etna¡¯s Mana.

    ¡°Your Mana resistance is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to ept it, but....¡±

    Of course, this happened under the premise that Etna had allowed Regina¡¯s magic to work on her.

    ¡°Where did you get acquainted with a monster like her?¡±

    ¡°Mmm. You see.... Things happened before and we received help from her.¡±

    It seemed Regina hadn¡¯t realized the identity of Etna.

    It was to be expected. Regina had amazing abilities, but Etna was one of the strongest Demons. She was over level 370. Moreover, her Mana resembled fire rather than Demonic energy. One had to be like Artpe, who had known her in their past lives, or an Evil Reflector like Sienna, who was the antithesis of all Demons. Other than them, it wasimpossible to discern Etna¡¯s identity at a nce.

    ¡°The world isrge. Thank you for making me realize that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one that should be thanking you. I never expected someone young other than Artpe to be so strong. It is surprising.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Normally, Regina would have refuted the idea that she was young. However, Regina was focused on another portion of the woman¡¯s words.

    ¡°Do you know Artpe too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As expected, you are one of Artpe¡¯s party member. So..... It seems Artpe isn¡¯t with you guys?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤at this point, I admit he is an extraordinary man.¡±

    Etna thought Artpe might be hiding. Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she looked at her surrounding. When Regina saw this, she was taken aback. How many women did Artpe have! As if Sienna understood Regina¡¯s feeling, she smirked.

    ¡°So Ms Etna....? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something. I.....found it in an ancient magic tome. I learned that the item I¡¯m looking for is in a ruin in cia.¡±

    ¡°Ruin?¡±

    Artpe had told them about a ruin.

    Was it a coincidence?

    Sienna and Regina had a bad feeling that they might be looking for the same ruin as Etna. Sienna thought about the item they had to retrieve. It was something requested by Artpe. Sienna asked Etna a question.

    ¡°May I ask what you are looking for¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the name. I just know that it was a sculpture carved out of the first ice.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡±

    It was the same item!

    ¡°What are you guys doing here? That¡¯s right. You haven¡¯t said anything about Artpe yet. Where is he?¡±

    ¡°Oppa and unni is moving separate from us. He said they¡¯ll be here after they are done with their tasks, but I¡¯m not sure when.... That is why Rei and I are here. We were sent ahead. .....we are here to find a ruin.¡±

    ¡°A ruin¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Etna also picked up on the implication of Sienna¡¯s words.

    ¡°Are you perhaps aiming for the sculpture too?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m to be precise, oppa wants it.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s tone of voice was asking Etna to take a step back. It was an item wanted by a man, whom she was interested in. Etna snorted.

    ¡°If Artpe asked me in person, it might have been a different story. There is no way I¡¯ll back off. All right. How about if I do this? I¡¯ll take the sculpture, and I¡¯ll make Artpe search me out. Ooh-hue-hue-hue.¡±

    ¡°Heeng. As expected, events are turning out this way.¡±

    Sienna was a very smart child. There was nothing to be gained by fighting over the Artifact when they hadn¡¯t found the ruin yet. Since Artpe wasn¡¯t here, she was well aware of the fact that they had no chance against Etna. This was quite obvious to her.

    This was why she immediately came to a decision.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do this. The ruin we are looking for probably has a lot of other Artifacts aside from the sculpture. That is why we should cooperate with each other to find the ruin. Ms Etna can have the sculpture, and you can yield everything else to us. What do you think? It is a good deal, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh. That ruin has a lot of ma..... It has a lot of things that¡¯ll be of help......¡±

    ¡°Ms Etna, don¡¯t you need Rei¡¯s magic to operate here?¡±

    ¡°Ggooh-ooong.¡±

    As expected, Sienna was a child that knew how to make a deal! Etna gripped her head as she struggled with the decision. In the end, she weakly nodded her head.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do that....¡±

    ¡°So we are forming a temporary party now!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you have my respect, Sienna.¡±

    Both sides had a rough idea as to the identity of one another, yet this was how a weird party was established. It consisted of members of the hero¡¯s party and one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

    ¡°We have to find it before spring? Artpe said that?¡±

    ¡°Huh, Ms Etna? You didn¡¯t know about that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In truth, I acquired the information about the sculpture by luck, so I came running here without much of a n.¡±

    On the outside, Etna looked elegant and graceful. However, when one listened to her words, it was evident that her style was to charge forward in an unsophisticated manner. Sienna had thought that an exchange of information would be possible with Etna. She frowned when she realized that she had made a mistake.

    ¡°Artpe said so. There are many Dungeons here, and they will be difficult for us at our level. We can use that woman.¡±

    ¡°You are able to say such words with me in front of you. Who is this youngdy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.¡±

    Even Artpe didn¡¯t know the exact location of the ruin. It was more precise to say that it was meaningless to know the exact location of the ruin. The ruin was located at the most northern reaches of cia, and it periodically used magic to move its location.

    ¡°When spring arrives, it¡¯ll be gone. It¡¯ll only show up in the winter.¡±

    ¡°I came here without knowing that.... I guess my timing was great. Holy cow. How could Artpe know so much? ....I wonder how he grew up? I¡¯m sure he became more handsome. My intuition as a woman is telling me that my statement is true.¡±

    ¡°It is true that he has be really handsome, but... Oppa is really busy right now. You probably won¡¯t be able to meet him.¡±

    Sienna approached most humans and non-humans with an affable smile, but she acted a bit differently when it came to the Demon Etna. The biggest problem was the fact that Etna was a person that was capable of taking away Artpe by force. It would have been strange if Sienna hadn¡¯t been wary of Etna.

    ¡°What a meanie¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Oh my. I think I can sense a Dungeon over there.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out. It is said that the magical ruin disguised itself to look like the Dungeons of cia. It means we have to enter every Dungeon if we want to find the ruin.¡±

    In truth, that was was a lie. Artpe had taught her a special sign that she could look for. They didn¡¯t really need to go deep into the Dungeons. She could make this judgement early on, and she was told by Artpe to pull out if it was the wrong one.

    However, it was as Regina had said. She nned on using Etna for their development, so she shamelessly lied to Etna. Etna believed every word spoken by Sienna. In truth, Etna wasn¡¯t that bright.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head in!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Of course, they didn¡¯t find the Artifact in the first Dungeon. An enormous snake looking monster greeted them. It seemed no one had found this ce for couple hundred years, and it had grown in the passage of time. It was infused with a very cold Mana, and it had lived its long life by eating other monsters. It was an incredibly powerful Ancient Snake!

    [Kee-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s a snake.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound as if it isn¡¯t a big deal. It is extremely big and scary!¡±

    ¡°At the very least, it is level 300. Artpe is bad.¡±

    Sienna and Regina turned pale when they were suddenly faced with one of the most terrifying monsters they¡¯ve encountered in their lifetime. Etna was unperturbed. When she waved her hand, a me shot towards it.

    [Kyahhhhhhhhk!]

    Since the snake lived within the Ice continent, it loved ice. This was why it was vulnerable to fire. The snake¡¯s skin was burnt to a crisp by Etna¡¯s me. It fell to the floor.

    Boom!

    ¡°It seems the Winter Sprite¡¯s Blessing reduced my power..... Still, it can¡¯t be helped. I don¡¯t want to melt the ground I¡¯m standing on.¡±

    ¡°This is a reduction of your power!?¡±

    Sienna had always been well-behaved around Artpe. However, she was able awaken to a new ability when she was with Etna. She was able to tackle someone with words like lightning! Of course, this skill was useless when trying to defeat an enemy!

    ¡°Anyways, I reduced its defensive capability and mobility. .....it¡¯ll be easy for you guys to face it now.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    Etna had neutralized the enemy with one blow, yet she hadn¡¯t killed it. It seemed Etna was going to follow Regina¡¯s words. She was going to help them grow, so she had pulled back when the enemy was weakened.

    The degree of contribution by them would suffer a lot, but this was an enemy well over level 300. The fact that they would receive a massive amount of EXP didn¡¯t change!

    ¡®Is this person.... Is she much kinder than I thought?¡¯

    At that moment, her good feelings towards Etna surged! Sienna had a rough idea as to which side Etna was affiliated with, so she hadn¡¯t expected Etna to be so cooperative. Despite being bewildered, she stepped forward with her battle hammer. Regina was chanting her spell from behind her.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoo-ahhhhhhho!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Spirits of Wind. Please hasten her speed. Tie up the enemy. Turn theck of freedom to freedom.¡±

    [Kee-ahhhhhhhh!]

    Even if its outer leather was burned, it was a magical beast that had lived for a very long time. When it confirmed that Etna won¡¯t be stepping forward, it started attacking the two girls, who looked beatable.

    ¡°Not a chance!¡±

    ¡°There.¡±

    [Kyahh-hahhhhhhh!]

    However, Sienna and Regina were above level 270! They were two of the strongest beings in the human realm! Under orders from Artpe, they had visited numerous Dungeons, and the two girls had developed teamwork. They used it to fight the snake.

    When Regina¡¯s magic shed open a wound with a spell, Sienna followed it up by smashing the same location with her hammer. The snake tried to counterattack when an opening appeared after Sienna swung her hammer, but Regina stopped the snake in its track with magic. They were like two gears that attacked and defended. Their teamwork was intricate, and they started slowly grinding away at the snake. The snake was stuck between the two rotating gears!

    [Kyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    The girls became limated to the environment, the Dungeon and the speed of their enemy¡¯s movement. The girls started to move faster, and the snake started to cower away. The snake was 30 levels higher, yet it was slowly giving away its lifeblood when faced with the technique and ferocity of the girls!

    Etna had distanced herself a little bit from the fierce battlefield. She nodded her head as she mulled over the situation.

    ¡®Yes. At this rate, they¡¯ll be able to win against it. Eh-whew.... What the hell am I doing? Why am I helping humans grow? Maybe, it¡¯s my destiny as a Demon?¡¯

    It would have been easier for her if she had killed them as soon as she located the members of the hero¡¯s party. It seemed she had worked under the Demon realm¡¯s greatest chef for too long. The chef wanted the hero to finish his recipe. He wanted to nurture the hero until the hero was ready to charge the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    Was she being influenced by the Demon King?

    Even if she helped these kids grow up, she would eventually face them on the battlefield. Etna wondered if this was the effect of the Absolute Control. She thought this even when she knew that idea was idiotic.

    ¡®Still, if the growth of these two girls will mean rtive safety for Artpe. Moreover, if Artpe is safe.... He....¡¯

    She cut off her thoughts at that point. She lowered her head.

    For some reason, the young man had burrowed deep within her heart at first sight. She couldn¡¯t get rid of the boy from her heart. He probably grew a lot since thest time they met. When she thought about him, she felt a thrill. It was the good kind of thrill. However, at the same time, she felt a little bit of frustration.

    There was a chance that Artpe wasn¡¯t the hero. She couldn¡¯t be that unlucky. Even if he wasn¡¯t a hero, the fact that he was a human didn¡¯t change either. Such a powerful and talented young man wouldn¡¯t miss out on the battle against the Demon King¡¯s army.....

    ¡®Maybe, it would be best if the Demonification experiment seeds. If Arpte be a Demon, I won¡¯t have to fight him.....¡¯

    No. What the hell was she thinking?

    She was chained by the Absolute Control, because she was born as a Demon. She had thought about making the young man into a Demon. She was thinking about doing it under the guise of wanting to help him. She was disgusted with herself.

    ¡®No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯te up with an answer. The Demon King¡¯s army, the human realm and myself.... Maybe, it would be best to burn everything. It would be great if the fire swallows my existence and burn everything.¡¯

    Her vacation wille to an end at some point in the near future. When the hero grew enough to threaten the Demon King¡¯s army, she had to leave the human realm. She¡¯ll have to return to the Demon realm, and the Demon King¡¯s army will earnestly move against the human realm.

    Until that moment, she would continue to aimlessly search for an answer that probably didn¡¯t exist. In the end, she¡¯ll¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.

    ¡°Etna unni, we killed it!¡±

    ¡°Y...yes!?¡±

    Etna became surprised when she suddenly heard a voice. When Etna raised her head, she saw Sienna, who had an energetic smile on her face. Regina still remained expressionless. Regina looked beyond them to see the corpse of therge snake.

    ¡°Did your level rise?¡±

    ¡°I think I went up two levels. This is all thanks to unni!¡±

    ¡°Unni¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t used to someone calling her by that title. When Etna unconsciously answered her, Sienna realized that she had made a mistake. She covered her mouth.

    ¡°Ah, ooh..... I¡¯m sorry. It is my usual habit.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. If you don¡¯t mind, could you call me unni from now on?¡±

    What did she gain by getting attached to a human?

    She unconsciously squashed such questions. She felt really good, because unni had a really good ring to it. She didn¡¯t want to think too hard on it.

    ¡®Yes. I¡¯ll just live in the now. I won¡¯t find an answer even if I worry about it.... Let¡¯s push such thoughts aside for now.¡¯

    After she had this thought, Etna put on a small smile. Sienna put on a big smile as she gave her reply.

    ¡°Yes, unni!¡±

    ¡°Sienna is scary¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Rei. Shhhh.¡±

    This was how Sienna masterfully seeded in making one of the Four Heavenly Kings into her new unni!

 Chapter 127 - Her Her & Her (3)

    Chapter 127 - Her Her & Her (3)

    The strange adventures of the three women were on cruise control afterwards.

    ¡°Rei!¡±

    ¡°Land of Ice. Restrain my enemies.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooooohp. Divine! Eh-ee! Boom!¡±

    [Ggoo-ohhhhhhhhh!]

    cia¡¯s notoriety was well earned. Not all Dungeons contained monsters like therge snake. However, it was full of monsters over level 200. These types of monsters rarely appeared in the human realm.

    Even if Etna¡¯s contribution wasrge in these battles, Sienna and Regina went through a significant amount of growth. It had been only 1 week since they had teamed up with Etna, but Regina and Sienna had easily pushed past level 280. Another 10 days passed before they pushed past level 290. Currently, Sienna was level 295 and Regina was level 292.

    [Kah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kah-ha-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. Let¡¯s take a break.¡±

    After a fierce battle thatsted an hour, they were finally able to kill the level 310 Ice Giant. Etna stretched her arms as she yawned. She dered a break.

    ¡°Yes, unni.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. I need to recharge my magical energy.¡±

    As soon as Etna¡¯s words ended, Sienna and Regina fell to the Dungeon floor. They leaned against each other as they sat. Afterwards, Sienna¡¯s stomach growled.

    ¡°We ate not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°W...we moved around too much. Also, I¡¯m in my growth period!¡±

    Sienna¡¯s cheeks turned red as she yelled out an excuse. Then she checked her belongings. She took out a long ck stick. Etna and Regina tilted their heads in confusion.

    ¡°Sienna, are you perhaps going to eat that?¡±

    ¡°Ominous energy.¡±

    ¡°The leg of an Ancient Kraken was sliced thinly, and it was dried into a jerky. Do you want to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°Ancient Kraken¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Brave girl.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡±

    Why weren¡¯t they willing to acknowledge this fact?

    Sienna had such thoughts as she chewed on the jerky. Roa had drained all the Demonic energy from the Ancient Kraken¡¯s tentacle, and Artpe had used a specialized spell to dehydrate it. It was a bit tough, but the meat wouldn¡¯t go bad for 100 years. It contained a lot of nutrients and Mana, so it was the ideal snack to consume within a Dungeon.

    When Artpe made it, he seriously wondered if there woulde a day when they would have to eat it. Sienna was currently eating it to quell her hunger.....

    ¡°Heeeeee. I miss oppa.......¡±

    ¡°A person bes like this when one be involved with Artpe. You should be aware of this information......¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like it, but you are capable of acting quite spoiled.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s level was increasing smoothly, but she hadn¡¯t met Artpe in a very long time. Her withdrawal symptoms were getting quite severe.

    Still, she was hungry. Her nose ran as she earnestly chewed on the Kraken¡¯s tentacle. Sienna looked pitiable and cute at the same time. Regina was nkly staring at Sienna when she realized that something in her possession was vibrating.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤munication arrived. Caller is Artpe.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Sienna moved at the speed of lightning as she snatched themunication device away from Regina. Regina looked a little bit sad. Sienna ignored her as she spoke into themunication device.

    ¡°Oppa, when are youing!¡±

    [I¡¯ll be there in a day. Did you find the ruin?]

    ¡°Hoo-oooooh. I miss you. Please get here quickly.¡±

    [I see. You haven¡¯t found it yet. All right. I¡¯ll get there as soon as possible.]

    This was how themunication came to an end. Sienna handed over themunication device to Regina. She looked nkly at Sienna. Regina didn¡¯t say anything, but she kept pping Sienna¡¯s back. Sienna finally realized that she had been selfish.

    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry. It seems Rei also wanted to talk to him.¡±

    ¡°I deny it. I deny Sienna too.¡±

    ¡°You are denying me!?¡±

    ¡°Deny. Deny.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment! Hurts! It hurts!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see. Artpe will be here tomorrow?¡±

    The friendship between Sienna and Regina deepened as they exchanged fists. Etna quietly mumbled to herself as she raised her head.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t find it fast.....¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Sienna finally realized something. If Artpe came here, he woulde face to face with Etna. Etna had dered something in the past. She said she won¡¯t cede the sculpture unless Artpe showed up. If Artpe came here......

    ¡°I have to find it quickly before Artpe arrives!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯lle face to face with him eventually!¡±

    ¡°I know, but there is a difference if I find it first! Even if it is Artpe, I cannot give up on that statue! I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot support your growth anymore! I¡¯m ending it right now!¡±

    ¡°Aht! Unni! Don¡¯t go ahead of us!¡±

    Etna was feeling desperate now, and Sienna was trying to dy her for a day. The two of them tossed and turned as they ran deeper into the Dungeon. Regina let out a light sigh as she looked at them from the back. She had no choice. She followed after the two idiots.

    ¡°Uh? Look over there!¡±

    It was the promised day. In just a day, they hadpleted three Dungeons.(Regina and Sienna was only able to kill one monster.) Sienna spoke animatedly. Etna was racing across the frozennd towards the next Dungeon when she came to a halt.

    She raised her head to see what was wrong, and her eyes widened a little bit. A fog, which was heavy with moisture, was emanating from thend around them.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that steam?¡±

    ¡°Part of the ground is melting.¡±

    At Regina¡¯s supplementary words, the three of them look at each other.

    ¡°Is this perhaps.......¡±

    ¡°Does this mean spring is almost here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The three of them felt an urgency. It didn¡¯t matter who had the rights to the Artifact. Such a worry was secondary to actually finding the Artifact! Their steps quickened, and the steam thickened the more steps they took! At this point, they finally realized that something was wrong.

    ¡°Unni, is this perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What is it? I¡¯m in a hurry! If I don¡¯t quickly find the ruin, part of thisnd will disappear!¡±

    ¡°I was thinking maybe the loss ofnd might be caused by unni......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ehng?¡±

    Etna stopped when she heard Sienna¡¯s words. She was right. The steam was emanating from a widespread region, but if one had to point where it was the worst, it was near Etna¡¯s body.

    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s strange. I¡¯m pretty sure the Winter Sprite¡¯s Blessing is still active.¡±

    ¡°The Blessing is present. I¡¯m sure of it. I used my search ability. I found another hidden source of heat.¡±

    Regina¡¯s spell should have hidden the heat within Regina, but something was making the heat within Etna¡¯s body boil. It started melting the troublesome continent, which was made out of ice!

    ¡°This is..... It isn¡¯t a natural phenomena. Maybe a spell was ced over the entirety of the continent of cia?¡±

    ¡°Maybe a spell was ced to protect the ruin when it was made. However, the more important fact right now is......¡±

    At this rate, the ruin was really going to disappear! Regina quickly tried to ovep another blessing over Etna. She also tried to cast debuffs that would weaken Etna¡¯s energy. However, she was unable to stop the deterioration of thend.

    To make things worse, the ground split open, and an enormous Dragon shot up into the sky.

    [Those that forcefully called forth spring! Those that covet the winter! I will punish you all!]

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything about this enemy from oppa!¡±

    ¡°Level¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Impossible to gauge.¡±

    If Artpe was present, he would have told them that the Dragon¡¯s level was 320. It was basically the symbol of cia. Artpe would have kindly exined to them that this old magical beast was called the Ice Dragon. However, he wasn¡¯t there right now.

    ¡°Oh my.... Even I will have to brace myself.¡±

    Etna gulped when she saw the roaring Ice Dragon. It was threatening those that had brought spring to thisnd.

    Of course, she was over level 370, but she was in the human realm. Moreover, she was forcefully suppressing her fire while she was in the continent of cia. Her abilities were reduced by 20 percent. If their attributes weren¡¯t opposite of each other, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to put up a fight against the Ice Dragon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this Dragon can be fought with small numbers, unni!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. No... It is not alright. I cannot fight it with the Blessing around me.¡±

    [Koo-hwahhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Unni!?¡±

    Etna was in the midst of assessing her own power. When none of the girls cowered in fear, the Ice Dragon became indignant. It opened its mouth wide, and it let out an extremely cold breath.

    ¡°Yes, this won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhk! The groundddddddddd!¡±

    Etna clicked her tongue, and she unraveled all the Blessings ced on her by Regina. In a sh, an enormous amount of heat emanated around her! When Etna¡¯s eyes red at the Dragon, an enormous wall of fire appeared to block the Dragon¡¯s Breath.

    As a consequence, the ground started melting uncontrobly.

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Unni, we are done! The Ruin is ruined!¡±

    ¡°At the very least, it is better than dying! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll will protect both of you!¡±

    [Gyah-ho-ohhhhhhhhh!]

    Boom!

    The Ice Dragon realized that its enemy was formidable. It didn¡¯t hesitate as it rushed its enemy!

    Several thousand ice crystals formed every time the Ice Dragon pped its wings. New ice coated thend once again. It tried to freeze and break the bodies of its enemies!

    ¡°Preposterous! Ice of that level can¡¯t freeze my heart! It can¡¯t even harm a single strand of my hair!¡±

    The fire possessed by the daughter of the Phoenix flooded outward in an instant. Her body was the epicenter as the ballooning ball of fire melted the ice in its entirety. It created arge crater. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the fire collided with the Ice Dragon, who had been flicking its tongue!

    [Kyahhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Hoo hoo. Is this all you got? If so, this is the end of the line for you!¡±

    She raised her hand. The Ice Dragon¡¯s frost invaded her body as ice covered her hand. In the next moment, her heat melted it, and the ice was turned into vapor. The heat extended out from her hand. Itpressed to form a pir of fire!

    [Kyahhhhhhk, ke-hehhhhhh!]

    The pir of fire impacted inside the open mouth of the Ice Dragon. The Ice Dragon had been about to use a second Ice Breath, and Etna easily cancelled it. It must have hurt a lot. The Ice Dragon stopped charging forward, and it started to stumble backwards. Sienna and Etna used this opportunity to push through the steam. They ran towards Etna.

    ¡°Unni, are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°It has a pretty powerful cold breath, but.... I¡¯m fine!¡±

    In truth, she wasn¡¯t fine. How long had it been since she had released the full extent of her fire? She was having a hard time adjusting to it.

    Still, the human realm and the ice was working in concert to suppress her fire, so she wasn¡¯t satisfied with her output. Moreover, the first Ice Breath and the thousands of ice crystals were starting to slow her down.

    On the other hand, a portion of her enemy¡¯s body had melted away, but when considered the size of its body, the damage was extremely minimal. This was true when one considered the amount of Mana still gathered near its chest, wings and tail. It seemed the Ice Dragon could freeze an entire country with plenty of power left over.

    ¡®Tsk. I could easily defeat it if we are in a different environment within the Demon realm......!¡¯

    It seemed she would have to prepare for the worst. Whether she could find the ruin or not was no longer the problem. Etna stood within the steam, which had been created when she shed with the Ice Dragon. She started to prepare the most powerful me spell in her arsenal.

    The Ice Dragon was also gathering the nearby cold air, and it was concentrating it near its wings. It seemed the Ice Dragon was going to use its ace in the hole to finish Etna.

    ¡°Unni, I¡¯ll help you!¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do anything against it. You should get away from here, Sienna. You might be hurt from the aftershock.¡±

    The Ice Dragon was a foe that was on a different level. It couldn¡¯t bepared to any of the monsters that had appeared within the Dungeons they had explored. Moreover, it held the title of Field Boss. It gave the Ice Dragon authority over the Mana and Record of this vast region! It wasn¡¯t a normal monster, since it was being supported by its own domain!

    If the Demon King¡¯s army had known a monster of this caliber was here, Etna wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to travel here. They probably would have sent another Demon to win over the Ice Dragon to their side.

    ¡®No, I used my vacation time. I forced myself here, so why am I thinking about the Demon King¡¯s army?¡¯

    She scoffed at the thought she just had, and she started chanting her spell in earnest. However, the sight in front of her cleared before she could progress any further in her spell.

    ¡°Hey! You crazy...! Cancel your spell! Cancel it!¡±

    ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh? Artpe!?¡±

    Etna yelled out in surprise when she saw a man suddenly appear in front of her. In the next moment, all the steam emanating from around her was gone. Artpe use his magic. He caused cold air to wash over thend.

    Artpe was over level 300, and he possessed massive amount of Mana. In a sh, a wide area was frozen once again. It was as if the fight between Etna and the Ice Dragon never happened. The region was unscathed.

    [Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    At that moment, the Ice Dragon hummed.

    [I thank you for returning winter.]

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll challenge you fair and square in winter, so I want you to quietly go back to sleep!¡±

    [Understood.]

    The Ice Dragon nodded its head. It acknowledged Artpe¡¯s words, and it docilely sunk below. Cold air coalesced where the Ice Dragon used to be. A stairway heading downwards formed. The girls were dumbfounded when they saw this.

    It didn¡¯t take them too long for them to realize that the Dragon¡¯s true identity was the ruin.

 Chapter 128 - Her Her & Her (4)

    Chapter 128 - Her Her & Her (4)

    The battle had been about to reach its climax. It had been a kill or be killed situation.

    However, their surrounding froze out of nowhere, and it was as if the Ice Dragon hade to some understanding. It nodded its head, and it disappeared. As a consequence, the tension that had built up was ruined.

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Flustered. Relieved. Surprised. Happy.¡±

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Whew. I was barely able to stop you all.¡±

    Arpte had assessed the situation, and he had brought everything to a halt. Artpe calmlynded with two women in tow. Hended in front of three women. Sienna wanted to jump into Artpe¡¯s arms, but she held herself back. She asked him a question..

    ¡°Oppa, what just happened?¡±

    ¡°I stopped the ruin from disappearing.¡±

    ¡°The Dragon itself was the ruin? If I killed it, wouldn¡¯t that have solved everything?¡±

    Etna was a little bit angry, because he had interfered in her fight. Her cheeks puffed out as she interrupted the conversation between Sienna and Artpe. Artpe wondered why Etna was here, but first, he gave her a detailed exnation.

    ¡°The Ice Dragon is the guardian of the ruin, and it is also the soul of the ruin. You can¡¯t kill the Ice Dragon through conventional means. The way you attacked the Ice Dragon would have killed it temporarily. The only thing that would have resulted in the Ice Dragon¡¯s death would be the early arrival of spring.¡±

    ¡°Why? If I kill it, its Record, Mana and loot will be granted to me. For several hundred.... I lived for quite a long time, and this rule has never betrayed me.¡±

    ¡°However, you also know that the rule you are talking about can be circumvented through magic.¡±

    ¡°That is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She had an idea as to what he was talking about, but Etna closed her mouth. Artpe smirked when he saw this. He gave her an additional exnation.

    ¡°You fought against the Ice Dragon. It guards the ruin, and the ruin is linked to the entire continent of cia. If your me can consumed the entirety of this continent, you will be able to gain everything within the ruin. Well? Are you able to do that?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is why I froze everything again. I¡¯ll say this once and for all. You can¡¯t enter this ruin. It is that type of a ruin.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She answered him, but Etna¡¯s cheeks remained puffed up. She looked like a child that had been scolded by her mother. Sienna snickered at the sight, but when Etna red at her, Sienna acted dumb.

    Artpe sighed as he observed all of this.

    ¡°If I knew Etna was here, I would have gotten here faster. I cleared one Dungeon on the way here, so.....¡±

    ¡°You stopped off somewhere on your way here!? Oppa, you are too much! Do you know how much I¡¯ve missed you!¡±

    At that point, Sienna had reached the end of her patience. She freed herself from all anxiety as she hugged Artpe. She clung to him. Vad had been calm as she stood next to Artpe. Her eyebrows twitched for a brief moment, but she didn¡¯t do anything else. She looked as if she was suffering under a Stun spell.

    Of course, Artpe knew why Vad was acting that way. This was why he didn¡¯t find the sight to be amusing!

    ¡°Oppa. Oppa~¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    In truth, Artpe was feelingplex emotions more so than anyone present here. However, he decided to take care of the urgent task first.

    He thought Sienna wouldn¡¯t be lonely since she was with Regina. However, it seemed he had been wrong. Sienna was close to tears as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

    ¡°Oppa, you are too much. You really are too much. You are too much.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. It seems I was reallyte.¡±

    The two of them had never been separated for a long period of time before. It seemed Sienna relied on Artpe. She relied on him much more than he had imagined.

    Normally, Sienna acted much more maturepared to Maetel. When he saw Sienna act spoiled, it was a bit heartwarming. He felt like a dad, who got confirmation that his daughter was still young. It was a strange feeling of relief.

    On the other hand, Regina was very quiet as she approached them. The whites of her eyes shed as she spoke.

    ¡°You have more women. Rare beast.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of hearing such words. I have to hurry up and bring in a male party member.¡±

    Artpe and Maetel had started the hero¡¯s party, and it had been the two of them for awhile. In no time, the party had expanded to five members. That wasn¡¯t all. There was Silpennon¡¯s party. They were operating separate from Artpe¡¯s party. However, both party shared the same goal, so the hero¡¯s party had nine members in total.

    ¡°I still have the problem of needing to recruit two more members.¡±

    ¡°Amazing ambition. Respect. However, I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t women.¡±

    Regina was d to see him, but she could only convey her feeling through curt replies.

    However, he couldn¡¯t be carefree right now. It wasn¡¯t time for him to y with Regina.

    ¡°Artpe.... You¡¯ve grown up a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m in the midst of my puberty. Besides that.....¡±

    The five members of Artpe¡¯s party was bunched together, and Etna was standing a bit away from them. She was looking at him with a vacant look. He had to take care of business with Etna.

    ¡°Why are you here, Etna?¡±

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I read that the item that I want is here.....¡±

    ¡°There is an item you want? Ah.¡±

    Artpe immediately knew what was going on. He was sure she was talking about the sculpture made out of the world¡¯s first ice. Moreover, he was sure that this item existed in the ruin that they were about to go in.

    In his past life, Artpe had acquired this very item from this ruin.

    Of course, his abilities werecking then, so he couldn¡¯t acquire anything more than that item.

    ¡°So where did you hear about it?¡±

    ¡°Mag¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koo-hmmm! I found the information in a library.¡±

    ¡°.....at a library......¡±

    Artpe tilted his head. In his past life, Artpe had a very hard time finding information about this ruin.

    It wasn¡¯t as if there weren¡¯t any hints to be found in the Demon realm. However, the hints stopped well before it mentioned the ruin. He was a bit reticent to say this, but Etna didn¡¯t have outstanding powers of deduction or reasoning. There was no way she would have been able toe here through her own power.

    ¡°I.... I did receive some help from others.¡±

    ¡°I see. However, it seems you didn¡¯t find out about the fact that you cannot enter the ruin.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Etna became sullen as she lowered her head. Artpe was thinking about the consequence of Etna not being within the Demon realm. He wondered what was going on there right now, but first, he decided to console her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Etna. I have a good idea as to which item you want.¡±

    ¡°However, it is a bust now. I wanted to get it before Artpe came. I never expected it to be a ruin that I cannot enter.....¡±

    ¡°I said don¡¯t worry about it. The main reason for finding this ruin has nothing to do with the sculpture. I¡¯m willing to concede that item to you.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    A bright smile appeared on Etna¡¯s face. When Sienna saw this, she wondered why he was suddenly conceding the sculpture to Etna. He had explicitly instructed Sienna to acquire the statue. She was having a hard time reconciling this fact, so she tilted her head in confusion. In the end, she came to a realization.

    ¡®Maybe, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if Etna unni never came to this ce. Maybe, Oppa might have been nning on gifting the sculpture to Etna unni in the first ce.....?¡¯

    If Maetel found out about this truth, Maetel would probably get really angry. Sienna already knew Maetel was very angry at the mere existence of Etna. Sienna knew all of this, but she just assumed that everything would turn out ok. Of course, the situation wasn¡¯t ok.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take one step back, and I¡¯ll wait here.¡±

    ¡°No, you should take couple more steps backward. Your presence will make the ruin melt.¡±

    ¡°Oooh. Understood.¡±

    ¡°Well, you guys head in first.¡±

    Artpe pushed the other party members into the ruin first. They thought Artpe was rushing them a little bit, but they didn¡¯t say anything. They obediently entered into the ruin...... Artpe was thest one left, and he once again made Etna make a promise to him.

    ¡°If you enter the ruin before we exit, the ruin will disappear. We¡¯ll be stuck in a different dimension for a whole year until winteres again. Please refrain froming in.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t go in no matter what. I¡¯ll just wait for you.¡±

    Arpte had arrived when she had given up on acquiring the artifact. At Artpe¡¯s extremely considerate gesture, it felt as if she was on cloud nine. It had also been awhile since she had met Artpe. Her heart started beating faster when she caught sight of him. The fact that he had matured into a babe yed a role in her heart beating faster.

    ¡°If nothing goes wrong, we¡¯ll be out in a month. It is a long time. Are you willing to wait for us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting that long! See you, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Etna made a firm promise with Artpe. The ground around her was slowly melting away, but she was able to float in ce using her Mana. She wouldn¡¯t drown.

    Artpe grinned when he saw this....

    He quickly turned around, and he headed into the ruin. There was a bucket of cold sweating down his face.

    ¡°Crazy! Why is Etna here?!¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you can change your attitude on a dime.¡±

    They had defeated the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. After defeating Jeriet, it was logical to face the 3rd strongest amongst the Four Heavenly King. This was Etna. However, the level difference between the hero¡¯s party and Etna was wide!

    When he realized Etna was here, Artpe had thought the chef had changed his recipe. He thought Etna was here to kidnap the other members of the hero¡¯s party. He almost deluded himself into thinking that.

    ¡°Ah. This is driving me crazy. The fact that we are the heroes had been spread all over the continent. The news that we had killed the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings will be spread, and at that moment, Etna will be the next one to take a crack at us. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t realize the identity of Vad.......¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim, is she a Demon? She is incredibly strong.....¡±

    ¡°She is the 3rd strongest amongst the Four Heavenly King. In truth, she is thest person I want to meet right now.... Ah. There is a trap over there.¡±

    Artpe methodically dismantled the traps within the ruin as he spoke.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as if I don¡¯t have a n to deal with her, but it is too early. Shit. I never expected Etna to travel to the northern continent of her own ord.......¡±

    ¡°That woman likes Artpe. She isn¡¯t that much of a threat.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, she probably does like me. However, that doesn¡¯t make her less dangerous. The Demon King¡¯s ability works on the entire Demon race. It isn¡¯t weak enough to be broken by her personal feelings.¡±

    ¡°Hue hue hue..... Artpe-nim seduced one of the top leaders of our enemy..... You really are amazing.¡±

    Vad let out a kindughter as she spoke. However, she couldn¡¯t hide the lines that appeared between her brows.

    In the beginning, she had thought her only rival was Maetel. It felt as if she had been pped in the face. The two party members, who had been waiting for them, were women. Moreover, one of the leaders of the Demon King¡¯s army was eyeing him. Of course, it felt as if her insides were about to burst!

    ¡®T...this isn¡¯t a problem that can solved by separating Matel from Artpe-nim......!¡¯

    ¡°Are you ok, Vad?¡±

    ¡°Y...yes. Of course. I feel healthier just by being near Artpe-nim..... Ha ha ha.¡±

    The emotions of Vad, which was being disguised by her smile, was almost palpable by Artpe. Her hostility wasn¡¯t limited to Maetel. Her hostility would be spread out amongst multiple people. Maybe, it was a blessing in disguise? His logic sounded a bit off, but at the very least, Vad won¡¯t shank anyone within the party.

    ¡°Even if Etna likes me, she can¡¯t go against the Demon King¡¯s orders. Moreover, the fact that we grew rapidly doesn¡¯t matter right now. This environment has weakened her significantly, yet she is close to level 380. It is almost impossible for us to win against her. So....¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    Regina absentmindedly repeated his word. Artpe raised his head, and he slowly expanded his Mana into the enormous winter ruin as he spoke.

    ¡°We need to acquire the power that will allow us to subdue her before we exit this ce. ....also, the leading role for this n is you, Regina.¡±

    This was the reason why he had sent Sienna and Regina ahead. He knew that they would fight the Demon King¡¯s army in earnest when the business within Pdia wrapped up. If possible, he had wanted the two girls to have finished everything by the time he had arrived. He wanted them to have finished their growth by then......

    However, that had only be a wish. In the end, the five of them had to attempt the ruin.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are trying to earn my favor in a roundabout way. It is a annoying, but a little bit cute.¡±

    Regina once again misconstrued his word .

    ¡°Whatever you just think I just said, it isn¡¯t it.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he took a step forward. They were greeted with extreme cold air that had umted since ancient times. Then there was the guardians that guarded the location where the Winter Queen slept......!

    [Keeeeeeeee!]

    [Let us bury the intruders!]

    ¡®Of course, I prepared something else too.¡¯

    As he watched his party get ready for battle, he stroked the cover of the magic tome within his pocket.

    In the process of developing Aria into a pure holy priestess, the magic tome had destroyed the Demonic Energy, and it had evolved once again. He wanted to somehowplete the magic tome before he exited the ruin. If he could do that.... If he could do that, Etna would.....,

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤alright. I¡¯ming!¡±

    Artpe put away such thoughts as he manifested and lengthened his Mana Strings. This was the first time thepeted hero¡¯s party of five members was mobilized.

 Chapter 129 - Her Her & Her (5)

    Chapter 129 - Her Her & Her (5)

    The ruin of the Winter Queen existed at the heart of the Ice continent. In his past life, no one had exited this ce alive until Artpe was able to acquire a single treasure. It was basically the worst Dungeon in the human realm.

    First, the information regarding the ruin about the Ice continent was hard to find, and normal humans weren¡¯t able to survive in the arctic environment. Moreover, the ruin only appeared during the winter, so it was hard to find. Even if one found the ruin, it wasn¡¯t a guarantee that one would be able win against the dormant monsters within.

    ¡°Moreover, the ruin is long and wide. In total, it has 10 floors. Even if one prepared the biggest Dimensional Pouch for this venture, one would die in the middle of the run if one ran out of supply.¡±

    ¡°It is nothing new.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Maetel replied in nonchnt manner. If a Dungeon had less than 10 floors, it wasn¡¯t even a Dungeon to her. She was acting this way even though it was rare to find Dungeons over 7 floors in this world!

    ¡°It is 10 floors!? If you would have told me that this was a one-story Dungeon, I would have believed you.....! Artpe-nim, you really did your research beforeing to this ruin.¡±

    On the other hand, the holy priestess was shocked by the size of the ruin. Her duty in life had been guiding the temple priests, and she had raised her level by clearing rtively safe Dungeons.

    ¡°In truth, I thought we were clearing the Dungeon at a very rapid pace.... A normal sized party would have already given up by now.¡±

    ¡°The hallway is wide yet the ceiling is also high too.¡±

    The high ceiling allowed the massive Ice Moles to move around without much hindrance on the 1st floor of the ruin. It actually made one want question as to why the Ice Moles bothered traveling underground when the ceiling was so high!

    [Kee-heeeeeee!]

    [I¡¯ll bury you! I¡¯ll bury you!]

    ¡°Great. Are you guys doing construction here?¡±

    [Ggooh-geek!]

    The strength of the Ice Moles was the fact that they can burrow into the ground, and it was impossible to predict where they would burrow out to attack.

    However, Artpe had his Read All Creation ability active. He could see the location of the Ice Moles for a range of several hundred meters. He just needed to use couple simple spell to stop the Ice Moles in their tracks. The Ice Moles weren¡¯t a threat to him.

    [Keek!]

    [Kee-eek!]

    ¡°In the end, aren¡¯t you using Mana String again?¡±

    ¡°Materialization. It is called Materialization.¡±

    At this point, he had stopped the movements of the Ice Moles, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to gain much EXP by killing them. The Ice Moles were around level 270 on average. The lowest level member from his original party was Regina. She was at level 293, and Maetel was at level 304.

    In the end, there was only one person in his party that would be able to gain EXP by killing the Ice Moles.

    ¡°Vad!¡±

    ¡°Yes! God¡¯s Hammer!¡±

    [Kyaa-hahk!?]

    As they were travelling towards cia, Vad had received intensive training from Maetel and Artpe. However, Vad¡¯s level stillgged behind at level 239!

    ¡°God¡¯s Hammer! God¡¯s Hammer! God¡¯s Hammerrrrrrrrr!¡±

    [Kyah-hahhhhhhhk!]

    She didn¡¯t possess any direct battle capabilities. On the other hand, she was able to take on a big role when facing Demons!

    Since these monsters didn¡¯t possess much Demonic energy, there was only one skill that was effective against these monsters. It was one of the holy type offensive magic, and it was capable of inflicting no attribute damage. It was a high rank skill called God¡¯s Hammer.

    ¡°God¡¯s Hammer! God¡¯s Hammer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoo, hoo-ooh.¡±

    ¡°Are you already out of Mana?¡±

    ¡°That is.... Yes.... I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    God¡¯s Hammer was great, since it had a short incantation. As a tradeoff, it consumed a lot of Mana. Fortunately, it was an Area of Effect spell, so it was capable of attacking numerous Ice Moles at once. Despite this fact, she wasn¡¯t able to kill the Ice Moles with the amount of Mana she possessed.

    ¡°Hoo. I don¡¯t want to give that woman my Mana.¡±

    ¡°What arerades for? It is for situations like this.¡±

    ¡°Sssp. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ......you have to give me one kisster.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to umte mileage without me knowing about it.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s Record Master would allow Vad to use her spell in continuous bursts. Maetel was also capable of taking away Mana from others, so it would be easy for her to transfer the Mana of her party members into Vad. However, one problem remained. She didn¡¯t want to be connected to Vad.

    ¡°Ho-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I feel ufortable being helped by this woman, but.....¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll rotate giving her Mana. It¡¯ll allow her to use her spell¡±

    Vad felt massive amount of Mana transferred to her through Maetel. Her eyes once again shone with a golden light. In time, a brutal baptism of the God¡¯s Hammer fell to the ground!

    The Ice Moles were tied up by Artpe, so they couldn¡¯t resist. They couldn¡¯t hide underground. They died under barrage of Vad¡¯s hammer.

    ¡°Amazing! A single battle raised my level three times.!¡±

    ¡°Good. At this rate, Vad will catch up to our level soon.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, why is our party built so abnormally?¡±

    This truth wasn¡¯t something new. He kept adding party members with mismatched levels, and he made them work hard in unbelievably difficult Dungeons. This method was used to bring their level up to average!

    When they left Pdia, Vad had been lower in level than Aria. She was level 220 at that point. In just several days on the road, she had reached level 239. Currently, she was growing at a faster rate within the ruin. It was all possible thanks to Artpe¡¯s Materialization spell and Maetel¡¯s Record Master skill!

    ¡°As expected, it seems sunbae knew what he was doing.¡±

    ¡°Howe it is like this? There is no way this is the proper way to grow a hero¡¯s party.....¡±

    Vad was growing without a hitch. However, she was finally bing aware to the fact that the growth method and the speed of her growth was abnormal. She tried to tackle the issue, but Artpe snorted as he easily gave a rebuttal.

    ¡°Do you really believe in the progression of growth that is written in the heroic tales? If you do, you will be in for a lot of physical and mental hardship. It is best to grow as fast as possible when one has the chance.¡±

    ¡°Still, this is a bit..... Mmmm. I just think the return is way bigger than the effort I¡¯m putting in.¡±

    Effort wasn¡¯t what determined result. One needed talent and luck too. Absolute value couldn¡¯t be ced on effort. He thought about telling her words that would dash her hopes and dreams, but he gave up on it.

    Everyone in this ruin was in a blessed environment right now. No one would be able to catch up to them through talent and luck.

    ¡°You are growing so fast that you might think that it is unfair. You shouldn¡¯t object against it. As a result of our fast growth, we¡¯ll have to fast a terrible foe named the Demon King in the future.¡±

    ¡°Demon king¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She had been killing the Ice Moles through a bizarre method, yet when Artpe mentioned a foe worthy of the hero, a focused light emanated from Vad¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have to help hero-nim kill the Demon King. That is why I have to get stronger as soon as possible.....!¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s the spirit.¡±

    Artpe nodded enthusiastically as he extended one hand. Artpe¡¯s party had been resting after killing a group of Ice Moles. More Ice Moles had tried to use this opportunity to attack them as they surged out of the ground. However, they were caught in Artpe¡¯s trap, and it was quite apparent that they couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°That is why you should kill these guys right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She didn¡¯t have any reasons to contradict him. The holy priestess groused as she once again casted the God¡¯s Hammer. It took them two days to break through the 1st floor of the ruin. Vad was level 245, and her God¡¯s Hammer spell rose to level 29.

    ¡°We really are moving at a ridiculous speed¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Ah. The second floor also has moles. Ready your hammer, Vad.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just a hammer. It is a holy spell, Artpe-nim.....¡±

    It had been 10 days since they had entered the ruin, and the party reached the 5th floor.

    [Keeeeeeeeek!]

    [I despise those that interfere with the Winter Queen¡¯s sleep! I hate humans!]

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    ¡°Spear of the Wind Sprite. Triple.¡±

    ¡°God¡¯s Hammer!¡±

    The 5th floor containedrge lizards with scales made out of ice. It was infested with Ice Lizards. It seemed they had received the Ice Dragon¡¯s energy, so they were level 290 monsters with high vitality and magical energy.

    Most members of Artpe¡¯s party couldn¡¯t level up killing the monsters on the 4th floor no matter what how many they killed, so they had funneled all the EXP towards Vad. Aside from Maetel and Artpe, Vad was slowly catching up to the rest of the party in terms of level.

    This was why Artpe put Sienna as the vanguard and Regina as support. Vad was in charge of finishing off the monsters. He chose to go all in on growing Vad.

    Artpe was providing an almost unlimited amount of Mana through Maetel, so Artpe didn¡¯t have to do anything. He had some free time. It was the free time he had wished for.

    ¡°Artpe, you are really using that magic tome in earnest.¡±

    The growth of his party members was important to Artpe, but thepletion of the magic tome might be more important. He finally had time to work on it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found ways to improve upon it. Its abilities increased just from absorbing my Mana.... Originally, magic tomes are created for specific disciplines of magic. If I synchronize my Record with it, the Demite..... Yes, the magic tome is worse than Pipi. Still, it will allow me to amplify the effectiveness of all my magic.¡±

    ¡°So why don¡¯t other magicians carry one around?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as valuable as a Demite, but......¡±

    The ingredients needed to create a magic tome was rare, and the initial manufacturing process of the magic tome was troublesome. Moreover, the task of finishing it was extremely difficult.

    There was the basic task of acquiring paper, and the act of binding the book. Then there was the ink, which had to be infused with massive amount of Mana. The lines of words being written by the author had to contain one¡¯s emotions, Record and Mana..... None of these tasks were easy.

    ¡°I was lucky. I was able to acquire a Counter type magic tome, so I didn¡¯t have to create it. I was able to change the direction of the magic tome, so I was able fill in the magic tome rtively easily. Normally, this task would take well over 50 years.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean a Demon worked on this magic tome for 50 years before you took it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She always brought up very astute points at his least guarded moments. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he acknowledged her words.

    The female Demon Teana must have toiled many years to create this magic tome. No, by the look of it, it seemed there were multiple creators that had contributed in creating this magic tome. It was a research done through coboration between the entire Demonic race. Or maybe it was a specific group of.....

    ¡®The Demon race has a racial characteristic that makes them susceptible to being dominated by the Demonic King. It is the shackles called Absolute Control. However, she didn¡¯t possess that fetter. I thought the research was being done under the orders of the Demon King. I thought its purpose was to make humans into Demons. However, she had been working under someone else other than the Demon King¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    It was a project that had been in progress for a very long time.

    Why wasn¡¯t this n in progress in his previous life?

    That couldn¡¯t be true. There was a high probability that Artpe had been unawares of this n.

    In his past and current life, there were insignificant changes that made the Demon King¡¯s army act in different ways. However, it wasn¡¯t possible to create an entirely new faction.

    ¡®I wonder how they operated in my previous life. How were they able to avoid my notice? No, at the time, I was merely a Demon that possessed the Read All Creation ability. The information I was privy to was extremely limited. The important thing right now is.... Ah ah. I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    Mmm. All right. He would give up thinking about it for now. He¡¯ll find out everything when he came face to face with them. The important thing right now was the fact that the item in Artpe¡¯s hands was the most powerful weapon that could disrupt the ns of the Demon King.

    ¡®I wonder if Etna is waiting for me. Even if she is waiting for me, will the magic tome¡¯s power really.......¡¯

    Will it be able to save her? The fetters ced on the Demon race hadn¡¯t been able to be shed through blood, tears and countless years. Would a mere book really be able to set her free?

    Artpe wondered if there was a meaning to the work he was doing. In the end, he shook his head from side to side.

    His past life was his past life. He was a hero now. He received a blessing only given to heroes, and he was able to use something called a Hero¡¯s Aura. He could emit holy energy. His Mana, spells, abilities and will was different now.

    He didn¡¯t know what the gods were thinking, but it seemed they wanted something from Artpe. He wondered if his current work was close to what they had in mind.

    ¡®It is almost there. I¡¯ve acquired enough samples. The only thing left is effort, time, and......¡¯

    He just need a very small miracle.

    Artpe firmly closed his eyes before opening them again. This might have worked out pretty well for him. He had the chance to meet Etna alone. It wasn¡¯t an opportunity that could be created unless it was a chance encounter like this.

    He had to be stronger before he left this ruin. He had to swiftly subdue Etna.

    He¡¯ll use the ability of the magic tome to regain her freedom.

    However, she was merely the beginning.

    Artpe was going to be fair as he fucked over everyone that appeared on the stage. He would turn the tables.

    As the former Four Heavenly King and the current hero, he made a bold resolve.

    The quill with the Ancient Kraken¡¯s Ink once again danced in earnest over the pages.

 Chapter 130 - Winter Queen (1)

    Chapter 130 - Winter Queen (1)

    The hero¡¯s party had arrived at the northern ancient ruin. They were here, because they had received information that the hidden skill within the ruin was needed to defeat the 2nd ranked Four Heavenly King. It was needed to defeat the Fire witch Etna.

    The ruin was long, and the hero¡¯s party wasn¡¯t used to the cold. They used only the resistance granted to them by their levels to endure the cold.

    The warrior bravely march forward in front of the party. The thief didn¡¯t want the warrior to gain more favor in the eyes of the hero, so he stuck close to her. He also did his best to see to the needs of the hero. The rest of the party had a neutral expression on their faces. Some let out a bitterughter as they followed after the warrior and the thief.

    They had defeated many monsters as they explored this seemingly endless ancient ruin. They endured the cold as they finally arrived at the heart of the ruin. They gained the right to acquire the rewards.

    Except.....

    [It is impossible for me to give you all I have.]

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Regina retorted with a question when she heard the voice, which was as clear as the winter sky. The voice that came back was colder than the temperature of the Ice continent. Strangely, there was a trace of regret in her voice, and this sentiment was delivered to Regina.

    [There was a preceding visitor. He didn¡¯t have the right to acquire me, but he had enough qualification to take an item for his paramour.]

    The Winter Queen¡¯s ruin was a testing ground for adventurers. Maybe, the preceding visitor did this on purpose, but the hero¡¯s party was unable toplete all the achievement thanks to him. The reason being that the hero¡¯s party had been slightlyte in getting here.

    ¡°Is it because we weren¡¯t the first one to arrive here?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    ¡°The Fire witch...... We have to defeat her. We passed the test, but the rewards you offer is not enough. This is like eating burnt meat or an ice cream that fell on the floor.¡±

    Regina dejectedly shook her head. When the Winter Queen saw this, she let out a smallughter as she spoke.

    [You don¡¯t have to be so disappointed. The connection between us isn¡¯t at an end here.... You won¡¯t be toote. We might meet once again well before this time.]

    ¡°I possess no spells that allows me to return to the past.¡±

    [Hoo hoo. Yes, you don¡¯t have it. Let¡¯s see how it all turns out. Your reward ends with a blessing this time around. However, you will be able to see something very fun in the past that wille in the future.]

    ¡°I decline to talk in hypothetical.¡±

    Regina was barely able to reply. The rest of her party was struck dumb.

    [What a cute child. You weren¡¯t born as a human, so you dream of bing a human. The wish you desperately want can¡¯t be found here, but it can be found then.]

    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like pretentious people.¡±

    Regina grumbled, but only a lightughter answered her words. Afterwards, the entire ruin started to let out a white light.

    The light morphed into overwhelming amount of Mana, and it headed towards the member that was most suited to receive the Mana. It entered into Regina, who was the magician of the hero¡¯s party.

    [Then I wish you well on using this power. I just want you to take this words to heart. The truth you are faced with is only the truth to you.....]

    Regina sculpted the massive amount of Mana into a special form. She closed her eyes as the power intruded on her Record.

    She mumbled her words.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are a know it all until the end. You suck.¡±

    Artpe opened his eyes. Regina¡¯s face was right in front of his face, and she was staring at him. When a sour expression appeared on Artpe¡¯s face, the sides of her mouth slightly twitched.

    Artpe was barely able to discern that Regina had a pleased expression on her face. Needless to say, she was probably under some ridiculous delusion.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you expression says you want something from me. If you speak it out loud, I might grant it or I might not.¡±

    ¡°First, I don¡¯t want anything from you. Secondly.... Your speech sounds more natural now? Your sounded like a politician right now.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s counterattack, Regina blinked dumbly. She finally nodded her head.

    ¡°Agreed. It is thanks to Sienna.¡±

    ¡°All right. Go sleep next to Sienna.¡±

    ¡°Denied. My mental, physical and magical energy has been recovered. I am studying Artpe¡¯s unnecessarily handsome face. Somehow, you keep getting entangled with women. There is a possibility that your face is an Innate ability. I cannot deny this possibility.¡±

    ¡°Stop researching my......¡±

    ¡°Hurt.¡±

    Artpe pushed away Regina¡¯s unusually tidy face as he yawned. However, he was thinking about the dream he just had.

    ¡®I¡¯ve been having a lot of these dreams recently. These dreams are about events that I never experienced in my past life..... What is going on? Is it because I investigated the hero¡¯s party in my past life? I dide to the ruin first, and I took the sculpture in my past life. Am I subconsciously ming myself for that act?¡¯

    That¡¯s right. In his past life, he had tried to calm down the inner fire within Etna, so he had taken the sculpture from this ruin. Of course, the hero¡¯s party found the ruin after him, and they couldn¡¯t acquire everything the ruin had to offer.

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with that? At the time, I didn¡¯t even know about what would happen, and I was their foe in my past life.... Mmmm. As expected, that doesn¡¯t really exin why I had that dream.¡¯

    Why did he have such a dream?

    He was seriously mulling over this question.

    It seemed Regina wasn¡¯t tired of staring at him, so she continued to stare at the side of his face.

    If others were awake, he would have told her to stop. However, Sienna and Vad were tired from the continuous battles. Maetel, who always slept a lot, was soundly asleep. Even Roa was sleeping. It was truly a rare asion. They were in the quiet safe zone of the ruin, and only two of them were awake.

    This was why her gaze made him feel that much more ufortable.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m researching.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Something vibrated within Artpe¡¯s pocket. He didn¡¯t have to take it out to know what it was. It was the Artifact that had been refined into a Demite. It was Pipi.

    It seemed Pipi wanted him to treat Regina with sincerity. However, Artpe ignored the vibration as he turned his body away.

    He still wasn¡¯t able to perfectly understand Regina. He just knew that her actions didn¡¯t arise from a bad ce. This was why he let her do whatever she wanted. He didn¡¯t micromanage her actions. This was the result of such a policy. It resulted in this weird confrontation.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Was it because he had that weird dream today?

    Regina¡¯s gaze was making him feel more ufortable than usual.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what is it?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s emotion was expressed in his astringent voice. On the other hand, Regina¡¯s eyes shone with a clear light. She gave her reply, and the answer was the same as before.

    ¡°I¡¯m researching.¡±

    ¡°All right. Do whatever you want.¡±

    Artpe tried very hard not to be conscious of her gaze. He took out his magic tome. Then he circted the overwhelming amount of Mana within his body, and he started pouring it into the magic tome.

    In truth, he had finished the magic tome when they reached the 8th floor. However, he was trying to dot the i¡¯s and cross the t¡¯s. He was trying to fill in the gaps that remained within the magic tome.

    ording to Artpe¡¯s standard, the magic tome wasn¡¯tplete. When he decided he had progressed sufficiently in his task, he would attempt to use Reinforcement on the magic tome.

    ¡°You want me to supplement you with my Mana?¡±

    ¡°No. It is best for the magic tome to be finished using only the magician¡¯s own power. I had a lot of trouble trying to empty the Mana of the previous owner.¡±

    There were many requirements that had to be fulfilled to construct this item.

    Of course, there was the materials. Then there was the Mana infused within the materials. As the item was constructed, its formless history remained behind in the constructed matter as its Record. If he looked past those requirements using his Read All Creation ability, his brain would overload. It would feel as if his head would explode. This was why he didn¡¯t look beyond to see the remaining countless requirements making up the item.

    ¡°Artifacts can divide orpose matter. While doing so, it allows one to artificially manipte matter to create a magical effect. Countless variables are tuned to create a specific frequency. In the case of the magic tome, each page has to be tuned, so the difficulty in creating it is crazy high.¡±

    ¡°Understood. You are my junior, but you are well-learned. I give praise.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Regina nodded her head as she continued to look at Artpe¡¯s work. When he continued to receive her unwavering gaze, he was able to somewhat get used to it. He was able to continue his work without worrying too much about her.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    They were deep within the ruin, so there was no way they could keep track of time. They used magical mes to keep away the approach of the guardians of the ruin. It was possible to estimate the time by seeing the rate at which the fuel was consumed by the fire.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    His dream had aplicated content, and it was hard to let it go. It also seemed Artpe had woken up very early.

    Normally, Maetel would be awake by now, and she would be clinging to his neck. Sienna would snuggle up against him in a half-awake state. Vad would put on a bright smile as she prepared a breakfast meal to his taste. Her smile would be so bright that it would make him feel ufortable. Time continued to pass, yet the three of them were showing no signs of getting up.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe.¡±

    Was Regina cognizant of all of this?

    When his work was about to wrap up, she called out his name. Artpe didn¡¯t turn around as he answered her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Go for it.¡±

    ¡°Have you copted with Maetel?¡±

    ¡°Shut up forever.¡±

    ¡°It was a light joke.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like she was joking, but he decided to overlook it just this once.

    ¡°What is the purpose of the magic tome?¡±

    ¡°The Demons.... The magic tome was created to create an existence that isn¡¯t a Demon.¡±

    ¡°What is its purpose?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I can¡¯t tell you everything right now. However, I guess I can tell you that the final goal is freedom.¡±

    ¡°Freedom¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Regina rolled that word around in her mouth when she suddenly had a thought. When she truly found her freedom in the Forest of Eternity, she felt a strange sense of kinship with Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe¡¯s freedom?¡±

    ¡°No. There is no one that is truly free in this world. Everyone is bound by their position and role, and they have to live a forced lifestyle. The hero is the prime example of this. The hero is appointed to fight against the Demon King. The hero is forced down this path.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood.¡±

    In truth, she couldn¡¯t understand him. Regina¡¯s temperament didn¡¯t allow her to ept the reason behind the kinship she felt with Artpe since it was exined in general terms. She felt closer to him. When he spoke to Regina as heughed, she could dimly feel his frustration and anger hidden within his words.

    It was like the time when Regina couldn¡¯t stand the situation the Elves were in, so she had betrayed her masters. Maybe, Arpte couldn¡¯t stand the situation Regina had been in, so he had tried to goad her into action..... Regina was having such thoughts.

    ¡®Denied. Artpe is human. He is a free human.¡¯

    Regina thought she was deluding herself into thinking that way. She just wanted to be regarded in the same light as him. She wanted his situation to ovep with hers, because....

    She didn¡¯t know why, but for some reason, she became a bit embarrassed. Regina desperately stopped that train of thought. She was somehow able to give a safe answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help Artpe. We¡¯ll kill the Demon King, and we¡¯ll regain your freedom. I will repay my debt.¡±

    ¡°Your words are full of spirit. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I am thankful for your words.¡±

    Until the special properties of the Demon King¡¯s Innate Control called the Absolute Control became known to her, he hadn¡¯t expected her to take on such a willing attitude. He never expected her to be so understanding of his position as a hero.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    It seemed she still had more questions to ask.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Will you be free if we defeat the Demon King?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m not sure. When that timees, I feel as if I¡¯ll be tethered by something else.¡±

    ¡°Life is transient.....¡±

    ¡°Still, it would be better than my life right now.¡±

    Yes. He could go into the dairy industry or he could live at a house down by the beach. He might be constantly chased by something, and he might always be busy. However, all of that sounded like a better life than what he had right now.

    It was better than his previous life where he took on the role of Four Heavenly King under the yoke of the Absolute Control. It would be better than his current situation where he had to fight under a mismatched title of hero.....

    ¡°Right now. Artpe¡¯s eyes...¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    When he woke up from his reverie, Regina was closer than ever before, and she was staring a hole through him.

    ¡°You are too close, you dork.¡±

    ¡°You are hiding something. You are hiding something you haven¡¯t told me yet.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He never expected to be caught by Regina to this extent. Artpe was about to let out a bitterughter, but Regina¡¯s face continued to get closer. Her wless white skin was very well-suited for the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter what she asked. He would deal with it like he did with Maetel. He¡¯lle up with an adequate excuse. When he was having such thoughts, a clear voice could be heard near Artpe¡¯s ear.

    ¡°As expected, you are copting with Maetel?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The party woke up not too long afterwards. They were a bit puzzled at therge bump on Regina¡¯s head, but Regina continued to keep a neutral expression on her face.

    They only had a little bit more to go in the ruin.

 Chapter 131 - Winter Queen (2)

    Chapter 131 - Winter Queen (2)

    Until the 6th floor, the 3 man group of Sienna, Regina and Vad was sufficient in clearing the Dungeon. Artpe provided Mana when needed to his party members as he worked on the magic tome. However, monsters over level 300 started appearing on the 7th floor. This was when they started hunting in earnest as a 5 man party.

    At first, Artpe was a bit worried as to how to deploy the party. This was the first time he had experienced being in a 5 man party. In the end, he put Sienna and Maetel in the front. Artpe was in charge of containment and support. Regina brought up the rear as she used her AoE magic to kill the monsters. Lastly, Vad was in charge of heals and buffs. The speed at which they cleared the Dungeon became incredibly fast.

    Above all else, the prior party arrangement had relied very heavily on Artpe¡¯s Mana. Since he was able to escape that party structure, he spent less time resting. He needed less need to recover his Mana, and he was less fatigued.

    ¡°It seems we were the problem until now. Whether it was investigating the ruin or containing the monsters, we left it all to Artpe-nim. We were in the wrong. Hoo. It seems ourck of skill is at fault.....¡±

    ¡°........I worked really hard to protect Artpe until now!¡±

    Maetel said those words, but she looked chastised by Vad¡¯s words. Since she was only good at fighting, she might have overly relied on Artpe in all other aspects. She might have shifted too much responsibility onto him. This wasn¡¯t something new. She had such thoughts before.

    ¡°It is fine. Even if I ordered Maetel to do it, she can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°You are too much, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°You just have to work hard on tasks that you are capable of doing. Like right now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are trying to console me or if you are treating me like an idiot......¡±

    After the 7th floor, they worked diligently for another 10 days before they reached the 9th floor. They were able to find the staircase leading down to the 10th floor, which was thest floor of the ruin.

    ¡°It really.... It really is an enormous staircase.¡±

    ¡°We should check on our rewards before we head down.¡±

    Artpe easily extracted the rewards from te Dungeon. He did it so well that it made one question as to how he was able to find everything the Dungeon had to offer. However, Artpe¡¯s party members were used to this sight now.

    It wasn¡¯t something one could do, because one could sense Mana. He had an ability that could catch small discrepancies that even a highly trained thief couldn¡¯t catch. He had the the ability to reveal all secrets! It didn¡¯t matter if his party had expanded in number. It didn¡¯t matter that hisrades were able to help him in many ways. It was still up to Artpe to find the rewards.

    ¡°You guys should have this on hand.¡±

    After he cleaned out the 9th floor of its rewards, Artpe turned around to face his party. He handed them small clear crystals. He gave several dozen to each of them.

    He had started gathering them from the 1st floor of the Dungeon. It had been scattered in random locations. The party members had wondered if these functioned simr to magic stones. However, the crystal held a very minute amount of ice type magical energy. They couldn¡¯t feel anyrge power within it.

    ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°They are consumable Artifacts capable of absorbing a finite amount of cold energy. The amount of cold energy they can store is limited. However, we do have a lot of them, so I think it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡±

    For reference, the crystals could be consumed after they werepletely charged with cold energy. They were helpful in casting Ice type magic. However, there was no point in casting ice type spells in this ruin, since they wouldn¡¯t be effective. The crystals wouldn¡¯t be used for that purpose.

    ¡°Artpe-nim¡¯s present¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I will treasure it as an heirloom.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you that they are consumable Artifacts?¡±

    The party immediately descended the staircase towards the 10th floor. The staircase was wide, and it was seemingly endless. They busily descended the spiral staircase, and they moved further and further away from the ceiling. The air around them continued to get colder. They could feel a strange Mana emanate from the heart of the staircase.

    When Artpe felt the flow of this strange Mana, he raised his head as he smirked. He was just reminded of a memory from his past life. The rest of his party was a beatte in sensing the Mana. They tilted their head in puzzlement.

    ¡°It feels as if we passed through something. How strange.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t strange. The staircase has the role of a watcher. It ssifies the intruders of this ruin. Also, it is a sign that we are on the right path.

    ¡°Watcher¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This ruin changes its appearance depending on the person searching out the ruin. The 10th floor is basically thest chapter.¡±

    ¡®This route is for the hero¡¯s party. In my past life, I wasn¡¯t allowed to take this route.¡¯

    He nodded his head when he was faced with something quite different from what he had found in his past life.

    At the time, Artpe had one goal. He wanted to take the sculpture to Etna. He knew the staircase was guiding him towards a different route from his past life, but he didn¡¯t resist. It was because he knew that something he desired was at the end of all of this.

    ¡®From this point on, it is an unknown territory for me. I know who the owner of the ruin is, but... I can¡¯t help but be nervous.¡¯

    How long had they walked down this magic staircase?

    At some point in time, they were greeted by a hallway made out of ice. It looked as if it was made out of clear ss.

    They arrived at the 10th floor of the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin.

    ¡°Wow. How pretty.....¡±

    ¡°Until the 9th floor, it looked as if nature had created those floors. This ce was constructed ording to a specific n.¡±

    The hallway was decorated with ice crystals that shone with a magical light. In the previous floors, many monsters had harassed the party. It had been annoying. They couldn¡¯t see a single ant at the entrance to the 10th floor.

    ¡°It is filled with overwhelming energy, Artpe-nim. Are you sure we¡¯re allowed to enter this ce?¡±

    ¡°That is why it is weing us like this.¡±

    ¡°This is a wee¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The reason why there weren¡¯t any monsters on the 10th floor wasn¡¯t hard to discern. There was an overwhelming presence at the end of the hallway, and it was letting out an energy that challenged Artpe¡¯s party. How could a monster dare to appear in front of such a presence?!

    ¡°Is it the energy of the Ice Dragon?¡±

    ¡°No. The Ice Dragon is an existence that is closer to being a concept than a real being. Once we entered the ruin, there is no way we would encounter it. Instead.....¡±

    The Ice Dragon had been protecting something. They mighte up against the true substance of what it was protecting.

    In his past life, he had believed that this ruin held a vestige left behind by the Winter Queen. From the dream he had(It was apletely different story as to whether he believed the dream or not.), the appearance of the 10th floor signified that this ce didn¡¯t hold merely a vestige or a symbolic representation of the Winter Queen.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Our preparations are pretty much done.¡±

    While the party was mesmerized by the beautiful view manifested by the ruin, Artpe had finished making all his preparations. Artpe ventted the air around the party. Maetel had been circling Artpe as she looked around. She tilted her head as she answered. She dragged out her words.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Tome of Destruction.¡±

    Artpe suddenly had two books hanging off his waist.

    One was the magic tome he had been working on. The other was something picked up by Silpennon, who had cleared all the Dungeons in Diaz. It was an artifact called the Tome of Destruction. At a nce, it was hard to tell if it was a spell book or a magic tome. It was a magic tome.

    ¡°Of course, the production of this magic tome had been finished, so its use is very limited. It has the ability to boost the power of destructive type magic, It is very good in what it¡¯s meant to do.¡±

    After Artpe was sessful in acquiring it from Silpennon, he had used Reinforcement three times. Its performance was brought up close to its limit. If needed, he can use the magic stone to put it through additional Reinforcement.

    On the other hand, it had a downside of needing to be recharged once all the Mana within the book was consumed. Despite this downside, the Tome of Destruction was a very good Artifact.

    The power infused within the Tome of Destruction can be partitioned and used multiple times. It was also possible to release all its power all at once! How great of an item was it!

    ¡°If things go sideways, I want to blow up the entire ruin and run away.¡±

    ¡°I wondered why you weren¡¯t saying such words...... So? What is that on Artpe¡¯s head?¡±

    The additional magic tome on his waist wasn¡¯t the only difference! As a male, it was a bit suspect to where such an essory. However, the silver hair essory somehow looked well on him. He touched the item as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°This is the Crown of Wisdom. ording to legend, it has the effect of elerating the thought process of the wearer. In truth, it is an Artifact that allows one to circte one¡¯s Mana faster. Its extreme effectiveness is mirrored by a severe side effect. It can be used only for a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°What about the sses in your hand?¡±

    ¡°This is the Eyes of Prophecy. This is for you, Regina. It is a high rank Artifact that allows one to assess magic by looking at the enemy¡¯s Mana flow.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Artpe use it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need such an item to know everything.¡±

    It was a very arrogant thing to say, but no one could dispute his words. Artpe ced the sses on Regina¡¯s face, then he gave one or two Artifacts to the other members.

    Maetel received the Blood Fragment ne, and the Twilight spear. Sienna was given a ring called the Spring of Tears. Lastly, Vad received a staff called ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯. The item had an extreme tendency towards destruction, so the temple had ordered it sealed.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe-nim. Wasn¡¯t this the item stored with the treasury of the Zero ss?¡±

    ¡°It is something I wanted to give to you, Vad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll treasure it!¡±

    The disposition of Maetel and Vad differed. Maetel was like, ¡®If Artpe likes it, then I like it.¡¯ In Vad¡¯s case, it was like ¡®If Artpe likes it, he is absolutely in the right.¡¯ If he was to split hair, Vad¡¯s disposition was scarier.

    ¡°Oppa? This ring.... I get a feeling that I¡¯ll be able to regenerate my arm even if my arm is severed.¡±

    ¡°You are correct in your assessment.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, does this ne upgrade my Berserk skill? Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Correct. If you use it consecutively, you won¡¯t even be able to recognize me. Be careful in its use.¡±

    ¡°Where did you acquire all these treasures¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Most of them were acquired from Diaz. He didn¡¯t know why, but Diaz had Dungeons with long history. The probability of finding good items increased in such Dungeons.

    Moreover, Artpe knew where the Artifacts appeared in his past life. It wasn¡¯t difficult to pick and choose which Artifact would be needed for his party members. In truth, the one to do all the leg work was Silpennnon! He was the one that excavated all the Artifacts!

    ¡°If you check the Artifacts, you¡¯ll understand why I didn¡¯t give them to you earlier. It is true that these items possess powerful abilities, but their limitations are quite clear. If used once, these items takes time before they can be used again. That is why I don¡¯t want you to think of it as part of your equipment. I want you to think of them as consumable Artifacts.¡±

    ¡°Instead of using it in the ruin, should we save it? Shouldn¡¯t we use it in the fight against Etna after we leave this ce?¡±

    ¡°We came here to acquire power that will allow us to defeat Etna. That is why we are using these Artifacts here.¡±

    Originally, it was as Maetel had said. He nned on equipping them with the Reinforced Artifacts after they cleared the ruin. He was going to it to them right before they left. However, the ruin was giving off a very rming vibe.

    In such situations, one shouldn¡¯t think ¡®Mmm. Everything will be fine.¡¯ That was how extras died in stories! When one senses a weird vibe, one should be prepared to face an opponent that was 100 levels higher! This will allow one to escape safely if things went wrong!

    [Are you done making your preparations?]

    Artpe was about to say, ¡®If you guys are done equipping the items, let¡¯s go.¡¯ However, a voice that was like a single thread of winter wind reached them. Artpe stiffened when he heard the voice. The voice was too simr to the voice he heard in his dreams.

    ¡°That voice¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The other party members also froze when they heard the voice. Maybe they sensed the enormous power behind the voice at a subconscious level. Or maybe it was because they were forced to perceive a being that shouldn¡¯t be perceived.

    Artpe was worried his party¡¯s spirit would be broken before the battle even started in earnest, so he spread his Mana. He pushed back on the encroaching energy.

    [You don¡¯t have to be so wary. I don¡¯t have the hobby of taking the lives of guests.]

    ¡°Guests.....¡±

    When he heard those words, he slowly activated the Tome of Destruction. Maetel unsheathed her bastard sword as she half-opened her eyes. Sienna grunted as she raised her hammer. Regina and Vad blinked their eyes rapidly, since they didn¡¯t know why their party members were acting this way. Artpe ignored all of them as he made a deration to the voice that originated from an unknown location.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we aren¡¯t guests. We are merely grave robbers, who n on taking everything.¡±

    [Hoo hoo. If that is your wish.... For now, I¡¯ll treat you as you wish!]

    The voice disappeared.

    Afterwards, the hallway shook, and ice spears emerged from all direction!

 Chapter 132 - Winter Queen (3)

    Chapter 132 - Winter Queen (3)

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Regina, who was unppable most of the time, let out a moan. When she sensed the flow of Mana, she had used an ice type magic. In a shocking turn of events, she wasn¡¯t able to use any ice type magic spells within this space.

    This included her Mana. As soon as she changed her Mana into cold energy, she lost dominion over her power. It was absorbed into the attacking towards them!

    ¡°Regina!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m fine.¡±

    When she realized what was going on, she transitioned into using wind magic. She was able to destroy the Ice Spears, but she couldn¡¯t dodge all the fragments. Small number of wounds appeared on her body. Artpe clicked his tongue when he saw the enemy¡¯s violent response. He used his Materialization spell to destroy the rest of the Ice Spears. He gave orders to his party.

    ¡°I want everyone to charge forward. I¡¯ll take care of all the attacks directed towards us. Your ultimate goal is to reach the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way we can resolve this through words, Artpe-nim!?¡±

    ¡°Even if there is a way, I refuse to do so!¡±

    From the moment they entered the ruin, they automatically became intruders.

    So why would he trust the Ice Queen¡¯s words when she called them her guests?!

    Moreover, it was harder to fight an enemy when one formed a favorable rtionship with one¡¯s opponent. This was one of the reasons why he was doing this.

    [Your judgment is truly rash and self-centered. However, you are showing mettle, so it isn¡¯t too bad! I wonder if you can show me the innumerable changes that urs within a human!]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I hate a know-it-all. She is looking down on us as if she knows everything.¡±

    ¡°As it happens, I feel the same way. It is an unwee coincidence.¡±

    Regina was being carried on the back of Sienna, who was running at high speed. Regina sounded irked as she chanted her wind spells.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like those that act that way.¡±

    He had a good guess as to who the owner of the voice was. It was probably the Winter Queen or a vassal given authority over her power. She wasn¡¯t known for her martial prowess. She was a symbolic figure within legends. She was one of the spirits of the four season.

    ¡®She speaks as if she knows that I wasn¡¯t a human before. I don¡¯t like the tone of her voice.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the dream he had before. He was hearing the voice he had heard in his dream. She sounded as if she knew that the world would repeat itself through Artpe¡¯s reincarnation. At first, there were many parts of his dreams that sounded like nonsense, but the voice inside his dream really had shown up....

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it after I face her.¡±

    The voice did a proper job in greeting her guests. No monsters appeared, but an incredible number of Ice Spears appeared all around them. There was no rhyme or reason as to where the Ice Spears appeared. Moreover, a fog containing cold energy suddenly made its appearance. The fog froze everything that it touched! It was as if the Dungeon itself was trying to kill the party.

    ¡°Run faster!¡±

    ¡°But Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°They areing from below!¡±

    ¡°Heek!¡±

    However, the more amazing part was how Artpe dealt with the attack. He assessed the rate in which his party was moving, and he wrapped his Mana Strings around them. He was able to sense and predict where the attacks wereing from. He formed barriers using his Materialization spell, and his barriers were precise in blocking the attacks!

    In the opening salvo, the party became a little bit hurt. It couldn¡¯t be helped. However, they remained unharmed after they started their charge. None of the barriers were breached.

    Artpe was disying a ridiculous amount of control and reaction speed. It surprised even those that were being protected by him. The party members were surprised, but they didn¡¯t decrease their speed. It was more urgent for them to defeat their enemy instead of giving Artpe praise.

    [You are fast. As expected, your senses have grown beyond what it was before!]

    ¡°Grown¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Growth is a word you use against someone that haven¡¯t matured yet!¡±

    Artpe had extended only a single strand of Mana String. This one strand elongated as it fluttered around the party. It looked like a butterfly, but in the next moment, it changed into arrows, walls and shields to block all the Ice Spears that was threatening the party.

    The members of Artpe¡¯s party didn¡¯t have to think about anything else. They just focused all their power on reaching their enemy. They prepared their Mana. Their Mana reached a fevered pitch, and they were just waiting for the moment where they would unleash their deadly energy towards their enemy.

    [You show trust in yourrades, and they respond with an unyielding spirit. Both are splendid. The only part that worries me is that you have only one central leader, yet you are holding up very well.]

    ¡°You talk down to us as if you are sitting up on a pedestal! You are annoying!¡±

    When someone treated others as if they were novices, it usually was done by someone that had the power to back it up. In many case, they were big shots. However, he could only ept such a behavior from someone that had revealed their true nature! He hated those that acted high and mighty without revealing their identity!

    He really hated preachy beings that remarked on the age of the opponent or when they went into a diatribe about how he should realize how big the world was! Even if their words meant well, it annoyed him. Artpe¡¯s wish was to capture all of them and beat them to a pulp.

    ¡°If this is the extent of your attack, you should speak to me in honorifics. Honorifics! How dare you talk to me as an equal!¡±

    [You designated yourselves as intruders of your own volition. At the very least, your attitude is truly bold. All right. Let¡¯s see how you fare against this.]

    Artpe was getting ready to bluff like a Four Heavenly King, but the voice responded as if she had been waiting for this.

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    At that exact moment, Artpe used Blink by instinct. There were five in the party including him, and he transported everyone several hundred meters forward. Afterwards, the space where they had been crumpled, and it disappeared.

    ¡°B...behind us.....!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhk!¡±

    If he had been a little bitte, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to put up a fight. They would have been crumpled up alongside the space, and they would have died.

    ¡°What the¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°It ising again! Don¡¯t put up a resistance! Leave everything to me!¡±

    Artpe once again used Blink. Afterwards, arger swath of space crumpled up before it disappeared. The Ice Spear had been scary, but a greater fear was felt when they saw this attack.

    ¡°Tsk. It seems she is capable of adapting to the action of her enemies.....¡±

    [You are well informed. You children are so excellent that I have to fight with my full strength from now on. This was the right way to greet you guys, and you guys are truly doing well.]

    ¡°Your words at the end was shitty.¡±

    He was aware from the start that the ruin moved ording to the will of this voice. However, he never expected her to crumple and eliminate space like that. The voice was synchronized with the ruin itself, but at the same time, she would also have to know a high level Space magic.

    ¡®Even if I use the same Space magic, I¡¯ll only be able to create a pocket dimension. I won¡¯t be able to destroy an existing space like her. She is on a different level. It isn¡¯t something that can be learned through a spell written within a Spell book. That means.....¡¯

    The being, who was waiting for them, had the ability to construct and deconstruct space.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I never expected her to be of this caliber.¡±

    [Did you learn something just from this one move? You really are a very entertaining child!]

    When she realized that she couldn¡¯t threaten Artpe¡¯s party using simple elemental magic, she had changed her offensive strategy. She started using her space magicm in earnest.

    She ttened the space that Artpe¡¯s party upied in whole. She even tried to predict where Artpe¡¯s party would show up, and she crumpled those spaces too. If Artpe didn¡¯t possess the Read All Creation ability, his party would have died without being able to do anything!

    ¡®Shit. The number of hero was increased to two. I should have taken that into consideration! I should have known that the content of this ruin would have changed!¡¯

    He had never expected to meet Etna in such an unexpected location. It caused him to be flustered, and in turn, he had failed to take into consideration what would happen if he explored this ruin with Maetel. It had caused this ident.

    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have significantly changed the choices he had to make even if he had known about it. Artpe didn¡¯t act without preparing two steps ahead.

    ¡°Everyone should give Mana to Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that. I want you all to get ready to attack.¡±

    Artpe continued to use the Materialization spell and Blink to thwart the ruin¡¯s attacks. Maetel was about to speak when she saw this, but Artpe stopped her from speaking. He took out a magic stone. It was the magic stone he acquired after defeating the Ancient Kraken.

    ¡°I was wondering where I should use this. This might be the ideal spot.¡±

    No one could stop him now. It was unknown as to how many Blinks he had used, but when he exited the range of the voice¡¯s attack, he brought down the magic stone hard against his boots. Then he used his Reinforcement skill. There could be no dy in the Reinforcement. The most important thing right now was speed!

    [Wind Spirit King¡¯s Feather+4]

    [Originally, it was a boot capable of performing Blink. In the hands of a magician, a miracle was created. It was Reinforced four times. It allowed the magician to bring back the Record of the Wind Spirit King, which had disappeared from this world. The Record was brought down into the boots. It no longer consumes Mana as the wearer can freely move to any location within one¡¯s sight. If appropriate amount of Mana is used in conjunction, the wearer and anyone apanying the wearer can be transported any distance decided by the wearer. The wearer of this item bes extremely agile, and a bonus for wind magic is added.]

    Was his wish granted? Or was this the fruit of cultivating his Reinforcement skill? The Reinforcement urred at high speeds. It finished in the time it took to roast a peanut with a lightning.

    Moreover, the performance of the Artifact was once again took a remarkable jump. The consumption of the Ancient Kraken¡¯s magic stone wasn¡¯t the only reason why he was able to achieve this result. Artpe thought the location had a hand in affecting the product.

    [How can this be? The scent of the lost one is emanating from the boots¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    As expected, he was sessful in making his enemy flustered! He let out a smile of satisfaction as he immediately activated the Artifact, which he had finished Reinforcing.

    The voice realized that Artpe¡¯s power had risen. She used consecutive attacks to crumple the nearby space, and she was sessful in halting the hero¡¯s party. However, something that transcended her expectations urred next.

    [Huht!?]

    ¡°Great!¡±

    Artpe used the background of the dream he had. He moved his party to the final location reached by the hero¡¯s party of his past life!

    [How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Check mate.¡±

    There was an upward tilt to Artpe¡¯s lips. Artpe uncharacteristically took a gamble, and he had seeded. He had to consume all his remaining Mana, but he skipped a distance that would have taken a very long time to travel. He boldly skipped the distance, and he seeded in reaching the heart of the ruin!

    The part arrived at a location that wasn¡¯t toorge. A room encased in ice was floating in empty air. It was as if they were in a room made out of transparent ss.

    The space contained only a singlerge female sculpture. There was an overwhelming amount of Mana imbued within the sculpture, and it was apparent that the owner of the voice was the female sculpture.

    ¡°Bash!¡±

    ¡°God¡¯s Hammer!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahp!¡±

    ¡°God¡¯s Fire Spark.¡±

    When they arrived in the open space, Artpe didn¡¯t even have to order an attack. When Artpe previously ordered them to prepare for an attack, they had prepared their strongest skills and spells. They all strived to be the first to attack the female sculpture. They unleashed an attack containing an enormous amount of Mana!

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The members of the hero¡¯s party were all over level 300, and their attack mmed into the barrier surrounding the sculpture. The protection spell around the sculpture was broken, and almost 10% of the sculpture was destroyed. The sculpture didn¡¯t feel any physical pain, but it felt the loss of its Record when the sculpture was damaged and destroyed. Her voice was filled with pain.

    [I never expected you to reach this ce. I never expected a human, who could invade this ce without my consent, to exist.....]

    Yes, the voice was flowing out from the female statue.

    ¡°You probably thought I couldn¡¯t destroy you, since you reside in this ce. This is your true form, right?¡±

    Artpe was gasping, because he didn¡¯t have any Mana. He was all talk as he spoke in a smarmy manner. Earlier, he had taken a shot from the sculpture while he was trying to bluff. This was his revenge against her for that move.

    However, the female sculpture didn¡¯t use a different attack to screw over Artpe once again. She just created a new barrier magic and protection magic around herself. She protected herself as she asked him a question.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I am protected against space magic. How were you able to reach a location that is supposed to be impossible to reach?]

    ¡°It is thanks to an Artifact.¡±

    [You are lying. Maybe, you cannot tell me the truth?]

    Artpe was merely a thief trying to acquire everything the ruin had to offer. What did the voice think Artpe was? He was at a loss for words, so he snorted.

    [I see. It will be difficult for you to speak about it right now in this setting.]

    Artpe made his resolve. He had to quickly recover his Mana to destroy the female statue.

    However, a magic circle suddenly appeared above the female structure. It was something he had seen and experienced before. It wasn¡¯t an attack, and it wasn¡¯t for running away....

    ¡°Dimensional pocket?¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what kind of Dimensional pocket she was forming, but he decided to thwart it. He extended his Mana String, but the magic activated a step earlier.

    [Will you be able to tell me now?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤wow.¡±

    The voice of the female sculpture no longer held hostility or a will to fight. Artpe was dumbfounded. He could only blink his two eyes when faced with the calm voice.

    Only Artpe and the female sculpture remained in the room.

 Chapter 133 - Winter Queen (4)

    Chapter 133 - Winter Queen (4)

    [I never expected a group capable of passing thest trial to make an appearance.]

    ¡°Trial? I bet you are nning on saying this is another test. Am I right?¡±

    Artpe heard a female-like voice. It was as if the voice had been nted directly in his brain. He replied in an apathetic manner as he sat down.

    He looked defenseless, but an extremely thin Mana String was surrounding his body. He would be able to react to any attacks that came his way.

    [Nope. I have nothing else for you.]

    ¡°That means you have something more for the other party members?¡±

    The female sculpture nodded her head in assent. Artpe had been absentmindedly watching the sculpture. He suddenly choked.

    ¡°You are alive!?¡±

    [It is an Artifact containing all my Record. It is apt to think of me as a type of Golem. .....do you mind if I continue my speech?]

    She had shown him insolence in this ruin. Artpe wondered if he should shut her up. He also wondered if he should listen to her. He mulled over it, and his heart was slightly leaning towards thetter option.

    ¡°All right. Do whatever you want.¡±

    [First, I want to talk about you. You easily ignored all my ns, and you were sessful in reaching this ce. You blocked all my attacks, and in the process, you passed all the trials using brute force. This is why I decided that any further tests would be meaningless. On the other hand, this isn¡¯t the case for your party members.]

    ¡°Are you saying they were able to reach this ce, because they relied on my power?¡±

    [I inevitably came to that judgement, so I decided to give them another opportunity. It¡¯s a chance where they¡¯ll be able to prove their worth. Do not worry. They did received your help, but they did reach me. I will not put their lives at risk.]

    ¡°It just means you can¡¯t muster up an attack that can kill them. You have created five pocket dimensions. Your power and will have been split. Will you be able to kill my party members, who are over level 300, with 1/5th of your power?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s astute observation, the female sculpture didn¡¯t give a rebuttal. She had lost this move, because she had underestimated Artpe¡¯s assessment ability.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. You are once again correct. However, it is also true that I have no intentions of killing any of you.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t deny that point. In his past life, Artpe couldn¡¯t reach the ruin¡¯s owner through his own power. It had been the same for the hero¡¯s party. The female sculpture had given them suitable trials, and only through her will did they receive a reward. In the end, she had given a part of herself to them.

    She could only mimic life, but she wasn¡¯t alive. That was why she was able to make such sacrifices. Maybe, this was the design of this ruin in the first ce.

    ¡°Basically, you don¡¯t want me to interfere with the test.¡±

    [That¡¯s exactly it.]

    Artpe knew that this being had the ability to rip apart this pocket dimension. This was also true for the pocket dimensions containing his other party members.

    If he wanted to exit this ruin while gaining all the rewards, it would be best to go along with her tests. Instead of killing this being to acquire the loot, it would be better to gain the cooperation and blessing of this being. He would deal directly with her. This was the obvious path.

    Artpe remained seated as he nodded his head. He let out a sigh.

    ¡°I know my party is enduring hardship right now, so it isn¡¯t sitting well with me......¡±

    [You really love your friends. Last time, you also came here for someone else. I guess it is the same this time around. You haven¡¯t searched out this ce just for sake of the hero¡¯s party. There is another reason, right?]

    Artpe¡¯s movement suddenly ticked to a stop.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you brought that up. You.¡±

    [Mmmm?]

    For a short time, he had forgotten that he was separated from the others in this pocket dimension. However, that wasn¡¯t the biggest reason why he sounded annoyed right now. The voice had spoken as if she knew everything. The owner of the voice had a secret, and this secret was like a fishbone stuck in his throat. It kept aggravating him.

    Fortunately, he was separated from his party members. He decided it was the best time to resolve the question he had.

    ¡°How much do you know?¡±

    [I just remember the flow.]

    However, it seemed the female sculpture knew that this question wasing, so she answered in afortable tone of voice.

    [I know that you searched this ce out as a Demon, and you¡¯vee to this ce once again as the hero of humans. I also know about the children, who used to be on the other side of you in your previous life. They have apanied you to this ce. The time-frame of events have been hastened this time around, but that holds no importance to me. You possess an unheard of power to flip history, but my Record is too deep to be damaged by it.]

    Artpe was a bit shocked, so he became silent.

    It wasn¡¯t as if he had believed that he was the only one to remember one¡¯s past life. He had been aware of the possibility. This was why he had made numerous preparations before he moved. He prepared for the unexpected.

    However, when he was faced with someone that acknowledged knowing about this past life, he was at a loss. Itsted for a brief moment.

    ¡°Your Record......¡±

    [You probably have a vague idea about it? I was once a queen that had ruled over winter. I¡¯ve existed as a human and a Dragon. In the end, I continued to live on as a concept. I died, yet I wasn¡¯t fully dead. My Record remained within the depths of cia. Do you realize how vast my Record had to be for that to happen? I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to exin any further.]

    ¡°So there are other beings besides you.....?¡±

    [I don¡¯t know how many there are, but I¡¯m probably not the only one. Do you mind me asking you a question this time?]

    The thoughts within Artpe¡¯s head was starting to getplicated, so he weakly nodded his head.

    [How were you able to reach me? I was barely able to discern the fact that the power and Record of the Wind Spirit King was infused into your boots. However, that doesn¡¯t fully exin why you and your party was able to get so close to me. The wind would just carry you, but the one in charge of setting the destination would have been your responsibility.]

    The question asked by the voice was also something he had expected. Since she knew about the past lives of Artpe and the hero¡¯s party, their conversation would go smoothly. He didn¡¯t hesitate as he gave her an answer.

    ¡°Until I reached this ce, I had dreams about it. Somehow, I was able to see you face off against my party members.¡±

    [I see. You used that information alongside the boots, which contains the Record of the Wind Spirit King. You are sharing Records with yourrades through dreams.]

    He was exchanging Records with his party members through dreams. Artpe had suspected this was the case, so he unconsciously epted this information.

    ¡®As expected, this might be caused by Maetel¡¯s power.¡¯

    Artpe shut his eyes as he thought.

    From the moment Maetel learned the Record Divide in the Hero¡¯s development Dungeon, he had sometimes seen events from his past life from a different perspective. It was memories of events he hadn¡¯t personally experienced.

    At first, he thought he was reconstructing past events using his imagination. He thought he was under a delusion. However, the dreams were too detailed, and he was able to clear this ruin thanks to the dreams. It would be pathetic for him to deny the truth now.

    Yes, the dreams were Maetel¡¯s Record. Artpe had seen her Record. It wasn¡¯t the present Maetel, but the Record of Maetel from her previous life.

    [I hope you won¡¯t ask me if such a thing is possible. History was been rewound, but that doesn¡¯t mean the event that happened disappeared. It was merely covered up. The truth remains alive deep within her heart.]

    ¡°Does that mean she knows about her past life......¡±

    [Maybe. That is unknown to me. If her Record was bigger, I might have been able to confirm it.]

    ¡°Thank you for giving me such an obvious answer.¡±

    Artpe gave a gruff reply, then he shut his mouth. He had learned two shocking truths, so he was low on energy. One of the reason for his annoyance was that he couldn¡¯t do much to change what would happen.

    ¡®Shall I ask her after I exit this ce? If she knows everything, how should I respond? What if she doesn¡¯t know anything? That might put weird ideas into her head......¡¯

    Artpe grabbed his head as he struggled over the problem. The female sculpture called out to him once again.

    [If you don¡¯t have anything further you want to ask me, I want you to tell me what you want from me.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you should already know this.¡±

    [You mean this.]

    The female sculpture opened her mouth. A small sculpture that looked like an exact replica of the bigger sculpture appeared. In truth, it was a creepy sight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t receive this item like thisst time!¡±

    [On the other hand, the quality of this item is higher this time. I am breaking off part of myself. This will suit her better..]

    In truth, she wasn¡¯t wrong. A soft cold energy was emanating from the item. It couldn¡¯t bepared to the sculpture he stole in his previous life. He naturally realized something when he looked over it.

    ¡°You are a sculpture made out of the world¡¯s first ice, and this is a part of you.¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    It took him a very long time to discern the makeup of the item using his Read All Creation ability. It wasn¡¯t because it was made out of many elements. It had been bonded too well, so it took him a long time..

    It would have been understandable for a foe like the Kraken where he couldn¡¯ty eyes on the entirety of a subject. He could take in the item in its entirety with his eyes, yet it was taking a long time to see its true nature. Maybe, his Read All Creation ability was stillcking. This might be the impetus that would grow his ability.

    ¡°This is all I want. I just want my party members to acquire real power..¡±

    This ce was the biggest reason why Regina was able to go toe-to-toe with Etna in their past lives. It was the blessing of the Winter Queen.

    The archmage Regina became a pivotal figure after receiving the power of the Winter Queen. She had been a big help to the hero¡¯s party when they crossed over to the Demon realm. It happened after Artpe¡¯s death, but it would have been impossible for the hero¡¯s party to defeat Etna without the power of the Winter Queen.

    [You can rest easy in regards to that. Since you¡¯ve joined them in seeking me out this time, they.... Yes. The entirety of my power will be transferred to her. In terms of aptitude, she is closest to me. That is why she will gain the most power.]

    ¡°You are quite thoughtful in your consideration.¡±

    In this life, Artpe had never been at a disadvantage thanks to his Read All Creation ability and the memories of his past life. However, the so-called Winter Queen remembered her past life, so she wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage against Artpe.

    ¡°Yes. That should be enough. I guess I just have to wait now.¡±

    Artpe weakly mumbled to himself as he put away the sculpture. It would be great if Etna became happy after receiving this item. However, he became depressed when he thought about the unavoidable fight that would ur when he met her once again.

    [What else?]

    The annoying voice stopped him once again.

    ¡°What do you mean what else? I want you to properly empower my party..¡±

    [I still have something I have to give you. The sculpture I just gave you is merely a very small fragment of myself. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to just give you that.]

    ¡°Since we cleared the ruin, you want me take everything? I merely used Blink once to get here. The reward seems disproportionatelyrgepared to my action.¡±

    [You revived the Wind Spirit King¡¯s power. You were sessful in bringing back the power of space and time. Your achievement isn¡¯t trivial, so you can boldly ask for more. Therefore....]

    The Winter Queen let out a bitterugh as she spoke.

    [It is time to give my Record to you too. You should meekly take it since I am offering it to you.]

    When Artpe heard those words, he didn¡¯t understand what she meant for a brief moment. He tilted his head in confusion, but his eyes turned wide when he discerned the meaning of her words.

    ¡°Right now.... You are choosing your own demise?¡±

    [No. It means I choose to live my life in a different way. I¡¯m not sure if this could be called living..... I¡¯m sick of it. Even more so in recent years.]

    Artpe smirked when he heard the Winter Queen¡¯s voice. She spoke lightly, but it seemed she was serious. Still, he didn¡¯t need to ept anything more from her when what she was offering wouldn¡¯t be of much help to him.....

    ¡°Then you should look at this.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ho-oh. I see.]

    She had the most interested look on her face since she started conversing with Artpe. The Winter Queen answered him.

    [The ice sculpture isn¡¯t the only present you will gift her.]

 Chapter 134 - Winter Queen (5)

    Chapter 134 - Winter Queen (5)

    Of course, the first one to be freed from the pocket dimension was Maetel. She took in a deep breath as she sat down. A bright smile appeared on her face when she caught sight of Artpe. He had already been released from the pocket dimension he was in. He was leisurely chewing on ice.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    It seemed Artpe didn¡¯t have the energy to move his body. He somehow caught Maetel, who fell towards him. He let out a sigh. Her body was cold. It was as if she had been rolling around in an ice field.

    ¡°Your body is cold¡±

    ¡°Yes. Artpe should warm me up.¡±

    She rubbed her face against his neck as she acted like a spoiled child. He stroked her head as many thoughts went through his head.

    He found out from his conversation with the Winter Queen that his dreams were the result of sharing Records with Maetel. It meant that there was a possibility that Maetel had already recovered the memory of her past life. She might have recovered it long before today.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤personally, I think it is nonsense.¡¯

    Once she found out Artpe used to be a Four Heavenly King, there was no way Maetel could stick to him in such a familiar manner. However, he couldn¡¯tpletely put this possibility out of his mind. At times, she had revealed a very mature side to her, and that worried him.

    ¡°Artpe is too warm. I think Artpe is spring.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I guess I¡¯m mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡±

    ¡°It is nothing.¡±

    If she knew about what he had done during his life as a Four Heavenly King, there was no way she would liken him to spring. He didn¡¯t think she was acting. Her personality wouldn¡¯t allow her to hide such information about herself.

    Still... Maybe...

    What if something that he didn¡¯t know about was hidden within Maetel.....

    ¡°Artpe, you have a far away look again. You are hiding something from me!¡±

    ¡°How about you? ....do you have anything you are hiding?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ah.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s impulsive question, Maetel blinked her eyes. Then she let out a mischievousughter. She put her arms around Artpe¡¯s neck, and she pressed her body against him.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey.¡±

    She said she was trying to heat up her cold body. She was using such a frivolous reason to entuate her chest. Artpe was taken aback, so he tried to turn his gaze away.

    ¡°Artpe, I am hiding one thing.¡±

    At that moment, Maetel spoke as if she was trying to capture his attention. She truly had exquisite timing. Artpe hesitated a little bit before he answered her.

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably say something offensive, so I don¡¯t need to hear¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤in truth, my breasts becamerger again.¡±

    ¡°As expected, it is something offensive.¡±

    Her shame and sense of embarrassment had been left behind in mountain vige and the Ancient ruin. It was a level of boldness that he expected from her. However, it was also true that her words had removed all the worries he had about her. In the end, he let out a sigh, and he tried to stroke her head.....

    ¡°Artpe, I think I¡¯m big enough.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you said you wanted me to grow quickly?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    Danger had approached him from apletely different direction! He hadn¡¯t even been worried about this. It was an outrageous danger!

    ¡®Shit. Wait a moment. Did I really? I did during the Kraken.....!¡¯

    Maetel didn¡¯t need to give an additional exnation. In a sh, Artpe had assessed the situation, and he shuddered. The fact that he had forgotten about it was the more surprising part. He clearly recalled what had urred.

    That¡¯s right. It was during the fight against the Kraken. Artpe hadn¡¯t acted appropriately for a being his age. He had fallen for Maetel. He had been half-bewitched by her. He vividly remembered saying words that he would have never said if he was of sound mind.

    After they killed the Kraken, he had exchanged a short conversation with her before he had lost consciousness. He had forgotten about it until now. However, he remembered it perfectly right now.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I grown a lot?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you¡¯ve grown enough.¡±

    He even wondered if several parts of her body had grown too much.

    Wait a moment. Why was she bigger than her past self? Was it because of her eating habits? Was it the effect of the rapid level ups? Was it the power of her will? Was it a miracle? He was hopelessly mired by the countless questions that were forming in his mind. However, there was only one question that was important.

    ¡°So we are going to marry!?¡±

    Maetel had grown using Artpe¡¯s words as a barometer. Maetel¡¯s expectation had grown sorge that she was about to explode.

    ¡°Marriage¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you said you¡¯ll marry me when I¡¯m done growing!¡±

    No additional hints had been needed. Somehow, she managed to reach the keyword called marriage all by herself. Artpe had a faraway look as he ced his hand on Maetel¡¯s head.

    ¡°However, Maetel.... Enough is not satisfactory.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°You and I are heroes. Do you really think I¡¯ll be satisfied with ¡®grown enough¡¯?¡±

    He had to somehow get out of this situation, so he started spouting nonsense.

    ¡°T...that.... You do have a point, but.....!¡±

    Of course, Maetel was an idiot, so she was convinced by his words. She nodded her head!

    ¡°That is why I want you to grow more.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll grow faster! However, I don¡¯t want to be taller than Artpe.....¡±

    After saying those words, she passed her hands over her already ample breasts. Then she clenched her fists. Artpe inwardly thought he might have caused another problem, but on the other hand, he got a confirmation. There was no way this idiot remembered her past life.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. From now on, here and here.... Mmm. I think that feels about right....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤mmm?¡±

    At that moment, Artpe suddenly had a thought when he observed her behavior.

    ¡°Maetel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You know of a method to grow those parts!?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    He was given a truly shocking answer!

    ¡°As I leveled up, I was able to gain some control over my development through the eleration ability! This is why I became faster and stronger after I gained my Innate ability. I was able to grow my muscles.¡±

    ¡°So it is possible to do such a thing through eleration....¡±

    ¡°My level was rising fast, but I was worried my body won¡¯t grow as fast. That is why I tried this method and it worked! Ooh-hue-hue. I¡¯ll grow so much that Artpe will ept me without being able to say a peep!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a particr level cap, but there was a clear limit as to how one¡¯s body developed. However, it seemed Maetel was able to treat the growth of her body like leveling up. It was as if her body was putty in her hands. The ability called eleration seemed like a misnomer.

    ¡°Maetel, you....¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Artpe was about to say something about her ability, but he shut his mouth.

    He had forgotten about it, but his Innate ability called Read All Creation ability was in its second stage right now. After he reincarnated, he didn¡¯t see anything special that indicated that his ability had gone through a change. However, his ability itself had revealed to him that it had evolved to its second stage. So he knew his Innate Ability had grown.

    ¡®By outward appearance, her Innate ability doesn¡¯t look like it had changed, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    Maybe, Maetel¡¯s Innate ability was growing too. She might be on her way to gaining an ability that was superior to the eleration ability. It was possible. She was showing overwhelming growth speedpared to her previous life. She was capable of pulling this off.

    He didn¡¯t want to hinder the evolution of her Innate ability with his careless words. He decided to observe her. Of course, he didn¡¯t like it at all that his request for growing faster had be the impetus to the change in her Innate ability!

    ¡°If your body has warmed, you should get off of me. The others will being out soon.¡±

    ¡°I want to stick to you longer. I¡¯m already sticking to you, but I want to be more intense in sticking to you.¡±

    While Maetel was trying her best to y up her beauty, a woman appeared in the room. It was unexpectedly Vad. There was a tendril of cold energy emanating from her body. She hadn¡¯t failed the test. She did a good job in passing.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡±

    ¡°See.¡±

    Vad took quick strides forward, and she pulled Maetel off of Artpe. Maetel knew she was pushing it already, so she didn¡¯t resist as she was pulled off of him.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, you must have suffered a lot. I¡¯m sure you were being tormented by her. You probably allow it, because she is also a hero. I feel sorry for you....¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak those words while you are stealthily trying to sit on myp.¡±

    Artpe was slowly getting a sense as to how he should deal with Vad. He flicked Vad on the forehead. He dropped her away from him as he asked her a question.

    ¡°Did you gain anything?¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mm. In truth, cold energy doesn¡¯t suit a holy priestess. That is why she gave me an Artifact, and she raised my Mana to the extreme.¡±

    As she spoke those words, she slid her leg towards Artpe. He was taken aback. He blinked his eyes, and he realized that she was wearing a stocking that she hadn¡¯t worn before. It was a transparent stocking. It looked as if the threads were made out of ice.

    ¡°It makes you resistant against the cold.¡±

    ¡°It also gives me the ability to make clones. As a priestess, it is the optimal ability to have. .....above all else, it is pretty.¡±

    She had no experience with men, but she somehow learned many ways to appeal to men. It was like her to choose such an item.

    The stocking entuated her slim legs and smooth thighs. It really looked good on Vad. Artpe¡¯s heart started beating a little bit faster. Maetel¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Ah, jeez. I hope everyonees out fast!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°Sienna, I missed you!¡±

    ¡°Ee-hee-hee-hee.¡±

    Fortunately, before a hole could be formed in Artpe¡¯s stomach, Sienna was released. As with Vad, Sienna had gained more Mana, and she had received an Artifact.

    She had gained resistance against the cold, and her abilities had been boosted all across the board. It wasn¡¯t a bad oue, but he also reminded himself of the fact that they weren¡¯t the leading role in this ruin.

    ¡®That¡¯s because Regina is most suited for the power of winter.¡¯

    Regina possessed great talent when it came to using wind and ice magic. Of course, she had full control over most elemental magic, but few in the history of the continent possessed as much talent for wind and ice magic as her. She boasted great mastery over these two disciplines.

    ¡®In her past life, she hadn¡¯t been able to fulfill all the prerequisites needed to clear this ruin, so she wasn¡¯t able to receive the entirety of the Winter Queen¡¯s power. However, it is different now.¡¯

    Maetel and Vad had been ring and growling at each other. He had waited for Sienna toe out, since she could calm them. With the help of the Winter Queen, he was able toplete the magic tome. After Regina finished her test, they would immediately....

    At that moment, the ruin shook from arge tremor.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    The ruin had been attacked. It was easy enough to discern the cause, since a crude hostility could be felt within the Mana.

    The problem was the fact that he didn¡¯t know who the owner of the Mana was.

    ¡°Artpe, as expected....¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t Etna.¡±

    Maetel was about to speak, but Artpe immediately cut her off. Maetel¡¯s cheeks puffed out, but he wasn¡¯t lying. It wasn¡¯t Etna.

    ¡°I perfectly assessed and memorized her Mana pattern. This is someone that is less skilled, but.....¡±

    In terms of power, this being might not be too far behind Etna. When he had that thought, Artpe gulped.

    They werepleting this ruin, because it would allow them to defeat Etna. However, a different Demon with simr level of power as Etna had shown up. If this Demon possessedpletely different properties from Etna, how were they supposed to win!

    Even if Regina gained the entire power of the Winter Queen, the prospect of a win looked bleak.

    ¡°What if they continue to attack the ruin like this?¡±

    ¡°The Winter Queen has given her power to us, so she is about to perish. Normally, an attack of this caliber wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to this ruin..... This is the worst case scenario. We might be buried alive here.¡±

    He churned his thoughts, but he couldn¡¯te up with a solution. If they went out, will they be able to put up a fight against this new Demon? If the new Demon asked for Etna¡¯s cooperation, Artpe and his party would certainly die.

    What should he do?

    First, he had to wait for Regina toe out from her test before he could.....

    [I know all about your worries.]

    Artpe heard a voice from behind him. Artpe whipped his head around, and he saw the female sculpture. It had been absent from this room when it had created five pocket dimensions. The female sculpture had returned to reality once again.

    ¡°Returned. Main character always show upte.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, Regina.¡±

    Of course, Regina apanied the female sculpture. She was much stronger than before. He wanted to check her status, but unfortunately, their current situation was too dire for him to do so.

    [It wouldn¡¯t be wise for you to exit this ce right now. Therade of your past is with an enemy of the present. They are gathered in one ce]

    The female sculpture¡¯s voice could only be heard by Artpe. When she mentioned therade of his past, she was talking about Etna. The current enemy referred to the being that was attacking the ruin. The problem right now was the fact that Etna was also an enemy they had to defeat.

    ¡°I see.... However, by the way your phrased your words, you have a way to help us?¡±

    The female sculpture nodded her head.

    [Let us fake your deaths. I¡¯ll sacrifice all of my remaining power, and I will lead you down the correct path.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    For a moment, he didn¡¯t understand what she meant, so he queried her. However, the female sculpture no longer spoke. It dissolved into the air.

    Afterwards, the ceiling fell down.

 Chapter 135 - Underground (1)

    Chapter 135 - Underground (1)

    The Winter Queen had transferred all her powers to Regina, and she was immediately extinguished. Nothing went wrong up to that point. It was a decent way to wrap up the story so far.

    The problem right now was the fact that the ruin was copsing in real time.

    ¡°Hey, wait a moment. Hey! How can you just disappear like that!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, Blink! Bliiiiink!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhk! Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim!¡±

    The power, which had been maintaining the ruin, was gone. It was obvious as to what would happen to the structure when it was attacked from the outside. Of course, the 10 floor ruin would copse on itself!

    While Artpe¡¯s party was in a confused state, Regina temporarily stopped the ice fragments from falling down on them.

    ¡°A tunnel exists. It was prepared as a contingency n. She told me about it.¡±

    ¡°She? Do you mean the Winter Queen?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    He did not doubt her words. He could feel the Record and Mana of the Winter Queen emanating from Regina¡¯s whole body. The Winter Queen had said she would give away her power to Regina, and it seemed the Winter Queen had went above and beyond.

    ¡°I can¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find it.¡±

    Artpe quickly searched his surrounding. The ruin was crumbling right now, so Mana was being disturbed all over the ce. It obstructed his vision. However, his eyes had been trained for numerous years, so he was able to filter out only the information he needed.

    ¡®I found it.¡¯

    The Mana around them was going wild. The Mana surged, and it caused explosions that were destroying the ice. In the middle of all of this chaos, there was a single path made out of Mana. This Mana was flowing in a calm manner. The Winter Queen said she had prepared a contingency n. This had to be it!

    ¡°Crazy. We have to go deeper underground..... Sssp. Everyone gather over here! Regina, you too!¡±

    Artpe used his Materialization magic to tie several hundred Mana Strings together. In a sh, he used it to open up a path leading further underground. He sent his party into the Mana Road. Regina was still trying to stop the ruin from falling down on their heads. He half-carried her like a luggage as he ran into the Mana Road.

    Afterwards, a fierce wind picked up, and they were pushed forward.

    ¡°Ooh-aht!¡±

    ¡°It is a wind infused with the cold. It will guide us down this path.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t see his other party members, who had jumped in earlier. He was able to discern that the Mana Road wasn¡¯t just a stream of Mana. The winds were part of the magic itself. It seemed the fierce cold winds could easily lift and transport a person. The winds carried them onward!

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaa-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt-pehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Maetel had been the first to enter the ¡®Road.¡¯ She was using her use superhuman will and Mana to move upstream. On the other hand, Sienna had nted her hammer into the ground. Sienna and Vad was clinging to the hammer for dear life.

    Artpe put Regina under his arm. He moved forward, and he grabbed Maetel¡¯s hand. Afterwards, he had no problem in rejoining with the rest of his party.

    ¡°Shall we just grab hands and go with the flow?¡±

    ¡°No way. Come out, magic carpet!¡±

    ¡°That is just the tent we always use!¡±

    Artpe used his exquisite Mana Control to inject Mana into the tent fabric. The tent opened wide, and he ced his party on top of it. It would allow them to travel using the wind in style. It would allow them to travel faster, and they would befortable while doing so.

    ¡°Suddenly, I feel right at home.¡±

    ¡°We have no idea how long this path is, so this will allow us to rest. .....I have no idea when this Mana flow will be severed.¡±

    It seemed the Winter Queen had invested a significant amount of time in creating this road. Maybe, she started working on it as soon as Artpe reset the world.

    However, the size and length of the road was massive. Even if the Winter Queen had made it, he worried the road was iplete.

    ¡°Mana Road. Amazing Record.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    After they settled atop the wind road, Regina had turned around. He wondered what she was doing, but she was standing still as she spread both her arms. It seemed she was taking in all the wind and cold energy that was flowing past them.

    ¡°Yum yum.¡±

    ¡°All right. I get it. You don¡¯t have to exin any further.¡±

    It seemed Regina had been instructed to do this beforehand. Regina had received enormous Mana and Record from the Winter Queen. She would be able to absorb the Mana making up the wind road without much problem.

    ¡®There is a possibility that she had received something much greater than what I had expected. Maybe, Regina had received the Winter Queen herself......¡¯

    ¡°Did the Winter Queen tell you where this road leads to?¡±

    ¡°It is a journey without a destination. We are being guided by the wind. It is a miraculous encounter.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know it, just say you don¡¯t know it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    They didn¡¯t know what waited for them at the end of road, but they had already distanced themselves from the ruin. They had been guided by the wind for a short amount of time, but they had travelled several hundred kilometers at the very least.

    ¡°Since we¡¯vee this far, we won¡¯t be attacked by the Demons.¡±

    ¡°We went through the trouble of getting ready to fight that woman, yet it was all for nothing. I wanted to show her the power of my love for Artpe......¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤maybe it was a good thing that we didn¡¯t fight her.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s joke was secondary to the frost resistance and the level up acquired by the party members. Above all else, Regina had gained a new power, and she would be able to go toe-to-toe with Etna now.

    However, that wasn¡¯t enough. He wanted to change the Four Heavenly King Etna into an asset for the hero¡¯s party. His n was to cause critical damage to the Demon King¡¯s army. He hadpleted the magic tome with the help of the Winter Queen, but he was still unsure as to whether the magic tome would seed.

    ¡®No, I have the ability to do it. Maybe, I¡¯m psyching myself out. I possess the power to change the history of the Demon race in my hands. I have the power to change the future.....¡¯

    For better or for worse, the opportunity to confirm the ability of the magic tome was pushed back when a new enemy showed up. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. He was actually happy, since he had more time to ¡®experiment¡¯ with the magic tome.

    The problem was the sudden appearance of the new enemy. This being had attacked the ruin without reason. Artpe had sensed the being¡¯s Mana, and he was sure that he had never met this Demon in his past life.

    ¡®This Demon might be an officer in the force of the other Demon King candidate. Maybe, this being was responsible for sending Etna towards the ice continent.......¡¯

    He could somewhat guess at why Etna was sent towards the ice continent. Maybe, they wanted her to lose her life when she confronted the ruin. That probably was a leap in logic. Maybe, this was a plot to make sure the hero¡¯s party never gained the power of the Winter Queen. They might have been expecting the Fire Witch to blow away the ruin using her power.

    ¡®Now I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m not the only one possessing knowledge of the past life. There is a force that hadn¡¯t existed in my past life. Maybe, they are the source of all the misfortune I suffered. That means from now on.....¡¯

    Fortunately, he had used the experience from his past life toplete all the urgent tasks that needed to bepleted. Regina was the most important member, and she had acquired the Winter Queen¡¯s power in its entirety.

    He had also acquired most of the Artifacts he had to have through the help of Silpennon. The only thing that Artpe had to acquire before those that knew about their past lives.....

    ¡°I guess the spellbook for the great magic called Rain of Ruin is the only thing left.¡±

    Rain of Ruin. It gathered the Mana of thend, and the spell turned the Mana into an offensive force. It synchronized and strengthened the Mana of the user. It was an AoE spell that allowed the user to bombard one¡¯s target.

    It boasted an extreme amount of destructive capability. It could be used against a single opponent or it could be used on arge region. There was only two downside to this spell. When one used this spell, it consumed all of one¡¯s Mana. Secondly, the process of chanting this spell was embarrassing. It was so embarrassing that death might be preferable.

    ¡°It is very juvenile. It is suited for Artpe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one that needs to learn it. After you learn it, you¡¯ll have to proudly chant that spell out loud. You should rehearse it starting from now.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤deny. Deny. Deny.¡±

    Regina had been busy absorbing the Mana within the winds. Regina kept shaking her head from side to side as she kept punching Artpe¡¯s shoulder. Maetel stared at Artpe, who was chuckling. She asked him a question.

    ¡°Where do we have to go to gain the spell book called the Rain of Ruin, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°There is a body of water called Zestbara. It is the border that separates the human realm and the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°If we are are going to acquire that, then......¡±

    ¡°We are going to enter into the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°I see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    They were slowly approaching that point. In most cases, monsters over level 300 didn¡¯t appear in the human realm.

    There used to be some in the ice continent of cia. However, Etna had guided Sienna and Regina around cia. They had killed most of the high level monsters that had lived there for several hundred years. Above all else, the top level figures in their enemy¡¯s forces might show up in cia. They could no longer go back to that ce.

    ¡°There is still some stuff that we have to acquire on this side. However, I¡¯ll leave that to Silpennon and Mycenae. That¡¯ll be an eptable solution.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like both of them.¡±

    ¡°You already know everything about the human realm.... It seems Artpe-nim knows everything.¡±

    ¡°Vad, you already said thatst time.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    He had created a new empire, and he had gained influence over the temple. He had prepared everyone. He no longer needed to worry about the human realm. Even if he worried more about the human realm, he couldn¡¯t improve on the current situation.

    The only thing weighed on his mind was the fact that he hadn¡¯t been able to recruit the warrior and the archer from the hero¡¯s party of his past life. In her past life, Maetel was able to recruit them through series of chance encounters. It couldn¡¯t be helped that they weren¡¯t able toe across the warrior and the archer.

    ¡®In truth, we¡¯ve gained party members that are more powerful than them......¡¯

    There was the holy priestess Vad, who had to part with the hero¡¯s party in her past life. Then there was the powerful dark horse Sienna. She was an Evil Reflector, and she was the antipode to the Demon race. Artpe had done everything he could do in the human realm. In fact, he probably went above and beyond what had been required of him.

    ¡®There is the force that is being managed by the second Demon King. I cannot let my guard down. Moreover, someone entirely new was added into the existing structure of the Four Heavenly King. It is quite suspicious.... I don¡¯t know what my party will face, so it is imperative that we strengthen our party. Mmm. Instead of the archer from our past lives, maybe I should add Mycenae to the party.¡¯

    She acted arrogant for being a great merchant, but Artpe kinda liked... Mycenae seemed very interested in joining their party, so if he asked her to join the party, she would quickly ept the offer.

    However, if she joined the party, the alreadybative atmosphere of the party might worsen. This was why he worried things would turn to shit. Above all else, Mycenae like to weaponize her looks. She would be troublesome. He decided it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to bring her in.

    ¡®I have to find the warrior. Shit. i wonder where he is.....¡¯

    Should they really leave for the Demon world? Doubt started to slowly creep into his mind. Did they really finish all their tasks in the human realm? Did they reallyplete everything to the best of their ability?!

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤oppa?¡±

    ¡°What is it, Sienna?¡±

    She was the only one amongst the hero¡¯s party that reassured his heart. She was the treasure of this party. At Sienna¡¯s careful questioning, Artpe ended his brooding. He raised his head, and he realized something.

    ¡°Where is this road connect to?¡±

    ¡°I guess I can see why you are asking me that.¡±

    They were traveling several hundred meters each second. They were traveling at incredible speed, and they had already exited cia. At this rate, they probably could cross several oceans to reach Diaz once again. They were moving that fast.

    Despite this fact, the road seemed to never end. In terms of straight distance, they probably circled the whole world once.

    What did that imply?

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤are we perhaps still going further underground?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t faking our death! We really are being buried alive!?¡±

    The path wasn¡¯t horizontal! It meant the road was tilted downwards!

 Chapter 136 - Underground (2)

    Chapter 136 - Underground (2)

    Several minutes had passed since they realized which direction the wind road was flowing. Artpe and his party members shared apanionable silence.

    The hero¡¯s party was riding a carpet deep into the ground, and they were probably going to die. It might be a death of their own making. It would be too embarrassing to put this story into the hero¡¯s tale.

    ¡°Wind is blowing hard.¡±

    ¡°You should hold still. I¡¯m thinking about stopping our progress. I¡¯m wondering if I should bore through the ceiling.¡±

    ¡°The slope isn¡¯t that steep.¡±

    ¡°At this speed, even a one degree gradient is a problem. We might be heading towards the center of the world at ridiculously high speed.¡±

    ¡°However, we won¡¯t die. The Winter Queen intended for this to happen. There is a destination.¡±

    It was umon to hear such conviction behind Regina¡¯s words. He looked at the small glutton, who was absorbing the Mana within the wind. He wondered how he should retort. In the end, he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll trust your words. However, I will also prepare an escape n.¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡±

    Artpe could use the Blink Boot¡¯s option. He could transport to any location he desired. He could use this option once each day. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to escape from this ce if he could use that ability.

    However, the problem remained that a day hadn¡¯t passed since he had used that option. This was why the amount of Mana consumed would be dependent on the distance they traveled. If he was rash in using the ability, Artpe might use up all his Mana. He might be a dried up mummy.

    [Nyaa. Nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing here.¡±

    It had been a pretty long time since Roa had eaten negative energy. This was why she insisted that she was emaciated. Of course, she was regrly eating other forms of energy, so she was just exaggerating her hardship.

    ¡°Be patient.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything.¡±

    They were underground, so how could there be any negative energy here! Maybe, if a few hundred thousand year old fossil suddenly woke up as an Undead.....

    [Nyaa!?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Roa had been quiet up until now. When Roa started to assert herself, it meant some kind of change wasing. Soon, he was proven right.

    Artpe was about to burst outughing when Sienna tilted her head as she asked her question.

    ¡°Did an Undead really show up? I don¡¯t feel the energy that would apany it.¡±

    ¡°It is the same for me. There is no way I wouldn¡¯t know if there was an Undead nearby.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t an Undead. If you consider our luck, it is probably something much worse.¡±

    He stroked the head of Roa when she stuck her head out from his pocket. She had suddenly regained her vitality. Artpe spoke to his party members.

    ¡°It seems Regina was right. The Winter Queen had a specific destination in mind.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Yes, she might have wanted us to help them.¡±

    At this point, even Artpe picked up on the hints. He had never encountered them in his past life, but he vaguely remembered hearing about them.

    ¡°There is only one race that lives this deep underground.¡±

    ¡°A race that lives underground¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? We are heading towards them right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe closed his eyes. The wind road was still carrying them at high speeds, and Regina started absorbing the wind at a much faster rate.

    ¡°Dwarves. They are like the Elves within the Forest of Eternity. They are one of the other races that boasts a distinguished custom and tradition. They left theirnd couple hundred years ago to head underground. They are a mythical race that only appears in history.¡±

    He was sure of it now. Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability could sense it. At the end of this road, the country of the underground race was waiting for them. He could also feel an evil energy, so there might be other beings beside the Dwarves waiting for Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t dwarves the midget race? They carry around hammers. Moreover, they are supposed to be great fighters and master craftsmen.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hmmm..... That might not be all true.¡±

    At Maetel¡¯s naive question, Vad let out a bitterughter.

    ¡°It has been a very long time since the Dwarves made an appearance in our history. I am of this era, so I have only studied up on records of the distant past. These documents only mention the Dwarves in passing. Most of the information know about the Dwarves are inurate. The authors of these books mixed in their own imagination, so the information had been distorted in odd ways. I¡¯m sure some of it is correct, but......¡±

    ¡°However, my dad said that Dwarves are an extremely strong race.¡±

    ¡°Ahjussi said that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As expected of a wandering merchant, he must have developed the skill to bullshit. However, Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to destroy Maetel¡¯s fantasy. He didn¡¯t have to since they would be meeting the Dwarves soon.

    Above all else, Artpe didn¡¯t know much about the Dwarves either. In his past life, the Dwarves were never featured in the story of the hero or the Demon King. They had been absent.

    At the very least, the Dwarves hadn¡¯t appeared above ground when Artpe, who had been the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly, had died. They might have made an appearance after his death, but he doubted they would have been capable of influencing the tide of war. That was his opinion.

    ¡®However, the Winter Queen guided us to this ce, so there must be something here.... Then there is the energy that Roa is responding in a sensitive manner. Maybe, they couldn¡¯t go above ground, because they are fighting this energy.¡¯

    It was as if a piece of the puzzle, which he couldn¡¯t solve in his past life, had clicked into ce. Artpe was smirking at himself. Maetel, who was grumpy, pulled at his cheek, but he was unresponsive. Roa, who was within Artpe¡¯s arms, was the only one that was letting out a fierce light from her eyes.

    [Nyaa nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°You should have been this aggressive when we fought against the Four Heavenly King.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhh!]

    Roa said, ¡®It is a sin to point out a woman¡¯s weakness.¡¯, as she scratched his arm. Of course, Artpe snorted at her words.

    Regina, who had been silent, spoke up at that moment.

    ¡°The road ends. I see a fight in the future.¡±

    ¡°You saw correctly, Regina. Everyone get ready for a fight.¡±

    A purple mass of Mana appeared above Artpe¡¯s palm. It was a phenomena that urred when he coalesced several thousand strands of Mana String into a ball. It looked very small, but each strand could be expanded using his Materialization spell. There was no way it could be negligible.

    ¡°Are you going to destroy the entire underground, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Can you not look at me like that? You are scaring me.¡±

    ¡°Soon. There is 4 seconds left.¡±

    ¡°Four seconds? There is still no end to this road...koo-ahhhk!?¡±

    When Regina¡¯s words ended, the wind road suddenly elerated! At the same time, the gentle slope suddenly steepened. The pressure made it seem as if they were being dropped from high altitude!

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    Arge wall suddenly came into view. If they continued along this path, they would crash into the wall! They would be ttened like pancakes! The wind road wasing to an end.

    Regina diligently moved her hands to absorb all the Mana, but they were already traveling at high speeds. Regina¡¯s actions didn¡¯t slow down their speed. It really looked as if they were about to die, so Sienna lifted her sledge hammer.

    In the next moment...

    ¡°Kook. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Artpe threw the ball of Mana resting atop his palm. In a sh, the ball expanded, and it looked as if would cover the entire wall. The wall was destroyed at an incredible rate, and a path through the wall was created.

    ¡°W...what the hell!?¡±

    ¡°Is this perhaps Corrosion magic!?¡±

    She never expected the hero to know such a malicious spell. By the time Vad¡¯s eyes turned round, Maetel figured out the identity of the magic. She spoke in a calm manner.

    ¡°You wore down the wall using Hyper Rubbing?¡±

    ¡°Your assessment is better than expected.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t anything new anymore.¡±

    It was a method that allowed him to get rid of something with precision. He didn¡¯t have to apply significant outward force to the wall. He just rubbed it until it broke! It consumed a lot of Mana, and it was a very roundabout way to destroy the wall. However, it was all right since he achieved the desired result.

    At that moment, Regina retracted both her arms. A vast amount of Mana swirled inside her body. Her abilities were increasing in real time.

    ¡°The wind road has stopped. I ate well.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. Then you should stop the carpet!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a carpet! It¡¯s a tent!¡±

    The fact that he had erased a portion of the wall didn¡¯t mean that he could wipe out the speed of the tent! When they passed through the hole in the wall, the party was sent flying towards the floor.

    When they were on the wind road, there hadn¡¯t been any turbulence. However, once they lost bnce, the tent started to wobble in every direction. In a single second, they started to spin several dozen times!

    ¡°Ooh-waaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°This is fun!¡±

    ¡°Confess! Who the heck just fondled my butt!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Artpe-nim!¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    The confusionsted only a moment. The party caught sight of arge open space beneath the wall. Unfortunately, it was filled with other guests.

    [Geeeeeeeeeeee.]

    ¡°Block them! If we block them this day, it¡¯ll be all over!¡±

    [Kyaa-ahhhhhh.]

    ¡°Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Beat them back! Beat them back!¡±

    There were short warriors gathered in an absurdlyrge area. Then there were the grotesque monsters! They looked like ashes, which were pressed underneath a pot, had grown to enormous size! He was sure that Roa had reacted to these monsters.

    Roa continued to meow within his pocket! The tent fabric opened up wide, and it surrounded the party. It stopped the descent of the party.

    [Gee-gee-gee-gee-gee?]

    ¡°Aht. What the hell is that!? Did another Abyss open!¡±

    The warriors were in the midst of a fierce battle with the monsters. The eyes of the warriors and the monsters turned round when they saw arge ball of something appear in the air.

    The atmosphere of the battlefield froze for a brief moment! Artpe carefully opened the corner of the tent fabric, which had been turned into a ball around them. He called out to Roa.

    ¡°Roa, are you ok?¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    ¡°All right. Do whatever you want.¡±

    [Nyaaaahhhhhh!]

    It truly had been a long time since she had feasted on a buffet. She was overly excited. She immediately resolved into ck fog. Roa let out a roar as she speeded across the air!

    The surprised warriors swung their axes on reflex, but she easily dodge all of them. Then Roa pounced on the monsters, which were infused with Demonic energy. She used the technique she had developed over time. She easily ignored the resistance put up by the monsters, and she started sucking out only the Demonic energy.

    [Geee¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    [Gya-gya-gya-gya-gya-gyahk!]

    Horrifying screams that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world filled the square. The monsters despaired when a monster worse than them had made an appearance. She was ruthless as she feasted on the monsters from an unknown origin. The warriors, who had been fighting against the monsters, felt shock and fear when they witnessed Roa¡¯s gluttony. They lost the initiative.

    ¡°W....what the hell is that!?¡±

    ¡°Is it the core of the Abyss? It might be trying to eat all the Shadows of the Sinners to ascend to the top! It might be trying to rule the underground!¡±

    The monsters and warriors within the square froze again for an entirely different reason. Therge fabric had slowlynded on the ground.

    ¡°Whew. We are alive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I wanted to ride it a little more.....¡±

    ¡°You should remember this, Vad.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party rose from the middle of the fabric, and the warriors flinched once again. The fact that they were emitting a serious amount of energy was secondary to the fact that these new figures were from apletely different race.

    ¡°A...are they humans?¡±

    ¡°They came here with that monster over there..... They might be Shadows pretending to be humans!¡±

    ¡°No way. I feel an extremely holy energy from them.....¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. What if that monster isn¡¯t from the Abyss?¡±

    Even as the short warriors whispered amongst themselves, they raised their weapons towards Artpe¡¯s party. They were wary of Artpe¡¯s party. The warriors were short. They barely reached past 130 centimeters, yet their small bodies were sturdy with muscles. Artpe mumbled his words.

    ¡°Well, they are exactly as the book describes.¡±

    ¡°I guess so¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Vad mumbled in disbelief. At her reaction, Artpe smirked.

    It was the moment when they faced the Dwarven race, who had been lost from history.

 Chapter 137 - Underground (3)

    Chapter 137 - Underground (3)

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    [Kee-ahhhhhhh!]

    [M...my energy..... It¡¯s being suck away.......!]

    A massacre was urring within therge space underground. A ck fog of unknown nature was letting out a weirdly cute roar as it covered the open space. The ck monsters, who were trapped within the fog, kept screaming as they shriveled up. They fell over and died. It was such a horrible sight that many wondered if this was what it was like witnessing the Demon King at work.

    ¡°Good. She¡¯s doing a good job eating all of them even if there are a lot of them.¡±

    When he witnessed this sight, Artpe nodded his head as he put on a satisfied expression on his face. Sienna was standing next to him. Her eyes had turned round as she mumbled her words.

    ¡°They all seem to be easily over level 200.....¡±

    ¡°All the while, Roa has grown a lot.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party was acting in an extremely leisurely manner. The warriors were flustered by this sight. Until a moment ago, they had been fighting for their lives. These people had shown up from nowhere, and they had killed several hundred to several thousand of their enemies! Their enemies were dying without being able to put up much of a resistance!

    ¡°W..who are you guys!¡±

    ¡°Are you our enemies?! Are you guys from the Demon race?!¡±

    First, Artpe was going to cut off the idea that his party was the enemy. Artpe pointed towards the ck fog that was zipping across the square.

    ¡°I¡¯m her owner. Moreover, I¡¯m human.¡±

    It was unexpected, but the Dwarves weren¡¯t using themonnguage of the continent. They were using an ancientnguage. However, Artpe was fluent in mostnguages, so it wasn¡¯t too hard to reply in the same tongue as the Dwarves.

    ¡°It is as I have expected!¡±

    ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t guarantee that they aren¡¯t our enemies. I¡¯ve never seen a magical beast capable of swallowing the Shadows of Sinners!¡±

    ¡°We are deep underground, so how did these humans get here?¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if the Dwarven warriors were in a state of confusion. Roa enthusiastically continued to satiate her appetite. It didn¡¯t take too long for the Shadows to be eradicated from the square. There wasn¡¯t a single one of them left.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°B...be on guard. That thing ate all of them! We might be next!¡±

    The short Dwarven warriors kept hanging back as they bunched together. The sight was a bit adorable, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. Roa looked across the square to the location where the Shadows had exited. Roa turned backed into the form of a ck cat as she stared at the deep ck hole. She nodded her head as she returned to Artpe¡¯s arms.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa, nyaa-nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°I see. It leads to a different ce.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterugh when he heard Roa¡¯s exnation. He never expected such a horrible ¡®Dungeon¡¯ to exist below the surface of the world.

    Just the presence of the hole dyed its surrounding with Demonic energy. It was also a Dungeon that periodically spat out evil spirits from within. It was no wonder the Dwarves were trapped underground. It was understandable as to why they no longer appeared above ground.

    ¡°A...a cat?¡±

    ¡°He really is its owner.¡±

    The Dwarven warriors quieted down. Artpe had gained the upper hand by merely having Roa in his arms. He smirked as he took a step forward. The Dwarves flinched, and every one of them clenched their weapons harder.

    Artpe spoke.

    ¡°Hello. It is nice to meet you. As an aside, do you guys have any Quests for us?¡±

    It was the proper way to handle a first meeting with a different race!

    The Dwarves thought they were going to fight a battle that would determine the fate of the entire race. They had been trembling at that thought. When they heard Artpe¡¯s random question, they tilted their head in confusion.

    ¡°Q...Quests?¡±

    ¡°This is our first meeting with you, so why do you think we have Quests.....¡±

    ¡°Everyone be quiet. We have one person that can speak on the same eye level as them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡±

    It seemed the Dwarves hade to a conclusion. Several Dwarven warriors quickly turned around, and they quickly ran into a tunnel. On one end of this enormous square, there was the hole where the evil spirits had crawled out from. On the other side, there was a tunnel that presumably led to the territory of the Dwarves.

    ¡®As expected of the Dwarves...¡¯

    Artpe had been surprised when he saw the existence of the long tunnel. Aside from the Dwarves from the legends, it was impossible to excavate and maintain structures so deep within the earth.

    ¡°Please wait a moment here. We live below the earth, so we aren¡¯t good at understandingplicated things. Fortunately, we have arade that is quite bright. He will be able to speak to you on the same eye level as you.¡±

    ¡°The words I want to convey isn¡¯t that difficult to understand.... All right. I just want you all to understand that we hold no hostility towards the Dwarves.¡±

    When one of the Dwarves spoke to him in a courteous manner, Artpe let out a bitterugh as he spoke. Artpe and his party members had show up from nowhere, and they had ughtered several thousand monsters. They had kill them, because the monsters possessed Demonic energy. The Dwarves were like the Elves. They were of another race. Artpe wasn¡¯t going to attack them.

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤maybe, they are reacting this way, because they know about how humans treat the other races.¡¯

    It hadn¡¯t been too long since he had settled the problems between humans and the Elves. When he thought about that incident, Artpe just shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°So? When is yourradeing?¡±

    ¡°I received a report that said the fight in the other cave is almost done. It shouldn¡¯t be too long. .....ah. Here hees.¡±

    The Dwarf¡¯splexion visibly brightened when he saw hisrade running through the tunnel at a rapid rate. It made one wonder how strong and dependable thisrade was. When Artpe raised his gaze.....

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He froze in ce when he came across someone in the most unlikely ce.

    ¡°Living Armor?¡±

    ¡°He is wearing an extremelyrge armor!¡±

    ¡°Appalling amount of magical energy. ....outward appearance looks funny.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. It is true. He will be able to speak to us on the same eye level as us. .....physically.¡±

    Since the Dwarves mentioned arade, he had expected it to be another Dwarf. He had been wrong. Even if the height of Maetel and Artpe wasbined, this man might be taller. He was wearing enormous full te armor and helm. There was arge axe and shield strapped to his back, yet he was running at high speeds through the tunnel.

    ¡°Are they enemies?! Leave them to me!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, Erick! We aren¡¯t sure if they are enemies!¡±

    The Dwarves, who were chasing after him, kept yelling at Erick. They wanted him not to be rash in his actions. However, it was as if the words of the Dwarves went in one ear and out the other. Erick gripped his axe as he increased his speed. When Maetel saw this, she started unsheathing her sword. However, Artpe stopped her before she unsheathed it fully.

    ¡°That guy has no intentions of attacking us.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Understood.¡±

    It was as Artpe had predicted. It looked as if he was nning to chop down the party with his axe, but he slow down as he got closer to Artpe¡¯s party. He came to aplete stop in front of them..

    ¡°Mmm. They aren¡¯t enemies!¡±

    A very tough and manly voice rang out from within the armor. Artpe smirked as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes, we aren¡¯t your enemy. If you consider those monsters covered in Demonic energy as your enemy, we might be able to help you out. Of course, a suitable rpense would be needed in return.¡±

    ¡°I like the fact that you are honest! It is nice to meet you. My name is Elrick! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Artpe.¡±

    The man tried to take off his gauntlet, but he reacted as if he had forgotten something. He just pushed his hand forward as is. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he lightly grabbed the gauntlet for a handshake. Artpe let go afterwards.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I cannot take off my gauntlets right now. I keep forgetting about that fact.¡±

    The man put on an apologetic expression on his face. In truth, his face was not visible, because of the helmet. At the very least, his voice sounded apologetic.

    ¡°I understand. A lot can happen in this world.¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhh.]

    As if she agreed with Artpe¡¯s sentiment, Roa let out a meow. However, Artpe patted her as if to say it wasn¡¯t time yet. Roa had just finished a gluttonous feast, so she wasn¡¯t particrly hungry. Roa assented as she gave a short cry. Then shepletely disappeared into his pocket.

    When the man saw a cat shake her tail as she settled into Artpe¡¯s pocket, his voice rose in surprise.

    ¡°So this cat ate all the Shadows of the Sinners? It really is an incredible familiar.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is quite useful. By the way¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You call them Shadows of Sinners?¡±

    When he checked it with his Read All Creation ability, he found out that they were Ancient Evil Spirits. However, he didn¡¯t want to call them by such a strange name, so Artpe settled on calling them Shadows of Sinners.

    ¡°I learned it from the Dwarves! In truth, it hasn¡¯t been long since I¡¯ve arrived underground.¡±

    The man sheepishly scratched his head. However, when he realized that his hand was just scratching his helmet, he brought it down. No matter how one looked at it, the helmet looked ufortable. However, the man was showing no signs of taking it off.

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not right.¡¯

    Artpe checked himself. The man wasn¡¯t taking off the helmet and gauntlets out of sheer stubbornness. He couldn¡¯t take it off.

    [Light of the Fighting Spirit]

    [It was an armor worn by the continent¡¯s greatest berserker Alturk. He wore it up until his death. A curse was ced on the armor by his vindictive spirit. As a price for gaining massive power, the wearer bes bound to the armor.]

    Amongst curses, this armor was infused with the highest ranked curse. The suffering created from not being able to take off the armor was immeasurable. He didn¡¯t want to feel sympathy, but Artpe felt sympathy for the man.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡±

    ¡°As expected of a magician, you recognized it immediately.¡±

    The man nodded his head.

    ¡°I acquired this armor by chance. When I put it on, I discovered that I couldn¡¯t take it off. At first, I travelled to Pdia, but they denied me entrance to the city. I was told I looked too suspicious. Next, I went to Aedia, but the first thing those bastards did was to put a strange contract in front of me. That is why I wandered the world, and in the end, I arrived underground. I thought maybe the Dwarves had some method of getting this off.¡±

    He had travelled all over the world for the single goal of getting his armor off. In the end, he arrived at the underground world where the Dwarves lived. Unlike him, Artpe¡¯s party had arrived at this location through the help of the Winter Queen. They used a half-assed method to reach this ce. Elrick¡¯s story was worthy of someone that was a main character to a story.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elrick. If our techniques were a bit better, we would have been able to take off your armor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s all right. Bying here, I found a foe that I can fight, so it wasn¡¯t a loss.¡±

    ¡°Elrick, you are incorrigible!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hmm.¡±

    It seemed Elrick and the Dwarves had a friendly rtionship with each other, but it wasn¡¯t the time for all of this. Artpe let out a small fake cough, and Elrick finally turned around. He was human, but Elrick was the representative of the Dwarves. He had to bargain with Artpe¡¯s party!

    ¡°Artpe, it seems you guys didn¡¯t use the same tunnel as me to reach this ce.... How did you arrive so deep underground?¡±

    ¡°When we cleared a ruin, a powerful magical energy threw us towards this ce. That is how we reached this ce.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. I guess that can happen.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s exnation was too abridged, but Elrick just epted Artpe¡¯s words. He seemed like aplete mess, but the Dwarves were also nodding their heads. It seemed all of them were abnormal.

    ¡°That means you guys came here by chance, and you don¡¯t n on acting hostile towards the Dwarves.... Moreover, you want to receive a Quest from us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems you guys are having trouble fighting the Shadows of Sinners. I think we¡¯ll be helpful in solving that problem.¡±

    ¡°It is an offer that is as surprising as your sudden appearance.... All right. Wait a moment here.¡±

    Elrick nodded his head. He turned around, and he conversed with the Dwarves. As that was going on, Artpe¡¯s party was also whispering to each other.

    ¡°Dwarves are adorable.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t as strong as that man, but they seem strong. All this time such a powerful force was buried underground.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Exploration is the mother of magic.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t something we can aplish in a day or two. Is that ok, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was undecided until a moment ago, but I decided there is something worth acquiring here.¡±

    He was in the territory of the Dwarves. They were a race that he had nevere across in his past life. Then there was the strange monsters that was infused with Demonic energy. In the beginning, he thought they were the reason why the Winter Queen had sent them here. However, such thoughts were wiped cleaned from his mind when he saw Elrick.

    ¡®I never expected to find the warrior of the hero¡¯s party here.¡¯

    The man named Elrick was wearing heavy armor, and he wasughing heartily as he spoke to the Dwarves.

    He was one of the original three members that had joined the hero¡¯s party. Even when the hero¡¯s party had reached the Demon King¡¯s castle, the warrior had continued to be the sturdy backbone of the hero¡¯s party.

 Chapter 138 - Underground (4)

    Chapter 138 - Underground (4)

    Artpe already had a rough idea as to why the Dwarves were unable to travel aboveground,. They were too busy blocking the monsters called the ¡®Shadows of Sinners¡¯, and these Shadows had crawled out from holes within the underground realm of the Dwarves.

    Despite this fact, the Dwarves had done well. They lived underground as they disposed of the Shadows. However, at some point in time, the power and number of monsters increased significantly.

    Those that couldn¡¯t withstand the change died one by one. While the number of Dwarves dwindled, the number of enemies continued to rise. When they were backed up against the wall, the warrior Elrick had shown up. He had possessed amazing power.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m merely a warrior that is somewhat good at swinging my axe. I have no problem killing the strong ones, but I feel myselfcking against arge number of foes.¡±

    The Dwarves were doing a little bit better than the worst case scenario, because Elrick had been helping them for the past several years. It meant Artpe¡¯s party hade to the underground world at the right time.

    ¡°How many holes like that exists?¡±

    ¡°There are a total of 17 of them in the underground world. However, it is our conjecture that they might all lead to the same ce.¡±

    It seemed the Dwarves were finally able to let go of their wariness a little bit. A Dwarf peek out from behind Elrick as he spoke. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he confirmed the Dwarf¡¯s theory.

    ¡°Right. This is a Dungeon. I believe the holes are multiple Dungeon entrances.¡±

    ¡°As expected, it is a Dungeon! However, it is a ce that is crawling with these monsters. We didn¡¯t have the courage to enter it, so we¡¯ve been stuck in this situation.¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between courage and foolhardiness.¡±

    ¡°It makes me ufortable to admit that, but you are right..... Yes, it is impossible for us to clear it. That is why....¡±

    Elrick asked him a question.

    ¡°Are you guys able to do it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The question is how fast we can finish it. That is the only debate in this matter.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah.]

    The Dwarves had seen Roa¡¯s rampage a moment ago, so they couldn¡¯t gainsay Artpe¡¯s confident words. Elrick also didn¡¯t say anything further. He was a skilled warrior, so it wasn¡¯t too hard to judge the power level of Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°You said you wanted a Quest. So what do you want from the Dwarves in return for doing this Quest?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever you guys can give us. Now that I think about it.....¡±

    Artpe nodded his head as he looked at the assembled Dwarves. He had looked at each one of them through his Read All Creation ability. It seemed the Dwarves were stronger than any aboveground elite order of knights. Artpe also realized something.

    Aside from their martial prowess that was beyond elite, the Dwarves possessed something else that was obvious.

    Surprisingly, most of them had learned the cksmithing skill. Moreover, several of the Dwarves had achieved an impossibly high level in the cksmithing skill.

    ¡°I know that there are a lot of mastersmiths amongst you. WIll it be possible for you to fix our party¡¯s armor? Ah. There is also something I want you to create.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party hadn¡¯te across any good cksmiths on their journey. From the beginning, his party hadsted by using the Dungeon rewards from defeating the monsters. They had used the Artifacts they had acquired.

    Of course, the locations they had visited were extraordinary, so the acquired Artifacts weren¡¯tcking in performance. However, there was a difference between strengthening an item through magical energy, and the physical modification and optimization of an item. A skilled cksmith¡¯s hands could wrought remarkable enhancements even on products created through Artpe¡¯s Reinforcement skill.

    ¡°That is all you want from us?¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, that is all we can give you, so I¡¯m at a loss for words.¡±

    ¡°Elrick, why don¡¯t we allow them to enter into our city?¡±

    Elrick and the Dwarves exchanged few more words. They nodded their heads as they turned around. Elrick was wearing a steel helmet, so his expression was indecipherable. However, he could feel a sense of reliefing from Elrick. He was aware of the dangers of the underground world, and it would have been a lie to say that he didn¡¯t wee the appearance of Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°They¡¯ve decided to ept your offer. We will guide you to the city of the Dwarves. Actually, I¡¯m also a guest of the city.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    ¡°All right, Roa.¡±

    This was how Artpe¡¯s party had ended the battle, and a temporary peace had returned to the square. As they traveled through the tunnel created by the Dwarves, more Dwarves started to appear from various locations, and they joined the procession.

    ¡°Who are these humans?¡±

    ¡°Did theye from the same ce as Elrick?¡±

    ¡°They are powerful! I never expected them to help in the work of disposing the Shadows of Sinners!¡±

    As they traveled through the tunnel, several thousand Dwarves had joined the procession However, the atmosphere was dampened by the fact that a part of the procession was carrying the corpses of their fallenrades.

    ¡°Still, the number of death was small today. Is it because he showed up? I mean that big bastard.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯te to our location. Anyways, your side barely had any casualties. Is it thanks to those humans?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t quite correct to say that it was thanks to the humans, but.... No, you¡¯ll be able to see it soon. Anyways, these humans are our precious guests, so please treat them well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Artpe. It¡¯s this way.¡±

    Soon, the tunnel came to an end, and they were greeted by a veryrge space. It couldn¡¯t bepared to the square from before. Maetel¡¯s mouth fell open as she stared at the absurdly high ceiling.

    ¡°It is amazing, Artpe. I¡¯m sure the structures supporting this ce is artificial. Consequently, these structures are causing the Mana to gather, and it is propping up the ceiling.¡±

    ¡°The fact that you were able to realize that fact at a nce is amazing. .....yes. They are able to gain mastery over Mana through their cksmithing skill. In fact, I heard that this is how they are able to create Artifacts. Of course, this is the first time seeing it in reality.¡±

    Maetel was visibly happy when she heard his words.

    ¡°So even Artpe is seeing this for the first time. Hoo hoo.¡±

    ¡°...it...it is the first for me too!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time too!¡±

    ¡°Idiots.¡±

    The Dwarves had created this underground city, and various buildings were packed into this space. However, there weren¡¯t many recreational facilities in the city. They only saw several pubs.

    ¡°In the past, we loved and enjoyed the arts..... However, we are too busy trying to eat and survive. Our city turned a bit soulless.¡±

    When the Dwarf realized where Artpe¡¯s gaze had settled, he shrugged as he gave an exnation. Artpe didn¡¯t go out of his way to say anything negative. The fact that another race was able to live underground was miraculous in itself.

    ¡°What will you all do once the problem of the holes is fixed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that far ahead.¡±

    It was understandable. The Dwarves had weed Artpe¡¯s party, and they didn¡¯t doubt Artpe¡¯s party when they had offered help. However, the Dwarves didn¡¯t have aplete grasp of the extent of power possessed by Artpe¡¯s party. There was a high probability that the Dwarves thought they were adding powerful warriors on the same level as Elrick.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine to think about thatter on. Look over there. That ce is where you guys will reside.¡±

    ¡°How kind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, Casibo. I want to hear some news about the human realm from them.¡±

    ¡°All right, Elrick. Let¡¯s have some aleter on at the pub!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    The Dwarves left Elrick to guide Artpe¡¯s party, then they immediately dispersed into the city. From various parts of the city, the sounds of hammers banging on metal was heard. When the Dwarves weren¡¯t in battle, it seemed they were busy making preparations for future battles.

    ¡°Humans would probably faint from surprise at this sight.¡±

    ¡°I think so too, Artpe. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be really fun if they are able toe above ground?¡±

    It was a question posed by Elrick. This was obvious, but Elrick¡¯s helmet prevent Artpe from ascertaining his expresssion.

    ¡°You can tell by looking at their equipments, but their cksmithing technique has risen to a staggering level. The more shocking fact is the fact they are all well over level 200 on average.¡±

    ¡°Their number looks small, but yes, it is quite surprising.¡±

    Instead of an era of prosperity, the Dwarves were continuously in a state of decline. This was why there were less than 100 thousand Dwarves left. On the other hand, around 70 thousand of the Dwarves were capable of fighting. Most of them exceeded level 200. No country above ground could boast such a force. Elves, who were the most well known race other than humans, couldn¡¯t evene close to the Dwarves.

    ¡°So you want to send them above ground, Elrick?¡±

    ¡°No. It is because of the question you asked before. You asked them what they would like to do after solving the problem of the Abyss. Your question suddenly made me think about it. Their ability to reproduce and their battle capability is amazing. What would happen if they went above ground? If the human realm is at peace right now, would it bring unnecessary chaos to the world.....¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t believe his own word, Elrick shook his head.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be too long before the Demon King¡¯s army will invade the human realm. If such a dependable army decides to join humanity¡¯s side, it would naturally bring stability back to the human realm.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He never expected such words from Elrick, so Atpe couldn¡¯t reply. It seemed Elrick realized that the human realm was in trouble. This was surprising in itself, but a bigger blow arrived immediately afterwards.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, hero?¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    It seemed this guy knew everything. In his previous life, the warrior was the main member that Artpe couldn¡¯t decipher in the hero¡¯s party. He was a charismatic warrior in a can, and he had the ability to catch a person off base. When Artpeughed without giving a reply, Elrick let out a lightugh as he asked another question.

    ¡°If you told everyone that you are the hero, everyone would have followed your words. So why didn¡¯t you tell them?¡±

    ¡°Instead of suddenly showing up and dering myself as the hero, I thought it would be better to tell them after we sessfully finish the Quest.¡±

    In truth, the situation had progress too rapidly that it would have felt awkward to reveal the fact that they were the heroes. However, he didn¡¯t tell Elrick this fact. It also seemed Elrick liked his exnation.

    ¡°You are saying actions speak louder than words. Very good.¡±

    ¡°In that sense, I would like to ask.... How did you know I was the hero?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know. You are unbelievably strongpared to your young age. Your name is Artpe, and above all else, it is your appearance. From the time you left Diaz, you grew a little bit, but you look almost exactly the same. That means the girl behind you is named Maetel? I¡¯ve seen you guys not too long ago, so it would be strange if I didn¡¯t remember you guys.¡±

    ¡°You are referring to the announcement made by Diaz!?¡±

    Artpe was getting a feel for when Erick had entered the territory of the Dwarves! Elrick nodded his head in an indifferent matter.

    ¡°Of course, it was an announcement about the heroes, so I remember it. However, I never expected you guys to be so powerful so soon.......¡±

    ¡°It has been 3 years since we were designated heroes.¡±

    ¡°It has only been 3 years!? You guys got this strong in just 3 years!?¡±

    ¡°Ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe looked at the shocked Elrick, and he wanted to say, ¡®I should be saying that to you.¡¯ Artpe remembered the formation of the hero¡¯s party in his past life.

    [Elrick Beltopata]

    [Human Male]

    [Shield Master]

    [Level : 287]

    The party had begun with just Maetel and Silpennon. It didn¡¯t take them too long to bring in the warrior as arade. At the time, the warrior had been struggling to get past level 200. For some reason, the current warrior was simr in level and skillpared to Artpe¡¯s party when they entered into Pdia!

    This was why Artpe had been surprised when he met the warrior.

    There was only one possibility. In his past life, the warrior had joined the hero¡¯s party without meeting the Dwarves. The heroes had run away in this life, and the warrior¡¯s future had changed. That meant the warrior had fought incredibly strong monsters in the territory of the Dwarves, and his growth had been elerated.

    ¡®In terms of being a genius, this guys is a monster that far outstrips Silpennon..¡¯

    Somehow, he always used Silpennon as the measuring stick, so he felt a bit sorry about that. However, this only happened, because Silpennon was enough of a genius to bepared to other geniuses. Silpennon was a rare genius, yet a more extraordinary genius had appeared. The only thing Artpe could do was to me the gods now.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s get back to the main topic.... From the perspective of a hero, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to co-opt the Dwarves to the side of humanity. That is why I want you to concern yourself with what happens here. That is all I wanted to say to you. These guys are really kind.¡±

    ¡°You dont¡¯ have to worry about it. We¡¯ll end this soon.¡±

    ¡°Soon?¡±

    Elrick repeated Artpe¡¯s words when he realized something. The small and cute ck cat in Artpe¡¯s pocket was gone. At some point in time, she had disappeared.

    ¡°Can it be? The cat can do it on its own?¡±

    ¡°Hue. You are sharp.¡±

    The fact that Roa could or couldn¡¯t solve this on her own wasn¡¯t the problem. As soon as Artpe established a Quest with the Dwarves, Roa had been afraid someone would steal some of the energy from her. She had run straight towards the hole.

    ¡°That means we can leisurely tour the city, and we can leave after receiving the reward. Aside from that, I have a proposal for you, Elrick.¡±

    ¡°Koohk. You are quite good.¡±

    When the fact that he was the hero was revealed by Elrick, Artpe had lost the upper-hand. Artpe had easily regained the upperhand right now.

    He grinned as he asked Elrick a question.

    ¡°What if I said I can help you be freed from your armor? What would you be willing to do?¡±

 Chapter 139 - Underground (5)

    Chapter 139 - Underground (5)

    ¡°You can free me from this armor!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course. It is very simple.¡±

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Elrick Beltopata had been the warrior of the hero¡¯s party in his past life. When Artpe had died, Elrick had still been unable to take off his armor.

    Was it because he didn¡¯t visit the underground world in his past life? Of course not. It was, because the curse infused within the armor was god-awful.

    In fact, the curse was strengthened every time blood was soaked into the armor during a victory in battle. At this point in time, there was no Cancetion magic in the human realm that could free Elrick.

    If Elrick met Aedia¡¯s king or the holy priestess of Pdia in the initial stages of the armor¡¯s curse, it could have been solved somehow. It really was unfortunate for Elrick.

    ¡°H...how!? How can it be done?¡±

    It was something no one in the human realm could do. Artpe had nonchntly said that he could do it, so it would have been strange if Elrick hadn¡¯t shown any excitement. His armor nked as he approached Artpe. Elrick pushed his head close to Artpe¡¯s face as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be very angry if this is a simple prank. I put my life on the line in order to take off this armor.¡±

    ¡°The Dwarves have the unsurpassed ability to create magic through metal. I confirmed it with my own two eyes earlier.... However, their abilities arecking for your purpose. At the very least, they won¡¯t be able to do it with their current level of skill.¡±

    ¡°I already know that! That is why I am subjugating the Shadows of Sinners as I wait for them to train their techniques.....¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s how it is.¡±

    However, Elrick had no idea when he¡¯ll be able to take off his armor. At this rate, will there be any Dwarves alive? That was the question.

    ¡°Even they can¡¯t do, so how will you be able to do it? That is what I want to hear!¡±

    ¡°Our conversation is getting pretty long¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Isn¡¯t it strange to make so much noise on the street? First, let¡¯s change location.¡±

    ¡°O...of course. .....e this way. We just need to go a little bit further.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party apanied the overly excited Elrick, and they headed towards their temporary lodging. Did the past owner die recently? The temporary lodging was quiterge and clean.

    ¡°Now you should tell me!¡±

    Elrick was so desperate that he turned around as soon as they crossed the front door. He shouted his words. A bitter smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°My girls need to rest.¡±

    If Elrick was female, his party members would have watched over him with vignt eyes. However, Elrick was male. His party was worn out from the travel between the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin and the underground world. They meekly went to rest. The only one that worried over Artpe was Maetel.

    ¡°Artpe, is this really ok? What if the content within the armor defied all expectation and it turned out to be a cute girl..... I would.....¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you worried about?¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    When Maetel received a flick to her forehead, Maetel obediently went away.

    Artpe and Elrick sat across the dining table from each other. Artpe couldn¡¯t see Elrick¡¯s face thanks to the armor, but Artpe could hear the armor nk. Elrick was fidgeting. It was clear that Elrick was nervous.

    ¡°Hey, Artpe....¡±

    ¡°I already said that it¡¯s possible.¡±

    If he dyed this any further, Elrick would probably grab the axe propped up next to the front door. Elrick would probably bring the axe down on him, so Artpe decided to acquiesce to Elrick¡¯s request.

    ¡°If you really want to take off your armor, it won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll take it off of you as soon as Roaes back.¡±

    ¡°Really! The cat is capable of eating more than the Demonic Energy!¡±

    ¡°Of course. The curse ced on your armor is especially thick and vicious. It is basically the ultimate delicacy for her.¡±

    There was a massive amount of Shadows of Sinners within the Abyss. If Roa hadn¡¯t known about that, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold herself back for even a second. She would have been sucking out the curse within the armor by now.

    ¡°In that case!¡±

    ¡°In that case...¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Will you really be ok with taking off your armor?¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    It was as if Artpe gaze was prating his helmet. Elrick¡¯s armor nked once again. Elrick was trying to respond in the most nonchnt manner as possible, but he couldn¡¯t fool Artpe.

    ¡°You are really powerful right now, and you have earned the respect of the Dwarves.... If you lose the ability of the armor, will you be able to pull off exploits like right now?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you already know about this armor¡¯s abilities?¡±

    ¡°I just know that the structure of the curse isn¡¯t simple. It isn¡¯t simply there to torment you. It seems your torment results in bringing up your battle capabilities.¡±

    Level was everything. When a difference of even one level was formed, it was hard for an opponent to ovee that difference. It didn¡¯t matter how outstanding one¡¯s skill was.

    On the other hand, there were few miraculous factors that allowed one to transcend the difference in level.

    The most typical example was the special sses like being a hero and a holy priestess. Then there was the Innate abilities. Lastly, there were Artifacts that performed at a transcendent level.

    Of course, the armor imprisoning Elrick¡¯s body was such an Artifact. It strengthened the abilities of its wearer. Amongst these types of Artifacts, the armor was in the highest ss. It was a legendary Artifact. The only item in Artpe¡¯s possession that could rival the armor was the Demite Pipi.

    Demite wasn¡¯t a normal Artifact. It was closer to a living organism that possessed an innate will. If one took that into ount, one could surmise as to how amazing Elrick¡¯s armor was.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you are right.¡±

    Elrick hesitated for brief moment, but in the end, he acknowledged Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°I was able to measure up to the expectation of the Dwarves thanks to this Artifact. In fact, I had some idea that the pent-up frustration and anger within me was strengthening the power of the armor..¡±

    ¡°The curse isplicated. The curse on your armor has an additive effect. It changed your body and Record. That is why you were able to outperform your level. ....if you take that armor off, you will no longer be able to handle that power. You won¡¯t be able to adjust to your weakened body, and in all likelihood, you¡¯ll be in trouble. Do you want to take off the armor knowing this?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It took some time for Elrick to continue his speech.

    Artpe looked at him with amusement in his eyes. Finally, Elrick opened his mouth.

    ¡°I still want to take off the armor.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t simply because the armor is suffocating. I cannot deny the fact that the Artifact allowed me to reach my current status. I also know that the Artifact is part of my powers now, but.....¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    It was unknown as to whether Elrick saw the smile forming on Artpe¡¯s lips. However, Elrick didn¡¯t make a fuss as he epted Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°In the end, the Artifact is a tool I use. I cannot let the armor use me. I cannot let it be my master. That is why I want to take off the armor.¡±

    ¡°Good. You have a proper understanding as to what an Artifact is.¡±

    ¡°Above all else¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am tired of this lie.¡±

    ¡°A lie. Yes, it is a lie.¡±

    When Elrick saw Artpe¡¯s smile deepen, his armor once again nked.

    ¡°I bet a lot of people told you that you are full of it.¡±

    ¡°Correct. I probably heard that I¡¯m full of it from others more than the number of bread I ate in my entire life.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll add to that number. You are really full of it.¡±

    He had heard it too much that he wasn¡¯t bother by it. Artpe shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

    ¡°At this point, I know that you have a proper perspective on what the role of an Artifact is. That is why I have a proposal.¡±

    ¡°I want to turn it down.¡±

    ¡°No, you should hear me out first. In truth, the surest way of getting your armor off is to use Roa. However, there is another method that I can attempt.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I really want to turn it down.¡±

    There was a sure way of getting the armor off, so why would he choose another method?!

    Artpe knocked on the can as he spoke.

    ¡°It is as you¡¯ve said. Artifacts are tools. The problem with the armor is the fact that it is trying to use you ording to its will. Listen to this. What if it is possible to advance the features of the armor. You will be able to take off the armor as you will while being able to use its power. Wouldn¡¯t that be the best?¡±

    ¡°My mom always said there is no free lunch. She also said this. If a deal sounds too good to be true, I should chew on it a hundred times then I should decline the offer.¡±

    He was told to decline a deal after thinking over it a hundred times! It seemed Elrick¡¯s righteous attitude stemmed from a fantastic upbringing. Artpe was a bit nervous, but he didn¡¯t back off.

    ¡°Of course, there is a risk. I have to touch the vengeful spirit. If the power of the Artifact runs rampant, there is a possibility of you and I bing injured. If we leave it to Roa, she¡¯ll eat it before the vengeful spirit of the armor can do anything to you, so there is no danger with that method.¡±

    ¡°As expected, I¡¯d rather ask the cat to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What if I said that method will allow you to control your enormous power? Wouldn¡¯t you be willing to take such a risk?¡±

    ¡°Still, I want the cat to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At that point, Artpe decided to bring out hisst card.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to join our party? Even if the task within the underground world is solved, you won¡¯t be able to join our party in your state.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed Artpe had hit the bullseye. Elrick immediately fell silent.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤how did you know?¡±

    ¡°It had been three years since the news about the heroes were announced. You lived in this dark underground, yet you didn¡¯t forget about that information.¡±

    ¡°Koo-hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Of course, Artpe had seen Elrick in the hero¡¯s party with his own two eyes in his past life. Elrick fell for Artpe¡¯s specialty called the Bluff skill.

    ¡°It is true that I wanted to join the hero¡¯s party. I always dreamed about bing a hero. Since I wasn¡¯t chosen to be the hero, I wanted to stand next to the heroes at the very least...... However, it seems that won¡¯t be possible. Doesn¡¯t this mean that I am worthless without this armor?¡±

    ¡°No way. I am merely saying that you won¡¯t be able to survive in the Demon world without the support of the Artifact.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Elrick¡¯s armor nked as he shouted.

    ¡°You guys are going to the Demon world!?¡±

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t have to make an emergencynding here, we would probably be trying to enter into the Demon world by now. We just happened to arrive here by chance, and we found the evil spirits and you..... In truth, I thought this was a great opportunity.¡±

    It was a chance to increase the number of party members.

    It was a chance for Roa to eat to her heart¡¯s content and grow.

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it was also a chance for him to experiment with his magic tome.

    ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t misunderstanding my words. Your talent and body is already excellent. You are plenty qualified to enter into our party. However, we don¡¯t have much time left. That is the problem. That is why I am suggesting we take a small risk here to increase your power. If we seed......¡±

    ¡°I will go to the Demon world with you guys¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Elrick thought hard on it, and in the end, he asked a question in a small voice.

    ¡°Is.... Is there a chance I can die?¡±

    ¡°At most, you¡¯ll suffer a normal critical wound¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤all right. I¡¯ll attempt it if you ept my terms. If you seed, you¡¯ll ept me into your party.¡±

    ¡°You made a really good choice.¡±

    In truth, it didn¡¯t matter if the armor became useless. Artpe could bring along Elrick using Maetel¡¯s Record Master and eleration skill. He could induce a growth spurt in the Demon world. However, Artpe didn¡¯t feel the need to mention this fact. He grabbed Elrick¡¯s hand..... Artpe grabbed Elrick¡¯s gauntlet and he shook it. There was no way he would let go of such a great opportunity to experiment with his magic tome.

    ¡°Then you shoulde here tomorrow. I have couple thing I have to prepare.¡±

    The magic tome was being used against a vengeful spirit instead of a Demon. Still, it was in the margin of what the magic tome was capable of doing. He just needed toe up with several new methods in how he¡¯ll use the magic tome. He had to prepare the magic stone.

    He had never expected to meet Elrick in the first ce when they drifted into the underground world. The fact that he was able to prepare the magic in one day was a miracle in itself.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ All right. You guys should be tired. You should get some sleep. Another battle awaits us tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°A battle.... Thank you for worrying about us. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Get ready to take off that suffocating helmet.¡±

    It was nebulous as to whether a battle would really ur tomorrow. Artpe put on a sly smile. He stood up, and he saw Elrick off.

    This was how Artpe very easily tricked Elrick. It made him look forward to tomorrow.

 Chapter 140 - Underground (6)

    Chapter 140 - Underground (6)

    ¡°So, Elrick, isn¡¯t the armor stuffy?¡±

    The hero¡¯s question still made her sound very young. The only part of the helmet that could be opened was the chin guard. The warrior was eating the soup through this opening when he replied with a t voice.

    ¡°It is stuffy.¡±

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you take it off?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Silpennon. Do you mind if I beat this woman?¡±

    ¡°No. Please refrain from doing so.¡±

    The hero was very kind and beautiful, but she was a bit dumb. Since the thief knew this, he desperately tried to hold back the warrior. There were only three members in the hero¡¯s party, and it would be ridiculous to lose one member for such a ridiculous reason.

    ¡°I told you I can¡¯t take off my armor, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°I heard it, but.... Ooh-oong.¡±

    The hero tilted her head. Her bright golden hair flowed down to the side as a result, and Silpennon became mesmerized as he watched this sight. He let out a fake cough.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird. The Mana emanating from the armor is tied up in a veryplicated manner to Elrick.... If he moves his Mana like this and like that, I think he could take off his armor.¡±

    ¡°Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°Please endure it.¡±

    The hero was a bit dumb, but her ability to control Mana was beyond exceptional. It exceeded all imagination. If she was the one inflicted with the curse, she would probably be able to move around the Mana of the curse to remove the armor. That thought came unbidden to him, and it pissed him off more. He was mad, because he was inferiorpared to this idiot!

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m curious about something rted to your armor.¡±

    Silpennon took thedle from the warrior, and he took his own portion of the soup. He blew on his soup as he asked a question. It hadn¡¯t been long since they started their journey. He looked young at that moment.

    ¡°No matter how I see it, the armor is full of ominous Mana. You are incredibly skilled, so I cannot ept the idea that you put that armor on without knowing about the curse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Incredible amount of ominous Mana keeps pouring out of it.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When the hero and the thief asked in unison, the armored warrior thought for a brief moment. His armor nked as he groaned. He started speaking. Since he was wearing the helmet, one couldn¡¯t see if his mouth was open or not.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, that¡¯s right. Before I wore this armor, I knew what would result if I put on this armor. In truth, I had already thought about what would happen before I put it on.¡±

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    ¡°So why did you do it? Elrick, you don¡¯t seem like the person to covet power.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t traveled too long with each other, but Silpennon and Maetel had already assessed Elrick¡¯s personality. Elrick loved helping the weak, and he couldn¡¯t stand injustice. Basically, he had the personality of a prototypical hero.

    If he didn¡¯t have strength, he would have just been an idealistic fool. However, he had possessed the power to meet out his own sense of justice even before he acquired the armor. His power wasn¡¯t solely from the cursed armor. His power was derived from his fighting spirit and will.

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I might have just wanted to hide myself. In truth, the appearance of me inside this armor..... It is embarrassing to show what I look like to others. Despite this fact, I regret putting on this armor. That is the irony in all of this.¡±

    That is why his words were very unexpected. The hero¡¯s mouth had fallen open as she asked her question.

    ¡°Do you perhaps a big pimple on your cheek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Kuh-huhk!¡±

    Instead of the warrior, the thief tried to flick his fingers on the forehead of the hero. However, the hero used her swift movement to dodge, and she reflexively kicked the thief on his shin. The thief fell over in pain. Afterwards, the hero finally realized what she had done.

    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry, Silpennon. I reflexively.....¡±

    ¡°No. I knew about your reflexes, yet I couldn¡¯t hold back on my instinct to act. I¡¯m the one in the wrong.... However, you should think about his situation. He wore something he couldn¡¯t take off once he put it on. There is no way it is a pimple.¡±

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t that, what is there to be embarrassed about? Everyone looks different. That is a given.¡±

    The hero spoke innocently as her eyes shone. Her attitude indicated that her opinion towards the warrior wouldn¡¯t change no matter what the warrior looked like inside his armor.

    She had always been like that. It was impossible for one¡¯s opinion of a person not to be influenced by a person¡¯s appearance. However, the hero never spoke ill about a person¡¯s outward appearance.

    They had travelled with the hero, and they knew she was genuinely like that. That was why the warrior and the thief was at a loss for words.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, Maetel. If it is you, I think you wouldn¡¯tugh when you see my true appearance.¡±

    ¡°Laughing means happiness, so why are you talking about it as if it is a bad thing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to exin it to you starting from what you just said right now. I don¡¯t know where her innocencee from....¡±

    In the end, both the thief and the warriorughed.

    ¡°Right. This might be impulsive of me, but I¡¯ve made my decision.. One day I will get rid of this armor, and I will show you my true self.¡±

    ¡°All right. I look forward to it!¡±

    ¡°Can it be that you are more handsome than me....¡±

    ¡°When dealing with Maetel, it doesn¡¯t matter how handsome you are, Silpennon. You should focus on improving your inner self instead of your outer appearance.¡±

    However, in the future they met a ck haired youth, who looked too handsome to be a normal merchant. After meeting him by coincidence, the hero continued to be in a dazed state. It seemed the hero didn¡¯t discriminate based on outward appearance, but she wasn¡¯t blind to outward appearance. When Silpennon realized this fact, he despaired.

    When he opened his eyes, Maetel¡¯s face was right in front of his nose.

    ¡°Mwah.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-huehuehue.¡±

    Maetel was sessful in ambushing Artpe with a kiss. She wordlessly put on a smile of victory. Artpe remained still for a brief moment. When she puckered her lips to attack him again, he finally moved. He flicked her on the forehead.

    ¡°Ah-yaht.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t dodge his blow. She was in pain as she hunched her body. Artpe watched her for a moment, then he got up. At that moment, Vad opened the door to the room, and she entered.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, it is mornin..... Ahhhhhhhh! I should have known! She ran away to this ce!¡±

    ¡°Mlem!¡±

    ¡°Vad, I want you to give Maetel a forehead flick.¡±

    ¡°I willplete this mission as if my life depended on it!¡±

    Vad immediately threw her body towards Maetel as she tried to give a flick to Maetel¡¯s forehead. The tenacity and enmity of a woman fueled her movement. There was no way she was slower than Artpe! She might have been moving faster than him!

    However, Maetel¡¯s supernatural reflex allowed her to dodge before Vad¡¯s finger reached her forehead. Then Maetel speared Vad. Vad fell.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry. I did it on instinct.¡±

    ¡°Just one¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I just want to hit you once¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    It seemed Maetel was able to dodge Artpe¡¯s fingerflick, yet she was purposefully allowing him to hit her. Vad was floundering on the floor. Artpe helped her up, and he once again flicked Maetel on the forehead.

    ¡°Ah-yaht! Eh-hee-hee.¡±

    ¡°Right. You are a pervert.¡±

    He already knew that the content of his dream was true. His earlier order to Vad was a simple experiment to test Maetel¡¯s reflex, and he had confirmed that her reflex remained the same as the version of her in her past life. Maetel clung to him as if she liked being hit by him. He pushed Maetel away as he asked Vad a question.

    ¡°It is morning? How does one know if it is morning down here?¡±

    ¡°It seems they created clocks. They move ording to a cycle they made up. When it is night, they turn off the lights ced on the ceiling. They even control the brightness of the lights depending on if it is the morning or midday.¡±

    ¡°They are doing that for this enormous city?¡±

    Their technical skill really was unparalleled. Artpe smirked as he exited the room with the girls.

    For reference, Sienna and Regina had been in cia longer than the other party members. This was why they were still asleep. In any case, he didn¡¯t particrly need their help, so he decided to let them sleep in peace. The three of them opened the front door, and they went outside.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    Elrick was there. He had left yesterday in a very cool manner, but it seemed he hade running to this location as soon as the light was turned on.

    ¡°Are you ready, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°You sound as if this will be the greatest challenge of your life.¡±

    In the dream, Elrick had revealed that he had put on the armor, because of his appearance. Elrick¡¯s past life and his current life had diverged, but they had walked down the same road until the divergence. It seemed he was ready to take off the armor and face his true self. It didn¡¯t matter which life he was in. The desire was the same.

    ¡°Artpe, we¡¯ll be bringing this guy into our party?¡±

    ¡°You heard our conversation yesterday.¡±

    ¡°No. When Artpe pays extra attention to a person, it always turns out like that.¡±

    At her words, Artpe smirked as he nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making the decision without consulting you. However, the trip to the Demon world is in our near future, and I thought it was imperative that we increase our battle capability.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m notining. If it isn¡¯t a pretty girl, I¡¯m ok with it.¡±

    Artpe thought that benchmark was a bit suspect when his surrounding became raucous. It was none other than the Dwarves. The Dwarves were speaking noisily.

    ¡°Hey. I heard the humans that arrived yesterday will help Elrick take off his armor!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the ruckus?¡±

    ¡°I told everyone toe here!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two Dwarves. One Dwarf called another Dwarf and that Dwarf called another Dwarf..... In fact, there was even a Dwarf with a mug of ale in his hand! When Artpe looked at Elrick, he also looked taken aback.

    ¡°There is no reason for them to all gather here!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be all busy from the battle?¡±

    ¡°ording to the guards, there isn¡¯t a trace of the Shadows of Sinners seen from the hole......¡±

    It was to be expected. From the outside in, Roa was very meticulous in eating everything. There was no way Roa would leave behind monsters that would crawl out of the entrances.

    Basically, the Dwarves had received a special holiday thanks to Roa. It was just in time for them to hear about Elrick. The issue of Elrick¡¯s Armor became the main topic, and everyone had wholeheartedly sank their teeth into this issue. There was no way Elrick could avoid attention now.

    ¡°Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What shall we do, Elrick? Do you want to do it inside?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no.¡±

    Elrick thought about it for a brief moment, but he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to reveal my appearance. These Dwarves have been with me for the past three years, and they have worried about me, and they have looked out for me. I want to face them confidently. I want to show them my true self. Please just do it here, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°All right. ....I¡¯ll start immediately.¡±

    Apanying a faint whirring sound, Artpe took out the Demite Pipi. The Demite was activated to its fullest. Artpe resonated his Mana with the Demite, and the power of his Mana was boosted. He got into what could be called the basic stance of chanting a great magic.

    ¡°What the hell is that!?¡±

    ¡°My god. I¡¯ve heard about it before. If one possesses that, it is said that one can make the strongest staff in existence.¡±

    ¡°Is he perhaps trying to give us that, so we can forge it into a weapon?¡±

    ¡°I want to touch it as soon as possible!¡±

    Next, he took out a magic tome, which he had rewritten yesterday. His Mana, which had been boosted through the Demite, poured straight into the magic tome. After receiving his will, the magic tome floated into the air, and the pages started to flip on its own.

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°It is a massive magical reaction. My god. If it is him, he can probably wipe out the Shadows!¡±

    ¡°Does it really take that much power to remove the curse from Elrick¡¯s armor?¡±

    Their surrounding was starting to get noisy, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Artpe opened his two eyes, and he honed in on the magic tome¡¯s target. Of course, his target was the curse infused into the armor worn by Elrick. He targeted its core.

    [Kyahh-ha-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    At that moment, a ck stain appeared atop the armor. It was as if it had been waiting for the moment when Artpe¡¯s spell manifested!

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    ¡°Are you ok, Elrick?¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooooooooh. What the hell¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The armor worn by Elrick had originally been the armor of a berserker. Until now, Elrick¡¯s excellent mental capacity allowed him to control the power of the armor. However, when the armor realized that it was about to be transmuted, it tried to forcefully take over Elrick¡¯s mind. Elrick was desperately fighting against it as he yelled.

    ¡°Koo-ahhhhhhhh! How the hell is this a normal critical wound!¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot? How can there be anything normal in regards to a critical wound!¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim, your exnation sounds different from before!¡±

    He ignored Vad¡¯s astute observation! The magic tome, which was floating in the air, received Artpe¡¯s will, and it started letting out more light. Since the curse had revealed its true form, this would be more convenient from Artpe¡¯s perspective. He just had to overwhelm it, then.... He¡¯ll reverse it!

    [Kyah-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Koo-oooooh! I¡¯m gonna die! I¡¯m really gonna die!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I never start a match that I might lose!¡±

    The magic tome was created to flip a Demon. The power of the curse was fundamentally different from the power of a Demon. However, the vengeful spirit was much weaker than a Demon, so it couldn¡¯t resist against the power of the magic tome. It was gripped by the power of the magic tome.

    [Keeeeeeeeeeee!]

    ¡°Great!¡±

    Artpe tried to imprint the sensation he was feeling right now into his memory. Thest page of the magic tome was opened. The Demite let out an explosive and blinding light. The light put a stop to the movement of the vengeful spirit, and in the next moment, the magic tome¡¯s power poured into the vengeful spirit!

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The vengeful spirit¡¯s death cry filled the square of the city. It was powerful, and it was short. The light, which had exploded out of the Demite, subsided. All the light disappeared.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    After using all its power, the magic tome fell from the air. Artpe leisurely received it, then he put the magic tome into his pocket. He truly had a gratified expression on his face.

    He thought the magic tome was more than sufficient to turn a Demon. Of course, he needed to use it on an actual Demon to gather more Data, but at this point, everything looked to be going well!

    ¡°...w...what? It is already done?¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s done? I¡¯m not sure anything changed?¡±

    The Dwarves had been looking at the struggling armor with interested eyes, but when they realized the job was already one, they blinked their eyes in disbelief. Some even thought the procedure had failed.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤my god.¡±

    However, everyone¡¯s questions were blown to smithereens by the armor¡¯s owner Elrick.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there really was a way to preserve the armor¡¯s ability while exorcising only the curse..... No, this wasn¡¯t an exorcism¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    By the look of it, the armor hadn¡¯t remained unchanged. The ck stain had changed into a blue marking. It created geometric lines that covered the entire armor.

    ¡°Did you change it into a guardian spirit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a true soul. It was merely a fragment of an obsession. Just thinking of it as me changing the supplementary skill of an Artifact. I did something simr to that. What do you think? It was a massive sess, right?¡±

    ¡°It really is....amazing.¡±

    As he spoke those words, Elrick¡¯s helmet shifted. It fell to the floor. It was finally the moment when Elrick¡¯s face was revealed!

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°W...what the hell!¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that was what they had thought.

    ¡°It is empty!¡±

    ¡°He has no head!¡±

    ¡°He really is a Living Armor!¡±

    ¡°Shit. I knew it would turn out like this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    From within the armor, Elrick grumbled when he heard the reaction from his surrounding. Maetel¡¯s five sense were sensitive, so she tilted her head in confusion. She thought, ¡®His voice sounds different?¡¯

    The top half of the armor finally fell noisily to the floor.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°Elrick!?¡±

    ¡°Shit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In its ce, a very small and cute boy with the height of 130 cm stood there.

 Chapter 141 - Connection (1)

    Chapter 141 - Connection (1)

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m an adult.¡±

    Elrick could feel the gazes of the Dwarves and humans nted squarely on him. He sounded sullen as he tried to set the record straight. However, they weren¡¯t really paying attention to his words.

    ¡°But you are small.¡±

    ¡°You are human, yet you are so small.¡±

    ¡°You are smaller than a Dwarf?¡±

    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡±

    Everyone was confused. Amongst all of them, Maetel was the only one to look at Artpe with worried eyes.

    ¡°Artpe, could it be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are thinking right now, but the answer is no.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Is it perhaps a curse that slows down his growth? No, I can¡¯t pinpoint anything with my power. I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t a curse.....¡±

    ¡°Yes, it isn¡¯t a curse. I was just born this way.¡±

    The pretty boy Elrick¡¯s expression was excessively sullen. He had to exin his situation several thousand times in the past. Still, there was a smile present at the corner of his mouth. He had been trapped in the armor for a long time. Maybe, he weed this tedious moment.

    ¡°In return for imprisoning the wearer of the armor, it allowed me to move the armor through my will. I did this despite knowing I would remain cursed.....¡±

    ¡°Understandably, you didn¡¯t want to live a life where you were always treated like a child.¡±

    ¡°It sounds as if you knew about my situation..¡±

    As the owner of the Read All Creation, it wasn¡¯t even work for Artpe to look past the armor. He could see the true form of Elrick.

    Artpe didn¡¯t reply, but a bright smile remained on his face. Elrick grumbled saying Artpe was really full of himself. However, his sullen attitude didn¡¯tst long. To be precise, the people around him wouldn¡¯t let him remain in his sullen attitude.

    ¡°Elrick, I want to congratte you on being freed from the armor¡¯s curse!¡±

    ¡°Ah.... Thank you, Bodke.¡±

    It might have been a different story if this was the human realm, but they were in the underground world. The Dwarves were god-fearing race. They possessed a magnanimous and open-minded personality. They were a bit surprised by Elrick¡¯s appearance, but in the next moment, they had approached him. They looked at him with bright smiles on their faces.

    ¡°Congrattion!¡±

    ¡°Today the Shadows of Sinners didn¡¯t flood out of the pit! It is a day meant for a celebration!¡±

    ¡°Festival! Let¡¯s have a festival!¡±

    Elrick was surrounded by the Dwarves, and he looked shocked. However, he was able to put on a bright smile. It seemed he was able to leave behind all his past traumas. He let out a genuineugh. What a beautiful sight it was!

    Artpe looked satisfied as he spoke.

    ¡°I want you guys to push the festival to tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Artpe is the best at moving in unexpected ways. He is too cool.¡±

    ¡°I also want you to put your armor back on, Elrick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally decided to ept my reality, so why are you spoiling it.... Mmmm?¡±

    The young man furrowed his brows. He realized that Artpe hadn¡¯t spoken those words to simply torment him. In the next moment, he realized the meaning behind Artpe¡¯s words. He could feel the energy of hell moving in an uncontrolled manner. It wasing from the holes the Dwarves had always guarded. It was the entrances that they hadn¡¯t dared to enter.

    For the past 3 years, he had trained in an extreme environment, and Elrick had grown powerful. However, he didn¡¯t think he could stop this level of energy.

    ¡°Is it......¡±

    ¡°It seems the resistance within is a bit more fierce than expected.¡±

    ¡°Resistance? Are you sure it isn¡¯t the start to a widespread massacre?¡±

    When one used the word ¡®resistance¡¯, it was a word used to describe a struggle put up by an inferior opponent. However, the extremely fierce energy was rampaging below, and it felt like it wasing from a predator. Despite this fact, Artpe spoke in a confident manner.

    ¡°There is no way Roa will lose. However.... It seems she¡¯s been dyed. That is why I¡¯m thinking about entering it.¡±

    ¡°Oh oh! He is finally going into the pit!¡±

    ¡°Does this mean he is going to subjugate the Shadows of Sinners?!¡±

    The Dwarves didn¡¯t know that Roa had left first to clear the pit. This was why they cheered when they saw Artpe¡¯s party leave toplete their Quest. On the other hand, Elrick¡¯s face crumpled.

    ¡°You are nning on dragging me there.¡±

    ¡°My party acts with one heart and body.¡±

    ¡°One heart and b...body. B...body.... O....one...¡±

    ¡°No, Maetel. You don¡¯t have to look too deeply into such words. It is unnecessary.¡±

    Elrick willingly agreed to join the party, but Artpe¡¯s party hadn¡¯t properly shown their martial prowess to Elrick yet.

    This would be a great opportunity. They would showcase each other¡¯s abilities, and this would lead to a higher probability of them working well together in the future. The pit had rtively strong enemies, but there was no way they would die in there. The pit was the ideal test Dungeon.

    ¡°The test subjects are all dying¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, shall I wake up Sienna and Regina?¡±

    ¡°No. Let¡¯s let them rest. The amount of fatigue they had umted isn¡¯t insignificant.... Above all else, there is a very small possibility of a new monster spawning while we are inside the pit. A monster might ambush the city.¡±

    He had talked about it, but he knew that the probability of that happening was close to zero percent. However, Artpe didn¡¯t mention that fact. He immediately gathered Maetel, Vad, and Elrick, who was putting on his armor with a bitter expression on his face. He was nning on leaving immediately.

    ¡°There is no way I won¡¯t be a part of this! This horrible cycle of violence has been going on for a long, long time. You are going to break that cycle, and I cannot stand by without adding my meager strength to the cause!¡±

    ¡°Please take use with you! We¡¯ve grown in skill by facing the Shadows of Sinners! We will show you that we aren¡¯t shrinking violets!¡±

    A segment of the Dwarven poption were truly courageous as they offered tobine their forces with Artpe¡¯s party. Artpe put on a kind smile as he spoke.

    ¡°You should know your ce. If you don¡¯t want to die, you should stay here.¡±

    ¡°Your words aren¡¯t kind at all!¡±

    ¡°If I spoke in vague terms to spare your feelings, you guys might follow us inter. You will waste my time, so it is better to assault you guys with a substantial amount of truth. I sunk your expectations.¡±

    This was how Artpe was sessful in settling down the Dwarves. He led his party down the road leading to the pit. There were several dozen holes being guarded by the Dwarves, and all of them were essible through tunnels. Currently, the underground tunnels were ominously silent, but everyone was focused on what was going on at the heart of the pit.,

    ¡°Even if we leave it alone, I think Roa can take care of everything.¡±

    ¡°You are right. However, we have a new party member, and I think it will be a great opportunity for us to work in sync with each other. ...also, there is something I¡¯ve been worried about from the beginning.¡±

    That meant he had another reason for going into the pit. Vad tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked him a question.

    ¡°What are you worried about?¡±

    ¡°It is this underground city and the tunnels. The Dwarves are the caretakers of these holes. The Dwarves built this city underground, and I don¡¯t think these holes coincidentally appeared near their city.... The structure of this underground world feels very artificial.¡±

    ¡°That is..... You are right.¡±

    It was still unknown as to why the Shadows of Sinners were born. The Dwarves didn¡¯t know about their genesis, yet a sense of duty made them block the Shadows. Artpe didn¡¯t think this was caused by them being extremely unlucky in life.

    ¡°I have a hypothesis that ispelling.¡±

    The Dwarves disappeared from human history several hundred years ago. They might have lived on the surface until a particr event made theme underground.

    ¡°When you say a particr event, do you mean the appearance of the Shadows of Sinners¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Vad. I wonder if their initial purpose ining underground was to block the advance of the Shadows of Sinners. That is what I think.¡±

    ¡°My god. That is a cruel task to undertake. The Dwarves had to shoulder such a burden!¡±

    At her question, Artpe gave a nomittal shrug as he let out a bitterughter.

    ¡°I have no idea if they volunteered or if they were coerced.¡±

    ¡°Coerced¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t answer that question. He just grinned.

    One couldn¡¯t pinpoint when all of this had urred. It just happened several hundred years ago.

    However, he had experienced this pattern several times already.

    Any event that happened in the gray area of several hundred years ago always had something to do with the past hero. Artpe wondered if the underground world had something to do with his sunbae-nim. His mind inevitably thought about the past hero.

    ¡°In fact, there is a simrity to what happened within the mermaid kingdom of Anaid. If you think about it, the mermaids were keeping guard over the Ancient temple. Then there was the Ancient mermaids that were sealed within the Ancient temple.¡±

    ¡°However, wasn¡¯t the Ancient temple sealed?¡±

    ¡°Such arge scale seal cannot be formed in all locations. If the Ancient temple was a bitrger, it would have been impossible to seal it. If the Ancient Kraken¡¯s power was a little bit stronger, the seal would have been impossible to form. Moreover, the seal was strengthened by using the mermaid kingdom and its roads. These structures acted as support. However, things are different underground. The conditions are too poor. Only the Dwarves could havested couple hundred years in this ce.¡±

    ¡°You are saying sunbae-nim brought all the Dwarves underground in an attempt to block the Shadows of Sinners?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. From sunbae-nim¡¯s perspective, the Dwarves were the most suitable candidates. It is why the Dwarves remained underground for generations as they slowly declined. He truly made a hero-like decision.....¡±

    ¡°That was a hero-like decision!?¡±

    On top of that, the Shadows of Sinners had a much more ominous stench emanating from them than the Ancient Mermaids. They were much higher in level, and their essence was closer to that of Demonic energy. It was as if they were one step removed from being Demons....

    ¡®Wait a moment¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    Demons?

    Artpe stopped walking as soon as he had that thought. It had been a truly random thought, yet that thought continued to take root in his head. It started filling his head, and it put him into a state of confusion.

    ¡®No. Wait a moment. That makes no sense. Right? That makes no.....¡¯

    It sounded usible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when Artpe keeps all the information to himself.¡±

    ¡°I just suddenly had thought. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what if the curse research of making the other races into the Demon race was going on for much longer than I thought?¡±

    Until now, Artpe had understandably kept it simple. He had thought the Demonification research was centered around the current Demon King. He thought the Demon King was making all the races into the Demon race, so he could use his Absolute Control ability to dominate everyone! The pieces fit in such a natural manner.

    This was why he had excluded the other possibility. It was the possibility of the research being started long before his time. It was started so long ago that the past life Artpe didn¡¯t know about it.

    ¡°If that is true, does that mean the research into the Demonification curse..... It was started by an earlier generation Demon King?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    The Ancient Mermaids might have been the result of such an experiment. Artpe had looselybeled all the forebears of the mermaids as Ancient Mermaids. However, he found out the true ancestors of mermaids were called the Genesis Mermaids.

    At that point, he should have realized it. The Ancient Mermaids were a race that was born through artificial means. They were merely the sacrificialmbs of the research for the Demonification curse several hundred years ago!

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Still, this didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t any positive news that came out of this. It meant the results of the current research was much more inferior to the results of the past research.

    What did that mean?

    That meant the research hadn¡¯t urred in a contiguous manner or maybe, the research had a setback.

    ¡°Hey. Are you trying to bring down the morale of the new member? Why in the world are you talking about things I can¡¯t understand?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, Elrick. I¡¯ll give you a quick summary. These are the important points. There is the current Demon King and his forces. Then there is another force that is working in istion from the current Demon King¡¯s forces. There is a high probability that they are the remnant forces of a previous Demon King. The beings inside the pit......¡±

    Artpe¡¯s eyes let out a bright light.

    ¡°Shit. Sunbae-nim might have left behind his mark again in this ce.¡±

    ¡°I was scolded by Artpe because of sunbae-nim. I hate sunbae-nim.¡±

    Did she mean the moment when the Record Divide was strengthened? Maetel¡¯s words hade out of nowhere. Artpe burst outughing as he made a deration to his party.

    ¡°We are here. Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    Of course, the number of questions that remained unanswered remained high like a mountain. Why were the forces of the past Demon King unable to run amok in Artpe¡¯s past life? That was the main question he had. However, he couldn¡¯t openly discuss this with his party members, so he firmly shut his mouth.

    The party went into the hole. It was a ce filled with Roa¡¯s powerful energy and roar. It was also a ce filled with the sound of the Shadow¡¯s despair as they tried to resist against Roa.

 Chapter 142 - Connection (2)

    Chapter 142 - Connection (2)

    The party had misjudged the situation. Even if the Shadows of Sinners were putting up a stiff resistance, they assumed Roa would be able to easily quell the Abyss. It wasn¡¯t like that at all.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even leave a seed behind. She killed them all.¡±

    ¡°I guess we really didn¡¯t need toe in here, Artpe.¡±

    It was inadequate to say that Roa had easily quelled the Abyss. She had cleared the Abyss with such ferocity that no monsters would form in the future!

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhh-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°The overpowering energy and shrieks that could be felt from the entrance.....¡±

    ¡°I think the Shadows are trying merge into a single being.¡±

    It might be a case where a great number of Shadows were trying to merge into one. At a nce, it was apparent that the Shadows of Sinners didn¡¯t have a set form. They were closer in nature to being Mana rather than having physical substance. This was why he wondered if the Shadows were capable of merging. Artpe felt uneasy, and this was the only hypothesis that he coulde up with.

    ¡°It is easily over level 300. It might be too much for me if I face it alone.¡±

    ¡°At the very least, it is much stronger than the Ancient Kraken..¡±

    The Dwarves had once referred to it as a big bastard. Artpe turned to look at Elrick. As if he knew what Artpe was asking about, Elrick nodded his head. The others couldn¡¯t see it, but Artpe could see the little guy nod his head inside the armor. It was quite cute.

    ¡°It is as you¡¯ve surmised. Under a special condition, the Shadows of Sinners canbine. It allows them to grow their size and magical energy. The Dwarves call it the big bastard. It usually appears when our side gains a little bit of an upperhand. This is why we never pushed for an outright victory. We always maintain a narrow margin of victory.¡±

    ¡°When we first appeared, we killed them all before they couldbine.¡±

    ¡°You guys did something really tremendous and unexpected.¡±

    Elrick had been confident in his own skills, yet he never was able to beat the Shadows with such overwhelming force. When Artpe smirked at him, Elrick became a bit angry. He tightened his grip on his axe.

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret strengthening my armor, Artpe. In the near future, I will be the strongest in this party.¡±

    ¡°Are you for real? It¡¯ll be very hard. Hang in there.¡±

    If Elrick really did be the strongest within their party, it wouldn¡¯t matter if there were two Demon Kings. Five Demon Kings could show up, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Artpe was thinking about such nonsense as he guided his party deeper into the pit.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t even a small fry left. It is immacte. It is as if holy power was used to purify this ce.....¡±

    ¡°Purification changes Demonic energy into regr Mana or blessed Mana. On the other hand, Roa¡¯s Gluttony is.... It is as it sounds. She eats everything. Her Gluttony isn¡¯t some convenient ability.¡±

    ¡°Where did you acquire such a monster? She doesn¡¯t sound well-suited to be a familiar of a hero.¡±

    ¡°It just happened.¡±

    If he thought about it, he acquired Roa from the hero development Dungeon, and the item had been provided by his sunbae. Of course, at the time, it hadn¡¯t been clear that something would be born from within the item. There was no way sunbae-nim could have predicted that he would have been able to hatch the item.

    ¡°The energy is getting stronger. Artpe, let¡¯s hurry up.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    If one wanted to be technical about it, the Abyss had a simr structure to the Ancient Temple. The Dungeon was structured in a way that it was making a big magic circle. Its aim was to make it difficult for anything inside to escape the Dungeon. This strengthened his hypothesis that there was some legacy of the previous hero left behind inside the Abyss.

    [Mee-yahhhhhhhhhhht!]

    [Goo-go-ohhhhhhhh, go-go-go-oh-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    Aside from those simrity, the situation was different in many respectspared to what they faced in the Ancient temple. Since this Dungeon was underground, it might have caused the seal¡¯s power to loosen. On the other hand, the seal wouldn¡¯t have held up even if the initial power level of the seal had been maintained. The Shadows of Sinners were multiplying so fast that theponents making up the seal couldn¡¯t withstand it. Parts of the seal were broken, and Shadows started leaking out of the abyss.

    ¡°The spell ced over the Abyss is weakening, and the number of Shadows of Sinners keeps increasing.... On top of that, the rate had elerated at some point in time.¡±

    The Shadows of Sinners possessed and reacted to Demonic energy. By knowing their special property, it wasn¡¯t difficult to pinpoint when the eleration had urred. It was when the Demon King¡¯s army started to work in earnest within the human realm. Their Demonic energy started to mix into the Mana of the human realm.

    ¡®The Winter Queen probably knew about all of this. There is the Demonic energy, the Dwarves, the previous hero and the warrior of the hero¡¯s party from our previous lives... A lot of teeth of a saw de became stuck in this one ce.¡¯

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he moved his feet. He had a good idea where the battle was urring. He could sense an absurdly dense Demonic energy gathered in one location, and an enormous amount of magical energy that was trying to suppress it. Then there was Roa. He could sense her Mana, and she was going crazy trying to eat everything.

    ¡°Let¡¯s travel the remaining distance in one go!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°W...what the hell? Why are they all hugging you!¡±

    Artpe repeatedly told his party members that only a part of their body had to be in contact. However, his party members were terrible at listening to him. When one looked at the sight, it looked as if they had left behind any tension above ground. Elrick was seriously thinking about whether he had to hug Artpe or not. Artpe just grabbed Elrick¡¯s armor, then he used Blink.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhh, nyaa-nyaa-ahhhhht!]

    In a blink of an eye, they were at the heart of the Abyss. When they heard Roa¡¯s loud roar, they turned around to look for her. Artpe¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Roa became an enormous cat!?¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Her roar was as cute as ever, but her ck and sleek body had grown several dozen timesrger. She was filling up therge space!

    If she was in her ck fog form, her size wouldn¡¯t have surprised him. However, she was in her true form! An enormous monster was attacking her from the other side, and Roa was engaged in a hand to pawbat. It seemed this was truly her form now.

    [Nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhht!]

    ¡°Roa is biiiiiiiig!¡±

    ¡°It seems she went over level 300 in this Dungeon.....¡±

    The Shadows were high in level, and they possessed denser Demonic energy than Demons. Roa had eaten a Dungeon filled with these Shadows, so her growth was understandable. The Winter Queen¡¯s ruin had strengthened Artpe¡¯s party. The Abyss had advanced Roa¡¯s growth.

    ¡°However, will she be able to win against it? Of all the Shadows I¡¯ve seen until now, that one is the biggest of them all. Moreover, its energy is dense.....¡±

    ¡°When I first saw the fight, I thought about assisting her, but......¡±

    Artpe watched Roa, who was in a fierce fight with the enemy. He grinned. The Demonic energy making up the enormous Shadow of Sinners was being drained into Roa even now. The Shadow was probably much bigger in the beginning.

    ¡°This is a fight that Roa will win. It is inevitable. Let¡¯s just leave it to her. She¡¯ll defeat it. Instead, there is something else we have to do.¡±

    Artpe stretched out his Mana Strings into his surrounding. The Shadow reacted in a very sensitive manner, but it couldn¡¯t do anything when faced with Roa¡¯s fierce attacks. It had no choice but to focus its attention on Roa. Artpe hummed as he used this opportunity to expand his Mana Strings to the interior of the massive space.

    His eyes could see the structure of this space. There were hidden traps, and rewards that would be given to the great challenger. At this point, Artpe was sure that the Abyss was created by the previous generation¡¯s hero.

    ¡°It seems the Abyss was created before the Ancient temple. At the time of this Dungeon¡¯s creation, sunbae-nim¡¯s skill level was quite shitty. First, he made it so that this ce couldn¡¯t be approached without defeating the monsters.....¡±

    Any magic became powerless in front of someone that could use a higher level of magic. The hero, at the time of the creation of this Dungeon, was worse than the current Artpe. As a result, the magic circle making up the core of the Abyss started to let out a light. It reacted when the Mana Strings passed by it.

    ¡°Artpe, if you reveal everything like this.....¡±

    ¡°The Abyss will be gone soon. I¡¯m am currently pulling out its roots.¡±

    In other words, the Abyss wasn¡¯t created to jail the Shadows of Sinners. It was sealing ¡®something¡¯ that was continuously emitting Demonic energy. However, the excessive Demonic had coalesced over time, and it had created beings of sentience. It had turned into the Ancient Evil Spirits. They were the Shadows of Sinners.

    ¡°Artpe, does it mean something of sentience can be created by lumping Mana together?¡±

    ¡°There is a theory that states that monsters are formed in such a way. The problem is one doesn¡¯t know if the being born is a monster or a spirit. In this case, the monster created was halfway between a Demon and a spirit.¡±

    The summary was this. Artpe couldn¡¯t discern what it was, but this unknown substance was letting out a ridiculous amount of Demonic energy. The previous hero had considered this substance to be a danger to the world, so he had buried it within the Abyss. Then he asked the Dwarves to guard it.

    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m about to take it out now.¡±

    ¡°If someone saw this, one would think you were the Demon king.¡±

    In truth, an item of this caliber entering into the hands of the Demon King would be very dangerous. He wondered if this was part of the reason why the Winter Queen had sent them this way. In fact, did the other Four Heavenly King visit the Winter Queen with this item as his goal?

    ¡®If I start thinking about all the possibilities, it¡¯ll be endless. Let¡¯s solve this first before I think about all the ramifications.¡¯

    Artpe¡¯s Mana simultaneously touched various locations of the ruin, and it started to undergo a change. A small quake was felt as one part of the floor started to shake. Something started to rise up very slowly. The monster, who was in a fierce battle with Roa, realized what was happening. Suddenly, its body expanded, and it started to roar in excitement. It lost half of its face when Roa swiped it with her paw.

    [Nyaa nyaa, nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    [Goo-ooh-ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The earth shook harder. The item buried deep within the Abyss wasing up faster, and it caused the ground to shake. The thickness of the Demonic energy deepened, and it made it hard for the party members to breathe. When she realized this, Vad raised her staff, and she shouted with a sonorous voice.

    ¡°Purify.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vad.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Artpe-nim. I¡¯ve never felt evil energy of this magnitude. It is worse than the woman that called herself a Four Heavenly King....¡±

    ¡°It is merely an inanimate object that can¡¯t do anything by itself. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    However, if Roa wasn¡¯t present, Artpe would¡¯t have even dared to take this item out from ground. It was that great of an item.

    It¡¯s true form hadn¡¯t been revealed yet, but the energy that could be felt was too horrific. It made one want to hurl. It was as if they¡¯ve been thrown into the atmosphere of the Demon world. Where the heck did this damn sunbae-nim find such an item?

    [Goo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Roa, I want you keep it upied¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    Roa answered in an energetic manner. Roa had be bigger than the monster. Her body was continuously stealing its Demonic energy, and the monster was bing smaller in size.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. It ising out. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Vad!¡±

    ¡°Please leave it to me, Artpe-nim! Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Sanctuary!¡±

    She was in sync with Artpe. When he gave a shout, Vad¡¯s eyes started to let out a golden light. It was a skill that only a holy priestess could use! It allowed her to nket a certain region with holy energy.

    Afterwards, a small hole formed on the ground, and a very small ball of steel shot outwards. It was the core of the Abyss! Even Vad¡¯s Sanctuary couldn¡¯t purify all the Demonic energy. A massive amount of Demonic energy was spreading to the surrounding. If the Sanctuary hadn¡¯t been put in ce, countless new Shadows would have formed!

    [Koo-goo-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°Ooh-aht. They are getting excited!¡±

    Artpe quickly grabbed the item, and he put it within his Dimensional pouch. Afterwards, a very familiar looking altar suddenly popped up from the ground.

    ¡°What the heck? There is no Spell Book or Skill Book.¡±

    ¡°Do you think sunbae-nim was shittier at this point in his life, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Maete, you are smart¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    At Maetel¡¯s unexpectedly intelligent point, Artpe nodded his head. He approached the altar. Instead of a Skill book and a Spell book, the sunbae hero had written more words on the altar.

    This was the first sentence written on the altar.

    ¡°We cannot win¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What?¡±

    The words were unbefitting of a hero. It was a deration of defeat.

 Chapter 143 - Connection (3)

    Chapter 143 - Connection (3)

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The tworge beings crashed into each other as they roared. As he kept hearing the sound of the fight in the background, Artpe quickly read the words written on the altar.

    ¡°We cannot win. I realized this truth. Everyone tried to hide this from me. However, my superior intellect and magical energy couldn¡¯t be deceived. The human realm.... Ah. He still likes to boast about himself.¡±

    If 10 was considered to be the full content written on the altar, 99.9% of the words were boastful words about sunbae-nim. Artpe took the drastic measure of cutting out the boastful words, and he was able to salvage .01% of the words that was relevant to the current situation. Even those words were speaking in a roundabout way, or it was content that couldn¡¯t be deciphered if one didn¡¯t live through the same era as the previous hero. Only half of the relevant content he extracted was useful information to Artpe.

    ¡°Someone tricked the hero. When he realized this fact, the despairing hero sealed the Evil Heart, and he asked the Dwarves to guard it. Moreover, he made it so that the Abyss would fall as soon as the Evil Heart was freed. Only someone trying to dye the whole world with Demonic energy would try to free the Evil Heart. That is why anyone reading these words won¡¯t be able to escape this ce.....¡±

    ¡°Artpe, let¡¯s quickly get out of here!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I stabilized the magic before the Evil Heart or whatever was taken out.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He was sick and tired of desperately escaping from a copsing ruin. He had suffered too much in the past doing that. If he was a prototypical hero, he would repeatedly fall for the same pattern over and over again. However, Artpe was a former Four Heavenly King. He would no longer take such abuse lying down!

    ¡°It is time for us to live a more leisurely life.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be entering into the Demon world soon. Will it really turn out as Artpe wants.....?¡±

    Artpe justughed when he heard Maetel¡¯s worried words. Maetel was under a fundamental misconception. If one wanted to split hairs, Artpe¡¯s specialty wasn¡¯t in the human world. It was in the Demon world!

    ¡°Let¡¯s set that aside for now. So what is the connection between someone tricking the hero and the sealing of the Evil Heart in the Abyss? Moreover, the previous hero said that ¡®We cannot win.¡¯ What was he referring to when he said that?¡±

    The Abyss was showing no signs of copsing no matter how long she waited. Vad was relieved, and she was finally able to focus on the words written on the altar. Artpe just shrugged his shoulders as he answered her question.

    ¡°Maybe, the previous hero actively did something that helped out the Demon race? However, we know the sunbae was connected somehow to the Evil Heart. If we look at the evidence..... He might have helped in a magic research that created the Evil Heart. Or maybe he was carrying out a n that he thought would destroy the Evil Heart. Instead, it was part of someone¡¯s n to do something evil. There are several possibilities. If there was a faction within humanity that tried to betray him, I can understand why he would feel despair.¡±

    ¡°I see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Everything that happened in the world didn¡¯t fit together like a puzzle. It wasn¡¯t clean like that. This was especially true in regards to things rted to human desire. It left behind a dirty mark. A hero¡¯s base instinct was toplete any Quest that a hero came across. It was probably rare for a hero not to fall into a trap of someone else¡¯s desire.

    When one was confronted with such a deception, one had to either grow from the experience or not. A fork in the road would be created.

    ¡°Still, it is amazing. It is almost impossible to create such an item even in the Demon world, yet someone was able to create it in the human realm. Of course, a Demon could have been involved in its production.....¡±

    The item called the Evil Heart was letting out a horrific amount of Demonic energy. Despite putting it inside the Dimensional Pouch, the Demonic energy was leaking out of the pouch. Vad¡¯s Sanctuary spell had to purify it continuously. If one thought sticking the item in a different dimension would make it safe, one would have been mistaken.

    ¡°If we could destroy it, it would be for the best..... Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°Impossible. If one could easily destroy this item, why was it sealed? If I¡¯m to pinpoint the problem, a massive amount of Demonic energy will be released in the process of destroying this item. If you are clumsy in your attempt at purifying the Demonic energy, you will lose your life.¡±

    It was a very usible answer. Vad calmly asked another question.

    ¡°What shall we do then, Artpe-nim? Shall we feed it to Roa?¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t an option. Even if it is Roa, she might go off the rails after eating it. The most realistic option is to let Roa suck out all the energy. She¡¯ll be able to do it if I put a simple safeguard up.¡±

    If that happened, Roa would be able to grow endlessly. It will ur very slowly, but the Evil Heart will continuously weaken.

    He couldn¡¯t immediately get rid of the main cause of the problem, but the Shadows of Sinners would no longer form. Moreover, Artpe¡¯s party would be growing in power in real time, so he could ask for no better solution. This was what the previous hero had been missing. He needed a magical beast.

    ¡°I thought something more was hidden here, but by the look of things, this is it. There isn¡¯t even a Skill book or a Spell book here.¡±

    ¡°It means that sunbae-nim never expected the future hero to find this ce. Also....¡±

    He didn¡¯t think the sunbae had written the whole truth on the altar. He told Vad that the previous hero had been tricked, so he could gloss over this fact. He had given a likely story, but Artpe didn¡¯t believe in what he had said.

    ¡®Sunbae possessed excellent talent for magic, so there is no way he would have ended things just by writing mere words on the altar. There is no way he didn¡¯t know about the special characteristic of the Evil Heart. The hero and the Evil Heart... I¡¯m sure there something between them that I am missing......¡¯

    Humans and the Demon race. Hero and the Demon King. Then there was the Evil Heart. It was as if the answer to the question was at the tip of his tongue. It tormented Artpe. Fortunately, there was one conclusion that was a certainty.

    ¡®We just have to get stronger. If something annoying shows upter on, it¡¯ll be less annoying if we are stronger.¡¯

    Artpe nced at the Demonic energy being emitted by the Evil Heart from within the Dimensional Pouch. He looked up. He saw Roa ripping out the neck of the enormous Shadow.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Gyahhhhhhhhk!]

    It was the Shadow¡¯sst words. In the beginning, it had dominated Roa. However, at some point, they started fighting on equal grounds. The decisive moment had been when the Evil Heart was freed. The Shadow had been distracted by the Evil Heart, and it had lost the initiative to Roa. Roa didn¡¯t let up as she clinched her victory. The Shadow felt aggrieved, but this was the life of an extra in a story. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Roa¡¯s roar filled the Abyss. Roa¡¯s fur stood on end on her massive body. Her ck fur stretched out, and it circled around the powerless Shadow of Sinners. It caused the Shadow to melt into pure Mana, and she absorbed everything.

    In an instant, her level, Record and Mana rose significantly. Since Roa was born, this was the first time she came across a ¡®food¡¯ that well suited to make most of her special characteristic.

    ¡°Roa is bing extremely powerful.¡±

    ¡°That really is a cheat ability.¡±

    She received EXP for defeating the monster, and this was separate from the Demonic energy she had absorbed. Therefore, she grew once again. While Artpe grumbled to himself, Roa had finished absorbing everything the Shadow of Sinners had to offer. She once again let out a fierce roar, and her body started to shrink. In the end, she returned to the size she had been before she had entered the Abyss.

    [Nyaa?]

    ¡°Yes. You did well.¡±

    She said, ¡®I was going to kill all of them, so why did youe in?¡¯ She tilted her head in puzzlement as she jumped into Artpe¡¯s arms.

    Artpe made a deration.

    ¡°Well, we cleared the Dungeon. We cleared the Quest. We should head aboveground. Let¡¯s take the Dwarves with us.¡±

    ¡°This is it? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤this really is the end?¡±

    The unknown Dungeon had been a ce where they were supposed to get acquainted with each other¡¯s abilities. They didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to work with each other. They didn¡¯t even have the moment where they were confronted with some terrible truth that was hidden within the Dungeon. Everything had just resolved itself. Elrick yelled out in shock. However, Artpe¡¯s reaction was apathetic.

    ¡°What more did you expect?¡±

    ¡°Ah. No. It¡¯s nothing.....¡±

    Since hs armor had been strengthened, he thought he would have an opportunity to showcase his power. This was what he was expecting inwardly. When things turned out like this, Elrick didn¡¯t know how to ept the current situation. He felt troubled, but he couldn¡¯t say anything when he saw Roa, who was wriggling in Artpe¡¯s arms.

    It seemed there was a reason why Artpe had left behind Sienna and Regina. He knew they could end everything quickly and easily!

    ¡°Roa, I want you to bite on this. You can¡¯t swallow it.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa.]

    Even Roa knew that there was a finite amount of Demonic energy she could handle, and she probably knew her limit. However, when Artpe spoke, she just obediently nodded her head. She held the Evil Heart in her mouth. It was small. The Evil Heart looked like a ck piece of metal. When she held it in her mouth, the Demonic energy was all focused within Roa.....

    [Nyaa!? Nyaa nyaa nyaa! Nyaa-ah-nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    ¡°Right. You ate that much, yet you are eating again. Attagirl. You¡¯ll be a great cat-pig.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nya!]

    Roa cheered when the morsel didn¡¯t run out no matter how much she ate. The Greed Beast let out a hurray. She was really cute.

    [Nyaa-nyaa-ah, nyaa-ah-nyaa-ah-ah.]

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not going to steal it from you. Just don¡¯t swallow it. Vad, you¡¯ll have to pay a little bit more attention to Roa from now on.¡±

    ¡°If it is Artpe-nim¡¯s request, I¡¯ll willingly do as you ask. ¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    If one thought about it, it truly was a funny situation. If looked at it from a certain light, Roa had been an unexpected ident. She had been born from a treasure he acquired by chance, yet she had easily taken care of this problem. The previous hero had to seal the Evil Heart, and he had to have the entire race of Dwarves sacrifice themselves to safeguard it.

    ¡°The Dwarven race had been trapped here for several hundred years, yet they were freed so easily. It is as if their efforts had been in vain....¡±

    ¡°Elrick, you¡¯ll have to act as our witness. It is as you¡¯ve said. The Dwarves were trapped here for several hundred years, and their sudden freedom will be hard to ept.¡±

    ¡°No. Even I am having a hard time believing this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When Elrick first entered the Abyss, he had been proud as he dered his intentions. However, he now wondered if he could actually keep up with these people.

    However, Artpe just grinned as he looked at Elrick. He had learned under the Demon world¡¯s greatest chef. Now that he had his independence, Artpe was confident that he could make his own excellent cuisines! It would make the dinner table bend from the weight! Elrick was already on the path to being aplete product, so it would be a piece of cake for Artpe to support Elrick¡¯s growth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be stronger.¡±

    ¡°Dude. Those words scare me more.¡±

    A little bit of time passed before Artpe¡¯s party exited the Abyss. The Dwarves greeted them, but they were having a hard time believing the party¡¯s words that they had cleared the Abyss in such a short amount of time. However, they couldn¡¯t deny the fact that the source of the Demonic energy was gone.

    Of course, the source of the Demonic energy was being held in Roa¡¯s mouth, but it was being absorbed by Roa as soon as it formed any Demonic energy. The Dwarves were none the wiser.

    ¡°T...that means we can head to the surface?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time believing it. The Shadows of Sinners were terrible foes. We don¡¯t have to face them any more....¡±

    ¡°Since Elrick said it, we can believe his words. Also, we can assess the current situation ourselves. The terrible energy that has always permeated from the Abyss is gone!¡±

    ¡°Yes! This is real!¡±

    ¡°Everyone get ready to move! To the surface! We are going to go to the surface!¡±

    In his past life, the Dwarves hadn¡¯t been part of the hero¡¯s tale. This was the moment when the Dwarves rushed into the human realm in earnest.

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t forget. You guys have to make our equipments before you do that.¡±

    ¡°Kek.¡±

    Of course, it would take a little bit more time than they had initially nned.

 Chapter 144 - Connection (4)

    Chapter 144 - Connection (4)

    Aside from the Dwarves that were packing up the belongings they would take to the surface, the rest of the Dwarves were tasked to improving the gears of Artpe¡¯s party.

    The Dwarves made sure that all the equipments fit the body of each party member. Then they tried to achieve an overall bnce in their equipments. They used additional ingredients to create equipments that the party wascking. Before the next official appearance of the hero¡¯s party, the party¡¯s ability and arsenal was being upgraded.

    ¡°This is the first time dealing with the equipment of a magician or a priestess! G...go get the records left behind by our ancestors!¡±

    ¡°I...it really has been a long time.... Hey! Don¡¯t disassemble that! You might kill the power of the materials!¡±

    While the Dwarves were moving busily, Artpe remained in a quiet room. He was continuing his work of refining the branch of the World Tree.

    He had thought about doing this when he received the branch from the World Tree. It was the ideal material to create a staff. It would ept his Mana, and it would boost his Mana. It would also allow him to control his Mana if his Mana went out of control.

    He hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to work on the staff, because he had prioritized making the Magic tome first. He had finished making the Magic tome, and as it happened, he would be staying underground for couple more days. Therefore, he nned onpleting his staff..

    ¡°Ah. I found Artpe!¡±

    ¡°Stop clinging to me, Maetel. It is hot.... You dork. I told you not to cling to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let go~ Eh-eet. Eh-eeet.¡±

    Artpe had a lot of things to do. Unlike him, Maetel¡¯s specialty was fighting, and everything else to do with Artpe. When she realized that they would be staying in the underground until the Dwarves were done making preparations, she hadn¡¯t left Artpe¡¯s side. Her hobby and forte was Artpe, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    She had always worn armor, but she had shed the armor now. She had be lighter, and her appearance delivered a critical wound to his sense of desire. Moreover Maetel didn¡¯t let go unless Artpe truly hated it. Therefore, she continued to cling to him. He gave up after giving an adequate attempt at dislodging her. He decided it would be easier to shore up his control over his desire.

    ¡°Artpe, what did you do with the leaves that came with the branch?¡±

    ¡°Half of them were made into tea leaves. The other half....¡±

    Artpe¡¯s finger pointed towards the table.

    There was a small ss jar atop the table. Magic stones from high level monsters were contained within the jar. It also contained the finely ground power of the World Tree leaves. Each crystal kept absorbing and emitting Mana. Maetel¡¯s eyes twinkled when she saw the brilliant light.

    ¡°Pretty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t eat it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t eat it!¡±

    It seemed she still had a little bit of her emotions as a pure girl leftover within her. Artpe let out a smallughter when he saw this. He spoke.

    ¡°You should train like Vad or Sienna.¡±

    ¡°I tried. My skills doesn¡¯t increase when I train by myself.¡±

    ¡°What about sparring?¡±

    ¡°They are too weak to spar.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe took a nce at Maetel¡¯s info. He realized that her Swordsmanship had already reached level 80.

    Mmm. It was to be expected. If she wasn¡¯t overpowered to this degree, she wouldn¡¯t be Maetel. Recently, Artpe had moved to the fore as he took care of most of their problems using his magic. This was why there were less instances where Maetel had taken an active role in a fight. For a brief moment, he had forgotten that the biggest cheat within the hero¡¯s party was none other than the original hero Maetel.

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    ¡°No, it is nothing.¡±

    He stroked Maetel¡¯s head. Maetel purred as if she was Roa. Artpe resumed his work as Maetel stuck to his back like a shell on a turtle¡¯s back.

    He shaved the angr parts, and he trimmed the branch. He continued to sync his inner Mana flow with the branch. This was how a personal staff of a magician was produced. The Dwarves wanted to make Artpe¡¯s staff for him, and Artpe had been aware of their desire. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t something someone else could do for him.

    ¡°Artpe will be much stronger after making that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to bring about drastic change. Still, I think my power will increase by 10 percent. If I can create the staff exactly to my specification, I think it¡¯ll be possible to increase my power by 15 percent.¡±

    Ten percent didn¡¯t sound like a lot, but Artpe was already over level 310. A 10 percent increase in power would allow him to be on the same level as someone at level 340. However, Artpe had excluded any uncertain variables when formting his assessment, since he hated uncertainty. Therefore, it was possible for him to gain much more power than he forecasted.

    ¡°Wow. Will you be able to fight against the Four Heavenly Kings?¡±

    ¡°It still might not be enough. If Vad and especially Elrick gained about 30 more levels, it might be possible.¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s pessimistic words, Maetel became sullen. Artpe finally had a thought as to what was bothering Maetel.

    ¡°Are you perhaps thinking about what urred at the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Maetel didn¡¯t hesitate as she acknowledge it. She bit her lips hard as she spoke again.

    ¡°We ran away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we ran away. We were weaker than our foes. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°That means¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What would have happened if the Winter Queen hadn¡¯t guided us towards the underground?¡±

    ¡°We would have charged out of the ruin, and we would have fought him.... We would have also fought Etna to the death.¡±

    Since they had cleared the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin in its entirety, he had gained the ability to shatter the shackles ced on Etna by the Demon King. However, this couldn¡¯t be done while fighting another Four Heavenly King at the same time. The task wasn¡¯t that easy to aplish. Once another Four Heavenly King made an appearance, Artpe¡¯s n had been wrecked.

    ¡°A fight to the death.... That means death was a possibility¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    She knew the answer, yet she asked anyways. Even Maetel wasn¡¯t that dumb. She was just going over the implications of those words once again. Artpe declined to answer her question.

    ¡°I was scared.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s body shook. She was still clinging to Artpe, so her tremors could be felt by Artpe. He thought about what to do next for a brief moment. Soon, he let go of the branch of the World Tree, and he grabbed her hands.

    ¡°Everything is all right now. They can¡¯t attack us while we are underground. Even if we meet one of the Four Heavenly King once again, we are capable of buying enough time. We¡¯ll be able to run away. This fact doesn¡¯t change even if Etna is with this other Four Heavenly King.¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the Winter Queen, death was a possibility.¡±

    ¡°I told you. Everything is ok now.¡±

    Even Artpe¡¯s words were having a hard time calming down Maetel. It seemed the fact that she was fine until now was miracle in itself.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Matel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I might sound a bit cold for saying this, but you are a hero. Up to a certain point, you should be prepared for the possibility of your own....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of losing Artpe.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It seemed she hadn¡¯t been thinking about the threat to her own life. That thought hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind. Artpe was at a loss for words, so heughed. However, Maetel was serious.

    ¡°You cannot die, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die. I won¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°You really really cannot die.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Oong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe continued to console Maetel, who was having a hard time coping with her worries. It seemed she finally calmed down after acting spoiled to her heart¡¯s content. She fell asleep while clinging to Artpe¡¯s back. Artpe kept letting out a sigh as he continued his work.

    ¡°Baby daddy.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    After ying with Pipi to her heart¡¯s content, Regina hade back to return Pipi, and she had witnessed everything. She gave an astute observation. Artpe was shaving the World Tree¡¯s branch. He was cantankerous as he gave his reply. Regina ignored him as she sat at the edge of the bed.

    ¡°You treat Maetel like the favorite wife. Vad is jealous. She is fighting with Sienna for the spot of 2nd wife.¡±

    ¡°Even if you are joking, you shouldn¡¯t say such words.¡±

    Vad didn¡¯t have any directbat abilities. If she fought with Sienna, Vad would be crushed by Sienna¡¯s hammer. Regina had a slightly pleased expression on her face when she saw Artpe shudder.

    ¡°It is all karma.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just say it is all my fault.¡±

    ¡°It is the man¡¯s role to ept everything.¡±

    ¡°Gonna get stabbed.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be Artpe. Some other woman might try to stab Maetel. Regina was about to say something more to Artpe, but he just waved her away. It meant he wanted to focus on his task, and he didn¡¯t want her to interfere with his work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just watch.¡±

    ¡°You should train your magic.¡±

    ¡°I always train. My best training method is to be next to Artpe. I resist against Seduction magic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t use such a spell. All right?¡±

    Artpe grinded his teeth as he smoothed the branch. His hand was surrounded by Mana Strings, so the branch was getting smoother everytime his hand passed over it. The branch continued to let out a brilliant light, and the light filled the room. It was a magical and magnificent sight.

    Regina had been watching the process when she suddenly had a thought. She asked him a question.

    ¡°Where did you learn how to make a staff?¡±

    ¡°I learned it from a book, you dork.¡±

    ¡°You are younger than me, yet you have more knowledge than me. Are you really younger than me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you are just ignorant rtive to me?¡±

    ¡°Denied.¡±

    She continued to have a nk expression on her face, yet her cheeks puffed out. It was a cute sight, so he snickered. Regina¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°Artpe is weird.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m weird. Let¡¯s just leave it at that.

    Artpe extended a hand towards her. Regina tilted her head in puzzlement when she saw his gesture. Then she carefully ced her small hand atop his palm. Her hand was cold yet cool. It felt as if her hand would shatter if he gripped her hand with a little bit of force. It naturally made Artpe feel nervous.... No, this wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your hand. I want Pipi.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hate you.¡±

    After receiving Pipi from Regina, he ced Pipi near the polished branch of the World Tree. Pipi understood its role, so it tried to sync with the branch of the World Tree, which was emitting Mana. Artpe nodded his head as he looked at the two items.

    The core process in which he would make a true ¡®Demite Staff¡¯ would start now.

    ¡°Pipi has the ability to control Mana, and it can maintain an active spell. At the same time, it can boost my Mana.¡±

    Artpe was carefully watching the resonance between the Demite and the branch of the World Tree using his Read All Creation ability. When he spoke, Regina tilted her head as she gave a reply.

    ¡°I cannot do that. It is impossible for me to boost Artpe¡¯s Mana.¡±

    ¡°You are a bit different from Pipi. Both of you are Demites, but you were created to be an extremely independent being by the humans. In the process, your sense of self had solidified, and it became defined in your Record. That is why it is difficult for you to mix with another person.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he continued to speak.

    ¡°However, there is something even a Demite cannot do. It can boost my Mana, but I cannot easily take control of a Demite¡¯s pure Mana. If I¡¯m not careful, our Mana might sh.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤agreed. Amplification of Mana, and a Demite¡¯s own magic are two different function. It doesn¡¯t ovep.¡±

    ¡°That is the only downside to using a Demite. That is why I¡¯m trying to use this branch of the World Tree.¡±

    It would act as a bridge. It would allow Artpe to mix his Mana with Pipi¡¯s Mana, and at the same time, Pipi would be able to boost his Mana. There was no Mana cost to this process. In fact, it would amplify the Mana instead of there being a loss of Mana. This was the power of the World Tree¡¯s branch. It possessed a tremendous ability befitting the name of the World Tree.

    ¡°I already made a channel where my Mana will flow. When Pipi finishes its synchronization, the channel where Pipi¡¯s Mana will flow will be formed. The next step is simple. I have to direct both channels towards Pipi. At the end, I just need to create a structure that¡¯ll loop in the branch of the World Tree. It¡¯ll allow Pipi to finish the amplification. What do you think? It is really easy, right?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound easy at all.¡±

    ¡°The branch of the World Tree is awesome, so it¡¯llbine Pipi¡¯s Mana with mine.¡±

    ¡°Easy.¡±

    While the two conversed, Pipi was synchronizing with the World Tree¡¯s branch in real time. Artpe kept watching the process, and he brought out couple strands of Mana String. His eyes were filled with resolve.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s start.¡±

    ¡°Anticipation.¡±

    No man in this world knew where this underground location was. In such a location, an Artifact that would be ced at the zenith of history was being born.

 Chapter 145 - Connection (5)

    Chapter 145 - Connection (5)

    Elrick and Sienna were sparring. It was 50 matches, and he had lost all 50 matches.

    ¡°Shit! You are filthy strong!¡±

    ¡°But Elrick is also strong!¡±

    When Elrick took off his armor, the only one he could physically overpower in the party was Regina. However, Regina was a mage, so it was impossible to make a simpleparison using physical strength. In the end, Elrick thought Sienna was a worthy foe, since she was slightly taller than him. Moreover, they both wielded blunt weapons, so she was a good person to spar with.

    ¡°Why is there such a wide gulf between me and you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, Elrick got too used to fighting with your armor on?¡±

    Of course, Elrick¡¯s armor was off right now. Before they departed for the surface, the Dwarves were working on Elrick¡¯s equipments. This was obvious, but Sienna wasn¡¯t wearing much equipment either right now. The two of them were wearing their casual clothes, and they were using the practice weapons provided by the Dwarves.

    ¡°We are fighting under simr condition....!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the difference in level.¡±

    Sienna had grown within the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin, so she was able to catch up to Artpe and Maetel¡¯s level. Basically, she was approaching level 310. There was a difference of 20 level between Elrick and her. In fact, it would have been odd if she lost to Elrick.

    ¡°B...But...¡±

    He was going to point out that she was a very young girl, but he desperately swallowed those words. He had suffered all his life, because people made judgements based only on his appearance. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t voice such an opinion. Ability had nothing to do with appearance. It didn¡¯t discriminate between age and sex.

    ¡°If I wore my armor....¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will be stronger if you wear your armor. However, you should get used to fighting without it. You don¡¯t want to wear that armor for all your life.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. .....you are correct.¡±

    Elrick wondered if Sienna was the smartest one within the hero¡¯s party. She wasn¡¯t just smart. She was really kind, and she never spoke any harsh words. If Vad hadn¡¯t told Elrick that she was the holy priestess, he would have thought Sienna was the holy priestess.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight one more time! When your armor gets here, I¡¯ll fight you again with your armor on.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the way sheughed was also very cute. If Elrick was about the same age as her, he wondered if he would have fallen for her. Of course, he looked like he was the same age as her, but in truth, Elrick was in histe 20s. Even if he was being generous, he was basically the age of Sienna¡¯s uncle.

    ¡°That is why it can¡¯t happen....¡±

    ¡°Huh? What did you say, Elrick?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Nothing. I was just talking to myself.¡±

    Elrick couldn¡¯t face Sienna¡¯s bright smile. He tilted his head away a bit as he spoke.

    ¡°Please feel free to call me Elrick oppa.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to! The only oppa for me is Artpe oppa. Heh heh.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah. Ok. All right.¡±

    Somehow, Elrick knew Artpe had a disposition of a troublemaker. He grumbled as he quietly raised the practice axe. Sienna mirrored his actions as she raised her battle hammer. There was a light smile on her face. It was cute, but it was aksi the smile of a scary grim reaper.

    Four days passed from that point in time.

    ¡°Hoo. It is done.¡±

    Artpe mumbled in satisfaction as he looked over the staff in front of him.

    He had processed the World Tree¡¯s branch using his Reinforcement skill three times. Then he connected the Demite Pipi toplete the battle staff. It had the function of strengthening his Mana, which would flow through the staff. It also had the emergency ability of creating a barrier. It was a staff with an all-round capability.

    ¡°You are synchronized with the Artifact. It is very fascinating. Artpe isn¡¯t human?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you dork.¡±

    He had perfectly synchronized with the staff, so it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to carry around the staff. He could just use Pipi¡¯s magical energy, and the staff would float around him. Pipi was now capable of moving on its own, so it was having fun. It was letting out a brilliant light as it quickly revolved around Artpe. Regina pped when she saw this. She asked him a question.

    ¡°Can we win against the Demon King?¡±

    ¡°If we have two more of this staff, we can create the universe.¡±

    When Artpe and Regina exited the room, they caught sight of Maetel. She was wearing a red

    armor, and she was armed from her ankle to her neck. She looked very fierce and beautiful.

    ¡°It seems the Dwarves also finished their work.¡±

    ¡°Yes! They are done packing too!¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s oppa!¡±

    Artpe wasn¡¯t a ma, yet when he was seen, girls started sticking to him in order. Maetel, Sienna and Vad were all clinging to his arms. They looked like some golem that was pieced together. Elrick automatically became troubled when he saw this.

    ¡°I¡¯m slowly starting to see the identity of this party.... Are you sure I can really join this party?¡±

    ¡°You are the only one that can save me from this hell, Elrick.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s gross.¡±

    Artpe had waited for the day when another male would join the party. He could finally leave behind this chummy atmosphere! This was a step towards bing a pure hero¡¯s party! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤moreover, it would be great if Elrick could seduce Vad or Regina. If Elrick could seduce both of them, it would be much better.

    ¡°We are ready! Let¡¯s head out!¡±

    ¡°We were immacte in finishing your equipments. At the very least, your power will have increased by ten percent!¡±

    There were 100 thousand Dwarves gathered in the square. It was a spectacr sight. When everyone was gathered, Artpe picked out a familiar looking Dwarf, and he asked the Dwarf some questions.

    ¡°So? How do we get to the surface? Why did you guys gather so many in this square?¡±

    ¡°We have to gather in the square to be able to go to the surface.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    A question mark formed above Artpe¡¯s head. Elrick smiled when he saw this.

    ¡°You should pay close attention. This is the height of Dwarven engineering technology.¡±

    ¡°Engineering technology? It has a really ominous ring to it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±

    The Dwarf¡¯smand rang out, and Artpe had a bad feeling about this. Suddenly, the square shifted, and it started vibrating. Artpe mumbled to himself. There was no way the Dwarves would do that.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve amassed enough Mana. It¡¯ll be possible to raise a crowd of over 100,000 all at once!¡±

    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    He activated his Read All Creation, and he quickly looked over the entire square. In a sh, blood drained from Artpe¡¯s face.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s not do this!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Dwarves had been dispatched to various locations in the square, and they all pulled on something that looked like a hose. It acted as a signal tomence. There was a ck line bisecting the upper boundary of the square. A doubleyered barrier made out of Mana appeared on top, and it started stretching upward. It created an enormous barrier shaped like a hemisphere.

    No, this barrier probably extended below the square. It wasn¡¯t shaped like a hemisphere. It was correct to say that the barrier was shaped like a sphere.

    ¡°Ha ha ha.....¡±

    Artpe had perfectly assessed the current situation. He guffawed as he sat on the ground. He quietly extended his Mana Strings to tie down his party.

    ¡°These Dwarves are crazy.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, why did youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!¡±

    Maetel was puzzled by Artpe¡¯s move, so she was about to ask him a question. In the next moment, the square was shot into the air. The square was made independently from the city. Instead of earth being underneath the tiles making up the square, a propulsion system was ced there! It shot the square into the air!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t engineering technology! This is just brainlessly chucking us upwards!¡±

    ¡°We are going to break through the crust! Inject your Mana into the ¡®ball¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Inject the Mana!¡±

    The Mana of the Dwarves were injected, and the outer doubleyered barrier started spinning. Afterwards, they crashed into the ceiling! The more shocking part was the fact that the structures making up the ceiling clung to the barrier. It added their power to the barrier!

    ¡°Oh oh. The story told by our fathers were true!¡±

    ¡°We gained propulsion! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°I never expected such a thing to be possible... As expected, our ancestors are amazing!¡±

    ¡°How can you guys enjoy this!¡±

    Physical force and magical energy were added to the spinning barriers, and the earth couldn¡¯t withstand against it. The spherical barrier was surrounding the square, and there was no resistance as it shot upwards!

    ¡°What happens if we lose propulsion and momentum? Won¡¯t we just fall back!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Since the exit system was activated, an endless energy is formed by the square! We¡¯ll keep rising!¡±

    Artpe heard the shout from the confident Dwarf, so he decided to give up thinking about it. If the sphere showed signs of falling backwards, he would just teleport his party to the surface. He would only take his party members.

    Strangely enough, the enormous ball that was shot upwards by the Dwarves were showing no signs of slowing down.

    ¡°How is this possible¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I told you before. The Dwarves know of a method to create Artifacts. This is a version of an Artifact.¡±

    He had seen its true identity through his Read All Creation ability, but he was still having a hard time epting the truth. There were things in the world that couldn¡¯t be copied even if one knew the structure and logic behind it. It might be apt to say that this was an Innate ability possessed by an entire Dwarven race.

    Artpe sighed as he raised his head. Pieces of metal had adhered to the pitch dark surface of the barrier, and they were rotating tirelessly.

    The earth was split apart by the barrier, and after passing by the revolving barrier, the earth filled in the space behind them.

    It sounded preposterous, but it was working. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t say anything bad about it. Fortunately, it seemed there was no way the sphere would stop or fall backwards.

    How much time had passed?

    The Dwarves once again started to move again. They became active.

    ¡°It seems we are almost there.¡±

    ¡°I see. We are almost there.¡±

    ¡°Prepare thest propulsion!¡±

    ¡°Everyone move quickly! Hurry up and inject your Mana!¡±

    ¡°Finally¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Elrick¡¯s voice contained fervent desire. It seemed Artpe understood Elrick¡¯s feeling. He smirked as he fastened his party members once again by adding more Mana into his Mana Strings. Intense light covered the entire square!

    ¡°Ggoo-ahhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Stop being such a baby! The barrier has an option that stops the light from blinding you guys!¡±

    ¡°Still, the outside world is bright!¡±

    The Dwarves had been trapped underground for couple hundred years. Instead of artificial light, they were faced with the natural sunlight. Their eyes were dazzled, and they were deeply moved by the experience. They started crying. Artpe hadn¡¯t seen the sun for couple days, so his eyes stung too.

    ¡°If you guys are ready, cancel the barrier!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly cancel it before humans gather here! Where are we?¡±

    ¡°Diaz! We are in the mountainous region of Diaz. No one actuallyes here, so you don¡¯t to be worried! Just cancel the barrier!¡±

    The Dwarves moved busily as they focused on canceling the barrier. Artpe was nkly looking at the Dwarves work when he finally realized something. His surrounding looked oddly familiar. Didn¡¯t Elrick just say that they were in the mountainous region of Diaz.....?

    ¡°That means.... This ce is...¡±

    ¡°Huh? Artpe.¡±

    Maetel was also a bitte in realizing this fact. Soon, their gazes were nted on Elrick. Elrick hesitated for a brief moment, and he acknowledged their suspicion.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. ....this ce is your birthce¡±

    The two heroes hadn¡¯t meant for this to happen, but in that moment, they had returned home.

 Chapter 146 - Connection (6)

    Chapter 146 - Connection (6)

    ¡°I was able to easily find the city of the Dwarves, because all the entrances to the underground world was near the birthce of the two heroes.¡±

    ¡°Did you perhapse to Diaz when you heard they were tracking us down?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Instead of finding you guys, I found the entrance heading towards the underground world.¡±

    At Elrick¡¯s reply, Artpe and Maetel feltplicated emotions. When they started looking at their surrounding, they caught sight of the Dwarves. The Dwarves were slowly getting used to the sun. The Dwarves stretched before they started moving once again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s install the square first!¡±

    ¡°Hey. Wait a moment. What are you going to install?¡±

    He hoped he had heard wrong, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The Dwarves once again moved to various locations on the square. They started touching and manipting the floor of the square. Surprisingly, the ground started bing dyed with the same color as the square.

    The Mana, which was used to create the barrier around the square, started pouring out into thend. The nature of the surroundingnd started to change. Artpe watched the Dwarves manipte the Mana with his Read All Creation. Despite doing this, he had no idea how they were able to do what they were doing!

    No, that wasn¡¯t important right now....

    ¡°Hey, hey! You can¡¯t just willy-nilly do as you please!?¡±

    ¡°Our ancestors made many preparations for the day when we were free toe to the surface. One of the preparations was to pick and where we will reside. This ce has a lot veins of metals, and it has been very blessed by mother nature. It is a living environment that is well suited for Dwarves . Our ancestors made a deal with Diaz, so we possess ownership of this range of mountains. The only thing left is for us to create a city here.¡±

    They probably weren¡¯t lying. However, did they still hold the ownership of thisnd after couple hundred years? That was the question. On the other hand, there were tens of thousands of Dwarves over level 200 that were capable of fighting. Even if the entirety of Diaz attacked them, the Dwarves would have no problem defending their territory.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to do this on our own from now on. Thank you for helping us, my friends.¡±

    ¡°If you guys hadn¡¯t cleared the Abyss, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to exit that ce. It was a matter of time before the Shadows acquired more power than us. We probably would have been swallowed by them. You can visit us any time. We will be your strength.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Also....¡±

    One of the Dwarves hesitated before he opened his mouth.

    ¡°I heard from Elrick that the heroes of this era have made their appearance. If youe across them, could you ask them to look us up? By the look of your abilities, I¡¯m sure you will cross paths with the heroes.¡±

    ¡°Why are you looking for the heroes?¡±

    ¡°We want to help them defeat the Demon King.¡±

    The eyes of the Dwarves turned menacing.

    ¡°If the Demon King isn¡¯t defeated, beings like the Shadows of Sinners will crawl out into the world again.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the Shadows of Sinners. This time our world might really be dyed with Demonic energy. If we want to protect our race, we have to attack the Demon race.¡±

    When he saw the willingness to fight from the Dwarves, Artpe was inwardly satisfied. He nodded his head. As expected, the guidance of the Winter Queen was superb. The Dwarves were more trustworthy than any human nation. Moreover, she had directed him towards a group that was always on the hero¡¯s side.

    ¡°It¡¯s us.¡±

    It was time for him to tell the truth to the Dwarves.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s us. To be precise, we are the heroes.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s unexpected words, the Dwarves just blinked their eyes. Artpe and Maetel didn¡¯t say anything. They just emitted their Hero¡¯s Aura. It was one of the benefits that came with being a hero. The Dwarves recognized what they were seeing, and their jaws dropped open.

    ¡°They really are heroes! Of course! We were wondering how humans that weren¡¯t heroes possessed so much power! We never thought about the possibility of them hiding their identity!¡±

    ¡°Oh oh oh. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Elrick, did you know about this!?¡±

    ¡°No wonder. You had such a hard on for the heroes, yet you meekly decided to join another party. I should have seen it for what it was!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Put down your axe! Don¡¯t get angry with me! They wanted to prove their skills to you. They didn¡¯t want to use their reputation thates along with being heroes. I did as they asked!¡±

    A briefmotion urred, but everyone calmed down soon. They didn¡¯t have to go on a roundabout process of finding the heroes, so this was beneficial to the Dwarves.

    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a lot of things we wanted to give to the heroes.....¡±

    ¡°However, the improvement we made to your equipments makes it dubious as to whether you need these items....¡±

    ¡°Ah. I know what you guys can do.¡±

    At that point, Artpe thought about Silpennon¡¯s party. Of course, they were also a massively overgeared party. They were able to acquire Artifacts thanks to Artpe¡¯s instructions. Silpennon¡¯s party possessed equipments as powerful as the equipments possessed by Artpe¡¯s party. However, the Dwarves were able to make improvements to their gears, and they had be stronger. There was no reason why the Dwarves couldn¡¯t do the same for Silpennon¡¯s party.

    ¡°I have party members, who are moving separate from us. I¡¯ll contact them. When they visit you, I want you guys to look over their equipments.¡±

    ¡°If it is just that, we are willing to do it. However, it isn¡¯t enough. It won¡¯t satisfy our... That¡¯s right. All your equipments are perfect now. Therefore, we will make you some auxiliary equipments. Some of the work has already been done, so.... Could you wait for around four hours?¡±

    He had never expected them to strengthen the reward the party had received forpleting their Quest. He had no reason to refuse their offer, so he readily nodded his head.

    ¡°All right. If it is four hours, we can.... In fact, we have something to do around here.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes.¡±

    Artpe gave a meaningful nce towards Maetel. It seemed she was thinking the same thoughts as him. She carefully extended her hand, and she linked hands with him.

    ¡°We grew up around this region. We¡¯ll make a brief visit to our hometown.¡±

    ¡°I really want to go with you....¡±

    ¡°There must be a reason why the two of them wants to go there by themselves. Let¡¯s just do our own thing here.¡±

    ¡°B...but!¡±

    Sienna held onto Vad. This was why Artpe and Maetel was able to leave without much difficulty. They saw Elrick wave his hand in goodbye.

    ¡°Do you think everyone is doing well?¡±

    ¡°If the town wasn¡¯t attacked by monsters, everyone should be fine.¡±

    They were going back to their vige, but he didn¡¯t want to get tangled with the vigers. Artpe ced a camouge spell on both of them. Maetel didn¡¯t object to what he was doing. She missed the vige, but she really didn¡¯t have any attachments to the vigers.

    Artpe and Maetel had lived in this nameless mountain vige, and it would have taken them around two hours to walk there. Artpe and Maetel was able to reach the vige in two minutes using Blink.

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s still the same.¡±

    When they entered the vige, a delighted smile appeared on Maetel¡¯s face. Monsters hadn¡¯t sacked the vige. No outsiders had even visited this isted mountain vige. It would have been more surprising if something new had urred in the vige. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he looked at his surrounding.

    The vige really hadn¡¯t changed. If he could point out a change, the people had changed. The adults looked three years older. Some looked much older. Then there were the children (The memory of them were faint.), who had yed a game of heroes with Artpe and Maetel. The children had grown a lot.

    ¡°Tree? We are going to the tree again? We went to the tree yesterday, and the day before....¡±

    ¡°I really hate that tree.¡±

    Artpe and Maetel hadpletely be adults. On the other hand, the other children were a bit slow in growing up. It really brought home the fact that Artpe and Maetel had grown an unbelievable amount. Artpe and Maetel strided towards the vige containing lousy level 1 vigers.

    ¡°Artpe, this is the same. That too. We used this tree to mark our height. Waaa.¡±

    There really was so little here that he wondered if he had a mistakeing here. On the other hand, Maetel was having fun, so he decided it was worth it. Artpe smiled lightly towards Maetel, who had a firm grip on his hand.

    At that moment, he could feel a faint trace of Mana from somewhere within the vige. It wasing from a small cottage that was located at the boundary of the vige. It was where Artpe had lived.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Kyaa!?¡±

    Maetel was in front of the tree that was used to measure the height of the vige children. She was trying to measure her own height when Artpe grabbed her hand. He used Blink. In the next moment, they arrived in front of the cottage. He didn¡¯t hesitate as he opened the door, and he entered the cottage. His gaze headed towards the message they had left behind on the wall of the cottage.

    ¡°Huh? Artpe, this is....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The message, which was engraved on the wall, was still there. However, there was magic ced over several letters. This was the Hero¡¯s Mana. To be precise, it was a spell that illuminated only when it came in contact with the Hero¡¯s Aura.

    ¡°Is it my dad?¡±

    ¡°A wandering merchant knows how to use Mana....? If so, it really would be interesting. However, we can¡¯t confirm that it is ahjussi with this.¡±

    In Artpe¡¯s previous life, Maetel¡¯s father had been dead at this point in time. At the very least, that was what his research unearthed. This was obvious, but he had never seen or experienced the Mana of Maetel¡¯s father.

    ¡°Artpe~¡±

    ¡°Wait here.¡±

    Artpe activated his Hero¡¯s Aura, and he activated the spell ced on the surface of the wall. In the end, the letters started to light up in a predetermined order.

    He could have just left behind a letter, yet ahjussi decided to leave behind a message by putting on airs! Artpe grumbled as he pieced together the letters in order toplete the message.

    ¡°¡®When you are ready,e find me at Nirotacid in the Demon world.¡¯ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤too much effort was put into this. This is too dumb to be a trap.¡±

    ¡°What is Nirotacid? Is it something you eat?¡±

    ¡°It is a ce where you get eaten.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be eaten unless it is by Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn to talk like that!¡±

    ¡°V...Vad said she would be fine being eaten if it is Artpe.......¡±

    Artpe decided to give Vad a harsh punishmentter on(He was afraid that Vad might like being punished by him). He decided to keep his thoughts on the Nirotacid.

    Nirotacid.

    It was one of the most dangerous ce in the Demon world. Unless one was a Demon of significant caliber, one wouldn¡¯t even dare to step one¡¯s foot in the city.

    Hot winds that were over 200 degrees Celsius blew there. At times, storm with knife-like sands swirled around this city. It was considered to be the hell of the Demon world where monsters over level 350 swarmed. If this was some n to lure the two heroes to their death, it was such an obvious and dumb ploy. He would have sneered at it.

    That was why he entertained the idea that this wasn¡¯t a trap. On the other hand, this might be a n to exploit such a thought process in order to kill them.....

    ¡°Is it my dad? It must be my dad, right? I want to see my dad. Artpe has to see him too. You have to bow to him before we have our wedding.¡±

    Maetel was already excited at the idea of reuniting with her father. There were several parts of her words that worried him, but Artpe hade to a simr conclusion as her.

    ¡°Yes. We have to go find this person. If it is a trap, then it is a trap. If it isn¡¯t a trap, we have to check the identity of this person.¡±

    If it was a trap, someone had made a mistake in putting it here. The strength of the hero¡¯s party was at its highest right now. If this was a hero¡¯s tale, the author would have been stabbed by the readers for shitty power bnce.

    ¡°Still, we should visit Zestbar just in case.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do as Artpe says!¡±

    Artpe was confident that they could smash any trap sprung on the two of them. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for his other party members.

    First, he had to raise the strength of his party members in Zestbar, then they would enter into the Demon world. They¡¯ll go straight towards Nirotacid. They¡¯ll kill any Demons or monsters they face in the process. They¡¯ll have grown to the point where they would be able to search the confines of Nirotacid in a leisurely fashion.

    ¡®Nirotacid. It really is a very excellent choice. As someone that always put my safety as a priority, I never dared to go to Nirotacid.¡¯

    Artpe was well-informed in regards to most regions in the Demon world. However, Nirotacid was one of the few exceptions. Even if there was nothing there, they won¡¯t know anything until they get there. If... If this message was left behind by Maetel¡¯s father and if he really alive in that city.....

    ¡°Things are gettingplicated again....¡±

    What would his level be? Was he alone or did he haverades? Why didn¡¯t he step forward in the previous life....

    ¡°No! It won¡¯t be Artpe! First, we¡¯ll have around five kids, then.....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which words I should deny first!¡±

    Her father was a key word, and it had triggered her idle imagination. She had already thought past her wedding, and her delusions were reaching its zenith. She had a slightly dangerous expression on her face as she kept smiling. He flicked her forehead lightly. As always, he let out a big sigh.

    Somehow or other, the reasons to leave for the Demon world kept mounting.

 Chapter 147 - Connection (7)

    Chapter 147 - Connection (7)

    In the end, they didn¡¯t reveal themselves to the vigers. They once again returned to the Dwarves. It felt as if not a lot of time had passed, but the promised time of four hours had passed.

    ¡°Wee! We chose items that we thought might help the heroes! We finished processing the items, so they are suited for your needs! Pleasee and have a look!¡±

    The Dwarves held all kinds of auxiliary items in their arms as they waited for the heroes. The Dwarves looked very pleased with themselves.

    ¡°If you inject Mana into this item, tens of thousand fragments will scatter to attack the enemies....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a Shrapnel. I heard it is very difficult to make even one of them. I¡¯ve never seen one for real.¡±

    ¡°Y...you know about the Shrapnel. As expected, a hero¡¯s knowledge is quite profound. This is the next item. This is....¡±

    ¡°When Mana is injected, the Mana is inted in a fake disy to look menacing. It is called the Mana Disy, and it is used when one wants to run away from monsters.¡±

    ¡°Do you perhaps know about this one too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. That¡¯s the Expandable Temporary Rampart. I never expected Dwarves to be able to use Dimensional Compression magic on metal to recreate....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The Dwarves were taken aback when Artpe recognized all the items they brought out. Artpe became dazed when he was faced with items that were only mentioned in legends.

    Of course, he had given the Dwarves all the raw materials he had gathered from the monsters they had killed(This included the parts from the Ancient Kraken). However, such items couldn¡¯t be produced without great skill even if one had the best materials.

    ¡°Since you know everything, we won¡¯t go out of your way to exin what these items are. If you don¡¯t know something, you can ask us.¡±

    ¡°No. I have a rough idea on how to use these items. These items will be really helpful to us.¡±

    There were items that momentarily amplified one¡¯s Mana, and there were consumable Artifacts capable of blocking spells of each type of element. He used his Read All Creation ability to look over the structure of the items, yet he had no idea how they were made. It seemed he wasn¡¯t able to see everything in this world yet.

    ¡°This is something we made. It is called the Steel Horse. If you charge it with Mana, it can move at a speedparable to a swift horse. The speed changes depending on the quality of Mana that is injected, so you should have noints on how fast it can move. When you aren¡¯t using it, you can put it into your Dimensional Pouch. It is very convenient to use.¡±

    ¡°It seems you guys saved the best forst?¡±

    It was called a Steel Horse, but thest item bought out by the Dwarves was a magic tool that could be ridden. Instead of a horse, it looked more like a diamond-shaped box.

    It could fit around 10 people. It was quite spacious. The engine activated when it reacted with Mana. The engine provided power to several dozen wheels. There was also a sensor that received the will of the driver, and it could change the direction of the wheels. It was something marvelous that had never been seen before.

    [Nyaaaaaa.]

    ¡°Yes, I know you can carry us now.¡±

    Roa reacted sensitively to the presence of the strange Steel Horse.

    It seemed she had been worried that the only thing she was capable of doing was to eat Demonic energy. When she cleared the Abyss, she had gained the ability to expand the size of her body. At the time, she had meowed in pride at her new ability to carry around the party.

    However, as soon as she gained this ability, something that threatened her position had mad its appearance!

    ¡°It is better to use a tool when it is avable. You can conserve your strength, and we¡¯ll use your power when we really need it.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa-nyaa?]

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll give you lots of it.¡±

    As if tofort Roa, he let her hold the Evil Heart in her mouth. When he turned around, he gave his thanks to the Dwarves.

    ¡°I will use it well.¡±

    ¡°When the other hero party gets here, we¡¯ll give them the same items.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    He had already messaged Silpennon to visit the Dwarves when possible to upgrade their gears. Artpe gave a satisfied nod when the Dwarves gave a definite answer. He turned around.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Elrick, I wish you the best! I hope you achieve what you desire!¡±

    ¡°Believe in me! I¡¯ll make sure the monsters of the Demon King never reaches you guys!¡±

    A little bit of time was wasted as Elrick and the Dwarves said their goodbyes to each other. Artpe watched it all with a small smile on his face. The Dwarves were excellent warriors and cksmiths, and they were on his side. He could use them with Elrick as an intermediary. Of course, he was smiling!

    ¡°Artpe, you just had an evil thought.¡±

    ¡°Maetel, you are cute.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is cool! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    ¡°You actually fell for that.....¡±

    ¡°All right. Drive!¡±

    There were a total of six party members now including Artpe. He drove the Steel Horse with them inside.

    They had unintentionallye back to Diaz, but they were able to move at incredible speed now. Moreover, the Steel Horse never tired!

    On top of that, they possessed the right to use the Warp Gates of Pdia, which was ced all over the continent. This was why he didn¡¯t expect the journey to Zestbar to be perilous.

    ¡°Zestbar? I think I¡¯ve heard a rumor about that ce before. I thought humans can¡¯t live in that environment?¡±

    After departing with the hero¡¯s party, Elrick was finally told about their destination. He was shocked when he heard the information, so he asked Artpe a question. The cute young man was tilting his head in puzzlement within his armor. It was a very cute sight, but Artpe was cold as he squashed Elrick¡¯s question.

    ¡°Who amongst us can be called a normal human?¡±

    ¡°Y..you have a point, but.....¡±

    Elrick was someone that was cursed not to grow, and he was wearing a suit of armor that was much bigger than his body. On the other hand, he might be the most normal one here. The party members were that special. There were the two heroes and the holy priestess. Then there was the pretty yet entric magician. He couldn¡¯t feel sense her presence.

    The most normal looking member was Sienna, but her eyes and hairs let out light sometimes. She wasn¡¯t normal either.

    ¡°It is known that there is no Dungeons in Zestbar. Of course, it is a dangerous location that humans and Demons are reluctant to enter. Basically, the monsters that resides there are extremely strong.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is going to that knowing this, because....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is a ruin there. Do I really have to go through the hassle of telling you how strong the monsters are in this ruin?¡±

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Basically, it is a ce where we can raise our level before we head into the Demon world. It is thend of ourst opportunity.¡±

    It was the most dangerous location in the human realm, yet Artpe had wrapped in such an attractive packaging! However, the truth was the truth, so Elrick couldn¡¯t dispute Artpe¡¯s words! Elrick was baffled, so he kept his mouth shut. Artpe grinned when he saw this.

    As expected, the Steel Horse was incredibly fast. It hadn¡¯t been that long since they¡¯ve left the Dwarves, yet the first avable Warp Gate could be seen.

    The problem was the fact that they had to cross an extremely steep cliff before they could reach the hill with the Warp Gate. Elrick saw the steep cliff around the same time as Artpe. He yelled out in fright.

    ¡°No way. Are you nning on just charging forward like this!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Oooh-ahhhhhh! This is crazy! I want to get off of this!¡±

    Was it just a feeling? After being freed from the curse of the armor, the solemness around Elrick was gone. His current behavior was well-matched with his appearance now. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It made it enjoyable to make fun of him.

    ¡°Did you forget that you are with two magicians?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Float.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wind hear me.¡±

    Before they fell off the cliff, Artpe let out a short cantrip. The Steel Horse floated into the air. Regina controlled the wind to push the Steel Horse. The Steel Horse didn¡¯t lose any speed as it raced across the air. Itnded on the hill on the other side.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°This was fun, Artpe! Let¡¯s do it again! Again!¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim! No! Please spare me! Please!¡±

    The Steel Horse had a softnding as it ran on solid ground again. The party was split into two. There was the Rey sect led by Maetel. Then there was the Please Spare Me sect led by Vad.

    He thought about reversing the Steel Horse to do as Maetel wanted. However, Vad and Elrick looked at Artpe with unshed tears in their eyes. Artpe decided to just go forward. It took them a minute to reach the first Warp Gate.

    ¡°We are here!¡±

    ¡°Howe I¡¯m so exhausted? We haven¡¯t even fought any monsters yet....¡±

    ¡°The fact that you are having such thoughts means you¡¯ve sessfully be a member of our party! In reality, the fights against monsters and Demons are nothing! You can be at ease!¡±

    ¡°There is no way in hell that I can be at ease!¡±

    It was a sight that couldn¡¯t be seen between the previous life¡¯s hero and warrior. Artpe snickered as he exited the Steel Horse with his party members. He decided to let Vad activate the Warp Gate.

    ¡°We just have to cross it now, Artpe-nim. We have to go through seven Warp Gates to reach the shores of Zestbar, so we have to hurry.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vad. Well.... Let¡¯s go, Maetel.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maetel?¡±

    They would be leaving Diaz now. Before they went into the Warp Gate that lead to the ocean, Maetel suddenly turned her head to look behind.

    There was a small vige located at the foot of the hill where the Warp Gate resided. She could see the citizens of Diaz. It look exactly like their home vige, which they had left. Finally, Artpe realized that he had been insensitive to Maetel.

    ¡°As expected, would it have been better if we met everyone?¡±

    ¡°No. Our fate was cut off from them, so it is best to leave it severed. My hands are full just by trying to protect what is in my hands.¡±

    Maetel shook her head as she said those words. She continued to speak in a small voice.

    ¡°I just wish I can protect everyone this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Maetel gripped Artpe¡¯s hand a little bit harder. Then she crossed the Gate with him. It was getting close to the time when they would have to fight in earnest.

    The death of the Fire Witch had been truly horrifying. Her fire had burned with tenacity and vengeance. The Fire Witch had tried to incinerate the hero¡¯s soul. However, the magician that controlled winter had put her whole existence and Record on the line to protect the hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°No, Regina. Regina¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Maetel is alive. Happy..¡±

    As a price, the magician had perished.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I won¡¯t get to see the Demon King... However, the castle¡¯s fundamental structure was broken. It is all destroyed. The power being sealed was freed. The Demon King¡¯s power is weakened.¡±

    ¡°Regina, Regina.... Ah, ah. If I hadn¡¯t killed Vad that time.... If so.....¡±

    ¡°Nothing would have changed even if we had the holy priestess¡¯ power... Don¡¯t worry about it. Maetel should alwaysugh.¡±

    There were tears in the magician¡¯s eyes. She let out a smallughter as her cold hand touched the hero¡¯s cheek,.

    ¡°All my life I couldn¡¯t understand these feelings.... I understand it now. It is all thanks to Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Regina¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°This is myst warning.¡±

    The magician¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on herrades. Her eyes were nted on the falling castle.

    ¡°There is an existence worse than the Demon King. We might have been scratching only the surface. I finally gained true understanding from its release.¡±

    ¡°Something worse than the Demon King¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Release?¡±

    ¡°It is already toote now. The Record of the previous generation is all missing. It is bizarre. We were tricked, but I gained an understanding thanks to it. Maetel, that is why...¡±

    Massive amount of Demonic energy rose from the Demon King¡¯s castle. Two absolute beings finally rose from within the castle. The magician shook her head dizzyingly when she saw this.

    ¡°Be wary of the unknown. If you aren¡¯t confident in your victory, you should run.¡±

    ¡°However, if I run away.....¡±

    ¡°Maetel¡¯s Innate ability is....¡±

    The magicianbored as she continued to speak.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end. It can evolve. I checked.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Four Heavenly King Artpe.¡±

    It was as if her inner heart had exposed. The hero¡¯s cheeks turned red from embarrassment. However, the magician wasn¡¯t trying to rebuke the hero¡¯s foolish crush.

    ¡°In hisst moments, he opened up a possibility. History can be changed through him. ....even where we are right now will be changed through him. We¡¯ll merely be swept up in this change. However, it is possible for Maetel to be with him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are to say. It is tooplicated, Regina. Please make it easy for me to understand....!¡±

    ¡°If I simplify it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Where did she find the energy to speak? There was a yful twinkle in the magician¡¯s eyes.

    She spoke.

    ¡°You have to obtain love even if you have to chase after it.¡±

 Chapter 148 - Zestbar (1)

    Chapter 148 - Zestbar (1)

    He was having a dream. A strange looking monster with dozen tentacles was chasing after him. He was being pressed down by overwhelming fear, and the only thing he could do was to run away. It was a nightmare.

    He wanted to blow the monster into smithereens with magic, but he couldn¡¯t use his magic. He became flustered, and in the end, he was caught by the monster. The tentacles tickled him, and no man should have enjoyed suffering under such an attack.....

    It happened when he had that thought.

    Artpe awoke from his sleep.

    ¡°Hoo-moo-mo. Artpehhh.....¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel had both arms and legs wrapped around Artpe¡¯s entire body. Moreover, she was licking Artpe¡¯s cheek like a baby cat. The fact that this had happened while they were sleeping was the more scary part. If there was something that scared him more, it was the gaze that was fixed on two of them.

    ¡°Pervert. The hero¡¯s name is pervert.¡±

    ¡°No, Regina. Wait a moment. Maetel has no leg to stand on, but I feel falsely used.¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t bear Regina¡¯s observation of him, so he used Blink to escape the clutches of Maetel. Regina looked at him as if he was trash, but she soon let out a sigh.

    ¡°Your defense against Maetel iscking.¡±

    ¡°We are sleeping out in the open, so how am I supposed to stop her!¡±

    ¡°You should bind her beforehand. Your effort iscking.¡±

    ¡°Are you just trying to pick a fight with me?¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he wiped his cheek. While he was doing this, Maetel was iling at the air when she lost Artpe¡¯s body heat. In the end, she didn¡¯t find what she wanted. Her face crumpled, and she was on the verge of tears.

    Artpe was weak against Maetel¡¯s tears. He had finally escaped her grasp, yet he approached her once again. He started stroking her head. He was once again caught by Maetel, but Maetel was merely grabbing onto his leg. She was rubbing her cheeks against his leg, so it was bearable now.

    ¡°Why were you standing there like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m observing what happens between a man and a woman. It is fun and interesting. I¡¯m looking forward to the coption that¡¯ll happen henceforth.¡±

    Her hobby was very dirty. All right. She can continue to watch. He couldn¡¯t go back to sleep within Maetel¡¯s embrace, and he was no longer sleepy. He just sat down. Of course, it was still early in the morning, so he had nothing to do.

    ¡°Ah. Right. You are here too. Hello?¡±

    A staff had suddenly appeared in front of Artpe, and it started spinning in ce. He gave a light tap on the staff. The staff let out a small light as if it was happy. It was how the staffmunicated.

    ¡°Will you tap me too?¡±

    ¡°You want me to?¡±

    Regina gave a loose nod. She came a bit closer, and she sat close to Artpe. Aside from the two of them, the whole party was asleep. He didn¡¯t even need to check it with his Read All Creation ability. Regina rarely approached Artpe when the other party members were awake.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we are at Zestbar.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°If we enter, it¡¯ll be impossible for us to return to the human realm for a while.¡±

    ¡°That is also true.¡±

    Regina¡¯s blue eyes looked as if it contained the winter sky. She scanned Artpe. It was as if her eyes were looking right through him. It was different from how Maetel looked at him.

    ¡°If we leave like this, the human realm will no longer be under the protection of heroes. The mere presence of Artpe and Maetel acts as support for the humans. It¡¯ll be gone soon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s army will attack the human realm soon. .....will it be ok?¡±

    Artpe had already seen the signs of the Demon King¡¯s army bing active. They weren¡¯t too far from Zestbar, and he could feel the Demonic energy seep into the human realm from the Demon world.

    It really was near. It would happen before the year was up. It would be absurdly fastpared to the events from his past life. However, he could naturally ept it, since everything had changedpared to his past life.

    ¡°Will it really be ok to leave it all to them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯ll go well.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t sound worried as he spoke in an easy manner. If he could point out the biggest change from his past life, it was the fact that there was a second hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°There is Silpennon and Aria. Leseti and Deyus should have enough strength to be of help. Moreover, there is the power of the Artifacts they had acquired....¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s party might be stronger than the hero¡¯s party of his previous life. Of course, he hadn¡¯t spoken such beliefs out loud, but Artpe was sure it would be true if he believed in it.

    Above all else....

    ¡°I told them to visit the Dwarves, and they¡¯ll get their equipments strengthened. At the same time, it was a n to bring Silpennon back to Diaz. At this point int time, he has power and a cause to uphold. He won¡¯t be foundcking in all aspects tol be their king.¡±

    On top of that, it would be possible for Silpennon to join forces with the empire of Zard, which was across the ocean. Silpennon would be able to facilitate an alliance through Artpe. Then there was the second holy priestess Aria. If she revealed her power, Pdia would also have to support Diaz.

    At that point, at least half the power of the human realm would have been consolidated. If the Dwarves and Elves were added to the existing human force, the human realm would be hard to take down. The Four Heavenly Kings would have to get involved for their attacks to gain any traction.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be the hitman that¡¯ll take out those bastards first.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to turn the burden of risk towards us?¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s the only viable option. I feel sorry about putting the burden on you guys....¡±

    ¡°There is no burden on us. The burden is always shouldered by Artpe.¡±

    Regina looked as if she was looking through him, and Artpe became a bit flustered by it. However, she still had more to say.

    ¡°You tell Maetel to be colder, but Artpe likes people too much.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Despite this fact, you pretend to move for your own profit. It is a bit cute.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m really doing what¡¯s best for me.¡±

    ¡°You only did what¡¯s best for the people.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s lips jutted out.

    ¡°What are you trying to say to me?¡±

    ¡°Artpe is hiding something. It bothers me.¡±

    If she mentioned him mating with Maetel again, he nned on hitting her. However, unexpected words came out of Regina¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°However, it isn¡¯t as if I hate it..¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It stimtes me.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡±

    ¡°That is why I observe Artpe. I don¡¯t get bored.¡±

    Artpe remembered the dream he had today before he had the nightmare.

    It was after his death, and Etna had been defeated by the hero¡¯s party. The dream depicted the moment when Regina had been dying.

    There were a lot of details that worried him. Regina had realized the evolution of his Innate Ability, and she had given a significant piece of advice to Maetel.

    He really wanted to wake up Maetel right now, so the three of them could talk to each other.

    However, the most memorable part of the dream was the words spoken by Regina. She was consoling Maetel. Maetel had been sad after watching his death. Regina said she finally understood the emotions she had been unable toprehend for her entire life. It was all thanks to Maetel, and she was happy.

    Maybe, it was the same for Regina in the current life and the past life. She might just want to explore her emotions. The Demon King controlled the Demon race, and he was trying to dominate the humans. However, her feelings towards the Demon King might have been of secondary importance.

    In their past life, Regina had looked towards Maetel. In their current life, Regina was looking towards Artpe. That was the only difference. When he realized this fact, Artpe suddenly became afraid. What if he was a bad influence on Regina?

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t trust me too much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. Men, who like younger women, are dangerous. You are a scary pervert that doesn¡¯t care about actual age or sex. They just have to look young. Special vignce.¡±

    ¡°Ok. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It looked as if Regina had more to say, but Artpe no longer conversed with her. If things continued along this path, it felt as if his previous life would be revealed.

    He started making preparations with the intention of moving in the morning. Elrick, who had been sleeping in a nearby tent, stuck his head out. He was looking at Artpe. It wasn¡¯t a sight befitting a warrior with overflowing charisma.

    ¡°Heeek!¡±

    ¡°What? Why are you so on guard.... Mmmm?¡±

    Artpe soon realized why Elrick was so vignt towards him. If he thought about it, there was some very odd choice of words spoken by Regina. She said he was a scary pervert that doesn¡¯t care about actual age or sex of a person. One just had to look young.....

    ¡°No. It isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te over here! If youe any closer, I¡¯ll cut you!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    The disturbance caused by Elrick and Artpe finally made everyone wake up. Of course, all of them were high level, so they weren¡¯t suffering fromck of sleep. This was why they had a quick breakfast, and they were on the road again.

    It was exactly as the early morning conversation between Artpe and Regina had indicated. Zestbar wasn¡¯t too far away. They didn¡¯t need to enter into another Warp Gate any more. They watched thendscape pass by as they rode the Steel Horse. They traveled at high speed towards the ocean in the distance.

    ¡°You now what, Artpe? I had an incredible dream today.¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°Heeeng.¡±

    Currently, Artpe didn¡¯t have the courage to approach Maetel about her dream. Therefore, he stopped her before she could talk about it. At the same time, he worked on creating a spell.

    Zestbar was a location where humans and Demons couldn¡¯t easily approach. If they wanted to enter into the waters of Zestbar, they would have to break through the barrier ced around Zestbar. Even Artpe had to put in a good deal of work to aplish this.

    ¡°Ah. I see people over there.¡±

    ¡°They are from a minor country. Ignore them.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, they are fighting against demons.¡±

    ¡°It is amonce affair. Ignore......what?¡±

    Artpe was about to ignore Sienna¡¯s words as if her words were inconsequential, but he queried her. His gaze immediately turned to look into the distance. He really could see them. There were humans putting up a fierce fight against Demons, and the Demons that were crushing the humans as if they were nothing.

    ¡°My god.¡±

    They looked to be low rank Demon soldiers that were barely over level 200. However, they were still Demons. It seemed the war was going to be waged much faster than Artpe had predicted. Of course, these were reconnaissance units sent ahead of the main army to squash the humans realm....

    Artpe was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t shut his mouth.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my luck is this good! I don¡¯t have to work like a dog to break the barrier!¡±

    ¡°I was wondering why you weren¡¯t saying something like that.¡±

    While Maetel grumbled, Artpe immediately used Blink. Artpe¡¯s party and the Steel Horse jumped space, and they arrived at the battleground between the humans and Demons! He ran over a Demon that looked easiest to take down. It was a charming gesture.

    ¡°Hello. You guys are the ones that broke open the entry barrier to Zestbar!¡±

    ¡°What!? Humans¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Crush them!¡±

    ¡°Hooray!¡±

    Her current personality differed significantly from her past life, so it kind of worried him. The blond hero Maetel jumped off the Steel Horse with her bastard sword in hand.

    It was a reconnaissance unit, yet there were over 500 Demons there! As soon as Maetelnded, the number decreased to 400. She took a powerful swing with her bastard sword, and light was emitted from the de¡¯s edge. The light impacted exactly at the location where the Demons were gathered, and the Mana within the Demons burned out.

    ¡°Maetel, you don¡¯t have to kill those that aren¡¯t showing too much aggression! Regina, use yourmunication interference spell!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Oh Spirit of Wind. Please punish those louts that tickle your ears.¡±

    Maetel moved like thunder. The bodies and blood of fallen Demons appeared in every location she passed by. The Demons realized something was wrong, so they tried to contact their main army. However, theirmunication spell had been blocked by Regina¡¯s interference magic.

    ¡°There are only six of them!¡±

    ¡°Kill them all! Kill that witch first... Koo-ahk!¡±

    The Demons realized that fighting was the only option left. They bared their teeth as they jumped into the fight, but their heads were cut off by Maetel¡¯s sword before they could do anything. Maetel kept Artpe¡¯s words in mind, but she wasn¡¯t generous enough to spare those that threatened her life and Artpe¡¯s life.

    ¡°I¡¯m also going!¡±

    ¡°No, Elrick. Maetel and Regina will settle things here. From the moment we enter Zestbar, we¡¯ll be attacked by much more dangerous enemies than these Demon pawns. You should conserve your strength.¡±

    So why was he allowing Maetel and Regina to go ham? They were a special breed of monster that didn¡¯t lose much stamina and magical energy after dispatching enemies of this caliber.

    ¡°Oh my god! You guys came out of nowhere, and you saved us. Please....¡±

    ¡°Ah. You better not give us a sub-Quest! If you want to stay alive, run!¡±

    Even if they were from a small nation, the humans tried to present a Quest and reward to his party. Artpe didn¡¯t want to do something that was tiresome, so he chased the humans away! The humans wanted to say something more, but they couldn¡¯t withstand Artpe¡¯s cold gaze. Soon, they were fleeing. In the end, the Demons and Artpe¡¯s party was the only ones left.

    ¡°Hoo. Good.¡±

    Not a single Demon was able to run away. They were either killed or subdued by Maetel and Regina. He got off the Steel Horse, and he walked towards the nearest Demon. He found one that was still alive.

    ¡°Shall I start my 2nd round of experiments?¡±

    After 30 minutes, Artpe had perfectly cleared the scene. They got on the Steel Horse, and they safely entered into the waters of Zestbar.

    A smile of satisfaction appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips.

 Chapter 149 - Zestbar (2)

    Chapter 149 - Zestbar (2)

    ¡°Artpe, are you sure about letting them go?¡±

    ¡°Since they¡¯ve lost their abilities, they can¡¯t return to the Demon world. The deciding factor was the expression on their faces. They no longer want to kill us. They looked like cows that were dragged into the ughterhouse. There is no need for us to kill them.¡±

    If he stated the conclusion first, his experiment to make the Demons into humans had been extremely sessful. Artpe had used the power of the magic tome on the subdued Demons. There were couple rough patches, but he was able to safely extract the essence of the Demons. He was able to keep his subjects alive. Of course, Artpe was able to perfectly strip the shackles ced on them by the Absolute Control.

    ¡®The only sticking point is the fact that the subject has to be drained of all Mana before the magic tome can be activated.... Since I have Roa, it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡¯

    When the shackles were undone, the former Demonspletely escaped the Demon King¡¯s sphere of influence. The Demon King probably thought they were dead.

    If the former Demons came across other Demons, the Demon King would find out that he had made an error of judgment. However, nothing would change even if the Demon King finds out about it. If the Demon king became vignt against the hero¡¯s party, he might send more Demons towards them. Artpe would be thankful for such a move.

    ¡®Etna.... If I can somehow turn Etna into an ally...¡¯

    No. In truth, he didn¡¯t need her as an ally. It was enough for her to be a neutral party.

    She was a Demon with a special characteristic. She possessed energy closer to pure fire rather than Demonic energy. As a Demon, this was a detriment to her power. If he released her from her shackles, she would immediately be 1.3 times stronger.

    When that happens, she didn¡¯t need to stay next to the hero. She would be a big impediment for the Demon King¡¯s army if she resided in the human realm.

    ¡°Artpe, you are thinking about that woman again.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I was thinking about you.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a lie¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Lies didn¡¯t always work against Maetel. This was especially true for lies pertaining to Etna. Was this her woman¡¯s intuition? It was truly frightening.

    Arpte turned his head away from Maetel¡¯s sharp gaze. He found a distraction just in time.

    ¡°Monster! A Monster ising towards us!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh-mmm.¡±

    Maetel looked dissatisfied, but she had no choice. It was true that a monster wasing towards them. The Steel Horse(It was an all-purpose ride capable of traveling on water and air.) was traveling at high speeds over the ocean. The monster wasing straight towards them.

    It was bigger than the Steel Horse, and it had a fierce ck mane. It has two sharp eyes, and an exoskeleton that covered its body. Dangerous needles protruded from between the bone armor....

    ¡°Oppa, why is that seahorse running above the water?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, the gene of a horse is being expressed right now.¡±

    ¡°I thought it just looked like a horse. I never knew they shared ancestors! Oppa is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for such an obvious lie, you dork.¡±

    Artpe was more surprised by the fact that Sienna knew about the existence of a seahorse. However, the more important point right now was the fact that it was being hostile toward his party.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤everyone else should get ready for a fight. These bastards are nearly level 300, and they are influenced by the Demon world. They are more powerful inparison to their level. Never ever let them hit you.¡±

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    As soon as the seahorse was registered as an enemy, Maetel started running across the ocean. He nodded his head towards her as he stretched his hand outside of the Steel Horse. He put his hand under the surface of the water. Vad was puzzled by what he was doing.

    ¡°Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°Seahorses usually live underwater. I¡¯m sure they are coordinating an attack from below the surface of the water.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to say too much. Several dozen Mana Strings shot into the ocean, and it bound therge herd of seahorses that were secretly charging towards Maetel.

    Their defense was so powerful that not a single one of them were killed by Artpe¡¯s Mana String. However, Regina quickly chanted her spell, and she sent the power of the great winds through the Mana Strings. The subdued seahorses were ripped into pieces. It truly was a perfectbo.

    ¡°More are gathering.¡±

    ¡°Of course. The attack from a moment ago was an attempt to rile them up. Soon, the whole ocean will be against us.¡±

    ¡°Bad habit. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤a little bit cool.¡±

    When they confirmed that the enemies were rising up from deep within the ocean, Artpe and Regina praised each other¡¯s skills as they prepared their second spell. At that moment, Maetel had reached the enormous seahorse.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Was there anyone or anything that could withstand her frontal assault? Her first sword strike broke apart the exoskeleton of the seahorse. The following strike impacted on the head of the seahorse. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of its head left behind.

    She kicked off the water, and she attacked the next target. She killed the next target with a single strike. In the process of killing one, she figured out where all her enemies were located at. From that moment on, she aplished her task with the least amount of movement and power expenditure as possible. She wasn¡¯t called a genius for nothing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but the title of hero really suits that woman.¡±

    ¡°Vad, stop looking vacantly at everything. Come towards me.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Vad unsterood what Artpe wanted from her.

    Hadn¡¯t she just witnessed thebo attack between Regina and him?

    She deftly let out her holy energy. Artpe used it to strengthen his Mana Strings. The several dozen Mana strings infused with holy energy moved to the depth of the ocean. In the next moment, the Mana Strings moved ording to Artpe¡¯s will. The Mana Strings expanded as they attacked the monsters all at once!

    [Keeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    [Koo-gya-gya-gya-gya-gya! Gee-ah-koo-ooooh-gooooooooh!]

    The monsters of Zestbar had appeared from the ocean of the Demon world. Of course, they possessed powerful Demonic energy, so they were tormented by the attack.

    It would be heartless to just torment them, so he controlled the holy power and magical energy to change the shape of her spell. He continuously changed the form of the spell as he attacked the monsters. In the end, they died. Since these monsters were over level 300, the party¡¯s EXP rose quickly.

    [Koo-wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    [Kee-heee! Kee-heeeeeeeeeee!]

    The waves of the ocean erupted with blood and screams. A seahorse couldn¡¯t take the pain, so it shot out of the ocean. However, Sienna hit it with her hammer before it could reach Artpe. The violent exchange had happened right in front of him, yet Artpe¡¯s expression remained cool.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, your Mana isn¡¯t boundless. We should retreat....¡±

    ¡°Retreat? Do you really think I want to retreat in the middle of this?¡±

    Of course, Artpe could use his Blink ability to retreat, but he didn¡¯te here with the intent to retreat.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said the entire ocean will oppose us. Soon, there will be more monster than water inside the ocean.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤behind us. They are gathering.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    When a monster of the Zestbar¡¯s ocean locked into a target, all the monsters of the Zestbar¡¯s ocean gathered to attack them.

    The party had to somehow avoid the monsters to reach the shores of the Demon world or the human realm. If not, they would have to fight an endless battle until they were sent to a watery grave. This was the only choice given to those that stepped into this ocean.

    ¡°Normally, one would try to cross to the other side before the battle intensifies. One would cross before being surrounded by the monsters. It isn¡¯t necessary to crush all the monsters here.¡±

    ¡°However, didn¡¯t oppa say your goal is within the ocean? If we enter the ocean, we won¡¯t be any closer to entering the Demon world... Does that mean the endless stream of monsters is a hint to finding a way to opening a ruin?¡±

    As expected, Sienna¡¯s ability to digest and understand a situation was outstanding. He stroked Sienna¡¯s head as he nodded his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. These bastards are our key to the ruin. It can¡¯t be found through normal ways. Even the almighty Demon King probably can¡¯t figure this out.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t worth it for the Demon King to gather and kill the monsters of this ocean. Artpe looked at Maetel, who was single-handedly killing all the monsters that surged above the surface of the water. She looked fierce.

    ¡°The ocean of Zestbar has always been protected by a barrier, so it is the most ideal spot to hide something. Moreover, there is an ancient magic circle that covers the entirety of the ocean. I doubt human hands can create or reproduce this magic circle. The ruin will only show up when all the guards are drawn to the surface.¡±

    Anyone could predict what Artpe would say next.

    ¡°That is why you guys have to kill them without rest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Fortunately, the party was powerful enough to kill any monsters that showed up in the waters of Zestbar.

    Not a single monster was able tost beyond two blows from the party. Since all the monsters were falling short of touching the party members, they became enraged. More monsters rushed towards the party. Normally, the job of luring this many monsters would have taken days, but this method allowed them to increase their efficiency. It only took several hours,

    ¡°Artpe, look over there!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Finally.¡±

    It had taken quite a long time, but the ocean had turned ck from the blood of the monsters. A whirlpool started forming in the middle of these waters. When the monsters sensed the massive amount of Mana infused within this whirlpool, they started gathering towards it. Maetel was in a rush, so she struck out and killed a portion of the monsters before she returned to the Steel Horse.

    ¡°Artpe, is that the ruin?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll form soon. Just observe.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by it¡¯ll form..... Ooooooooh.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s gaze had followed Artpe¡¯s finger. Her expression crumpled as she observed the whirlpool. Maetel liked eating and ying. However, she didn¡¯t like ying with her food. This was why the sight in front of her was truly horrifying.

    ¡°The monsters are being sucked into the whirlpool, and they are being blended!? I won¡¯t be able to get a good taste at this rate!¡±

    ¡°Maetel, I know full well that you perceive monsters as ¡®something to eat.¡¯ However, you¡¯ve done a good job to help us reach this point, so you should rest for a little bit. Don¡¯t attack them. Rest.¡±

    Artpe let out a sigh as he stretched. Then he stopped his party members, who were trying to attack the monsters that were rushing towards the whirlpool.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this our best opportunity to kill all the monsters, Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°The trigger has already been pulled. We just have to wait for the ruin to take shape.¡±

    ¡°A ruin? Wouldn¡¯t we have to kill all these monster to be able to enter into a ruin.... Ah?¡±

    As if to match her voice of disbelief, Vad¡¯s slender and beautiful eyebrows gently arched.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, are the monsters gathering towards the whirlpool to form the ruin? Is this part of the process?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m d I¡¯ve gathered smart party members......¡±

    ¡°I know it too! They¡¯llbine to form a heckin¡¯rge fish!¡±

    ¡°Maetel-nim, it is said that you are halfway to sounding smart if you keep your mouth shut. Didn¡¯t you just hear us say it is the ruin? So why would you suddenly bring up a big fish....¡±

    A fight between Vad and Maetel was imminent. Before the fight could break out, Artpe spoke in an apathetic voice.

    ¡°Maetel is right.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean by.... Huh?¡±

    Vad was about to retort when her mouth clicked shut. Since so many monsters had rushed towards the whirlpool, it had been hard for Vad to see what had been urring within the whirlpool. Her eyes were nted on the center of the ocean.

    It didn¡¯t escape her notice. Something was being born from within it.

    ¡°Artpe-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Is this why you wanted us to leave the monsters alone?¡±

    ¡°Since arge number of living monsters were inputted, the output should berge¡±

    ¡°So the oue.... How big will it be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Artpe raised his gaze as he scratched his head. There was no longer a whirlpool. The blood, muscles and bones of all the gathered monsters were coalesced into a oval-shaped mass. It pulsed in a really gross manner.

    It looked like an egg.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, you aren¡¯t going to say what I think you are going say, right?¡±

    ¡°Everyone get ready.¡±

    When Artpe gave the order, the upper surface of the egg broke open, and something stuck its head out. When Vad saw this, she yelled out loud.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a fish! That¡¯s a mammal!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a whaaaaaaaaaaaale!¡±

    However, Vad¡¯s words weren¡¯t heard by Maetel. When Maetel realized that a massive whale had hatched from the egg, she let out a great big smile.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s charge forward.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Artpe-nim.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter that Vad spoke to him in despair. Artpe valiantly gave his order.

    ¡°We are going into the mouth of the whale!¡±

    It was the ruin where the great magic Reign of Ruin was sleeping. It was the moment when they entered into the ocean¡¯s grave.

 Chapter 150 - Zestbar (3)

    Chapter 150 - Zestbar (3)

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    The whale¡¯s fierce roar could be heard from the outside, but Artpe wasn¡¯t cowed. He briskly started giving an exnation.

    ¡°The process of making a spell is very convoluted and difficult. Amongst spells, the great magic spells need nature¡¯s power, which coalesces over countless years. It has to be processed to a point where the power could ept the Record and Mana of a human. This is the typical requirement.¡±

    In the process of creating the great spell, it took in the Record of all humans and living organisms in the region. It was a process that was moreplicated than fixing the shape of the spell. However, he pared down the exnation.

    ¡°So there is a higher chance of a powerful magic appearing in a more rugged and perilous environment in nature?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, the great magic Reign of Ruin is the strongest amongst.... At the very least, it is the strongest spell to the best of my knowledge.¡±

    This location was naturally made, yet it wasn¡¯t naturally made. It was artificial, yet it wasn¡¯t artificial. It possessed transcendent Record. It was located at the border of the human realm and the Demon world. There were endless waves, submarine earthquakes and underwater volcanic activities. Countless monsters were born influenced by these unique conditions. In the end, this supernatural ruin was born.

    They were within a predator that fused with all the monsters of Zestbar. This was the identity of the tomb of the sea.

    ¡°How the heck did someone find this ce!¡±

    ¡°No one was able to find this ce. That is why it stayed hidden until we came along.¡±

    ¡°I... I guess so?¡±

    Elrick ept that line of reasoning, and he quieted down. Maetel¡¯s shoulders retracted in pride.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t our Artpe amazing?¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim is the one that is amazing, so I don¡¯t know why Maetel-nim is bragging about him. Anyways, Artpe-nim... It seems we¡¯ve entered into the mouth of an enormous whale....¡±

    Vad shrank into herself as she looked at her surrounding. To all appearances, there was no way this was the insides of a living organism. The walls were made out of hard mud-stered wall, and there were weak Mana crystals embedded on the ceiling. It made Vad feel afraid.

    ¡°I...is this a form of a dimensional pocket?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We achieved the prerequisites for entering this ruin. There is no way we¡¯ll be digested like food. You can be at ease.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that.....¡±

    It was also Artpe¡¯s first timeing into this ruin. Of course, he was the one that had found out about the spell that was hidden within Zestbar. However, he didn¡¯t have the ability or the authority toe search for this magic tome. It was why he had obediently informed the Demon King about the location of this spell.

    The Demon King had already been strong, yet he had be much much stronger after learning this spell.

    Of course, Artpe hadn¡¯t been able to see the Demon King use the Reign of Ruin. In the human realm, there was no one capable of stopping this spell. This included the hero. The only one that might have been able to stop it was Regina, but she had died fighting Etna.....

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤your gaze is unpleasant. Your gaze is that of an hawk looking at its prey..¡±

    ¡°Yes, I might have been waiting for such a reaction....¡±

    His past life was just that. It was his past life. They were his allies now. Artpe watched Regina. She fidgeted as she avoided his gaze. He shook his head to dispel such thought, then he turned to look at his party.

    ¡°Everyone get ready for battle. It is as I¡¯ve said before. Each monster thates out in this ruin is boss ss. You should be on alert. Sienna will be in the front, and Elrick will bring up the rear.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    Maetel¡¯s equipment wasn¡¯t inferior to Sienna¡¯s equipment. However, Maetel wasn¡¯t suited for repelling attacks from enemies. Maetel was more suited for the role of attacking weak points of enemies. She would rush in and cut down the enemies. Each party member listened to Artpe¡¯s order, and they settled into their position. Maetel closed her eyes, and she waited for her turn toe.

    ¡°They areing.¡±

    As soon as Artpe¡¯s words were spoken, a small light formed in the air. It twinkled. Regina blinked her eyes when she saw it.

    ¡°Wisp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Even I am knowledgeable about the Wisps, Artpe-nim. They are beings born by chance in locations that are rich in pure Mana. Mana coalesces around the newly formed consciousness. They are pure elemental spirits. If their will is weak, they aren¡¯t able to affect the material world in a significant manner. That is why I heard....¡±

    ¡°However, these aren¡¯t normal Wisps. These are level 320 Wisps.¡±

    [!?]

    The Wisp said something. Or rather it looked as if the Wisp had said something.

    In the next moment, Sienna instinctively raised her shield.

    [!?!?]

    ¡°Kooh?!¡±

    The Wisp¡¯s body rammed squarely into Sienna¡¯s Shield. Its speed wasparable to Artpe¡¯s Blink! Despite its speed, its power was more powerful than Maetel¡¯s headbutt at full strength.

    ¡°Ggoo-ooh. Ooh-ha-ahhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Good job, Sienna!¡±

    Sienna¡¯s eyes narrowed at the horrifying impact, but she didn¡¯t budge at all. Artpe extended his Mana Strings, and he quickly ordered the other party members.

    ¡°Vad! Blessing!¡±

    ¡°G...give the Guardian¡¯s Blessing to those that protect me!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be physically harmed! Regina, Speed Debuff!¡±

    ¡°Imand in the name of the Winter Queen, who rules over the endless cold. Slow the steps of this wanderer.¡±

    Vad and Regina kept chanting. When the Wisp sensed mana, it activated its magical energy to cancel the spells being used. However, Artpe had been waiting for this moment. The Mana Strings, which had extended into the surrounding, made contact with the Wisp¡¯s Mana. It also tried to bind the body of the Wisp. It quickly retreated in fright. Of course, Vad and Regina was able to properly finish chanting their spells.

    The Blessing ced over Sienna, and it strengthened her body. Regina¡¯s Debuff created frost around the Wisp, which was made out of pure Mana. It started to slow down. It charged towards the party again, but its speed was noticeably slower!

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Ha-ah!¡±

    Maetel shot forward like a bullet. She stabbed her bastard sword into the body of the Wisp, and she detonated her Mana. The Wisp couldn¡¯t withstand the blow. It was sent flying as it let out a scream that was unintelligible to humans.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t just one. Be on your guard!¡±

    Suddenly, Artpe¡¯s staff floated into the air. Several thousand...tens of thousand Mana Strings shot out using the staff and Artpe as mediums!

    [!]

    [??]

    [!?!!]

    The Wisps had appeared throughout the ruin. When they saw the Mana Strings, every single one of them let out an unintelligible scream.

    There were Wisps that attacked without regards to their lives. They wanted to avenge theirrades. However, they couldn¡¯t prate theyered wall of Mana Strings. In fact, they became entrapped by the wall of Mana Strings. Even if some were able to breakthrough the Mana Strings, they were stopped by Elrick and Sienna.

    ¡°Ahh-oooh. Artpe! It hurts! It really hurts!¡±

    ¡°Vad, give them anotheryer of Blessing!¡±

    ¡°Ah ah, Artpe-nim. You are too beautiful....¡±

    ¡°How can you let your attention wander right now, you dork?!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhp!¡±

    Fortunately, Maetel knew her role, and she continued to do what was needed of her. She focused as much Mana she could muster into the bastard sword, and she used Artpe¡¯s Mana Strings as guides. She ran to the ends of the Mana Strings to ruthlessly stab the Wisps, who were being restrained.

    Their level was so high that they couldn¡¯t be killed with a single blow. At the very least, each strike was able to incapacitate them. The fact that she was able to create such a result was astounding in itself.

    ¡°Regina!¡±

    ¡°Light isn¡¯t needed in front of the Winter Queen¡¯s grandeur.¡±

    It was Regina¡¯s role to kill off the incapacitated Wisps. The ice crystals, which had formed in the air, twinkled. They flew towards the Wisps, and the ice crystals embedded themselves into the body of the Wisps. She cleanly extracted the Record of the Wisps.

    Despite the party killing only couple Wisps, Elrick¡¯s level rose. The experience of other party members rose incrementally. Once one was over level 300, even a small rise in EXP was a ludicrous gain.

    ¡°How can these small Wisps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°It hurts to level up......!¡±

    The Wisps were Mana organisms that were made out of pure Mana essence. Of course, the power they possessed differed depending on where they were born. These Wisps were born in this ruin, which was of the highest ss.

    ¡°There are Wisps that are much more terrifying than these guys. If you look in the mountain behind the Demon King¡¯s castle.....¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to tell me about them¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Elrick responded in a sullen manner as he once again raised his shield.

    The Wisps were moving so fast that Elrick had given up on the idea of counterattacking. His job was to protect Artpe, Regina and Vad!

    If he blocked the attacks, Artpe would use his Mana Strings to bind the Wisps. Maetel and Regina would kill off the Wisps. Currently, they were experiencing a proper party y. It was something they hadn¡¯t beenable to experience within the Abyss.

    ¡°Their numbers are steadily increasing. Are they multiplying?¡±

    ¡°Look at it this way. This ruin was formed a very long time ago, and we are the first to enter this ruin. How much surplus Mana do you think this ruin had umted over the years?¡±

    ¡°Wah-ah. They are like fireflies!¡±

    Maetel had a hobby of splitting firelies into two with her sword, so she yelled out in delight. The Wisps were enraged by the fact that Maetel was ughtering their own kind. They charged towards her as they threw caution to the wind. Their charge was met by Sienna¡¯s shield, and they were repelled. As the number of Wisps increased, Artpe and Regina became busy.

    When several hundred of their kind were killed, a change urred on the battlefield. The rate at which the Wisps were appearing was the same. However, they were starting to act in a conservative manner.

    Only few Wisps in the front kept flying like mayflies to upy the attention of Artpe¡¯s party. The rest were gathered in a single location as they started to resonate.

    [!!?]

    [!!!]

    [!!]

    ¡°Ah. Those bastards arebining in the back!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s gonna hurt¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Let¡¯s stop them before theyplete their fusion!¡±

    These Wisps were born from the same location, so they were capable of being absorbed by a Wisp with a stronger consciousness. They were able to pass on their magical energy and Record.

    After eating several dozen Wisps, they were able to create oppressive spells that magicians of the human realm couldn¡¯t even dream about using. On the other hand....

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhp!¡±

    [!?!?!?]

    Their health and defense remainedparable to a regr Wisp. It would be easy to kill the Wisp before it could get off an attack. When Maetel realized this, she used eleration to immediately nt her sword into the body of the Wisp. She activated her Skill and an big explosion urred!

    [!!!?]

    ¡°Hooht!¡±

    It died a sudden death before it could use its fusion attack! The enraged Wisps tried to attack her, but she once again used eleration to rejoin with her party. There were Wisps that had followed after her, but they were met by Sienna¡¯s shield. It sounded as if someone banging on a drum.

    ¡°Opaaaaaaaaaaa.¡±

    ¡°Just endure it for a little bit longer!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhp!¡±

    The Mana Strings, which had explosive powers, cut across the space that was filled with Wisps. Regina supported him. Her eyes shone as she used her spells. As Wisps died, they released a massive amount of Mana into the ambient air. If only they could use that Mana, they wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the risk of running out of magical energy.

    After a long time, the Wisps in this region of the ruin was wiped out. After the first attempt, the Wisp tried to fuse two more times, but they were put down pretty easily.

    ¡°Ooh ooh. What a ridiculous Dungeon.¡±

    When Elrick went underground, he had experienced a good deal of violence when he faced off against the Shadows of Sinners. He was proud of this fact. However, even he had never faced several hundred level 320 Wisps before. This was a first for him.

    ¡°Artpe, are these the types of monsters that¡¯ll show up as we move forward?¡±

    ¡°Your hunch is right, Maetel.¡±

    Reign of Ruin was a spell that dealt with pure destructive energy. All the monsters, who were guarding the ruin, held the form of pure energy. Wisps were representative of the types of monsters they would face. The monsters that were waiting for them wouldn¡¯t be too different from the Wisps.

    ¡°So how long is this ce?¡±

    It was Sienna¡¯s question. Artpe looked down the tunnel of the ruin, which looked endless. He had a bright smile on his face as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good question.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see..¡±

    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t answer your question yet.¡±

    Artpe was flustered, but his party started stretching as they tidied up the scene of their battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s hurry up and acquire this magic tome, so we can get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Interesting ruin. Leveled up.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t tell you guys anything yet!¡±

    This was the final ruin before the Demon world. This was only the beginning of their exploration.

 Chapter 151 - Zestbar (4)

    Chapter 151 - Zestbar (4)

    ¡°So that is why you only encountered Wisps until now? Actually, I¡¯m more curious about where we are, Artpe-nim. I came here on a whim, since it was possible to transport myself here. Once I entered this ce, I felt the Mana in the atmosphere, and it is making me lose my nerve.¡±

    They were in front of a staircase that lead down to the second floor of the Ocean¡¯s Grave. It had been awhile since he had met the Dungeon merchant Mycenae. She still talked a lot. Artpe put on a faint smile as he spoke.

    ¡°First, you should repair our equipment.¡±

    ¡°At the very least, it would be great if you said you are happy to see me.¡±

    Mycenae grumbled as she gathered the party¡¯s equipment. The party members, who had experienced at least one Dungeon run with Artpe, didn¡¯t react at all. They just handed their equipment over to Mycenae. On the other hand, Elrick freaked out.

    ¡°D...Dark Elf!? This is my first time meeting an actual Elf!¡±

    ¡°Oh my. What a cute customer. Isn¡¯t that armor too heavy for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an adult!¡±

    ¡°You are good at telling jokes.¡±

    This was how Mycenae gloriously pushed the wrong button on her first meeting with Elrick.

    ¡°Those that judge people by their appearance are the worst!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you try to deny it. Outer appearance has a big influence on a person¡¯s rtionship with others. In truth, didn¡¯t you think I was very pretty when you saw me? As if by instinct, you didn¡¯t say any harsh words towards me. Customer, you should learn how to use your appearance as a weapon. It would be more beneficial for you to do so.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, you are a bitch!¡±

    Elrick growled. While he faced off against Mycenae, Artpe searched the ruin¡¯s 1st floor for any treasure chests. Vad followed Artpe as she helped him. As she did so, she looked around her surrounding. She raised her voice as if she found her surrounding to be marvelous.

    ¡°I never expected the inside of the a whale¡¯s stomach to be subdivided by floors.¡±

    ¡°When Arpte told me that I asked a very good question, I spected this might be the case.¡±

    Since they had entered into a dimensional pocket, it didn¡¯t matter what form the entrance took on. There was no connection between the size of the interior and the outer appearance of the entrance.

    ¡°I¡¯m fed up with the Wisps. It feels as if a hole will form on my shield. I really hope a different monster shows up on the 2nd floor.¡±

    ¡°Sienna, shall I give you another shield?¡±

    ¡°No, oppa. It¡¯s ok¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In a sh, the equipment repair was done. In the process of repairing the equipment of the party, Mycenae realized that a Dwarf had worked on their equipment. Her eyes twinkled as she firmly grasped Artpe¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, it won¡¯t be long before the Demon King¡¯s army makes it appearance. I just had a great idea. It will considerably raise the overall power of the human realm if.....¡±

    ¡°I already told Silpennon¡¯s party about the location of the Dwarves. You can meet up with him after he enters Diaz. Once he weaponizes his trade rtionship with the Dwarves, it¡¯ll help him establish his bid for the throne.¡±

    ¡°As expected, there is no one like Artpe-nim!¡±

    Since their trade rtionship hadsted for a long time, they could omit the first andst word to a sentence, yet they would understand what the other was talking about. It was a harmonious rtionship between a man and a woman. Maetel looked displeased by this, but she knew that it was a transactional rtionship. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t undercut it.

    ¡°Also, I want you to do some travel work. I¡¯ll give you as much money as you like.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    He wanted to give her travel work, and he¡¯ll give her as much money as she liked!

    Artpe¡¯s excessively manly statement made Mycenae¡¯s cheeks turn red. As an Elf, she was still in the bloom of her youth. All kinds of fantasies were spreading through her mind when Artpe continued to speak.

    ¡°I want you to join Silpennon¡¯s party.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    If a person¡¯s emotions could be turned into poison, Artpe would probably melt on the spot. There was a fierce anger in Mycenae¡¯s eyes as she red at him. Artpe understood what was going on, yet he acted ignorant. He continued to speak.

    ¡°If a long range sniper is added to Silpennon¡¯s party, I believe they won¡¯t be pushed back by the Demon King¡¯s army. I¡¯m sure the Anywherepany is alsoing up with ns to deal with the invasion of the Demon King¡¯s army, right? You have a transactional rtionship with the future king of Diaz. You can use that as bait to get approval for helping Silpennon. Your superiors won¡¯t object.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°In the end, you¡¯ll fight against the Demon King¡¯s army. You should think of it as joining an elite party to raise your level and ability. The big fishes like the Four Heavenly Kings will be taken care of by us, so you don¡¯t have to be too worried about them.¡±

    ¡°Hoo, hoo hoo hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Her rage had gone past the critical point, and it allowed her to regain herposure. She red at Artpe once, then she red at each member of Artpe¡¯s party.

    Then she nodded her head.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯ll join the red-haired customer¡¯s party, and I¡¯ll calcte the bnce at the end. I¡¯ll receivepensation based on how active of a role I took part in the fight.¡±

    ¡°Please do so.¡±

    ¡°Shall we make a contract?¡±

    The contract was extremely reasonable. There were uses that spelled out what she would make when she saved the lives of Silpennon¡¯s party from danger. It put a price on how much she would make when she killed a monster or a Demon. She had spelled out even the smallest detail, and the maximum amount she could make was enormous. However, it was an eptable sum of money to Artpe. There was also reciprocal agreement that allowed him to give her items of simr value instead of money. She took in Artpe¡¯s situation into ount when forming the contract.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so why am I feeling a chill?¡±

    ¡°I want you to read over it several times before you sign it. Of course, a great merchant made this contract, so there should be no error.¡±

    Something felt out of ce, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong. Artpe had no choice. He signed the contract. Mycenae put away the contract. She put on her game face as she turned around.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving immediately. Do not be surprised if another merchant shows up starting from the 2nd floor.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll leave everything to you.¡±

    Mycenae disappeared from that ce. Elrick stared at the empty space as he spoke.

    ¡°Is this what a hero does? Is it a ss where one seduces every woman one meets?¡±

    ¡°It is limited only to Artpe.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Artpe smacked the back of the heads of Elrick and Maetel. Maetel covered her head in pain. She spoke to Artpe.

    ¡°Artpe is really too kind. Why do you have to take care of that annoying redhead?¡±

    ¡°At the very least, you should call Silpennon by his name!?¡±

    Silpennon would cry if he heard you!

    However, Maetelined when she heard Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°I really dislike him. I really really dislike him.¡±

    ¡°At some point in time, you¡¯ll be fighting back to back with him. You should be courteous to him from now on.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Since Artpe is insisting on it, I¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯ll be polite to him until we defeat the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are kind.¡±

    Atpe stroked Maetel¡¯s head as he spoke to the entire party.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go forward. I want to clear this ce within the week.¡±

    A level 400 Demon King had soloed this ruin within a week, and he had returned to the Demon King¡¯s castle. It would be unreasonable to fight the Demon King with their current level of power. However, he thought the hero¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t fall behind in terms of how fast they could clear this ruin.

    There was a time when he had thought this to be true.

    A week passed.

    A month passed, and the party was unable to exit the ruin.

    When half a year passed, he had no idea how long this ruin was.

    ¡°What floor are we on right now?¡±

    ¡°We are on the 39th floor.¡±

    Sienna spoke with a calm voice.

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, something is twisted about this ruin, oppa. It has always been like that when we enter a ruin!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ooh. I¡¯d like to enter the Demon world sooner rather thanter. Artpe-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, it¡¯s the staircase leading to the next floor!¡±

    Maetel was the only one overflowing with energy! On the other hand, the rest of the party was sick of fighting the Wisps. This was a rare break, and they weren¡¯t even thinking about going down the staircase.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll do this here then......¡±

    Artpe spread a mat on the floor. He ced a birthday cake, which he purchased from the Dungeon Merchant(It wasn¡¯t Mycenae.), on top of it. When she saw this, Sienna¡¯s expression suddenly rxed.

    ¡°Uh? Oppa, now that I think about it....¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sit here, Sienna.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yes!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go to the next floor.... Ah!¡±

    It was a very special day. It had been exactly 3 years since Artpe¡¯s party had met Sienna. Sienna knew her age, but she didn¡¯t know her birthdate. This was why they had decided to celebrate this day as her birthday.

    ¡°Hurry up and sit here. You are 15 years old.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hue-hue. I¡¯m of marriageable age now? Didn¡¯t I grow a lot, oppa?¡±

    ¡°Marriage¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°M...marriage....¡±

    For a brief moment, a cold wind blew when Sienna spoke in joy. Artpe quickly changed the topic before Maetel and Vad said something weird.

    ¡°On top of that, I want to congratte you for reaching level 370.¡±

    ¡°You guys are a cheat. No matter how I think about it, you are a cheat.¡±

    Of course, Artpe, Maetel and Regina had pushed past level 370. Vad and Elrick wasgging a bit behind, but they were around level 365. Aside from Elrick and Vad, the average level of the party was 310 when they had initially entered the ruin. Basically, they had leveled up once every four days.

    In the past life, the hero was level 374 when she attacked the Demon King¡¯s castle. Finally, they were getting close to that level. If onepared the time it took them to level up, they were leveling slower than the past life¡¯s hero.

    Despite knowing how fast the past life¡¯s hero had leveled up, Artpe judged that his party¡¯s progress was truly exceptional. The reason why he thought this was extremely simple.

    ¡®The average level of the hero¡¯s party from my past life was high, but Maetel was unrivaled amongst them. There were over 30 level difference between her and her other party members....¡¯

    However, that was no longer true this time around. Maetel¡¯s Innate ability eleration was being applied to all her party members. In truth, Artpe and the other party members possessed simr levels as Maetel.

    The past life¡¯s Maetel had traveled around the world doing good. She felt pain of others as if it was her own. Inparison, the current Maetel was filled with selfish desires. The current Maetel should be way behind Maetel from past life.

    For some reason, it seemed her Innate ability was more developed in this life. It was easier for her to share her Innate ability with others. Artpe couldn¡¯tprehend it, but it was a good thing. He decided to leave it at that.

    ¡°Since our levels are rising fast, it is time for us to exit this ce. If the Demon King¡¯s army start their conquest before we enter the Demon world, it is all for naught......¡±

    ¡°Is the ruin this long, because the reward is amazing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe was already sure that this ce was different from the ruin from his past life. Even a Demon King wouldn¡¯t be able to clear this terrifying ruin in one week.

    ¡°However, it is time to eat right now. Sienna, let me congratte you on your birthday once again.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I like oppa so much!¡±

    Amongst the party members, she looked and acted the most mature amongst the party members. However, at times like this, she waspletely a kid. She received the biggest slice of cake from Artpe. When he saw her be happy, he was filled with pride as he smiled. When Regina saw all of this, she grumbled.

    ¡°Artpe, you don¡¯t care about my birthday.¡±

    ¡°You have to tell me when it is for me to arrange a celebration.¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say anything, I want you to notice it. This is what a girl wants.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be scarier if I did know about it?¡±

    ¡°From now on, today will be my birthday.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. Happy birthday, Regina.¡±

    ¡°Satisfied.¡±

    Regina followed Artpe and Sienna by sitting on top of the mat. Vad was the next one to sit on top of the mat.

    Maetel wanted to immediately head down to the next floor, but she was powerless in front of a cake. For a change, Elrick took off his armor, and he started eating his slice of cake. The image of him eating a cake was more fitting than him eating a drumstick. However, if such an opinion was voiced, Elrick would probably get angry.

    At the end of clearing a floor, there was no danger to the party. This was an absolute rule for a Dungeon and ruin. This was the only ce where they could get a proper rest.

    ¡°Artpe, A¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Nope. It has been awhile since we¡¯ve had a break. Don¡¯t stir up any trouble. Please..... Mmmm?¡±

    At some point, the ruin started to experience a minor tremor.

    Artpe had no choice, but to respond to Maetel¡¯s urging. He had been speaking when his expression immediately stiffened. He activated his Mana.

    Everyone could hear a loud vibration ring in their ears.

    [Your power¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Simr power as me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Regina spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°It seems it is an Elemental.¡±

    ¡°Elemental? Wait a moment. That.....¡±

    [Me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Are you here to persecute me?]

    When Artpe felt the overwhelming Mana within the vibration, he quickly got up from his seat. The party members, who hadn¡¯t eaten all their cake, started stuffing their mouth with cake.

    At that moment, the staircase heading towards the next floor copsed!

    [Me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You came here to persecute me!]

    Of course, the hallway they were sitting on was affected by the destruction. Artpe quickly extended his Mana Strings, and he was able to secure his party members. Then he used his support magic. He had been in a hurry, so he couldn¡¯t secure the mat, which had been ced on the floor.

    [Me! Persecute! Came here!]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The 39th floor was forcefullybined with the 40th floor. The being, who had been waiting for the party in the floor below, raged. It started to activate its Mana.

    The party members gulped as they raised their weapons. The boss battle had finally arrived. However, only one person remained frozen in ce. It was Regina.

    ¡°Cake¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Regina vacantly mumbled to herself. Her mouth was small, and she ate very slowly. Over half of her slice of cake had remained, yet it was set flying alongside the mat. It had fallen, and it was crushed against the floor.

    [Me! Persecute¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Unforgivable.¡±

    Regina spoke with an ice-like voice, then an overwhelming cold erupted from her. The Mana of destruction, which had been rushing towards the party, froze in ce. The frozen Mana crashed to the floor!

    ¡°Unforgivable!¡±

    ¡°It is the first time Regina used an exmation point! She did it over a cake!?¡±

    When Regina raised her head, her eyes were colder than ice. She red at the 40th floor boss. It was the moment when the boss battle of the Ocean¡¯s Gravemenced!

 Chapter 152 - Start of the War (1)

    Chapter 152 - Start of the War (1)

    ¡°Artpe... Regina is so scary.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I feel the same way.¡±

    The boss battle had started, but the hero¡¯s party wasn¡¯t able to do anything.

    Was it because the enemy was too strong?

    No, that wasn¡¯t the case. The enemy was powerful, but the party had leveled up for the past half-year within the ruin. If the entire party attacked the enemy, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for them to take down their enemy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    However, one of their own was causing a problem. Cold air was emanating from Regina¡¯s entire body, and it froze the ground. The boss, who had finally made its appearance, couldn¡¯t move past Regina. The boss¡¯ Mana was being frozen. Artpe¡¯s party wasn¡¯t supposed to be affected by Regina¡¯s power, yet the cold was too powerful. It was making it hard for the other members of her party to move!

    [Persecute¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Persecute¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡±

    ¡°That girl is always as cold as ice, yet she speaks such harsh words.....¡±

    ¡°As expected, the power of the cake is great.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s words missed the entire point, but no one was listening to her.

    ¡°Oh Winter Queen. Forget the duty of growing thend. The Winter¡¯s cold air will take away the crops of thend!¡±

    ¡°Regina is going for a really long incantation!¡±

    Artpe had caught sight of the information regarding the boss of the ruin using his Read All Creation ability. It was the [Ancient Light Spirit King]. It hade forth as if it was going to squash the party. However, the lighting out from its body couldn¡¯t get past a certain distance. It was all being frozen, so in truth, it looked ridiculous right now.

    ¡°Artpe, how is it possible to freeze light?¡±

    ¡°You asked the core question, Maetel. There is a 120 page paper that exins the rtionship between Ice magic and Light magic. I¡¯ll summarize it. Basically, it is possible to freeze light depending on the day¡¯s condition.¡±

    ¡°Magic is really a preposterous power.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t need to exin the ability of the boss. His party members could clearly see that the enemy dealt with the power of light. Power was being infused into light, so its speed and destructive capability was unrivalled. It was the worst type of enemy!

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it should be the worst. However, Regina was freezing everything, so they were stunned.

    ¡°However, if you want to gainsay the ability to freeze light, you have to deny the fundamentals of magic. Magic is mysterious and miraculous. Of course, it doesn¡¯t match with reality. In fact, the more it doesn¡¯t match with reality means that the rank of the magic is higher. The Ice magic being used by Regina right now is the highest ranked Ice magic.¡±

    The Winter Queen had given Regina many of her powers. He already knew this. He also knew that the Winter Queen had given Regina part of her Record.

    However, Regina looked as if she was the Winter Queen herself!

    Maybe, the Winter Queen was able to foresee that Regina would face off aginast the Ancient Light Spirit King in this ruin.

    ¡°Oh, Ruler of Winter! Bring Winter to this ce!¡±

    [Eeeek! I deny you! My children! Revive this ce with your warmth and bright light!]

    After losing her cake, the angered Regina had unleashed a fierce attack. The Light Spirit King had been flustered only for a brief amount of time. Soon, it tried to turn the tide of the battle.

    [Go!]

    [!]

    [!?]

    [!!?!]

    The Light Spirit King was made out of pure light. Parts of its body detached themselves as they flew into the air. Countless Wisps appeared from within these detached parts. The Wisps were all over level 350!

    ¡°Hey guys, I guess we know what we have to do now!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more Wisps! Again!¡±

    ¡°In fact¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I think I¡¯m capable of killing them now!¡±

    The party members were grumbling, but they moved with superhuman skill. Artpe brought out several thousand strands of Mana String. When the Mana Strings bound the Wisps, the armed party members shook off the cold winds. They swiftly charged towards the Wisps, and they attacked their enemies.

    Vad also didn¡¯t stay idle. She ced buffs on her party members, and she manifested God¡¯s Hammer to inflict an AOE attack! She attacked as she kept her distance.

    [You imprisoned light! Light is supposed to be free above all things!]

    ¡°Freeze! Melt then disappear! Frozen Bite!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Wisps were supposed to stop Regina, yet in a sh, the Wisps were imprisoned. The Light Spirit King had to make the Wisps, so a small opening had formed. Regina struck its body with cold air. It was a powerful spell that infused the target with the cold. Then it crushed and melted its target!

    In the process of chanting her spell, she kept speaking with an exmation point. Regina had always checked herself when using her magic. The current Regina didn¡¯t care about controlling her magic!

    ¡°Rise! Sit down! Grow rapidly as the wind!¡±

    Regina¡¯s specialty was Ice magic and Wind magic. Once she created ice, she had the special ability to raise the cold winds to increase the effectiveness of her attacks.

    The only downside was the fact that such a move consumed extremelyrge amount of Mana. However, she was able to borrow Mana from Artpe, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to use numerous spells. She created couple hundred enormous Ice Spears in the air!

    ¡°Feel the Winter¡¯s harshness with your body!¡±

    [Koo-oh-ahhhhhh!]

    The Ancient Light Spirit King let out a horrifying scream. It wasn¡¯t caused only by Regina¡¯s attack. The party was killing the Wisps at an extremely fast rate.

    The Wisps were created by the Light Spirit King, and it contained its Record and Mana. Each Wisp being destroyed caused damage to the main body.

    ¡°All right. It¡¯s effective! Let¡¯s keep pushing!¡±

    ¡°I never expected such a brutish hunting method to be effective in a boss battle¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Yahoo. I just broke through 100 kills!¡±

    Artpe had been tired of killing Wisps starting from the 20th floor. It was too easy to kill the Wisps, so he made a crazy suggestion to his party members. He wanted them to try the kiting method for fun. The party ran through the floor of the ruin to gather as much Wisps in one ce. They practiced killing a massive amount of Wisps gathered in a single location.

    They purposefully made the Dungeon¡¯s difficulty higher. It allowed them to increase their EXP, loot and skill. It was a n to kill three birds with one stone! Elrick had been the only one in the party that had shed tears of agony when carrying out this n. He had bad mouthed Artpe at the time. However, the fruit of theirbor could be seen right now.

    If the Ancient Light Spirit King wanted to stump Artpe¡¯s party, it would have to send three times the number of Wisps it sent!

    ¡°Hooo-ahhhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Maetel was faster than the others as she cut down the Wisps. In a sh, she stabbed her bastard sword deep into the floor, and she detonated her Mana. Golden Mana erupted from various locations of the floor. It skewered and detonated the remaining Wisps!

    ¡°Artpe, what was that technique?¡±

    ¡°It is a shout of concentration. You can just call it as Shout.¡±

    [My god. My children.....]

    ¡°Freeze!¡±

    [Koo-hooo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Oh, my warriors of Light!]

    The Ancient Light Spirit King realized that the Wisps weren¡¯t the answer, so it finally used its own power. On top of that, it gathered all the Mana existing within the ruin to manifest a new spell. It was trying to bring out beings that had a stronger self-consciousness and a more solid form. It was trying to call out Spirits possessing the attribute of light!

    ¡°Eeeeek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Get broken into pieces!¡±

    [Awaken from the essence of Light! Come to me steed, which is faster and stronger above all else!]

    Regina wanted to stop her enemy¡¯s incantation, so she sent all kinds of spells towards it. However, it seemed the Ancient Light Spirit King developed some resistance against the cold in a short amount of time. Her attacks weren¡¯t as effective as before. Regina realized that she couldn¡¯t end the enemy by overclocking her own Mana. She turned to look behind her.

    ¡°Kook¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Maetel! Artpe! Mana!¡±

    ¡°You want both our Mana?¡±

    ¡°Does she think I¡¯m some kind of a potion?¡±

    He grumbled, but they had already killed all the Wisps. He didn¡¯t need his Mana at that moment. Artpe retracted all the Mana Strings spread out into the surrounding. He recovered his Mana as he pushed it all into his staff.

    The Demite let out a brilliant purple light, and in the next moment, the amplified Mana was transferred to Regina through Maetel. Regina¡¯s eyes shone with a sky blue light.

    ¡°Children of Winter! Children that loves silence and tranquility!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Could it be.....¡±

    ¡°Since Artpe said ¡®could it be¡¯, I¡¯m sure you are right. Whenever Artpe says those word, your guess is always right!¡±

    Recently, Maetel was getting very good at catching onto a situation, so it was making it difficult on him. Artpe pouted as he started recovering his emptied Mana.

    While he was doing this, an extreme change urred in the air. The Light Spirit King continued to create Light Spirits using pieces of its body. On the other hand, Regina¡¯s sky blue cold energy started to coalesce. Clear forms of spirits were starting to form!

    [I see! You have the power of the Winter Spirit!]

    ¡°You are really really bad. Really really really really bad. My children! Free yourselves and kill that bastard in my stead!¡±

    The Mana was amplified by Artpe and the Demite. Then it was passed through Maetel to reach Regina, and it was transformed into cold Mana within her. It started to fill the entirety of the 40th floor.

    From within the cold Mana, spirits created by Regina started to appear. Each spirit was weaker than the spirit made by Light Spirit King. However, the sheer number of Regina¡¯s spiritpletely overwhelmed the Light Spirits!

    ¡°It sees the Winter Queen made Regina into the new Winter Queen. It is to be expected. Regina isn¡¯t human, yet she is closest to resembling a human. Maybe she is the most suitable candidate to wield the power of the Winter Queen.....¡±

    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s pretty. It is as if it is snowing.¡±

    The Light Spirits were letting out sparkling light. The Winter Spirits were made out of ice and snow. They were half translucent, and they reflected light. It was a grand spectacle where all these spirits were gathered in one ce, but in truth, it was merely a site where two idiots were fighting a proxy battle through the Spirits. It would be a ce where mayhem will take ce.

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    [Shine your bright light on those that are trying to bring in the darkness!]

    The army of Winter Spirits shed fiercely with the army of Light Spirits. Regina and the Light Spirit King red at each other as they devised spells to attack the other with. It was a spectacle that was straight out of a myth.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, oppa.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party got ready to pour vinegar on this mess.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Maetel wasn¡¯t just using the Record Master skill on Regina. She gathered Vad¡¯s magical energy and holy power. Then she took Elrick¡¯s ridiculous strength and stamina. She directed it all towards Sienna!

    On the outside, Sienna looked the same. However, power entered into her slender arms, and her hammer was infused with holy power. She held power rival to the gods.

    ¡°Hoo-oooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hahp!¡±

    When she was ready, Sienna charged forward. Currently, Sienna was sharing Maetel¡¯s Stealth skill, so she was able to rush past the numerous spirits. The spirits couldn¡¯t detect Sienna.

    Of course, Regina and the Light Spirit King were busy fighting each other. Both of them hadn¡¯t expected anyone to bypass the battle. No, it was possible that they had forgotten about the existence of Artpe¡¯s party.

    Sienna used this w in their awareness, and she was able to reach the enemy in mere 2 seconds.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh, hahhhhhhp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoohp!¡±

    She gripped her hammer, which was letting out a white light, and she jumped high into the air! In that moment, the Light Spirit King finally became aware of Sienna, but it was toote!

    [Koohk!?]

    ¡°Divine!¡±

    The sledge hammer was alreadyrge, but when it was wrapped in holy power, its size grew three times its original size. Sienna used it to strike the Light Spirit King¡¯s face with all her might!

    ¡°Punishment!¡±

    [Koo-hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Critical hit! The godly strike was the culmination of three powers. It cleanly blew apart the Light Spirit King¡¯s head.

    Since the Light Spirit King didn¡¯t possess a body made out of flesh, it didn¡¯t possess the same vital spots as humans. Despite this fact, the attack was powerful enough to wipe out half of its base power.

    [You biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!]

    ¡°Sienna is bad. You interfered with me exercising my rightful anger.¡±

    ¡°But!¡±

    Sienna was sent flying by the rebound. Before she fell to the floor, she threw her sledge hammer with all her might to attack the Light Spirit King. It contained all her remaining Mana!

    ¡°My birthday party was interrupted too!¡±

    [Koo, koo-ho-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Light Spirit King had to extract a significant amount of its own power to face off against Regina, so it couldn¡¯t withstand the second attack of Sienna. It broke apart.

    It was the strongest boss rank monster encountered by Artpe¡¯s party up to this point. It died a very ignominious death.

    ¡°Look over there, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is done.¡±

    After losing its host, the Light Spirits started to disappear from the air. Regina had consumed all her magical energy, so the Winter Spirits also disappeared.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    Regina slowly descended to the floor. She looked at Sienna, who hadnded more elegantly than her. That¡¯s right. Today¡¯s main character was supposed to be Sienna.

    ¡°I was selfish, and I overreacted. I have no excuse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Rei. I felt the same as you.¡±

    The two girls exchanged innocent smiles. The rest of the party hadn¡¯t fought directly with the boss, but all their power had been consumed. They sat down on the floor from exhaustion. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he sat down.

    ¡°We developed a new strategy, so I¡¯m satisfied with the result.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. It wasn¡¯t that fun.¡±

    When the owner of the ruin died, the Dungeon Merchant made his appearance. It wasn¡¯t Mycenae, but they had gotten used to seeing this merchant¡¯s face over the past half year.

    Artpe made an order for Sienna and Regina.

    ¡°I want a cake. Give me the biggest one you got.¡±

 Chapter 153 - Start of the War (2)

    Chapter 153 - Start of the War (2)

    The Ancient Light Spirit King, which was the boss of the Ocean¡¯s Grave, had lost its life. Despite this fact, it was letting out a light. It would be a lie to say that the party wasn¡¯t looking forward to seeing what loot it would drop. However, the party decided to eat the cake first.

    ¡°Customer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I don¡¯t have that much free time. I can¡¯t leisurely¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Since you are done with the repairs, I want you to bring us some supplies. We are nning on embarking on a fairly lengthy journey, so I want you to give me a list of rmended items.¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmm. I received a warning from Mycenae-nim about you. As expected, you are an amazing customer....¡±

    Artpe made it feel as if he was doing a big favor for the Dungeon merchant. The Dungeon merchant¡¯s body shook from being indignant, but he started processing Artpe¡¯s orders. After leaving the Dungeon Merchant behind, he cut a big slice of cake each for Regina and Sienna.

    ¡°If you are able to call forth spirits, you should have done it sooner.¡±

    ¡°It requires incredible amount of level and Mana. I acquired the requirement not too long ago. Om nom nom.¡±

    Cake was stuffed ins both her cheeks. She chewed as she replied to his words. Regina looked really cute. Despite the boss battle turning out differently than he had expected, he felt good when he saw this sight of her.

    ¡°Is the cake delicious?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative. Affirmative.¡±

    ¡°I wish everyday was our birthday, oppa!¡±

    ¡°We require birthday presents from Artpe. Full of feelings. Full of gifts.¡±

    ¡°You guys are bullies.¡±

    It was 10 minutes after the Dungeon merchant had prepared all the supplies. The party was sessful in finishing the whole cake. Artpe could only hope that the pent-up anger of Regina and Sienna was mollified.

    ¡°I have all the items you¡¯ve asked for. However, customer.....¡±

    ¡°You did well in preparing all of this.¡±

    Artpe pushed all the supplies into his Dimensional Pouch. The Dungeon merchant continued to watch the location where the Light Spirit King remained dead. Artpe put on a kind smile as he sent the Dungeon merchant on his way. Then he tapped on the corpse of the Light Spirit King.

    Two books fell to the ground.

    ¡°For some reason, I knew it would turn out like this.¡±

    The Demon King from the past never fought a grandiose existence like the Light Spirit King. He had fought an existence that was two steps below the Light Spirit King to acquire the Reign of Ruin. The Demon King had fought a sentry.

    Maybe, it was the presence of the heroes. It might also have been the influence of Regina, who possessed the power of the Winter Queen. He could try to deduce what had urred. However, it would merely be a hypothesis. Anyways, their presence had upgraded the Record and quality of the ruin. Since this would be beneficial in defeating the Demon King, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    ¡°There is no Reign of Ruin. Instead, we found the Downfall spell.¡±

    ¡°It really will be a big upgrade for you.¡±

    A faint pink glow had appeared on Regina¡¯s cheeks when she ate the cake. She picked up the spell book with the truly ostentatious name. She had a perplexed expression on her face. Artpe patted her shoulder as he consoled her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There is no way it¡¯ll be less embarrassing than the incantation you just performed. At most, it¡¯ll be more embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Deny. Deny. Deny.¡±

    Regina weakly sobbed as she learned the Downfall spell. While she was doing this, Artpe picked up the remaining spellbook. He had been unsure before picking it up. Surprisingly, it was a spell that could only be learned by a hero.

    ¡®Even if the Demon King had acquired this, he would have buried the information. No one would have know about it.¡¯

    He let out a bitterughter as he checked the name of the spell.

    The spell¡¯s name was Hero¡¯s sh.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Maetel, would you like to learn this spell?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dumb, so I can¡¯t learn any spells.¡±

    ¡°No, I believe in you. I believe you can learn it.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Artpe despaired. It seemed the karma for making fun of Regina hade back to bite him. He never expected it to happen so swiftly! It sounded extremely juvenile. Hero¡¯s sh sounded like some spell conjured up by children in a remote vige! It was something children used when they were ying at being a hero!

    ¡°Tsk. I have no choice.....¡±

    Tears came to Artpe¡¯s eyes as if he was eating horseradish. He learned the spell. He already possessedparable magical energy to the previou life¡¯s Demon King, so there was no way Artpe would fail at learning the spell. He was able to acquire the Mana and Record of the spell ahead of Regina, who was trying hard to learn the Downfall spell.

    However, the spell¡¯s power worked quite differently than he had worried.

    ¡®I had a suspicion, but this is a linked spell.....?¡¯

    Hero sh was able to strengthen the ability of the Hero¡¯s Aura. If he was to be more specific, the spell imbued the Hero¡¯s Aura with offensive disposition and force to the magical energy.

    Hero¡¯s Aura manifested itself as half a wing on Artpe¡¯s back. If he activated Hero¡¯s sh, he would be able to fly or move at extremely fast speed.

    ¡°Maetel, you will be able share this spell with me. Do you want to try it out? You should activate your Hero¡¯s Aura first.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Artpe, hand.¡±

    ¡°Do we really need to hold hands?¡±

    ¡°Artpe, hand.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had expected it to be some amazing great magic. Contrary to expectation, it was a simple spell that required no incantation. It meant he didn¡¯t have to chant out an embarrassing spell. After they activated the Hero¡¯s Aura, Artpe activated the spell. A changed immediately urred to their wings of light. It becamerger, and it let out a more brilliant light. They also gainedplete control over the wings. Maetel was using the power of Record Master, so she borrowed Artpe¡¯s power. Her wing became as big as Artpe¡¯s wing.

    Vad quietly mumbled to herself when she saw this.

    ¡°Heroes are beings that are closest to light. In the distant past, it was said that there were heroes capable of using the power of the Light Spirits. However, the power continued to decline in the sessive generations. In the end, the only thing that remained was the Hero¡¯s Aura. It became a power that merely symbolized that status of a hero. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤maybe the spell you just learned right now is the first step to reviving the power of the Light?¡±

    ¡°Artpe, I think I can fly!¡±

    He had his doubts about flying, because they only possessed one wing each. However, when they attempted it, they were able to fly without much problem. Artpe used his will to control his wing. He let out words of delight as he floated in the air.

    ¡°This spell is more useful than I thought. If I level up this spell, it might be a huge asset.¡±

    ¡°The Demon race is weak against the element of light. I believe Artpe-nim will be able to damage the Demons passively by using this spell. Maetel-nim should practice imbuing that power into your sword. Since it is a power borrowed from Artpe-nim, you will have great difficulty in changing the form of the spell. Still....¡±

    ¡°Wow. I did it!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?!¡±

    ¡°Vad unni! You look as if you saw something that shouldn¡¯t be witness by a holy priestess!?¡±

    Of course, it was possible for a Demon King to clear a ruin filled with the power of light. However, what would happen if that power of light fell into the hands of the heroes!

    Artpe freely manipted the power of the Hero¡¯s sh as he let out an tedughter. The moment when he would be able to fuck over the Demon King was getting closer!

    Suddenly, he thought about the existence of the Materialization spell.

    ¡®Materialization is a spell that contains the power of all my spells. That means....¡¯

    Maetel had transferred the light to her sword. Would he be able to do the same by coating all his spells with the Hero¡¯s sh? When he had this thought, he tried to make his hypothesis into reality. However, the result wasn¡¯t that great. It was possible, but the level of each spell was too low to pull this off.

    ¡°Hero¡¯s Aura, Hero¡¯s sh, Materialization.... I¡¯ll have to keep using them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll shrivel up and die from theck of Mana, oppa!¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t think my Mana will fall if I maintain all the spells at the same time.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he gave his answer, and he stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°So how are we supposed to exit this ce, Artpe?¡±

    Elrick btedly had this question. Elrick tilted his head in puzzlement as he asked Artpe. Artpe looked very satisfied by the fact that Elrick had asked this question.

    ¡°First, we have to destroy this dimensional pocket.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What do we do after that?¡±

    ¡°We have to kill the whale before it digests us?¡±

    ¡°In the end, we have to kill it!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. When did I say we won¡¯t have to kill it?¡±

    If it was someone else, the newly learned great magic would have been used to destroy the Dimensional pocket. This would tire out thebatant, and it would cause difficulty in the battle against the whale. Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability, so this didn¡¯t apply to him.

    He just brought out several long strands of Mana String, and he gestured towards Regina with his eyes.

    ¡°Regina, prepare the Downfall spell.¡±

    ¡°Just using the spell is humiliating.... As a price, I¡¯ll extract equal amount of humiliation from Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Wow! The Dimensional pocket is melting away!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhk! Rei! The spell! Hurry up and use Downfall!¡±

    ¡°A...All the stars of the gxy.....¡±

    After 30 minutes, they were somehow able to kill the whale. Artpe¡¯s party was sessful in freeing themselves. After the whale swallowed the party, a calm had arrived at the heart of the ocean of Zestbar. When the party split open the stomach to exit the whale, they found out that their surrounding waspletely dark. It was hard to tell where they were.

    ¡°It seems light doesn¡¯t reach this ce.¡±

    ¡°My body feels a bit heavy. If I practice moving here, would I be much faster when we get out of this ce?¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim, it seems we are closer to the waters of the Demon world. I can feel an extremely evil energy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe gathered his party, and he used his Blink ability. He tried his best to get as close to the surface. They were so deep underneath the water that a single Blink didn¡¯t show any indication that they had moved closer to the surface. However, they could feel the pressure lessen after each subsequent Blink.

    After repeated Blinks, they were steadily moving towards the surface. However, Artpe stopped moving the party when he suddenly sensed something.

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    ¡°It is a familiar energy.¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    Maetel was a beatte, but she tilted her head.

    ¡°Yes, it is an energy that I extremely hate.... I don¡¯t know what it is, but I want to kill it?¡±

    ¡°Those are words that should never be spoken by a hero.¡±

    It was ironic. Artpe immediately realized the identity of this presence when he heard Maetel say that she wanted to ¡®kill¡¯ it. Some lifeform was moving swiftly towards the party from above, while emitting energy. It was an extremely familiar Mana signature.

    [Master!]

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill her.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Maetel. She is an ally.¡±

    ¡°Anyone that has an eye for Artpe is an enemy!¡±

    He held back the agitated Maetel as he allowed ¡®her¡¯ to get close to the party. There was supposed to be no light within the depths of the ocean, yet she was out light of the the five cardinal colors. She was travelling in the form of a cloud of bubbles. The cloud of iridescent bubbles reached Artpe, and it let out a bright light as it resolved into a single form.

    ¡°I wanted to see you, master!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Her hair resembled the sea, and her eyes shone like pearls. She was the queen of the mermaid kingdom named Anaid. It was Genesis Mermaid Queen Sherryl.

    ¡°You bastard. You even got a mermaid.....¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ahhhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°She looks older. Safe.¡±

    When faced with Sherryl for the first time, each new party member expressed their opinion. Arpte flicked the forehead of Regina, who was spouting nonsense. Then he turned towards Sherryl. He was having a hard time believing it even after seeing her again.

    ¡°Why did you change so much?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to be of help to master!¡±

    It had been nearly one year since their reunion. Sherryl had matured a lot outwardly. However, the most surprising part was her level. She was close to level 350.

    It seemed she had changed her ss twice, and he had evolved her skills to a ridiculous level. Basically, she was stronger than the whale they had just killed!

    ¡°As master ordered, I conquered the entire ocean.¡±

    ¡°You did it in a year!?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t conquered the ocean of the Demon world yet, but I believed I¡¯ve made adequate preparations that¡¯ll allow me attempt it. I just need an order from you to go to war!¡±

    ¡°In a year!?¡±

    Arpte might have revived a ridiculous race!

    ¡°We were scouting the ocean of the Demon world to find out the standard of monsters living there. This was when I received a report saying an enormous whale had made its appearance. When I came to look at it for myself, I felt master¡¯s Mana.... I waited for master toe out.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, you came straight towards me after I exited the whale.¡±

    ¡°It would have been more proper to greet you after acquiring the ocean of the Demon world, but I couldn¡¯t suppress my feelings....¡±

    Sherryl¡¯s feelings towards Artpe was beyond love. It was closer to fanaticism and reverence.

    Artpe had made a throwawayment without thinking much about it, yet she had conquered the ocean. This was why they saids words were scary. Artpe decided to self-reflect. Sherryl carefully asked a question, while Artpe was examining himself.

    ¡°Master, if you are nning on entering the Demon world.... May you take us with you?¡±

    ¡°Is that the reason why you came looking for me?¡±

    Unfortunately, he already had a destination and route in mind. That was why he was going to turn her down.

    However, in the next moment, Artpe suddenly had a thought.

    ¡®What if I bring them along? What happens if I help them subjugate the Demon world¡¯s ocean?¡¯

    In the past life, the hero¡¯s party had obviously traveled bynd. They fought an endless battle with the Demon King¡¯s army along the way, and they had wasted a lot of time. They couldn¡¯t take advantage of the merit that came along with having a small elite force. What if.... What would happen if they entered the Demon world through the ocean....¡¤?

    ¡®The ocean of the Demon world is connected to all the important locations. My first destination is Nirotacid, and I might be able to reach it faster using the ocean. This might also be true for reaching the Demon King¡¯s castle. In the end, we have the choice of fighting the Demons onnd or the aquatic monsters of the Demon world. If I choose thetter option, I will receive support from the mermaids. Moreover, I can grow the mermaids as we fight alongside them. It is necessary for the Demons to cross the ocean to reach the human realm......¡¯

    After finishing his calction, a smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips. Maetel gave a sigh of resignation when she saw his smile. Sherryl let out a bright smile.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll help you guys. I¡¯ll be sure to guide you all.¡±

    ¡°Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°W...what the hell? Ocean? We are traveling by ocean?¡±

    ¡°Artpe. Idiot.¡±

    The decision was made at that moment. The hero¡¯s party was going to move in ways that no one would have been able to predict.

 Chapter 154 - Start of the War (3)

    Chapter 154 - Start of the War (3)

    Artpe¡¯s party got on the Steel Horse. The Steel Horse could travel on ground, sea and air. Of course, it had a submarine function too. When the submarine function was activated, it created a ss ceiling that only allowed oxygen to filter in.

    The party was within the Steel Horse as they sped through the ocean. They followed Sherryl to Zestbar where the Genesis Mermaids had gathered. Their number was overwhelming, and they were quite spirited.

    ¡°Genesis Mermaids. There are a lot of them now.¡±

    ¡°This is really incredible¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°So what is a Genesis Mermaid?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤they regressed back towards the right direction. They are a miraculous mistake...¡±

    Sherryl had be the Genesis Mermaid Queen through Artpe, and she was able to grow other mermaids into Genesis Mermaids.

    Of course, the mermaids had to prove their worth before Sherryl allowed her Mana and Record to influence them. One year was long enough to convert all these mermaids into Genesis Mermaids.

    ¡°I left the other mermaids behind to protect Anaid. I only gathered those that were reborn as Genesis Mermaids.¡±

    ¡°You only gathered Genesis Mermaids, yet there are so many of them.....¡±

    The ocean wasrger and deeper thannd, and the ocean was filled with monsters. There were overwhelmingly more monsters within the ocean. Their average level was also higher. A being that had be a pivotal figure in the ocean had appeared. She had led her mermaids as they swept across the ocean. It would have been strange if their levels hadn¡¯t increased.

    Currently, Artpe¡¯s eyes counted over 200 thousand Genesis Mermaids gathered in this location. All of them were over level 200.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Artpe was extremely cold in his assessment.

    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need the human realm anymore.¡±

    ¡°This is all thanks to master¡¯s blessing. You opened up a new possibility for all mermaids.¡±

    ¡°Still, the aquatic monsters of the Demon world won¡¯t be easy foes to defeat.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already scouted them thoroughly over several months. We know the size of the Demon world¡¯s ocean, the number of foes and their levels. If we move swiftly, we can defeat our enemies in ascending order of level. We¡¯ll be able to grow as we kill our enemies. Moreover, master is with us now. I am sure that we¡¯ll be able to tidy up the Demon world¡¯s ocean faster than what we were able to aplish within the human world¡¯s ocean.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Is that so?¡±

    Sheryll¡¯s eyes were bright as she looked at Artpe. She looked like Maetel when she yearned for hispliment. Artpe let out a soft sigh as he stroked Sherryl¡¯s head twice.

    ¡°You worked really hard. You did good.¡±

    ¡°Hue hue hue.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Her lower half was in the form of a fish¡¯s tail. Her tail pped from happiness. When Regina saw this, she quietly mumbled to herself.

    ¡°Artpe¡¯s pheromone will conquer the Demon world.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Most of the Merfolk gathered in this ce didn¡¯t know about Artpe¡¯s party. However, Artpe and Maetel were maintaining their Hero¡¯s Aura, so they immediately recognized the two of them as being heroes. Moreover, their ruler was Queen Sherryl, and she was obeisant towards Artpe. Therefore, the mermaids epted Artpe¡¯s party without much difficulty.

    ¡°As expected, your Innate ability is amazing.....¡±

    ¡°We want to regain the glory and achievement of our past. These Merfolk joined up for this cause. We share amon purpose, so we won¡¯t fight amongst ourselves.¡±

    ¡°You guys share amon purpose....¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve reopened the history of the Genesis Mermaids. We will do our best to serve you, master!¡±

    Maybe, it was because they haven¡¯t met in awhile. Sherryl¡¯s feelings made Artpe feel ufortable. This was especially true, because several pairs of eyes were staring daggers at his back.

    [Nyaa-ah, nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    Sherryl wanted to say something more to Artpe, but at that moment, Roa popped out from Artpe¡¯s pocket. She let out a cry. She was still biting onto the Evil Heart, yet it was letting out an unusually dense light.

    After a brief moment, Artpe could once again sense Demonic energy gathering within the ocean of Zestbar. Artpe¡¯s party had cleared the monsters within the waters of Zestbar around half a year ago. However, it was enough time for the monsters to spawn once again. The waters of Zestbar was teeming with monsters once again.

    ¡°What? You can also double as a detector for Demonic energy?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    The ocean of the Demon world was overflowing with monsters. They possessed denser Demonic energy than low rank Demons. It seemed they had be agitated when numerous Genesis Mermaids gathered in the waters of Zestbar. The monsters within the Demon world were starting to run amok too.

    ¡°All right. I want to see the skills of the Merfolk you rule over.¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is no need for us to bother master for monsters of this level. Please wait a moment. We¡¯ll quickly handle this situation.¡±

    Sherryl looked very disappointed at the prospect of leaving Artpe¡¯s side. Finding no other alternative, she turned towards her underlings. Soon, the Merfolk let out a thunderous shout as they started circting their Mana.

    ¡°This is the first battle before we enter into the Demon world! My master is observing us, so we cannot show ourselves to be a farce!¡±

    Sherryl activated her Innate ability at the center of the Merfolk army. Surprisingly, every single one of 200 thousand Genesis Mermaids were influenced by Sherryl. They started letting out subdued particles of light.

    Their abilities increased just from her influence, and they were able tomunicate with theirrades in a more intimate and direct manner! This was the true potential of Sherryl¡¯s Innate ability of Race Command!

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. She was able to ce a buff over so many Merfolk. Even if I had an abundance of Mana, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to pull it off.¡±

    ¡°The Mana created by the Innate ability creates the foundation, and it allows a domain that is higher than the Mana to be formed. .......they areing.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa, nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah?]

    ¡°You can eat them after they kill the monsters. I said after they kill the monsters.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    She was eating the Demonic energy emitted by the Evil Heart 24/7, yet she was being covetous of another source of Demonic energy. Her appetite was something to be marveled at. He really wondered if she was going to be a pig at this rate. He rubbed Roa¡¯s stomach in worry.

    [Nyaa-ah nyaa-ah, nyaa nyaa-ah nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    Artpe ignored Roa¡¯s cry, and he fixed his gaze on the army of Genesis Mermaids, who were charging towards the monsters. The monster were appearing from the other side of the ocean of Zestbar.

    It was as Sherryl had said. They had scouted and assessed the power of the aquatic monsters of the Demon world. As if to match up with the power of their enemies, the Merfolk started making groups of four. It was a striking sight.

    ¡®Amazing. When Sherryl¡¯s will was received by the 200 thousand mermaids, they started moving in perfect order. I was wondering how she was able to grow her forces to this extent in one year, but if she could do this.....¡¯

    Sherryl had assessed the battlefield at a nce, and she came up with an optimal battlefield tactic. She had the ability to make a war into a simple chess match. Maybe, this ability was more amazing than the buff that was applied to the 200 thousand mermaids.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa-ahhhhh!]

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    Artpe continued to pet Roa, who was sulking. As he did so, he drove the Steel Horse forward. The rest of the party was also looking at the Merfolk.

    ¡°This feels like watching a y urring on a reaaaaaaaaalyrge stage.¡±

    ¡°If we are talking about yacting, do you mean the act that is always put on by Maetel-nim?¡±

    ¡°Hue hue. You would know about that. Vad is also skilled at putting on a performance, right?¡±

    Normally, Maetel would have been running amok in the frontline of the battle. However, she had lived within the ruin for the past half-year. She was tired of fighting. That was why she watched the Merfolk as she verbally sparred with Vad. No, she had unsheathed her sword. By the look of it, she didn¡¯t look too tired.

    ¡°Ah. You shouldn¡¯t just rest, Regina. You should practice using the Downfall spell. You should work on reaching level 70 for the Downfall spell.¡±

    ¡°Hate Artpe.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, when did you seduce that mermaid? Moreover, she is a queen that rules over the Merfolk....¡±

    ¡°I never seduced her. I just carried out my Quest, and she just fell for me on her own.¡±

    ¡°What a sucky thing to say¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Elrick¡¯s angry voice became background noise as the army of Genesis Mermaids shed with an army of monsters!

    [Koo-gyahhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Our enemies arerge, but they can¡¯t even properly control their magical energy! They are shrimps! Show them that we are the true rulers of this ocean!¡±

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Her personal guards, who were over level 300, were put in the front to stop the charge of their enemies. Afterwards, each group made out of four merfolk swiftly moved in. They focused on killing one monster at a time!

    By human standards, it was a very simple tactic, but the monsters were devoid of rational thought. Their tactic was extremely effective.

    ¡°Charge! Charge!¡±

    ¡°Push forward!¡±

    ¡°The right side of the enemy line is falling. Let us divert the 13th division towards that side. Let¡¯s be sure to break their morale.¡±

    At first, it was exciting. However, a chill came over Artpe¡¯s party as they watched the battle. The Merfolk were pushing back the monsters in a one-sided manner. If they just killed the monsters, it would have been fine. It was scarier, because the Merfolk were eating the monsters on the spot!

    ¡°Uh. Mmmm.....¡±

    ¡°This is a bit scary.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah! Nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaa-nyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    In terms of tactics, Artpe couldn¡¯t find any fault. In order to efficiently recover health and Mana, the best method was to eat the corpse of their enemies!

    The Genesis Mermaids had the power to purify Demonic energy into Mana. They had the ability to absorb this purified Mana. It meant that the Genesis Mermaids could recover and grow much faster in the Demon worldpared to fighting monsters in the human realm..

    ¡°Those that recovered your Mana should immediately use your skills to break through the line of enemies. The enemies are increasing towards eleven o¡¯clock! Switch out thebat troops!¡±

    As soon as an order left Sherryl¡¯s mouth, her will directed the Merfolk. The monsters realized that the army of Genesis Mermaids were far more dangerous than their levels indicated. The monsters desperately requested support from the other monsters. However, it was way toote for the monsters to change the tide of battle.

    ¡°The enemies don¡¯t have any additional support. Let¡¯s end this! Send the injured to the back!¡±

    ¡°Finish them!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish them!¡±

    The several hundred thousand aquatic monsters were killed by 200 thousand Merfolk. After the battle ended, it took a mere 20 minutes for the Merfolk to clean up the battlefield. Not even a fragment of a monster was left. The battle between the human and the Demon race couldn¡¯t be fiercer than this!

    Artpe couldn¡¯t help but p when he saw the merfolk clean up after the battle. The party had never experienced power at this scale, so they were spaced out.

    ¡°So this is war¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, the human realm might be fighting a fiercer war than this.¡±

    ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened yet. If they are following the Demon King army¡¯s guideline, they are still at step 0.¡±

    For reference, humans would be able to stop step 0 without much difficulty. The Demon King basically sent an endless stream of pawns. It was a stage that made the humans think ¡®We can win this!¡¯ It was supposed to give them a false sense of hope.

    The 1st and 2nd stage wereunched right afterwards to break the inted hope of humanity. It was a cruel n created by the chef. This cruel n was being carried out right now, but it was no concern of his.

    [Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never expected them to eat everything.¡±

    Roa had been waiting patiently. She had been told by Artpe that she¡¯ll able to feast after the battle. Not even a single shred of Demonic energy was left behind in the battlefield. A gloomy atmosphere descended around Roa. Artpe had made a mistake. He never expected the Merfolk to be able to eat duringbat.

    Artpe kept stroking Roa¡¯s head. She looked morose as she kept sucking on the Evil Heart. He drove the Steel Horse towards Sherryl. After eating a monsters considered to be the top aquatic monster within the Demon world, she was wiping her mouth.

    ¡°M...master.... I showed you an unsightly sight of me.¡±

    ¡°No. It is an efficient way to recover. However, you should be careful. As we go deeper into the Demon world, there will be monsters with so much Demonic energy that you might not be able to purify it all.¡±

    ¡°Of course, master. At the end of the day, we are merely at the entrance to the ocean of the Demon world. We have to get stronger, so we can serve at the side of master!¡±

    The battle had ended just now, and she had been victorious. However, she wasn¡¯t tired. She was burning up with enthusiasm! At this point, Artpe had nothing more to say. He let out a bitterughter as he stroked her head once again.

    ¡°All right. After gathering your troops, we¡¯ll enter the ocean of the Demon world. I¡¯ll guide the way.¡±

    ¡°My god... You even have information regarding the ocean of the Demon world.... As expected, this is why you are my master!¡±

    To be precise, it was merely information he possessed from his past life..... However, he couldn¡¯t tell her that. Artpe could only put on a feeble smile.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°Yes. You can fight from now on.¡±

    [Nyaa-nyaa-ah!]

    This was how the hero¡¯s party and the army of Merfolk sessfully entered into the Demon world.

    It was early summer when the two heroes turned 16 years old.

 Chapter 155 - Start of the War (4)

    Chapter 155 - Start of the War (4)

    The Demon world started their invasion into the human realm.

    The Demon King¡¯s army crossed the ocean of Zestbar, and they took down several minor countries in the west. It was a re that signaled the start of the war. However, if one looked more into it, all of the small countries without a significant military force had united under the empire of Zard. They had already moved their military force and civilians out of theirnds. The only thing razed was theirnds. They suffered no other losses.

    ¡°The war has begun! It is as the hero had predicted! It is as stipted in Article 10, section 1. All nations of the human realm shall stop their conflict against the other races. All fights amongst humans wille to an end. An alliance will form between all the nations of this continent!¡±

    The emperor of the united empire of Zard had cultivated a close rtionship with the heroes. He knew very well how terrifying the Demon King¡¯s army was. He was a smart man. He quickly gained cooperation from the magicians and various merchantpanies. He was able to establish an information, and he urged each country to join his alliance.

    ¡°The heroes embarked on a long journey to defeat the Demon King themselves. We have to make sure that we aren¡¯t dead weights to the heroes. We have to do our best to stop the Demon King¡¯s army! I speak in the name of the holy nation of Pdia! All priests in this continent will serve in the war!¡±

    ¡°We cannot forgive the humans, yet our future will disappear if we don¡¯t cooperate with the humans. The World Tree has spoken to us. This isn¡¯t for the forest or the Elves. We have to take up our weapons if we want the history of all species to continue!¡±

    The holy nation of Pdia and Elves of the Eternal Forest joined Zard early on. The bnce of power on the continent had already tilted towards the side of the alliance. When the rise of the Demon King¡¯s army became known, many countries had thought about taking advantage of the situation. However, they didn¡¯t have much choice, but to join the alliance.

    ¡°An alliance? What a foolish idea! If we participate in the war, my country will be grinded into a nub!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we won¡¯t fight the Demon race. However, my nation produced the current heroes! Naturally, we demand a treatment that rivals what we have brought to the table!¡±

    Of course, not all nations were able to free themselves from their own greed. Nations with power refused to join. Then there was the kingdom of Diaz, who was located in a region that would be rtively unaffected by the invasion of the Demon King¡¯s army. They wanted to use this opportunity to replete their forces. Their power had diminished. It was thanks to the civil war that hadsted for several years.

    The new king, who had been chosen by the nobles, didn¡¯t possess any power. The nobles had gotten used to the newly found peace. They were consumed by greed, and the nobles wanted to keep their puppet king. Even if the riches they gained couldn¡¯tst forever, they wanted more.

    The one to end this matter was none other than Silpennon.

    ¡°ss and name?¡±

    ¡°My ss is the crown prince. My name is Silpennon.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s rampage started from the gateway of the capital. He took off his hood as he revealed his red hair. He also held a Crystal of Blessing in one hand. In front of the eyes of the guards, he quickly changed his ss from Thief to Prince of Diaz.

    ¡°C...crown prince!?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure he passed away during the rebellion.....¡±

    ¡°Report this to your superiors! Tell them the lost legitimate heir to the throne is back!¡±

    Mage Deyus¡¯ Loudspeaker spell was active, so Silpennon¡¯s voice spread across the entrance. It spread far and wide. The Communication spell worked faster. It was used to inform the leading members of the kingdom about Silpennon¡¯s return. The nobles were enraged. They quickly gathered their forces.

    ¡°You were the true heir to the throne, but that was true couple years ago! The current king also has a legitimate im to the throne. Currently, he is doing very well after assuming the reins of the kingdom, yet you want to bring him down! Your attempt to reim the throne is inappropriate! It is merely a form of rebellion! Capture him! Let¡¯s execute him!¡±

    ¡°Silpennon, you are a rebel! You are our enemy! You are no longer part of the royal family, so we have to behead you!¡±

    Silpennon waited until they could gather enough soldiers. This wasn¡¯t just a simple showmanship. He didn¡¯t want to waste time by going to multiple locations to fight. It would be annoying.

    ¡°Diaz is the kingdom of heroes! We are the country that supports and backs the heroes more than any other nation! You are refusing to form an alliance in the name of profit. The current leadership of Diaz doesn¡¯t deserve to be called nobles! They aren¡¯t fit to be called citizens of Diaz! The king is being controlled by his subordinates. That is not what a king is supposed to be. The nobles aren¡¯t true subordinates. These delusional individuals will be beheaded in the name of the true king of Diaz!¡±

    Silpennon had first entered the capital a week ago. At that point, he realized the entire army of Diaz was hostile towards him. Even the regr citizens of Diaz would try to avoid a fight if given a choice. It seemed it didn¡¯t matter if one was a noble or a regr subject of this nation. None of them possessed any backbone. It really was a wonder as to how the heroes had been produced from this nation.

    However, Silpennon was undaunted.

    ¡°Leseti, you have to make sure I don¡¯t get hit by an arrow that is shot from far away. Hold up your shield.¡±

    ¡°Even if it is a lie, you should at least pretend to worry about my safety, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Aria, this is the moment when you will debut as a holy priestess. Will you be able pull it off?¡±

    ¡°Can you see my power? Am I showing it properly right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can see it. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°That guy doesn¡¯t even talk to me anymore.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet.¡±

    It was a party made of five members. However, each and every one of them were extremely impressive. They timed their advance to the movement of Diaz¡¯s army. The five of them engaged the army that wasing from the capital.

    ¡°Capture him. That bastard is rebelling against.... Koo-huhk!?¡±

    ¡°They are stronger than I thought. Let¡¯s surround them first... Kahk!¡±

    ¡°They are breaking through! Our defensive line is falling apart!¡±

    The party had only five members, yet the concentrated might of Diaz¡¯s army couldn¡¯t stop them. The soldiers were attacking with the intent of killing Silpennon¡¯s party. Silpennon¡¯s party was charging through the army with crushing force. However, they weren¡¯t seriously wounding anyone. Silpennon¡¯s party looked awe-inspiring as they overwhelmed their foes.

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I...is his majesty perhaps a hero too?¡±

    ¡°T...this makes no sense. But....he is strong!¡±

    ¡°Jeez. Stop repeating lines from the ¡®250 Phrases That an Extra Would Say When Wanting to Interfere with the Main Character¡¯s Life!¡¯¡±

    Deyus was equipped with Artifacts. He ced a Debuff on several thousand foes all at once. Leseti used a simple Shield Charge. She sent several dozen soldiers flying each time she swung her shield. The one to stop the long distance spells and arrows was the Dark Elf archer. It was the ¡®great¡¯ merchant Mycenae.

    It wasn¡¯t a job befitting her station, so she grumbled from start to finish. Even as sheined, her eyes were sharp as she worked on her task. At this moment, she was slowly working towards the price that would be paid to her by Artpe!

    ¡°Everyone! We will stop the Demon King! If Diaz want to continue to remain as the kingdom of heroes, we need your help! We need your help to continue the history of this continent! Please throw down your weapons and listen to what we have to say!¡±

    Thest to join the battlefield was Aria. She advanced forward as she spread her holy energy towards the humans. It was a simple disy, yet everyone couldn¡¯t turn their gaze away from her.

    ¡°This overwhelming amount of holy power..... Holy priestess! She surely is the holy priestess!¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess is with his majesty! W...we cannot attack him.¡±

    ¡°This is all wrong. No, we are the ones in the wrong!¡±

    If one wanted to convince ignorant people, one needed to show power that was visible to the eyes. One needed to make a disy of one¡¯s power. From a young age, Silpennon had been close to the highest power in thisnd. He was well aware of what was needed to dazzle his people.

    ¡°As expected, you are good ating up with petty tricks.¡±

    ¡°Leseti, are you on my side or are you on their side? You can tell me the truth.¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s party possessed overwhelming martial prowess, and the holy priestess was disying her holy powers. It made a big impression on the soldiers. They dropped their weapons of their own ord. The leaders of Diaz thought Silpennon had been acting high and might after acquiring a bit of power. The sight in front of them made them bbergasted.

    ¡°T...this can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Stop him. We have to stop that bastard.¡±

    ¡°Send the knights! They are just louts that¡¯s dirtying the throne¡¯s authority!¡±

    Of course, nothing would change if the knights were sent out. In fact, the knights were the ones that were capable of properly recognizing the power of Silpennon and the holy power of the holy priestess. The knights asked for forgiveness right on the spot, and they swore fealty to Silpennon. The knights bolstered Silpennon¡¯s force, so the actions of the nobles had the adverse effect of bolstering Silpennon¡¯s im to the throne.

    Unlike the nobles, the knight fought at the front line. They knew which figure was at the center of history!

    ¡°The king within the pce isn¡¯t the king. The king is here! He is the oldest son of our previous king, and at the same time, he acquired power on his own! He is a hero trying to face off against the Demon King! Everyone follow his majesty Silpennon!¡±

    ¡°Soldiers! The only sin youmitted is not being able to recognize the true king. It isn¡¯t toote. If you have eyes, you should gather under his majesty¡¯s g!¡±

    ¡°Oooh-ohhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s n was extremely effective. It started from the moment he entered the gates to the capital. It continued until the moment he reached the pce. He had turned his enemies into men enlisted under his banner. His own martial prowess and Aria¡¯s assistance allowed him to aplish this.

    ¡°It seems my people finally recognizes their true owner! What are you bastards going to do about it? Are you going to run away with your tail between your legs? Or will you bark at me like a mutt, who can¡¯t recognize its owner!¡±

    ¡°Ah-ooh. He is so cool¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, Aria? Would you mind saying that again?¡±

    ¡°Unni! Shhhhhh!¡±

    In the end, Silpennon was able to enter the pce without shedding a single drop of blood. When the nobles realized their defeat, they had tried to make an early retreat. However, Mycenae and Deyus did well in capturing all of them.

    Those that needed to be killed were killed. Those that had to be captured alive had been captured. The kingdom of Diaz boasted a very bloody history. The amount of blood shed by Silpennon was extremely small whenpared to the bloody history of the past.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted mypany. They are stopping any remnant of the rebellion from running away. You can be at ease, and go do what you have to do. Ah. Her is the Video Transmission artifact.¡±

    ¡°You really are quite meticulous¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Do you want a position in Diaz?¡±

    ¡°If you are able to give me Artpe-nim aspensation, I might think about it.¡±

    ¡°The entirety of Diaz won¡¯t be enough to buy him.....¡±

    ¡°Oh. You are well informed.¡±

    He left behind Deyus and Mycenae to clear the remnants of the rebellion. Silpennon took only Leseti and Aria to the pce. Since no one was attending the king, the king could only wait on his throne. He waited for Silpennon toe searching for him.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ha.¡±

    At one time, Silpennon had thought his ascendance to the throne was a given. That was why Silpennon let out a bitterughter when he saw the current king, who looked to be thrown haphazardly on top of the throne. Silppenon asked him a question.

    ¡°How does it feel to sit on the throne? You don¡¯t want to get off of it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I had no choice. You know what I¡¯m talking about, right? At the time, Diaz would have been a mess if I didn¡¯t ascend to the throne! I had no choice¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ They required this of me!¡±

    ¡°I know. You aren¡¯t guilty. However, you refused to think for yourself. You had no will of your own.. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤even if you are a puppet, you sat on the throne. You should have thought about the people. You should have thought about the country.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I am embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I won¡¯t kill you. However, even if you are alive, you won¡¯t feel as if you are still amongst the living.¡±

    On that day, a new king rose to the throne of Diaz. He was a 16 year old king, and his martial prowess put him on the zenith. He also received support from the holy priestess. He was praised as being the strongest ruler since the kingdom of Diaz was established.

    As the new king, he unified his kingdom. He worked to repair his kingdom, and he demanded his army to built up as soon as possible. In return, king Silpennon gave the soldiers Dwarf-made weapons. This also had the effect of elevating Diaz amongst the eyes of the allied nations.

    This was how the alliance of the human realm waspleted.

    The outernds of the human realm had been empty. The Demon King¡¯s army left behind the emptynd to invade the inds. This was when the war with the Demon King¡¯s army truly started.

 Chapter 156 - Start of the War (5)

    Chapter 156 - Start of the War (5)

    ¡°You kingdom is truly in a mess.¡±

    ¡°The coffers are empty. Still, this is a nation that boasts a lengthy history.¡±

    As the young king of a nation, Silpennon was truly miserable. He was sessful in regaining his country, yet there was nothing left within his country.

    Mycenae possessed a ss called Great Merchant. This was why she had an uncanny sense for managing assets. She was helping Silpennon examine the assets of the pce and the capital. As Mycenae progressed in her task, Silpennon was bing more and more depressed.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, your majesty.¡±

    For some reason, Leseti was the only one that was brimming with confidence. When Silpennon nodded his assent for her to speak, she retracted her shoulder with pride, and she shouted out her words.

    ¡°We just have to execute the nobles, who stole from the kingdom¡¯s coffers! We just have to find those that had suddenly increased in their wealth. We¡¯ll fill back our coffers by confiscating their wealth! We just have to put the suspicious nobles on trial. We canbel them as being traitors.¡±

    ¡°I see. Is that how a kingdom is maintained?¡±

    ¡°I no longer like this kingdom!¡±

    In his next life, he wanted to be born as the crown prince of an empire! Sipennon despaired as he obediently moved ording to Leseti¡¯s advice.

    The stomach of the nobles were filled with fat. They were supposed to stand up against the Demon race to protect the kingdom, yet they weren¡¯t bringing anything to the table! Silpennon would rather feed the soldiers and make weapons with their money. It would be million times better!

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, your majesty! Even if it is you, you cannot treat my family like this! Our family helped build this nation!¡±

    ¡°Build? The kingdom is about to go under right now, yet you are talking about your family helping build this nation in the past? Shut up. If you don¡¯t want to die, cough up all your money, you son of a bitch.¡±

    ¡°Y...you are a ruler of a nation. How can you say such uncouth wor....kuh-uhk!¡±

    A noble was sent flying when Silpennon kicked him. The noble fell to the floor after hitting the wall. The royal pce was filled with nobles right now, and they were struck dumb by what had happened. Afterwards, Silpennon moved amongst them, and he started kicking the rest of the nobles.

    ¡°Hoo. How can humans be so foolish? How can they keep repeating their mistakes....?¡±

    ¡°Kahk! T...the king is beating up the nobles!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you there. Close the door.¡±

    Silpennon had gathered all the nobles of his nation, and he beat them to a pulp. It didn¡¯t matter if their families helped found this nation. Past meritorious deeds were useless to him. Silpennon started beating up a group of nobles with long white beards. Soon, the nobles realized what was truly important to them.

    ¡°W...we will give it to you!¡±

    ¡°You should have said that from the start. We just made each other tired.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-hoohk, koo-hoo-hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    There might have been innocent nobles amongst them. However, Silpennon didn¡¯t care. What about maintaining the dignity and grace of his nation? He didn¡¯t care about that either.

    He could clearly define his moral obligations at ater date. Even if theter generationsbeled him a tyrant, Silpennon didn¡¯t care. There was only one thing that was important to him. Silpennon¡¯s brutal action had weakened the power of the nobles, and his kingdom¡¯s coffers had been replenished. The only thing important right now was to consolidate his power and authority!

    ¡°I¡±ve wasted too much time. The alliance is already fighting against the Demon race! How long do you think the Demon race would stick to fighting therge army of the alliance? We are facing the ocean, which connects to the entire world. Of course, the Demons know this! If you have energy to move, everyone should pick up a sword and rise! We have to fight for the fate of humanity!¡±

    Silpennon created the Demon Opposing force, and he gathered all the soldiers possessed by the nobles of Diaz. These were soldiers stationed in theirnds since the nobles could guess at the invasion route of the Demons. When he added the Dwarves to his army, he had over 150 thousand soldiers under hismand.

    ¡°We will be joining the continental alliance.¡±

    ¡°B..but why do we have to go fight outside of our own country....¡±

    ¡°It is better to fight and defeat our enemies on foreignnd. It is preferable than fighting the war on ournd.¡±

    Currently, the Demon realm and the human realm were fighting at the border between the two realms. As the war dragged on, the human realm would inevitably show cracks. The Demons would infiltrate into the human realm through various routes. Silpennon¡¯s goal was to stop that from happening.

    The alliance had purposefully let the Demons take over the small countries located at the west of the continent. The alliance created a defensive line as they surrounded these fallen small nations. They created a blockade that prevented the Demon King¡¯s army from heading into the ocean. The alliance was preventing the battlefield from expanding.

    ¡°It is time for the Dwarves to shine!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, king of Diaz! We have defeated Demonic beings for the past several hundred years! We will show you the power of the Dwarves!¡±

    Silpennon traveled atop the ocean with the extremely wild Dwarven bros. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a merchant ship or a military vessel. He (forcefully) loaded soldiers onto all the boats possessed by Diaz.

    ¡°I wonder if this really is the smart thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about traveling on the ocean?¡±

    At Aria¡¯s carefully worded question, Silpennon didn¡¯t hesitate to shake his head from side to side.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t worry me too much, but.... I wonder if my country will be safe. We are taking so many people, and I wonder how many of them will be able to make it back.... These are the thoughts I am having.¡±

    ¡°I see. However, that¡¯s because our opponent is the Demon King¡¯s army......¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s army was being penned in, but Silpennon worried that a portion of the Demon King¡¯s army might break off and invade Diaz through the ocean. Since Aria couldn¡¯t say for sure that everything will turn out all right, she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    At that moment, Deyus suddenly tilted his head as he spoke.

    ¡°I feel an enormous presence in the ocean.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t we getting ready to fight?!¡±

    ¡°No.... These beings aren¡¯t hiding themselves, and their energy are too ordered to be Demons.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get hit in the back off your head? You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover! You should have realized this.... Mmmm?¡±

    Silpennon was frustrated, so he decided he would unwind himself by cussing out Deyus. However, in a moment, Silpennon also titled his head in puzzlement like Deyus.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t humans or Demons....?¡±

    ¡°What did I tell you?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Deyus.¡±

    Silpennon readied the soldiers just in case, and he headed towards the side of the ship. When he did so, he realized who was the owner of this particr form of Mana.

    The upper body of a human arose from beneath the undting water. She was a mermaid, who possessed the lower body of a fish.

    ¡°Mermaid¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    [Can you hear my words, ruler of humans?]

    It seemed the mermaid was capable of using Telepathic magic! When Silpennon nodded his head, other merfolk swam up to surround the boats containing the army of Diaz. An unusually beautiful and strong mermaid raised her head, and she once again sent a telepathic message to him.

    [We¡¯ve been ordered by the Queen of the ocean Sherryl Anaid. We will protect the sea routes travelled by humans. While you are with us, you don¡¯t need to fear bad weather, reefs or Demons.]

    ¡°S...Sherryl Anaid¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [That is correct. Sherryl Anaid-nim follows the human hero Artpe-nim. She received the will of Artpe-nim. The merfolk will cooperate with humans in defeating the Demon race, so please do not be afraid. Follow us. We will lead you to the battleground where the humans and the Demons are fighting.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon had never expected Artpe to have seduced a mermaid. When Artpe¡¯s name popped out of the mermaid¡¯s mouth, Silpennon felt a headache.

    Wait a moment. She was the queen of the ocean? It basically meant that she owned the entire ocean!

    [Human, are you alright?]

    ¡°I...it is nothing. I¡¯m fine. Thank you for the escort. We will ept your kindness. As the king of the human kingdom of Diaz, I want to extend my deepest thanks to your queen.¡±

    [The queen will be pleased when she hears a human had observed proper etiquette. I will leave you now.]

    The mermaid ended the conversation, and she dived back into the ocean. However, the numerous merfolk remained behind as they protected the fleet. By this time, it seemed the soldiers and the sailors had an idea as to what was going on.

    ¡°Are the merfolk giving us a blessing?¡±

    ¡°S...somehow, I feel my courage rising. Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ We¡¯ll be able to repel them! I¡¯m sure of it!¡±

    ¡°It seems the history of humanity won¡¯t end anytime soon. It will not end if your majesty leads us!¡±

    Silpennon hadn¡¯t said anything, yet the soldiers were happy. He didn¡¯t have to go out of his way to say anything.

    He was just tired. It seemed Artpe¡¯s moves were beyond his imagination, so he was bbergasted

    ¡°While I was re-acquiring my nation, he took over the fucking ocean.... He is something more impressive than a hero. I feel sorry for the Demon King¡¯s army, who has to go against Artpe.¡±

    Silpennon didn¡¯t know that he had stuck a dagger in Artpe¡¯s stomach in their past lives. This was the only reason why he was able to say such words.

    ¡°It is really romantic. It is a love between a human and a mermaid queen.¡±

    ¡°If Maetel wasn¡¯t by his side, it would have been romantic.¡±

    By now, he understood how Artpe¡¯s party functioned. Artpe received love from many women. He was envious, yet he felt sorry for Artpe at the same time. It was proof that Silpennon had matured a little bit. He let out a bitterughter as he shook his head from side to side.

    They were far out in the ocean. The continent looked like a small speck.

    They were getting closer to the battleground between the Demons and humans.

    On the other hand, Artpe¡¯s conquest of Demon world¡¯s ocean was progressing without a hitch.

    ¡°Charge! They are all weakened from their wounds. They are no longer worthy foes!¡±

    ¡°Those that aregging behind in levels will move to the front line! If you want to continue being dead weights around the queen¡¯s ankles, remain where you are!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party apanied the army of Genesis mermaids, and they became noticeably stronger as they moved deeper into the Demon world.

    The ocean of the Demon world wasrge, and it was overflowing with aquatic monsters. It was so crowded that Demons didn¡¯t bother traveling deep into the ocean. It would be too much work.

    Despite this fact, the army of Genesis Mermaids and Artpe¡¯s party was moving deep within the ocean. They were trying to avoid detection from the Demons, and they were moving by killing everything in their path. Severalrge battles were being conducted each day. In the process, most of the Merfolk increased their level every two days!

    Normally, they couldn¡¯t get stronger when suffering injuries and casualties. They couldn¡¯t just power ahead. However, they had two priestesses with outstanding abilities named Sienna and Vad supporting them. They could immediately heal gravely injured merfolk, so there were no casualties. It had been 3 months since they had entered into the ocean of the Demon world, and they had maintained the number of 200 thousand merfolk.

    ¡°My army is growing stronger at a rapid pace. It is all thanks to master¡¯s patronage!¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Yes. It is good that they are growing rapidly.¡±

    Sherryl looked genuinely happy, so heughed as he replied to her. However, he was sweating inside.

    The Genesis Mermaids were a truly terrifying race. If Sherryl was able to survive and grow stronger, the merfolk centralized around her would probably be able to take down the Demon King eventually. Of course, this would only happen if the Demon King chose toe within the ocean!

    ¡°What are their average level now?¡±

    ¡°They are around level 230.¡±

    They were stronger than the elite forces of the Demon King¡¯s army!

    ¡°It is all thanks to the presence of Sienna-nim and Vad-nim. Originally, we estimated that we would have lost half our numbers by this point....¡±

    ¡°I guess it is to be expected. Mermaids are pretty poor at the healing arts.¡±

    To be precise, it would be more apt to say that the Genesis Mermaids hadn¡¯t unlocked that particr ability yet. The Genesis Mermaids were an Ancient race, and the current iteration had been born recently through Artpe¡¯s hands.

    The Mermaid Queen Sherryl possessed both physical and mental abilities. Of course, she also possessed healing abilities, so Artpe guessed that there was a high probability that the healing ability was dormant within the other Genesis Mermaids. Still, no other Genesis Mermaids had disyed this ability yet.

    ¡°However, I definitely feel that it is possible. Once we evolve, I believe those that can heal will appear amongst our race.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Mmm. Yes.¡±

    For a brief moment, Artp thought about what would happen after they defeat the Demon King. What would happen if the Genesis Mermaids decided to conquer the drynd..... It was annoying to think such thoughts, so he stopped thinking about it.

    [Nyaa-ah nyaa-ah.]

    ¡°Yes. It is getting worse.¡±

    Roa suddenly let out a cry. The Evil Heart gripped in her mouth had started to faintly vibrate when they entered the Demon world. As they traveled deeper into the Demon world, the vibration was getting stronger.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be at Nirotacid soon.¡±

    The hero from his past life didn¡¯t travel to Nirotacid. What was hidden there? Was it just a simple trap set by the Demon race? Or maybe it was some enormous Record? Artpe¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out once we get there.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah.]

    Four days passed. The party didn¡¯t suddenly run into a Four Heavenly King. They were able to reach Nirotacid without much problem.

 Chapter 157 - Start of the War (6)

    Chapter 157 - Start of the War (6)

    ¡°Look, look. The sky and the clouds are orange.¡±

    Maetel acted as if they were out on a pic. She linked arms with Artpe, and she had a bright smile on her face. However, there was no way Artpe felt the same way.

    ¡°The blood shed by Demons leave behind traces of their curses. Demons fought and died here. Their blood evaporated, and the condensation rose into the sky. However, it isn¡¯t something that is easily gotten rid of. It dyes the sky and clouds red. It seems the color is light, because there weren¡¯t many battles here recently. If the fighting intensifies, it¡¯ll get redder.¡±

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why....¡±

    At the unexpectedly heavy response, Maetel stopped talking. Artpe smirked as he stroked Maetel¡¯s head.

    ¡°In some ways, the Demon race might be much more honest in that aspect. In many instances, the fights conducted by humans arerger in size and cruelty. However, the evidence of such fights between humans doesn¡¯t remain in the sky like that.¡±

    ¡°To be alive is to fight?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤maybe.¡±

    They had set foot on the Demon world with the intent of killing the Demon King before they died. They were heading towards the heart of Nirotacid, and a fight might be waiting for them. The level ups and the acquisition of skills was merely an extension of this fight.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? The fight doesn¡¯t end even if we kill the Demon King. However, we¡¯ll be able incrementally change the shape of the fights.¡±

    ¡°I see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Master, we will follow you.¡±

    He was soothing Maetel when he heard a voice in his ears. When he turned around, he saw that Sherryl had stepped ashore. Two hundred thousand Genesis Mermaids started crawling out after her.

    Their lower body had been in the form of a fish¡¯s tail, but soon, their tails turned into slim legs. They were able to stand onnd, and they started moving around as if they were practiced at moving onnd. It was normal for merfolk to live on their two feet, while they were within the mermaid kingdom of Anaid.

    ¡°The army can move freely in the ocean, and they can move onnd without much difficulty...... If an ability to fight in air can be added, they¡¯ll be the strongest fighting force.¡±

    ¡°Sometime, Artpe-nim says the funniest jokes.¡±

    Vadughed, but his other party members knew Artpe wasn¡¯t making a joke. He decided to think about that problem at ater date. Artpe turned around, and he waited for the 200 thousand merfolk to form columns. Then he led the army forward. Maetel stuck to one side, and Sienna held onto Artpe¡¯s other arm. Sienna suddenly tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Oppa, isn¡¯t the hero¡¯s party supposed to work as a small elite force for stealth? Doesn¡¯t this defeat that purpose a little bit?¡±

    ¡°I know you are worried, but Nirotacid is a bit different from the normal Demon realm. Look over there.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    Arpte raised his hand to point behind him. The sandy desert of Nirotacid was letting about a ck red light. The normal territories of the Demon realm should be visible.

    However...

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°Big! It is incredibly big!¡±

    ¡°Wow. If we went in there, we¡¯ll probably be ground to bits by the sand.....¡±

    The party see the rest of the Demon realm. An enormous sandstorm was blowing, and it blocked out Nirotacid from all other territories.

    It wasn¡¯t just that. A storm of simr size was present in the middle of the ocean they had just exited. They hadn¡¯t known about it, because they had approached Nirotacid from deep within the ocean. If they had approached that storm, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered what level they were. They would have been swallowed up and swept away by the storm.

    Nirotacid was arge region, and the location was surrounded by natural phenomenons. Storms kept appearing onnd and ocean. Maetel wasn¡¯t the only one. His other party members were struck dumb by it too.

    ¡°Why is that urring¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. At the very least, it has always been like this since the Demon realm started keeping history. No one in the human realm or the Demon world knows why those storms form.¡±

    However, these stormes weren¡¯t a curse for his party. They were a blessing. Nirotacid was filled with incredibly high level monsters that even a Four Heavenly King(Artpe) had been reluctant to face. The natural environment was so bad that it wasn¡¯t inhabitable by living things. The Demon race and of course, the Demon King didn¡¯t pay attention to Nirotacid. Almost no one entered this ce, and that was the truth. It also meant no one had exited this ce alive.

    ¡°That is why it doesn¡¯t matter if we let merfolk tag along with us. The Demon realm wouldn¡¯t even realize that arge army had formed in the Demon realm, so you can be at peace.¡±

    ¡°When I hear oppa¡¯s exnation, it makes me worried in other ways! I really can¡¯t be at peace!¡±

    ¡°Sienna, you are getting really good at undercutting my words.¡±

    Even if the Demon King¡¯s Army had someone with the same ability as Artpe on their side, they wouldn¡¯t be able to move around Nirotacid in such an easygoing manner.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a problem. Artpe wasn¡¯t on their side!

    ¡°My father came to such a dangerous location¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°I think you dad might be incredibly strong.¡±

    ¡°He sired such a formidable daughter. It is harder to believe that your dad was a normal traveling merchant than him being incredibly strong.¡±

    ¡°Jeez, Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t apliment, so don¡¯t like it so much.¡±

    The party continued their friendly chat as they ran across the desert at considerable speed. At that moment, Roa suddenly let out a small cry. The Evil Heart in her mouth was vibrating hard enough that one had to wonder if it could cause a wave.

    [Nyaa-ah-ah.]

    ¡°Hey guys. They areing.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯sing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!? Monsters!¡±

    Sherryl had been well-mannered as she followed behind Artpe. As she was responding to Artpe, she let out a groan. Amongst the Genesis Mermaids, she possessed overwhelmingly high level, so her ability to sense Mana was also outstanding.

    Her unrest was immediately conveyed to the 200 thousand merfolk, and they immediately raised their weapons. Artpe¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he spoke.

    ¡°A lot of you will die.¡±

    ¡°We will attempt it. Please watch over us.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the level of your opponent?¡±

    ¡°Of course, master.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.... All right. Show me what you got.¡±

    Artpe thought over it for a brief moment, but soon, he nodded his head. His reasoning was extremely simple. Even if monsters of Nirotacid were strong, Artpe¡¯s party had leveled up to the extreme, so it wouldn¡¯t be much help to the party to kill these monsters.

    Of course, that would change a bit as they got closer to the heart of Nirotacid.

    This was why he was even more curious. Maetel¡¯s father was human, so how was he able to survive in this ce¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    It happened at that moment. A monster appeared along the horizon. The monster looked like a rhino with two enormous horns. It was several dozen meters tall, and its entire body was covered in sharp needles. Each needles was emitting considerable amount of Demonic energy. It looked extremely dangerous.

    ¡°Those that possess outstanding physical attributes usually possess a small Mana pool. Those with arge pool of Mana have aptitude for Magic. However, there are exceptions. There are times when a monster possesses high physical attribute and arge pool of magical energy. These types of monsters are able to coat their Mana around their body. It is a unique skill that allows them to strengthen their body.¡±

    ¡°Those types of monsters are incredibly frightening. Their armors are made out of Mana.... Their body won¡¯t be wounded unless one pierces through that armor. Even if one is able to prate it, one will be greeted by an extremely hard body.¡±

    Basically, it was the type of monsters that everyone hated to fight. The fight was only fun if the enemy had a weak point that could be exploited. If one wanted to kill these monsters, one had to simply deplete their magical energy and stamina!

    ¡°It will take a long time even if I fought it....¡±

    ¡°Maetel, be prepared to block its charge.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Elite forces to the front! Our enemies are 100 levels higher than us! Form groupings of a thousand!¡±

    The hero¡¯s party was an exception, but for everyone else, level was absolute. In truth, Artpe had no idea why the merfolk were confident in their ability to face off against level 350 monsters.

    Even if a thousand merfolk formed a group, it didn¡¯t mean they couldbine their powers into one.... Their des wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through the monster¡¯s hide, so Artpe was puzzled as to how the merfolk would fight. The Genesis Mermaid quickly gathered into groups, and light blue Mana started appearing between the Genesis Mermaids. Artpe was having a hard time believing what he was seeing.

    ¡°That looks very familiar.¡±

    ¡°I roughly copied Maetel-nim¡¯s ability using my Innate ability.¡±

    ¡°A rough copy? This is beyond copying her move!¡±

    Recently, Artpe¡¯s party was able to concentrate their Mana and Status into one. The merfolk were doing the same thing. The magical energy and strength of 999 Genesis Mermaids were being focused into one! Since they were all Genesis Mermaids, they were under the control of Sherryl¡¯s Innate ability. Despite knowing this, the sight uring in front of him was almost miraculous.

    ¡°Of course, there is a limit. However, after repeating our endless growth cycle, we were barely able to gather the power of a thousand merfolk into one. We cannot defeat our enemies with overwhelming power, but we are able to fight them on equal grounds!¡±

    ¡°You are amazing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What an honor, master! Well¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll be back after defeating this bastard!¡±

    The power and will of 999 merfolk were gathered into one warrior. There were a total of 200 warriors. Sherryl led these 200 warriors across the desert. She looked valiant. When the rhino spotted the merfolk, it started emitting Demonic energy in an uncontrolled manner. It charged towards Sherryl and her warriors!

    ¡°Fan out!¡±

    At Sherryl¡¯s sonorous shout, the 200 merfolk immediately split to either side of her. Sherryl continued to run in the center of the V formation. Tridents made out of water appeared in each hand.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhng!]

    Two streaks of blue light shot into the air! The rhino couldn¡¯t stop its momentum, so it crashed head-on into the two light. Surprisingly, the impact from the tridents made the rhino miss a step, and it fell to the ground!

    ¡°Attack!¡±

    Hundred merfolk were on either side of Sherryl. They immediately attack from both sides. The Demonic energy stretched out from the rhino¡¯s body as if to put up a resistance. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the attacks from the merfolk! ck blood started pouring out when they ganged up on the rhino.

    ¡°I can see how the Genesis Mermaids were able to dramatically increase their power within the ocean.......¡±

    ¡°Oooh-mmmm. Assuming I had to fight against that.... Mmm mmm.¡±

    While the other party members were speechless at the monster being overwhelmed, Maetel was going through a hypothetical situation. She wondered what she would do if she fought against the Genesis Mermaids.

    Maetel¡¯s face had been scrunched up, but unexpectedly, her expression became bright in short order. The Genesis Mermaids could focus their power into one mermaid, and it was a powerful ability. However, there was a clear weakness. She just had to kill the helpless merfolk, who had lent out their power.!

    Artpe also knew this, so he was protecting the other merfolk.

    ¡°Disperse once again!¡±

    The school of merfolk had been in the midst of their attack, but they immediately broke off their attack when they heard Sherryl¡¯s sonorous shout. Afterwards, Sherryl¡¯s trident impacted on the rhino once again! The rhino had regained its sanity, and it had been about to kill the merfolk by amplifying its Demonic energy. However, it failed to aplish this task when Sherryl attacked. Instead, it had to block her attack.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°What a ridiculous amount of Demonic energy.... It is acting as a ded armor. Ah ah. We really are in the Demon world!¡±

    The rhino raged. Beings that were much lower than it was wounded its body. It couldn¡¯t ept such a reality! A red smoke started emanating from its body, and it was entering into a berserk state. Sherryl¡¯s smile deepened.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if its a monster from the human realm or the demon realm. They are all idiotic. Everyone get ready to throw your spears!¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhh!]

    The rhino was equipped with a thicker armor as it charged again. It had only one target. It aimed for Sherryl, who ruled over the Genesis Mermaids! However, Sherryl didn¡¯t run away. She boldly took up her trident as she waited for the rhino. She nned on bing the bait.

    ¡°In my eyes, Sherry is the one that looks to be the most idiotic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. She is confident that she¡¯ll be able to kill the monster before it reaches her.¡±

    What did Sherryl say? Didn¡¯t she tell her troops to get ready to throw their spears?

    She hadn¡¯t shouted those words with false confidence. Two hundred Genesis Mermaids were already in position, and they were concentrating their Mana. They aimed their water spears towards the rhino.

    Sherryl was facing off against a rhino in the middle of a desert, yet she create a storm of water. The water drenched the rhino¡¯s body, and for a brief moment, the armor deteriorated by a small amount!

    ¡°Throw your spears!¡±

    ¡°Oooh-ohhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill that bastard!¡±

    ¡°Throw your spears! Throw your spears!¡±

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhh!]

    Two hundred spears split the air as they deeply embedded themselves in the body of the rhino!

    ¡°Wow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That must have hurt.¡±

    Matel mumbled in a small voice. Artpe agreed with her words, so he just nodded his head. The rhino¡¯s stamina had reached its limit. Afterwards, the merfolk immediately swarmed the rhino as they butchered the monster.

    Afterwards, their exploration of Nirotacid was smooth. The Genesis Mermaids were growing at faster ratepared to what they had experience in the ocean of the Demon realm.

    An army that was much more scarier than the Demon King¡¯s army was being born. Unfortunately, the Demons and the humans weren¡¯t aware of it.

 Chapter 158 - Heros Descendant (1)

    Chapter 158 - Hero¡¯s Descendant (1)

    Nirotacid was a different world in itself. From the outside, it didn¡¯t look that big. However, the party was faced with an endless desert when they started exploring the ce.

    Even if the Genesis Mermaids were capable of taking on human form, they were a race that lived in water. They were slowly being tormented by their environment, so Regina had to melt ice to provide them with water. If not, the Genesis Mermaids would have retired from Nirotacid.

    However, they somehow endured it as they followed their queen¡¯s will. In the end, they continued to adapt and strengthen themselves. It was two months after they entered into Nirotacid, and their average level was 250.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Artpe had shot out several hundred strands of Mana Strings, and they connected several dozen times to make a mesh. An axe had been thrown, and it bounced off the mesh barrier. The ax couldn¡¯t break through. Afterwards, Sherryl threw her trident to impale and kill her enemy.

    ¡°Hoo. As expected, our levels are rising now. That means we are deep within Nirotacid¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe retracted his Mana Strings as he let out a sigh. Immediately, he felt his Mana stir within his body. Maetel also sheathed her sword as she let out a smallughter.

    ¡°I like it, because they are strong!¡±

    ¡°It would have been great if they were simply strong. The problem is the rotten stench of their Demonic energy. It is pungent. Artpe-nim, what is inside this ce?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    In his past life, even the Demon King avoided this ce. He didn¡¯t think the Demon King was a coward. If that wasn¡¯t the case, what other exnation was there? Maybe, there was something that was hidden here. Artpe might have been unaware of it, and it might be something scarier than the Demon King....

    [Nyaa.]

    Roa raised her head. She had simr purple colored eyes as Artpe. Her eyes were staring a point beyond the desert. The Evil Heart gripped in her mouth was starting to vibrate more. It was also letting out a light.

    ¡°There is something that is simr to the Evil Heart here?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    Artpe was sure of it now. The item was located where was Roa looking at. The person, who had left the message within Artpe¡¯s hut, would also be there. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if that person was truly Maetel¡¯s father!

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it looks as if the size of the Evil Heart has decreased a lot?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa.]

    Roa answered in a tone that said, ¡®Of course, a candy decreases in size when you lick it.¡¯

    Artpe was suddenly worried, so he carefully looked over Roa¡¯s body. However, she was fine. Vad confirmed his assessment.

    ¡°I check her everyday, and Roa¡¯s ability keeps increasing in strength. Maybe, the Evil Heart exists toplete a being like Roa.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? She¡¯s that strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa!]

    Roa was amazing at finding moments where she could show off herself. She puffed out her chest as she meowed in a prideful manner.

    Ah. He just witnessed the Evil Heart decrease in size by a small amount.

    ¡°If you think you are changing into a Demon, tell me. I¡¯ll change you back using my magic tome.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa?? Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ah-ah!]

    Mmmm. He felt he had done enough in warning Roa, so it should be fine. Roa¡¯s tail was rigid from excitement. He petted her to pacify Roa, then he turned to look at his party.

    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s start moving again. I know the general direction we have to travel.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They would have been hard pressed if Demonic beasts over level 370 kept popping out from all direction. However, there was a small number of monsters at the heart of Nirotacid. Instead, each monster was incredibly strong.

    Aside froming across two Demonic beast, their travel was rtively peaceful that day as they walked across the desert.

    At night, the hero¡¯s party and the 200 thousand merfolk put up temporary barracks to rest. It had been a week since they had theirst break. First, Regina consumed most of her Magical Energy to call out the power of the Winter Spirits. She cooled the barracks, and it allowed everyone to regain their stamina as theyzed about.

    ¡°How can the night be so hot in this ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the blood clouds in the sky. It doesn¡¯t merely mar the beauty of the Demon world. It also emits heat, so it heats up the ground like a skillet.¡±

    ¡°It torments the people that lives here!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. That is essentially it.¡±

    The Demon race lived upon the foundation of wickedness. Even in death, the Demons tormented others through the blood clouds. Maybe, it was intentional that they were left behind in the form of dark clouds. Artpe stroked Maetel¡¯s head, then he sat down.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, I¡¯ll make you food that¡¯ll restore your vitality. These ingredients are from the Demon world, but I purified them. It should be all right to consume them.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You purified this, but you have to extract the poison too. This one too. You can use a lot of this, since it has the special characteristic of eliminating a Demonic beast¡¯s toxicity.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Vad and the merfolk moved busily as they started to cook. Vad took control of therge army as she easily created enough food to feed everyone. It was a truly impressive sight.

    When Artpe watched her back, he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she was a great prospective bride despite her twisted personality. She probably practiced cooking with the resolve of bing the mate of the hero. She was quite tenacious.

    ¡°I can cook too!¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t cook.¡±

    ¡°I hate Artpe.¡±

    When feeding arge number of people, stew was the ideal food to make. Artpe drank the hot broth as he stretched out his legs like the merfolk. They were almost at their destination. He was sure of it. On the other hand, he had to be ready for the possibility that something might ur this night. He made sure the army would be ready to mobilize at any moment.

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    Maetel called out to him. Was she trying to cook again? Artpe was about to talk her off the edge when he realized that she had her sword unsheathed. He shut his mouth.

    ¡°Where is iting from?¡±

    ¡°It ising from the front. For some reason, I can¡¯tpletely discern what ability it is using. May you look into it, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°That means...¡±

    He still held a bowl of soup in one hand. He used his other hand to bring out several strands of Mana Strings. Artpe manipted his fingers as he sent them forward.

    The ends of the Mana Strings acted like fingers as they carefully felt around the air as they moved forward. Soon, the Mana Strings came across something. A smile appeared on Artpe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°No, you guys should rest. There will be no need to fight.¡±

    Arpte raised his gaze, and his eyes shone. His purple colored eyes could see a small building that no one else could see.

    He was sure that this structure hadn¡¯t existed not too long ago. The structure was using a high ranking stealth magic, and it had moved slowly towards the barracks. It was such a high level Stealth magic that his eyes had to be directly on it to see the building. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.

    ¡°Ha. What the hell? It isn¡¯t even a snail, yet it is doing that?¡±

    ¡°Snail? Ah!¡±

    When he said snail, Vad was the first one to pick up on his meaning. The others continued to tilt their head in confusion, but Roa let out a fierce roar.

    [Nyaa! Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    ¡°Yes. Wait a little bit.¡±

    The number of Mana Strings doubled. The Mana Strings stabbed the empty air, and they retreated. They kept repeating this action until the steal magic over the building was stripped.

    [S...stop!]

    A telepathic message was delivered to him.

    [If you are so overt with your actions, all the monsters of Nirotacid will gather here!]

    ¡°That is what I want!¡±

    Artpe continued to move his hand as hepletely cancelled the stealth spell ced over the building! The blood colored clouds had also stained the color of moonlight. A small temple appeared atop the red desert. Those that were still eating stew were so surprised that soup dripped down their chin.

    It was as Vad had said. There was a pungent and rotten smell. It was flowing out of the temple.

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Roa¡¯s roar filled the entirety of the desert. She couldn¡¯t hide her excitement, so her butt wiggled. Artpe grabbed her by the nape as he lifted her.

    ¡°Not yet. Be patient.¡±

    [Nyaa-ah! Nyaa nyaa-ah!]

    She still had the Evil Heart in her mouth, so Artpe was about to reason with her. However, the Evil Heart wasn¡¯t in Roa¡¯s mouth. She had finally swallowed it!

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhht!]

    For several hundred years, the Evil Heart had created the Shadows of Sinners. Roa had swallowed an item containing incredible amounts of Demonic Energy. Of course, the Demonic energy within Roa¡¯s body would move in an intense and uncontrolled manner.

    However, unlike Artpe¡¯s worry, the Demonic energy couldn¡¯t dominate Roa. It couldn¡¯t kill her either. As if she was trying to prove her enormous growth, her Greed ability pressed down on the Demonic energy as she digested it! She was willing to go through all of this for new food? Artpe was taken aback.

    [What are you going to do about this! You are a hasty and reckless hero! All the Demonic beasts of Nirotacid will gather here!]

    ¡°Ah. Please shut up.¡±

    Artpe replied gruffly through telepathy, then he handed Roa over to Vad. He was basically asking Vad to purify the Demonic energy if Roa was unable to digest all of it.

    ¡°Also, I want you to look over her. I want you to make sure Roa doesn¡¯t swallow whatever item that is within the temple.¡±

    ¡°Please leave her to me, Artpe-nim.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there. Since they aren¡¯ting to us, we should at least go talk to them.¡±

    It seemed the people within the temple were shocked at Artpe¡¯s unexpected actions. They were desperately trying to restore the stealth magic over the temple. This was why they were unable toe out. It would be useless even if they were able to restore the stealth magic. They knew this, yet they were attempting it. They were truly foolish!

    [Whom do you think is to me! Whom!]

    ¡°That is why you guys should just give up ande out. Ah. Is ahjussi inside?¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    Maetel yelled out with a voice full of anticipation! Soon, the door to the temple opened. The Demonic energy was so thick that it flowed out through the doorway in the form of a ck fog. Then a short man peeked out from the doorway.

    ¡°You are really here. You got here so fast....¡±

    ¡°It really is my dad!¡±

    Maetel reached him in one step as she hugged the man. The timing of the reunion between father and daughter was unexpected. The party didn¡¯t know what to do, so they awkwardly pped their hands. It was a reunion between the hero and her father. It was a dramatic moment!

    The only one to have a serious expression on his face was Artpe.

    [Promes]

    [Human]

    [Great Merchant]

    [Level : 265]

    [Strength : 329 Agility : 383 Stamina : 335 Magic : 1,255]

    ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have been able to survive here at that level.¡¯

    He had thought Maetel¡¯s father was a mere traveling merchant. However, her father was strong, and it was surprising. However, his level was barely at a point where he could survive in the Demonic world. If one was talking in terms of the standard of Nirotacid, he would have to be 100 levels higher to survive at the very least.

    That left only one possibility. The temple¡¯s stealth magic, which Artpe had stripped, was an amazing treasure. Maetel¡¯s father and the people inside the temple had been saved, because they had received protection of the temple.

    Still, a question remained. Why did these people enter Nirotacid? What were these people protecting? What was the identity of the item within the temple? Who¡¯s orders were they following?

    No, he no longer had to talk in vague terms. Artpe already knew all the answers.

    ¡°So you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are Artpe.¡±

    Artpe had been organizing his thought within his mind. Suddenly, Promes¡¯ gazended on Artpe. Artpe had been thinking about what he had to do in the future, so Artpe felt a chill when the cold gazended on him.

    When Artpe had opened his eyes within the body of a child, Promes had already left Maetel¡¯s side. Does this guy perhaps know about Artpe¡¯s past life? If not, maybe he felt threatened by how Artpe looked.....

    ¡°My god. I knew this would happen, but this guys really turned into an extremely handsome young man. Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright, Maetel?¡±

    ¡°I gave up on monopolizing him. Even if I am a hero, I cannot fight against the whole world.¡±

    ¡°My daughter, you became an adult.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It seemed he had been worried about the wrong thing. He didn¡¯t know how he should feel. It felt weird. Artpe frowned. He was more annoyed when four female members of his party kept staring daggers at him. It was sharp enough to hurt.

    ¡°Artpe, I understand you are the hero, but why did you strip the temple¡¯s magic?! Since you traveled through Nirotacid, you know how dangerous this ce is. I bet you can guess at how horrifying the items that are stored within the temple are!¡±

    ¡°You are quibbling over my moves so early. This is the chance to gather the monsters in one location, so wouldn¡¯t it be strange if I didn¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity?¡±

    Artpe was unustomed to speaking respectfully to others. He forced himself to be respectful as he pouted. Promes was struck dumb by Artpe¡¯s words. Maetel had escaped her father¡¯s grasp, and she hopped towards Artpe¡¯s side. She unsheathed her sword.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter after we kill all of them!¡±

    ¡°Everyone put aside what you are eating. Get ready for battle!¡±

    ¡°I want to eat one more bowl¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Eat it after the battle ends!¡±

    Promes turned pale when he saw Artpe¡¯s party enter into battle mode so naturally. He still didn¡¯t understand that the heroes had been living in a different world.

    Soon, the roars of all kinds of monsters could be heard in the distance.

    On that night, a great battle against the monsters of Nirotacid was fought.

 Chapter 159 - Heros Descendant (2)

    Chapter 159 - Hero¡¯s Descendant (2)

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhk!]

    The death throes of the monsters filled the night of the desert.

    If the demonic beasts of Nirotacid were all gathered in a single herd, they might be able to put up a good fight against the Demon King. They possessed that much power. However, the Genesis Mermaids were able to gather and transfer their power into one being through the Race Command ability. On top of that, the member of the hero¡¯s party had grown to such a level that each of them were walking cmities. When the hero¡¯s party worked together with the Genesis Mermaids, the monsters couldn¡¯t stand up against them.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stack the corpses over there. Roa, you should eat those first.¡±

    [Nyaa??]

    In the night, Artpe¡¯s party had defeated over several hundred monsters. The stripping of the temple¡¯s stealth magic was very effective. He had no idea where these monsters had been hiding, but a lot of monsters had rushed towards the temple. The monsters had attacked them in a blind rage, so every moment of the hunt was thrilling.

    The monsters were all over level 360 and 370. If 10 monsters appeared all at once, it was overwhelming even for them. However, Artpe directed the merfolk to surround the monster, and Artpe¡¯s party focused on killing one monster at a time. This method was good enough to kill all the monsters.

    Of course, this method made them share EXP with the merfolk. From Artpe¡¯s perspective, it was a good thing. The merfolk were getting stronger, so he didn¡¯t minding sharing the EXP with them.

    They fought until monsters no longer appeared. At that point, there were no monsters left in the desert.

    ¡°There really are a lot of them stacked here.¡±

    ¡°Now I understand why the Demon race didn¡¯t step into this ce.... However, I didn¡¯t want to find out this truth with my body!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Elrick. If not, you won¡¯t grow taller.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    The sun rose over the Demon realm right on time. The oppressive heat evaporated the blood of the monsters, which had soaked into the desert. The evaporated blood rose into the air to form red clouds in the sky. It was quite the sight.

    ¡°I raised 5 levels in one night..... Hoo. My sinews and joints hurt.¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s no more monsters here, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll respawn in no time. Actually, they would if Roa wasn¡¯t here.¡±

    The corpses of monsters were returned to nature, and nature supplemented their Records. From these Records, new monsters would be born once again. If one wanted to slow down that process, one had to do what Roa was doing right now. One had topletely consume all the Demonic energy within the corpses.

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa, nyaa nyaa-ah nyaa-ah-ah.]

    Roa¡¯s two tails were swaying from happiness as she sucked out all the Demonic energy. Artpe was watching Roa eat without thinking too deeply about it. However, his eyes widened soon.

    ¡°Hey, where in the hell did you get an extra tail?¡±

    [Nyaa-ah nyaa.]

    It seemed she had been sessful in digesting the Evil Heart through her normal process, and she had grown another tail as a result. From what he could see through his Read All Creation ability, she looked fine, but....

    ¡°The battle is done! Everyone rest!¡±

    ¡°Please make us stew again!¡±

    ¡°Holy priestess, stew!¡±

    ¡°Ah. The stew is supposed to be for Artpe-nim.... It can¡¯t be helped. Please wash your hands and help me.¡±

    At some point, Vad had be captive to her stew. The merfolk kept begging Vad for more stew. She reimed the pots that been eaten clean yesterday night. She started to make a new batch of stew. She was used to being in the hero¡¯s party now. Cooking right after battle didn¡¯t bother her at all!

    ¡°Artpe-nim, you worked through the night. You must be hungry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please make some too.¡±

    After the battle ended, the merfolk camped in a simr fashion asst night. After he looked over them, he turned away.

    Did those inside give up on using the temple¡¯s stealth magic?

    The temple remained boldly in sight under the sun of the Demon realm.

    ¡°Ah. You should make some stew for those inside too.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood. Please go finish your business with them. I¡¯ll have your food ready when you get back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vad.¡±

    The only thing that was different from before was the fact that three humans were standing in front of the temple. One of them was Maetel¡¯s father, Promes.

    ¡°As expected, the heroes are reliable. I was worried, because I thought the heroes had overestimated their abilities¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I still think it was unreasonable for them to strip the temple¡¯s stealth magic. If anything went wrong, a cmity that couldn¡¯t bepared to the Demon King would have descended on thisnd!¡±

    There was a man that was of simr age as Promes. The other was a very olddy. He was sure that the granny had sent the telepathic message from within the temple.

    Both of them possessed simr level as Promes. It was also apparent that all of them had stepped onto the path of magic.

    ¡°If you want to insult me, you should do it to my face, you old hag.¡±

    ¡°H...hag!?¡±

    ¡°The monsters won¡¯t bother you for the near future. That is why I would like an exnation.¡±

    Artpe spread his Mana Strings in all direction, and he put them on alert. Then he walked towards the three figures. Roa had absorbed all the Demonic energy from the corpses of monsters stacked nearby. She quickly climbed atop Artpe¡¯s shoulder. It seemed she really wanted to eat the item within the temple.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Did you perhaps predict that Maetel and I would be heroes?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Promes let out a bitterughter as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°Anyways, this won¡¯t be a short story. Please enter. Just you and Maetel.... No, you cane in with therades you trust.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Vad was too busy making stew for everyone. He took everyone except Vad into the temple. When they entered the temple, the inside looked surprisingly simr to the architecture of the great temple of Pdia.

    ¡°You noticed it. When you guys came with the holy priestess, I knew it to be true. You guys visited Pdia?¡±

    ¡°Pdia¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It must mean.....¡±

    He had already been pretty sure of it, but it was a certainty now. Artpe mumbled to himself in a low voice. They arrived at a room that was hidden behind severalyers of barrier. Artpe let out a sigh when he saw it.

    ¡°You can open it. There are no monsters left in Nirotacid. No one willl seek out the contents of this room.¡±

    ¡°Still, your actions were too reckless!¡±

    As if to prove that she was an old hag, the olddy spoke up once again to nag. Artpe ignored her as he opened the door to the room. It was a very small space where only couple people could fit inside. There was a small altar there.

    ¡°Oppa, look at that!¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤shit.¡±

    It was a very familiar looking altar.

    ¡°As expected, it is the work of sunbae-nim!¡±

    ¡°Mmmm? You know about our family¡¯s ancestor?¡±

    Promes continued to speak.

    Artpe should have known. He let out a sigh as he nodded his head.

    ¡°If you are talking about the hero of the previous generation, we came across a lot of his work on our way here.¡±

    ¡°Oh oh. As expected of the exalted one, he made preparations for his juniors....¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you old hag.¡±

    ¡°Y...you called me a hag again!¡±

    They had suffered a lot thanks to that damned sunbae. He couldn¡¯t let go of his anger.

    As soon as Roa saw the item atop the altar, she tried to jump towards it. Artpe grabbed her. He slowly walked towards the altar.

    The three people, who had resided in the temple, flinched for a brief moment. However, they didn¡¯t stop him. They remembered the power he had disyed. They weren¡¯t capable of stopping him.

    ¡°We were right¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is another Evil Heart.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Our ancestor called it the Evil Heart. When both of you reached this ce, I was going to tell you all about it. It seems you have learned much already.¡±

    ¡°You can still tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°Huht! Don¡¯t be so rash in touching that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    Artpe spoke in a resolute manner as he picked up the Evil Heart. The Demonic energy tried to invade his body, but the magic tome hanging off his belt let out a faint light. The Demonic energy was purified, and it turned into pure magical energy.

    ¡°How can this be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Nyaa nyaa-ah. Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaaa!]

    ¡°Wait a little bit, you dork.¡±

    As Artpe increased in level, the magic tome had also gotten stronger. It was a Demonic energy antagonist. The magic tome¡¯s ability had changed from the time when he found the Evil Heart in the underground world.

    When the three spectators saw Artpe neutralize the Demonic energy, they became dumbstruck. Fortunately, Promes quickly broke out of his stupor.

    ¡°You have a reason for being so confident.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk now.¡±

    Artpe kept moving the Evil Heart in front of Roa. He yed with Roa, who was in Maetel¡¯s arms. As he did so, he opened his mouth to ask a question.

    ¡°Are you guys protecting this ce, because your ancestor tasked his descendants with that job?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. When members of our family reaches adulthood, they have toe to the Demon realm. We have to go through with our duty of protecting the temple and the Evil Heart. This man is my cousin, and she is my aunt.¡±

    It was a family upation that had been passed down for several hundred years. Who would have thought that the descendants of the hero were living within the forbidden zone of the Demon realm?! Artpe was baffled by it, so he became argumentative.

    ¡°If you nned on doing that, you should have just lived inside here! You should have had your offsprings here!¡±

    ¡°It is part of our family¡¯s custom. Our ancestor decreed that his descendants should experience both the human realm and the Demon realm. That is why we reside in our ancestor¡¯s hometown during our childhood. Around our adulthood, we leave behind a progeny, then we wander around the human realm to train. After acquiring enough power needed to protect the temple, we enter into the Demon realm.¡±

    It seemed such a way of life was a good way to mess up the personality of one¡¯s descendants.

    ¡°If Maetel didn¡¯t be a hero, she would have been next in line to take over this task.¡±

    ¡°Our mission is to make sure that the Demon King and other beings don¡¯t acquire the Evil Heart. It especially cannot fall into the hands of the Demon King. You probably witnessed it, Artpe. This item is extremely dangerous. Even if you have the ability to purify the Demonic energy, you shouldn¡¯t stay near it for an extended amount of time.¡±

    At Promes¡¯ words, Artpe readily nodded his head. They hadn¡¯t met each other in a long time. Promes didn¡¯t exist in Artpe¡¯s memories, but it seemed Promes was genuinely worried for Artpe. He wasn¡¯t faking it.

    ¡°Simr words are written here.¡±

    On all the altars found by Artpe and Maetel, the previous generation¡¯s hero boasted about himself to his juniors. He wrote down what he had prepared for his juniors, then he made a big show of himself. He asked for their gratitude.

    Of course, this altar was also full of boastings. Aside from that, the previous hero had written down words for his descendants. It didn¡¯t deviate too much from what Promes had told them. Artpe didn¡¯t really need to read the content of those words.

    The only knowledge that was missing from Promes¡¯ party was the fact that the Evil Heart wasn¡¯t whole. The Evil Heart had been made into a pair. The Evil Heart from the underground world had to bebined with this Evil Heart to make it whole.

    Since sunbae had been wary of the power within the Evil Heart, he had split it into two. He had sealed it in two locations that was considered to be the end of the world!

    ¡°While we were carrying out the task of protecting this temple, we felt the unrest in the Demon realm. We realized the Demon King of this generation was about to move in earnest. That is why I exited the Demon realm through a secret path to reach the human realm. By that time, the news about Maetel and Artpe being heroes had been spread across the continent.¡±

    ¡°And when we came home, we read the letter left behind by you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I knew you would return to your birthce someday, so I put the message in a form that could only be read by heroes. Since we are the hero¡¯s family, we are able to learn this special skill. Aside from that message, I put in ce couple other contingency ns. However, it seems you guys searched me out after seeing that message.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s father had used a skill that can be used by the kin of a hero. Artpe had already guessed all of this after he saw the message within his hut. That was why he had been a bit keyed up. However, when he arrived here, he realized that these people only had the ability to act as messengers for the hero. Their abilities were very limited.

    In truth, it was a bit of a letdown.

    ¡®I thought something had changed from my past life, but it remains the same. Maetel¡¯s father had faked his death to enter into the Demon realm. He had been protecting the temple. Since no one entered into Nirotacid, even the Demon King didn¡¯t know that the Evil Heart was here. Even after my death in my previous life, the Demon King wasn¡¯t able to use the Evil Heart....¡¯

    He didn¡¯t care what happened after his death in his previous life. In his current life, everything had converged. In an extremely rare event, everything had resolved without loose ends. This wasn¡¯t a new variable that had existed in his past life. Artpe just learned a truth that he hadn¡¯t known about in his past life.

    ¡°Do you still n on protecting the Evil Heart here?¡±

    ¡°I do. Ah, that¡¯s right. I asked you guys toe here, because.... I wanted you guys to have a small break here.¡±

    ¡°You wanted us to take a break in this hellish environment?¡±

    ¡°You guys have been busy carrying out the duties of a hero, but in the process, you guys forgot something very important. It is more important than the tasks you have been carrying out. I just wanted to make sure to remind you of that task.¡±

    For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill. He had no reason to be worried, yet he felt worried. Artpe instinctively gripped the Evil Heart harder, and he took a step backwards.

    Maetel calmly approached Artpe, and she caught him.

    ¡°What is it, dad? Why did you call us here? What do you need us to do?¡±

    ¡°There is only one thing.¡±

    Promesughed. Artpe was ready to run. He had made up his mind, but it seemed Maetel caught wind of his intention. She firmly gripped his shoulder. As expected, she knew what was going on! There were stars in her eyes!

    ¡°Since we have no idea what will happen in the battle against the Demon King, I want you guys to have a kid before you leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t agree to it!¡±

    At an unlikely location, the deed that he didn¡¯t believe would happen was about to ur here !

 Chapter 160 - Heros Descendant (3)

    Chapter 160 - Hero¡¯s Descendant (3)

    ¡°Currently, the human realm isn¡¯t in a good situation. I know that. However, nothing good wille from rushing forward. I¡¯m not simply saying this to ensure the continuation of your line. I think both of you need to leave behind a ce where you can return to.¡±

    ¡°A ce where we can return to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes were still twinkling with stars. However, it was wrong to think that she was earnestly listening to Promes¡¯ words. She was merely fixated on one thought.

    It was the thought of making a baby with Artpe!

    ¡°Yes. I also think that is a must!¡±

    ¡°As your father, it does make me feel a bit ufortable when you are jumping in with open arms.....¡±

    ¡°Right? As expected, isn¡¯t it too early?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not saying that.¡±

    Shit! This ahjussi can¡¯t make up his mind!

    Anyways, Artpe had to get out of this mad house!

    ¡°Wait a moment! I have a suggestion! It is very important for the hero to continue his line. However, wouldn¡¯t it be more important to make a progeny between a hero and a holy priestess!¡±

    ¡°Mmm!?¡±

    ¡°When the heck did youe in here, Vad!¡±

    Her timing couldn¡¯t be any worse! The person that could make this situation moreplicated had appeared!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a hero on hero pairing is the right way to go. From what I¡¯ve read from old stories, I believe there is a better case to be made for a hero and holy priestess pairing!¡±

    ¡°Stop pairing me off with everyone!¡±

    ¡°Holy Priestess-nim, please give us some more stew!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and take her!¡±

    ¡°The stew isn¡¯t important right now!¡±

    Vad refused to retreat. She was rooted in ce like a steel beam. Artpe was surrounded by Maetel, Vad and Promes. He wondered how he could get out of this situation. He didn¡¯t think he could solve this problem by dodging them.

    That meant.....

    ¡°Roa!¡±

    [Nyaa!]

    ¡°Oooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you do¡±

    The answer was to create a mess in an entirely different direction! Artpe threw the Evil Heart towards Roa. While Maetel was marking Artpe, her grip on Roa had loosened. She immediately jumped out of Maetel¡¯s grasp, and she chomped down on the Evil Heart!

    [Nyaa? Nyaa nyaa? Nyaa nyaa nyaa?]

    ¡®Eat? I¡¯m really going to eat it. I can eat it?¡¯

    Herrge eyes were sparkling. Artpe looked like an archmage about to drop a Meteor spell on an enemy nation. His face hardened. He nodded his head as he yelled out his words.

    ¡°Finish it!¡±

    [Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    She swallowed the Evil Heart!

    ¡°Oooooo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°We are ruined! You crazy bastard! Our efforts for the past couple hundred years went down the drain!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to go into the metaphorical grave of life, so you n on putting all of us in a real grave, you bastard!¡±

    Everyone was flustered, and they distanced themselves from Roa. While they were doing so, Artpe took out his magic tome, and he let his staff float into the air.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to be so worried.¡±

    ¡°How can we not worry!¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t mindlessly fed the Evil Heart to Roa. Roa had already eaten an Evil Heart before. It was an item akin to the source of Demonic energy, yet Roa was able to make it her own. When Artpe acquired the second Evil Heart, he hadn¡¯t given it to Roa, because he wanted to see if the second Evil Heart differed from the first one.

    It didn¡¯t take him too long to make the assessment. When his assessment was about to end, his solo life had been about toe to an end! It was an extremely unfortunate situation!

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa-ooh nyaa, nyaa-ee-ooh nyaa nyaa.]

    ¡°I killed all the nearby monsters first, because I wanted to prevent the Evil Heart from bing unmanageable. I even prepared the magic tome, so the probability of failure is zero! Basically, I made all my moves for this very moment.¡±

    ¡°You just wanted to get out of the current situation! You are reverse-engineering your exnation after you made the mess!?¡±

    This was why he hated adults that were quick on the uptake!

    This was why he ignored the old hag¡¯s words. He acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard her words.

    On the other hand, it was true that Artpe had been preparing for this moment. He had made preparations since Roa had eaten the first Evil Heart. However, he never expected to be put in a situation where he would have to voluntarily feed the other Evil Heart to Roa!

    [Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!]

    The Demonic energy, which hadpletely melted into Roa¡¯s body, activated when it met its other half. Roa¡¯s eyes widened as she activated her own Mana. She desperately tried to digest the Demonic energy.

    Artpe monitored her progress as he activated his magic tome. Vad gave up on stamping her mark on Artpe for now. She also prepared her skill.

    Maetel pouted.

    ¡°So you really hate the idea of it, Artpe. I¡¯m hurt.¡±

    ¡°I just think it is too early!¡±

    [Nyaa! Nyaa-ah! Nyaa-ahhhhhhh-oooooooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    It was hard to tell if Roa was screaming or roaring. Her pitch kept getting higher. No one inside the temple was thinking about marriage or progenies. Everyone was nervous as they prepared for battle.

    In the end, luminescent purple Mana was emitted from Roa¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Artpe was monitoring Roa¡¯s change in real time using his Read All Creation ability. There was a subtle change to his expression. He looked as if he was having trouble expressing his emotions. In the end, he closed his magic tome.

    ¡°This is the second time this has happened.¡±

    ¡°Second time?¡±

    Maetel tilted her head in a cute manner as she asked him a question. He put on kind smile as he pointed towards Roa, who was surrounded by purple colored Mana. It was quite strange. The light was expanding. To be precise, Roa was surrounded by light, and her form was expanding.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about this being the second time when someone connected to me acquired an Innate ability.¡±

    ¡°I thought Roa already had an Innate ability! Isn¡¯t that why she¡¯s able to eat Demonic energy!?¡±

    ¡°That is a Race Characteristic.¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Isn¡¯t that a cheat!?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t focus his eyes on Roa, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult to read her information.

    [Roa]

    [Greed Beast]

    [Level : 385]

    He was familiar with her race called Greed Beast. Since Roa had absorbed an excessive amount of Demonic energy, he wasn¡¯t surprised to see that Roa had passed Maetel and Artpe in terms of level. The most important information was disyed at the bottom in a grand fashion.

    [Innate Ability : Polymorph]

    He had seen this Innate Ability before in the Abyss. It had been arge Dungeon where the first Evil Heart had been put to sleep. Roa had eaten all the Shadows of Sinners within the Dungeon, and Roa had increased her size to fight against the boss.

    Artpe had thought she had been using an application of the Demonic energy, but he was wrong. There was a limit to how much Demonic energy she could eat with her small body, so Roa had awakened an Innate ability that allowed her to change her form. She had done it, so she could eat more.

    ¡°Amazing. This really is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah.¡±

    From within the pir of light made out of purple Mana, he could hear Roa¡¯s voice. For some reason, her voice seemed different than before. In the past, she had used her cat¡¯s vocal cords to put Mana into her meows. It allowed her to transmit her voice like telepathy. However, this sounded like.... She sounded like a human trying to meow like a cat.

    ¡°Nyaa nyaa-ah.¡±

    The fog of Mana started to dissipate. Each human held their weapons up, and they readied their skills. It further enhanced the tension in the temple. Vad also started to chant a prayer.

    Maetel was the exception. She was firmly gripping the cloth that had been ced on top of the altar. Maetel¡¯s insight was second only to Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability. Her intuition allowed her to have a rough idea as to what was about to ur.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah?¡±

    When the fog waspletely gone, Maetel used eleration to jump on Roa. She removed Roa from everyone¡¯s sight. Everyone had their eyes wide open, but everything had urred so fast! They hadn¡¯t seen anything!

    ¡°W...what the hell? What¡¯s going on? Maetel, are you ok!?¡±

    ¡°Where did Maetel go?! Did she perhap use a teleportation spell?!¡±

    Each human spat out one or two phrases. They all expressed their dismay. Artpe calmly waited for Maetel and Roa to show up once again. He didn¡¯t have to wait long.

    Soon, Maetel appeared from behind the temple¡¯s pir with Roa. Roa ¡®walked¡¯ out with Maetel.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Why is a demihuman... Wait a moment. Can it be?¡±

    Maetel looked the same as before. However, that wasn¡¯t true for Roa.

    She had be a humanoid. She was a humanoid possessing ck cat ears and three cat tails.

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    She was standing on her own to feet as she tilted her head. She clearly possessed the body of a grown woman, and a ck cloth was wrapped around her body. It was hard to see the outline of her body.

    This exined why Maetel had taken the cloth ced atop the altar.

    Maetel had no problem exposing her nude body in front of Artpe, but she couldn¡¯t stand another woman doing the same thing. This was true even for a Demonic Beast, who had lived her whole life as a cat!

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤actually, Maetel had always been guarded towards Roa even though she was a cat. This was why her behavior wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary.

    ¡°That woman really is that cat from before!?¡±

    ¡°Beautiful..... Ah. That¡¯s not it. Was she reborn as an evil being like the Demon King or beings of simr ilk!?¡±

    ¡°No. Her energy is simr to Demonic energy, but it is distinctly different. How can this be? She swallowed the entire Evil Heart, so how?!¡±

    They had guarded the Evil Heart for several hundred years, yet it had been consumed in an instant. The three humans couldn¡¯t think straight from the enormous shock they had suffered. Artpe let them be as he spoke to Roa.

    ¡°Hey, you dork. You grew your body, because your body was too small to eat all the Demonic energy?¡±

    ¡°Nyaa! Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ah? Ho-ahhhh?¡±

    She was about to let out her familiar meows when she realized her vocal cords allowed her to speak a variety of words.

    The temple was filled with humans, and they still had a dumbstruck expressions on their faces. Roa was barely able to vocalize her words, but she was able to express what she wanted to say.

    ¡°I used master¡¯s body as reference! Nyaa!¡±

    She had made an appropriate decision. Artpe was part of the human race. However, his body wasn¡¯t that of a normal human, but he wasn¡¯t part of the Demon race either. His body had characteristics that were truly unique.

    He could amplify his Mana past normal limits, and his body could amodate enormous amounts of Mana. His body was also optimized to use many types of Mana all at once. He had a truly miraculous body.

    If Roa wanted to fit enormous amount of Mana in a small body, she decided the right move was to mimic Artpe¡¯s body. She had arrived at the optimal solution.

    ¡°If you were going to do that, why didn¡¯t you copy my sex?¡±

    ¡°Sex has nothing to do with body type? Nope! I can¡¯t do it! Nyaa-ah!¡±

    Roa couldn¡¯t see her own face, but she let out a bright smile when she checked out her body. She gave a definite answer. She had learned Polymorph. She was able to change her body with her Record as a foundation. This was why she wasn¡¯t able to change her sex.

    Of course, Arpte already knew this.

    ¡°Nyaa, nyaa-ah, nyaa-ahhhh. Nyaa nyaa.¡±

    ¡°Ughh.¡±

    Since she looked simr to Artpe, Roa was extremely beautiful. Even the color of her eyes and hair was the same as him. It was as if Artpe had been turned into a female. Maetel looked very displeased, and it was the same for the others.

    ¡°I wanted to avoid the immediate danger, but it feels as if I created moreplications for the future? I must be mistaken, right?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t mistaken, Artpe-nim! The number of women in your party grew again!¡±

    ¡°No. She¡¯s a magical beast, so she¡¯s safe! Safe!¡±

    ¡°That is the reason why she is the most dangerous one!¡±

    It seemed Maetel had been stern in her warning. Roa didn¡¯t even think about taking off the cloth wrapped around her body. She looked like someone from the middle ages. She took short and quick steps towards Artpe. She tried to go back into his pocket. When she couldn¡¯t, she was flustered. Maetel¡¯s eyes were burning with fire when Roa kept sticking to Artpe.

    ¡°What do I do? Nyaa?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me about it, you dork¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Anyways, there was one clear benefit he had gained from all of this.

    No one talked about Artpe¡¯s future progeny any more.

 Chapter 161 - Heros Descendant (4)

    Chapter 161 - Hero¡¯s Descendant (4)

    ¡°Nyaa, nyaa nyaa, nyaa-ah.¡±

    In the end, Roa had eaten two Evil Hearts, so she felt as if she was on top of the world. Her three tails continued to sway as she continued to hang around Artpe. She was studying Artpe¡¯s body. She was trying to determine where she could perch on top of Artpe¡¯s body. She was trying to find a spot that was pleasing to her.

    She could circle him for the rest of her life! She wouldn¡¯t be able to find a ce where she could sit.

    ¡°What is this magical beast supposed to be?¡±

    Promes sounded as if he had aged 30 years. He asked Artpe a question. Artpe smirked as he answered Promes¡¯ question.

    ¡°She has the ability to eat and convert Demonic energy into her own internal energy. She is a Greed Beast, and she is contracted to me as a familiar. That is why you don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±

    ¡°The Evil Heart has tormented our family for couple hundred years, yet you simply.....¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been simple. Roa had eaten Demonic energy in a progressive manner to grow this much. She also had the holy priestess and Artpe by her side. Both of them had the ability to suppress Demonic energy. If they hadn¡¯t been there, it was up in the air as to whether Roa would have been able to sessfully absorb the Evil Heart.

    Still, it was also true that his method had been much simplerpared to guarding the Evil Heart for several hundred years. Artpe shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Anyways, I want to congratte you all for being freed from this ce. You guys did a great job.¡±

    ¡°It makes no sense!¡±

    ¡°Anyone that bes involved with Artpe has that exact thought!¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t apliment, so don¡¯t say those words with a smile on your face.¡±

    Everyone was in a state of panic. The only easygoing ones were Artpe and Roa.

    ¡°Anyways, our business with the temple is done now. Vad, how did the stew turn out?¡±

    ¡°It is boiling right now. Everyone can go out and enjoy it. ......also Roa, you need to wear a more respectable clothing. Please follow after me. Quickly.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa!? I want to eat the stew too! Nyaa-ah-ah!¡±

    How respectable of a clothing was she going to give Roa? Artpe was a bit curious, but he decided not to interfere. He was already too busy worrying about the remaining people.

    ¡°My god. The task assigned to our family¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Everything was solved so suddenly. Ooh-mmm. Didn¡¯t I want this to happen.... Ooooh-mmm, oooooooh-mmm!¡±

    ¡°Some problem will arise! Something dangerous will ur!¡±

    The two men hadpletely epted the current situation, but the olddy was too shocked. She was starting to deny reality. Of course, Artpe understood why she was acting that way.

    ¡°Did she finally go senile? I guess it is possible.¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhk!¡±

    Artpe made fun of the olddy as he eyed the two men.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so absent minded right now. You have to think about what you¡¯ll have to do from now on. You no longer have to reside in this temple. Come out, and let¡¯s go enjoy the stew.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, you.... It is as if you¡¯ve be another person.¡±

    Promes had spoken those words.

    A guilty conscience needs no user. Artpe felt guilty, but he schooled his expression. Promes continued to speak as Artpe moved in front of him.

    ¡°In the past, you couldn¡¯t be bothered to do anything. Now you are actively leading from the front. Moreover, you are using unconventional methods that can¡¯t be imagined up by anyone else... Did you change, because you became a hero?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    Even now he didn¡¯t want to be bothered. He waszy. However, he had to go through all these troublesome tasks right now, so he could enjoy azy life as a dairy farmer in the future. He was acutely aware of this fact. He just had to take care of the Demon King and the Demon realm. He won¡¯t have to lead any more after that. He¡¯ll live a simple life with the simpehearted cows!

    ¡°Hoo. Anyways.... Let¡¯s head out. Artpe is right. The temple no longer has the Evil Heart. The heroes have arrived, and they solved the problem like heroes. It isn¡¯t as if this is the only task we can do.¡±

    ¡°A problem will ur! There is no way the Evil Heart can be disposed so easily! It is an evil item that hadn¡¯t weakened after several hundred years! It¡¯ll continue to exist for couple hundred years! That girl messed it all up! I¡¯m sure she messed it all up with the hero!¡±

    ¡°Fred, please knock out this ajumma.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    The two middle aged men carried the olddy as they left the temple. Artpe smirked as he led the rest of his party out of the temple. Maetel still looked miffed, but she linked arms with him. She followed after him.

    Vad had stepped away in the middle of cooking the stew, yet the stew turned out to be more delicious than the stew from yesterday night. For the past dozens of years, those that resided within the temple had to eat dry food and ingredients from the Demonic beasts of the desert. The stew was sweet as heaven to the guardians of the temple.

    ¡°In truth, we moved the temple, because we smelled this food.¡±

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    ¡°Dad, are you able to move the temple to anywhere you want?¡±

    ¡°No, the temple is an item that uses the Demonic energy of the Evil Heart as a power source. Since there is no Evil Heart, the temple is useless. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, we¡¯ll have to destroy it when we leave.¡±

    As if he hade to his senses after eating the warm stew, Promes finally acknowledged the reality of his current situation. Fred was by his side. He let out a bitterughter as he agreed with Promes¡¯ words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s destroy it. Then we can leave this infernal Demon realm. Ah, my bad. You guys are going to stay behind in the Demon realm, so I shouldn¡¯t be saying such words.¡±

    ¡°No. Each person has to go where we are suited for.¡±

    ¡°Even if we leave the Demon realm, we won¡¯t forget our duty. Did you say that a continental alliance had formed? I¡¯ll add my power to that cause.¡±

    ¡°It has been a while since we¡¯ve fought.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true... On that note, please give me another bowl of stew.¡±

    ¡°On that note? What do you mean by that? I want one more bowl too.¡±

    While the two ahjussi devoured their stew, Vad brought back Roa. Roa looked extremely unsatisfied. She had been forced to wear clothes, and she was pulling at it.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I never expected you to put the cloth of a priestess on her.¡±

    The attire of a priestess was known to be the most conservative and virtuous clothing one could wear. Roa had appeared wearing it. However, there was a problem. Maybe, it was because she had eaten too well during her development. Even the baggy clothes of the priestess couldn¡¯t hide Roa¡¯s morous figure.

    ¡°This is restricting, nyaa-ah.¡±

    ¡°If you n on staying in your humanoid form, you have to get familiar with the customs and etiquettes of humans. A woman should not show that much skin to a man that isn¡¯t one¡¯s intended husband.¡±

    It was very surprising! Her words were very old-fashioned! Vad had been so open in front of Artpe, because she considered him to be her intended husband!

    ¡°Master is my master, nyaa?¡±

    ¡°In this world, there are many men aside from Artpe-nim. Also! You have to be way more careful when dealing with someone that is your master!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Roa looked as if she hadn¡¯t understood what had been said. However, Vadient didn¡¯t allow for any objections. Roa¡¯s eyes narrowed as she replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    ¡°Aht. Where are you going?¡±

    Roa¡¯s two cheeks were puffed out as she escaped from the grasp of Vad. She curled up on top of Artpe¡¯s knees. The eyes of Vad and Maetel shed, but Artpe found it to be ridiculous! Those two did the same thing with impunity!

    ¡°I want to go back to my original form, nyaa. They are so annoying. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    ¡°However, your aren¡¯t confident that you¡¯ll be able to control your Mana in your original form. Right?¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I just need a little bit more time, and I think it¡¯ll be fine. Not yet. Nyaa-ah.¡±

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he stroked Roa¡¯s head.

    Nyaa~

    She let out a pleased meow as she leaned in against him. In the end, she was a cat. He preferred Roa to Maetel and Vad. They stuck to him with impious hearts unlike Roa.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    At that moment, Sherryl had approached him from the back, and she had spoken to him. Did she want him to pet her too? He became nervous, but unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°It looks as if the storm around the desert is receding.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    When he turned around to look, Artpe¡¯s vision expanded in an instant. He activated his Read All Creation to its highest setting, and he stretched out several dozen strands of Mana Strings. He was able to use this method to extend his sight, and he was able to see the barrier that was separating Nirotacid from the normal Demon realm.

    ¡°It really is dissipating¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Why did such bizarre events ur whenever they started eating the stew?! At this point, he wondered if the stew had some magical power!

    ¡°The barrier between Nirotacid and the Demon realm is dissipating. Does this mean...¡±

    ¡°There is no ifs, ands, or buts. The Evil Heart was tied to the magic formation!¡±

    Artpe pushed Roa off of him, then he looked towards the ground. No, he was looking deeper under ground. As expected, there was a magic circle ced underneath this region. The magic circle had a very close rtionship with the temple, which the guardians had been riding around in this desert!

    Of course, Artpe had known what type of spell had been ced over the temple. However, he hadn¡¯t known that the temple had a connection to the underground magic circle. He wouldn¡¯t have known it unless he was looking deep underground with his Read All Creation ability.

    There was one obvious fact that was revealed to him. The Evil Heart had acted as a power source for the temple, and at the same time, it had been a power source for the magic circle that had created a barrier around Nirotacid. Basically, the enormous ¡®barrier magic¡¯ surrounding the entirety of Nirotacid had lost its power source. The barrier was slowly degrading!

    ¡°Roa, you ate an item of this caliber! Are you sure you are ok?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ok, nyaa! I was so bloated that I changed to this form, nyaa!¡±

    ¡°You could have melted it in your mouth.....¡±

    Roa had decided to swallow it instead of melting it in her mouth. At this point, the loss of the magic circle was inevitable. Why was Artpe able to leisurely eat stew with arge army like this? It was all thanks to the storms surrounding Nirotacid!

    ¡°Hurry up everyone. Let¡¯s move before the magicpletely loses its effectiveness!¡±

    ¡°But the temple¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°If we destroy the temple, the spell will immediately dispel. At that moment, those within the Demon realm will sense our presence. That will be disastrous.¡±

    Moreover¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The guardians of the temple didn¡¯t know about this, but the temple held words that implied that there was another Evil Heart out there.

    Artpe was adept at the Ancientnguage, so he was the only one that had recognized it. It probably was talking about the underground world of the Dwarves, which was located under Diaz. The previous hero probably wanted his descendants to know about it too.

    ¡®Basically, if we abandon the temple, those that will find this temple in the future will find out about the underground world.¡¯

    They¡¯ll probably search out the location mentioned in the temple. It sounded preposterous, but Artpe wanted that to happen.

    He had left behind a present in the underground world for such a scenario.

    ¡°Hurry up and move! Don¡¯t even think about taking the stew pots. Just poison the stew!¡±

    ¡°Get in line! We¡¯ll immediately head towards the ocean!¡±

    ¡°Ahjussi, what are you going to do? You have to make your choice before the barrier falls.¡±

    ¡°Ssssp. We have to move so suddenly..... I wanted to spend couple more days cementing our family ties. However, events are moving too fast thanks to you, Artpe. It is as if we are being cooked by a lightning spell.¡±

    Promes put the olddy on his back, and he firmly gripped Fred¡¯s hand. Then he took out a pair of earrings from his pocket. It was a teleportation artifact. It was to be expected. If the descendants of the hero didn¡¯t possess such artifacts, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to travel between the Demon realm and Diaz.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sit well with me that I have to leave you all behind, but I have no choice. We¡¯ll go back to Diaz. We¡¯ll fight the Demon race from there.¡±

    ¡°All right. The Demons will probably try to infiltrate into Diaz, so I¡¯ll leave it to you when that happens.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Artpe, I still have a lot I want to say to you. Pleasee back safe.¡±

    After he gave a firm nod towards Artpe, he looked towards Maetel.

    ¡°My daughter, thank you for growing into a fine woman. You also chose an excellent son inw. You just have to make a baby now. If your task in the Demon realm doesn¡¯t easily resolve itself, you cane back and take a 1 year break.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll make one soon!¡±

    ¡°You took the time to bring up that topic again! What the hell! If we take an one year break, the human realm would be razed to the ground!¡±

    ¡°I really am going now!¡±

    The earring in his hand broke. The three humans melted away.

    At least, Promes didn¡¯t educate Maetel on how to make a baby. Should he consider himself fortunate in that aspect? Artpe let out a sigh as he gave orders to his party.

    ¡°We¡¯ll exit this ce at full speed!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    Their first priority was to exit this desert. Then they had to sessfully re-enter the ocean. That was their goal. Artpe hoped the barrier wouldst that long. He started running with his party.

    After four days, the party was sessful in entering into the ocean of the Demon realm. They were able to do it before the barrier went down. It was around time when couple Demonic beasts started to enter into Nirotacid. They were wandering in from the outside regions through sheer ignorance.

 Chapter 162 - Heros Descendant (5)

    Chapter 162 - Hero¡¯s Descendant (5)

    The Demon realm wasn¡¯t smallpared to the human realm. The Demon realm was mainlyposed of vast desert terrains and high ins. On the other hand, there were also richnds where crops could be grown. There were plenty cattle too. The cattle started out from level 100, but they were rich in fat. Their meat was tender.

    At times, a heat wave swept over the Demon realm, so it was a hot ce to live. Despite the temperature, everyone adapted and they got used to the heat. They lived pretty well. Moreover, there were regions that were colder than the northernmost continent of human realm. The Demon realm was bnced.

    If one assessed the situation in a logical manner, the Demon realm didn¡¯t need to invade the human realm. A war was usually started when one side wascking in something. One took away what one needed from others through war. However, the Demon realm had everything, so why did they need to go and quarrel with the human realm? What did they want?

    ¡°So why does the Demon King want to invade the human realm?¡±

    ¡°That is where the fight is.¡±

    To be precise, the human realm held those that hadn¡¯t been conquered yet.

    Many strong beings were born amongst the Demon race. Moreover, these strong beings wanted to prove their strength. The way they proved their power was to subjugate others by force. It had always been like that. This principle held same for the human world.

    ¡®Of course, the current Demon King is the type of person that won¡¯t be satisfied until he has everything. That is why he is trying to conquer the human realm.¡¯

    If the heroes hadn¡¯t been born, the Demon King might not have gone out of his way to attack the human realm. Of course, this was merely spection. It wasn¡¯t something he could prove.

    ¡°That is why they continue toe at the human realm like idiots.¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°Kee-hahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The ocean of the Demon realm was being dominated by the Genesis Mermaids. If the Demons wanted to cross the ocean into the human realm, it was inevitable that a sh would ur between arge number of Demons and merfolk.

    Of course, the merfolk were strong at a fundamental level now. They were all over level 200. Moreover, the merfolk had traveled to Nirotacid with Artpe¡¯s party for the past week. The average level of the merfolk exceeded 250 now! Artpe¡¯s party didn¡¯t¡¯ need to support the merfolk any more. They would be able to face the Demons without much difficulty.

    ¡°Master, we¡¯ve sessfully concluded the cleanup. I would like to deploy around 100 thousand troops here.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. I think 100 thousand will do a credible job in stopping them.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t drag around 200 thousand merfolk indefinitely. After exiting Nirotacid, Sherryl followed Artpe¡¯s order. She dispatched Genesis Mermaids to important locations within the ocean.

    While she was alive, distance didn¡¯t matter. She was able to circumvent distance tomunicate with her subjects. In a case of emergency, all the Genesis Mermaids would pull together to create an encircling. It would be a blockade to stop the Demons.

    ¡°However, if your people are faced with a great number of Demons that they can¡¯t handle, I want you to order a retreat. The human realm has forces too. I don¡¯t want your people to weaken in the process of stopping the Demons. It is unnecessary and idiotic to do so.¡±

    ¡°I will bear that in mind.¡±

    This was how the 200 thousand merfolk decreased to 100 thousand then 50 thousand. In the end, he decreased the number of merfolk apanying his party to 10 thousand.

    It was around one month since they had exited Nirotacid.

    The party was getting closer to the heart of the Demon realm, so their expression was filled with anxiety. They had been fighting amongst each other like idiots over who should have an offspring with Artpe not too long ago. It was hard to believe that they had reached this point.

    ¡°This is the end of the line for you guys.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    The merfolk had apanied Artpe¡¯s party, and it was assumed that they would stay together for the duration. However, it all came to an end when Artpe spoke those words. It was inevitable. The merfolk couldn¡¯t apany them unless the path from the ocean to the Demon King¡¯s castle was a straight line. It wasn¡¯t. Therefore, the separation was inevitable.

    ¡°After this point, the probability of those within the Demon King¡¯s castle noticing us is high. We need freedom of movement to be able to keep the Demons in check. This is the best method for us.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤understood. If that is what you want, please allow me to apany master.¡±

    Sherryl was currently around level 260. The party¡¯s level was approaching 380. Sherryl was a bit behindpared to Artpe¡¯s party. However, Artpe seemed to have a n. He didn¡¯t hesitate as he nodded his head.

    ¡°All right. Please help me, Sherryl.¡±

    At this point, this was how the party¡¯s level broke down. Maetel and Artpe had the same level. They had reached level 383. The next highest was Sienna at level 381. Regina was level 390 and Vad was level 377. Elrick brought up the rear at level 375.

    On top of that, Roa was level 382. She was merely a pet, yet she was closing in on Artpe and Maetel. There was only 1 level difference. She was monstrous.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be exiting the waters now, so we¡¯ll be able to see the Demon King¡¯s castle with our eyes. Obviously, this means those within the Demon King¡¯s castle will be able to see us too.¡±

    ¡°We somehow managed to reach this ce without being found.¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to the merfolk.¡±

    Sherryl was silent. She felt embarrassed by thepliment. Artpe smirked as he continued speaking.

    ¡°Listen up. What I¡¯m about to say right now is important. Unfortunately, we can¡¯t storm the Demon King¡¯s castle right now.¡±

    In her past life, Maetel hade to the Demon King¡¯s castle at level 374. However, that urred in the past life. Several unknown variables had been introduced into this life, so he didn¡¯t dare to storm the Demon King¡¯s castle right now.

    ¡°There is a Dungeon near the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    ¡°We are here, yet you want to go into a Dungeon!?¡±

    He wanted to go into a Dungeon, because they were able to arrive at this location. He had brought his party here, because the Dungeons in the human realm could no longer raise their levels!

    They were able to unexpectedly raise their levels through the Ocean¡¯s Tomb and Nirotacid. However, it was unknown as to whether they¡¯ll be able to easily clear the Dungeon they were about to head into.

    ¡°There is someone that used to be called the greatest archmage of the Demon realm. He was the first one to find out about Dimensional pockets, and he performed experiments that dealt with increasing the density of Mana in a limited amount of space....¡±

    ¡°Too difficult!¡±

    ¡°You reacted the same way in the past\¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Maetel could only tilt her head in confusion. Artpe smirked as he gave an additional exnation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you his name before. There was a Demon called Nanarai Bodra.¡±

    ¡°That name makes me feel icky.¡±

    ¡°There is a theory that it is an alias. However, that isn¡¯t important right now. The important fact right now is that there is a Dungeon near the Demon King¡¯s castle. It was made by Nanarai Bodra.¡±

    Had Artpe been ignorant of this fact in his past life?

    He knew about it, but he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to tell the Demon King about it.

    The archmage hadn¡¯t wanted anyone to intrude into the Dungeon, so it had been hidden. A wide area distortion spell was ced over it. Aside from Artpe, no one could discern the location of the Dungeon.

    The Demon King never thought it would be possible for him to miss something near the Demon King¡¯s castle. He had never considered the possibility. This was why Artpe was able to get away with not reporting this information to the Demon King.

    ¡°If we enter this ce, the Demon King¡¯s army won¡¯t be able to find us. That is why I n on using my boot¡¯s ability to teleport us there. The Dungeon is thest ce that¡¯ll allow us to grow. Then we¡¯ll fight the Demon King.¡±

    There was the continental alliance and the 200 thousand Genesis mermaids. They were facing off against the main force of the Demon King¡¯s army. It gave Artpe¡¯s party the opportunity to take a shot at the leadership of the Demon realm. It really wasn¡¯t something a hero¡¯s party was supposed to do.

    Artpe hadn¡¯t nned this out from the beginning, but somehow, he was able toplete this truly exquisite n.

    ¡°So why can¡¯t we move against the Demon King immediately?¡±

    ¡°Maetel, what did I just say?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you love me? I love you too! Let¡¯s marry!¡±

    ¡°Stop trying to fabricate stuff.¡±

    Artpe definitely said the Demon King¡¯s army wouldn¡¯t be able to find them if they entered that ¡®ce.¡¯ Regina suddenly raised her head before he could stress that point again.

    ¡°Even if we are found, they won¡¯t be be able to find us if we enter that ce.¡±

    ¡°That is it, Regina.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is vicious.¡±

    Regina¡¯s ability toprehend the situation was on a different levelpared to the idiot hero. Regina was immediately able to discern what Artpe was trying to do from his single sentence!

    ¡°Who will take the leading part in this? It is probably me.¡±

    ¡°You are ready. Get ready, Regina.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ If you don¡¯t exin it to me, I¡¯m going to cry.¡±

    Artpe activated his staff, and he resonated his Mana with Regina. Regina had already started to chant her spell. Since the spell was rtively new and it had such arge damage, it took her 10 minutes to chant this great magic.

    ¡°It is as Regina had said. Even if our presence was detected by the Demon King, we just have to enter the Dungeon before we are caught.. They won¡¯t be able to find us. This is a Dungeon that I only know about.¡±

    ¡°You found it through your Innate ability?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was through the Innate ability.¡±

    Still, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to immediately go into the Dungeon? It would be fine if they were detected. Artpe had made his calctions, and he decided it would be ok to strike a heavy blow before they went into the Dungeon.

    ¡°When you say a heavy blow...¡±

    ¡°It is Regina¡¯s Downfall spell. Since we are going to do something big, let us add all our Mana to the attack.¡±

    It would be difficult for Regina to tune up a spell of that caliber by herself. This was why he was going to receive help from his staff. It would allow Regina to better control her Mana, and he nned on acting as support for Regina¡¯s spell. This was all possible, because he had the Materialization sell.

    ¡°Of course, we cannot kill the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King with this. The spell effects too wide a region. It might be ok during the initial stages, but once it is activated, it would be hard to hide the spell. It would be very difficult tond this spell without them dodging it. However....¡±

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s castle will be blown to dust.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That is why I want you all to give up all your Mana. Maetel, you know what to do?¡±

    ¡°Ooh. In the end, we are doing this again?¡±

    Maetel obediently activated her Record Master. The rest of his party resignedly gave their Mana to Maetel.

    The only thing that was different from the past was the fact that Roa was fundamentally closer to being human through her Polymorph skill. This was why she was able to give her Mana to Maetel. Since Roa was able to resonate with Maetel, her growth had elerated in recent days. The benefit of her new form outweighed the small downside.

    ¡°Too much Mana.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡±

    Mana was pouring into Regina through Maetel. Artpe took control of the Mana as he let it flow into his staff.

    Artpe supported Regina as she formed the Downfall magic circle. He amplified her power as he made a second magic circle. He was able to break down the structure of the spell using his Read all Creation magic, and he was able to create the second magic circle thanks to his Materialization magic! Regina looked a little bit more rxed.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be possible now.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is possible.¡±

    The dense Mana from the ocean of the Demon Realm crystallized as it was being sucked into the magic circle. The power of the magic circle grew. At some point, the magic circle waspleted. It was made bybining and charging the Mana of Artpe and Regina into the magic circle. She just needed to finish her chant, and she¡¯ll be able to use the spell at any moment of her choosing!

    Regina started to rise as she reached thepletion of her spell. Artpe followed her, and his eyes shone with light. They broke through the surface of the water, and they floated in the air. A trulyrge magic circle followed out behind them. It was very conspicuous.

    ¡®They should be noticing it about now.¡¯

    The Demon King¡¯s castle was far away. It was a speck in the distance. Sure enough, when Regina and Artpe appeared out of the water, a bright ray of light shot out from the Demon King¡¯s castle. It was a familiar energy signature. It was sent by the first ranked Four Heavenly King from his past life.

    ¡°However, I made preparations.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he threw several of the consumable Artifacts he had received from the Dwarves. He had filled it with Mana, so he could use the Artifacts at any moment. When the consumable Artifacts left Artpe¡¯s hand, they activated immediately. It formed trulyrge barriers. Afterwards, the beam of light impacted on the barriers.

    Artpe assessed the power of the beam of light as he nodded his head. In a sh, 3 barriers melted away, but three remained intact.

    ¡®Fortunately, his power levels is around the same as what he possessed in his past life. If we fought him now, we can win against him.¡¯

    It would be great if the Four Heavenly King had charged towards them, but that didn¡¯t happen. Instead, Artpe felt a magical energy form from the Demon King¡¯s castle. It was a bitrger than the one prior to this. Artpe also knew this energy signature.

    ¡°Artpe, your Mana is wobbling!¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡®It is the Demon King.¡¯

    When Artpe felt the magical energy, he felt his heart constrict. Was it because he had been unable to erase the Record of being dominated by the Demon King in his past life?

    ¡®How funny. I¡¯m the most ridiculous one here. How can I im that I am free from him? I shrank away just from sensing his Mana.¡¯

    However, he couldn¡¯t stay frozen like an idiot. He firmly bit his lips. He was a human now, and he was the hero. He couldn¡¯t stay psychologically fettered by the Demon King. He couldn¡¯t let that happen!

    ¡°Artpe.¡±

    It happened at that moment. Maetel had exited the waters with the rest of the party. She firmly held onto his hand. Artpe was so surprised that he almost forgot to maintain control over his magic.

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be ok.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, so you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Was there a deep meaning behind her words? Artpe was too afraid to ask. He couldn¡¯t ask that question.

    However, Artpe¡¯s Mana stabilized right after he held Maetel¡¯s hand. The staff did its job magnificently as it amplified the spell. Lastly, the magic circle was strengthened. Regina was sure that this was the moment she had to manifest the spell. Her voice sounded a bit gleeful as she yelled out.

    ¡°Downfall!¡±

    The great magic was activated.

    The cmitous spell, which had never been used in history, hit the Demon King¡¯s castle.

 Chapter 163 - Nanarai Bodra (1)

    Chapter 163 - Nanarai Bodra (1)

    Thick beams of light fell from the sky. It was like a hail storm. This was beyond any spell Artpe had witnessed in his past life. The overwhelming baptism of destruction might be more powerful than the Reign of Ruin spell!

    He could sense each resident of Demon King¡¯s castle try to block the attack, but it was all useless. The spell was filled to the brim with pure destructive power. It pushed aside all Mana, and it hit the Demon King¡¯s castle and the nearby region.

    For a moment, there was no sound. Everything was destroyed, and the Demon King¡¯s castle ceased to exist. Regina was the culprit that had manifested this magic, yet even she was shaken at the sight of the transcendent power.

    Countless Records were being extinguished and reborn. It filled Regina¡¯s mind. The spell level had risen, so if she used it again, she would be able to create a more horrifying spectacle.

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s castle, which had been protected by countless spells....¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s bounce.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate as he activated the ability of his boots. He grabbed ahold of his party. Afterwords, a strange distortion formed around the party, and they were transported to the hignds.

    ¡°Ah. I can see the Demon King¡¯s castle down there, oppa.¡±

    ¡°It is where the Demon King¡¯s castle used to be.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t transported them far, but the party realized the quality of ambient Mana in the air was different from before. The sharp Demonic energy, which could only be felt near the Demon King¡¯s castle, no longer pricked their skin. They could longer feel it.

    ¡°It really is....tranquil here.¡±

    ¡°It really is.¡±

    At Elrick¡¯s words, Vad nodded her head in agreement. Vad continued to speak as she looked at where the Demon King¡¯s castle used to exist.

    ¡°Unlike here, that ce is aplete bem....¡±

    At the very least, the Demon King¡¯s castle had existed for several hundred years. It had been passed down from the previous Demon King. It no longer existed now. Regina had targeted the whole region with her great magic called Downfall. Itpletely destroyed everything near the Demon King¡¯s castle. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the spell had scooped out the ground. It had created an enormous crater.

    Most of the Demons, who had resided within the Demon King¡¯s castle, had died in an instant. Several high ranked Demons had also died when they were unable to dodge the spell. Of course, none of the Four Heavenly Kings had died. In the case of the Demon King, he had tried to block the spell. It seemed he had taken additional damage in the process.

    ¡°Demons are amazing! They found where we were a moment ago! They were so quick!¡±

    ¡°They probably perceived our location before the attack. Oh. A Four Heavenly King was dispatched.¡±

    They were called the Four Heavenly Kings, but there were only two left that were part of the original Four Heavenly Kings from Artpe¡¯s past life. There was the man, who had ranked first amongst them. The second ranked was Etna. It seemed Etna hadn¡¯t been within the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    It basically meant that the one that had suffered under the spell was the first ranked Four Heavenly King from Artpe¡¯s past life. He hade running towards the shore near the Demon realm¡¯s ocean.

    ¡°He is a man with a very cold visage.¡±

    ¡°You are urate in your assessment. That guys uses powerful iced-based abilities.¡±

    ¡°Ice-based?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t searched out the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin with Regina for the sole reason of acquiring power needed to defeat Etna. Regina¡¯s newly acquired power would decrease the effectiveness of the power possessed by this man, who was considered to be the first amongst the Four Heavenly Kings.

    ¡°Does that mean Regina¡¯s cold energy will have no effect on that man?¡±

    ¡°Etna just has to attack him with heat.¡±

    ¡°So you are dead set on acquiring that woman as an ally? Huh?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she mercilessly poked Artpe¡¯s waist with her finger. Artpe elegantly ignored her as he observed the man, who was standing where they had been not too long ago. Artpe watched the Mana being emitted by that particr Demon.

    Would he be able to read the trace of the Dimensional pocket? Would he be able to chase after them? It looked possible for a brief moment, but it seemed the task was too much for him. The Four Heavenly King clicked his tongue then he left the shoreline. Artpe finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw this.

    ¡°Even if they leave, they have no ce to return to.¡±

    ¡°Wah-ah. The Demons, who used to live in the Demon King¡¯s castle, are refugees now.¡±

    ¡°They were quite fortunate that it ended with them bing refugees. The number of Demons that were killed exceeds the number of Demons we are seeing right now.¡±

    The Demon underlings, who had followed Artpe in his past life, would be amongst the casualties. He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel any regret in killing them. However, he had no rtionship with them in this current life, so he couldn¡¯t look out for them. It wasn¡¯t as if he could shave sent a note asking them to evacuate the Demon King¡¯s castle before the attack.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. If you guys feel aggrieved, please be born again like me.¡¯

    Artpe observed a short moment of silence then he turned around. Since he was sure that no one from the Demon King¡¯s castle could locate Artpe¡¯s party, it was time for them to enter into Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin. He no longer needed to worry about being attacked from the rear.

    ¡°You guys have to bear this in mind before we enter the ruin. Let¡¯s be honest. We¡¯ve never gotten lost during a Dungeon exploration, right?¡±

    ¡°It is all thanks to Artpe!¡±

    Maetel yelled out in an energetic manner. In the next moment, Artpe spoke with a cold and salty voice.

    ¡°However, I really don¡¯t know a lot about this ruin. The fact that I was able to find its location was a miracle in itself. In truth, this ce might be very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already reached this point, so what could scare us more than what we¡¯ve experienced up until now?¡±

    Maetel still sounded energetic as she replied to Artpe¡¯s words. Artpe stopped speaking. She was right. They¡¯ve were able to reach the Demon King¡¯s castle. Why wouldn¡¯t they be able to pull this off? His other party member didn¡¯t act any differently than before.

    ¡°Hue hue. We¡¯ve started the final match by destroying the Demon King¡¯s castle. I really like your style. As expected, Artpe-nim is the best.¡±

    ¡°Unni, you are drooling.¡±

    ¡°Ssssp.¡±

    Vad was a pushover when it came to talking about the hero. She believed everything would work out if she was by the hero¡¯s side. Sienna also looked pretty rxed and easygoing.

    If one wanted to fluster Sienna, Artpe probably had to be removed from her presence. The downside was the fact that her dependence on Artpe was high. However, she became a fearless warrior when she was next to Artpe.

    ¡°The Demon King..... We attacked the Demon King¡¯s castle before we entered this ruin. The tension that had been built up until that point was thrown away, and it really wasn¡¯t something a hero should have done. However, all will be fine if we are able to get stronger in here.¡±

    Elrick was inside his armor, and he clenched both his fists. His image had changed considerably in this current life. Elrick used to be taciturn in his past life. He had been a man of few words, yet he had protected the hero from beginning to end. His sense of justice and bravery was still present in this current life. It had never lessened.

    Lastly, there was Sherryl and Roa.

    ¡°I only follow my master. It doesn¡¯t matter how long it takes or where we are going.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I smell something really tasty, nyaa.¡±

    ¡°All right. You¡¯ve all been forewarned.¡±

    ¡°Nope. Artpe is an idiot. We need a break. At this rate, we¡¯ll die.¡±

    Everyone looked ready to charge into the ruin! They had taken an aggressive stance. The only exception was Regina. She remained seated in azy fashion. The fact that she hadn¡¯t passed out after using a great magic was a big feat in itself. Artpe let out a bitterughter as heforted her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on going in right now. I just wanted to check out everyone¡¯s resolve. Since everyone used their magical energy, we are all tired. It¡¯ll be foolhardy to go in immediately. Let¡¯s move after we fully recover.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your bted concern.¡±

    ¡°I nned on doing this from the start.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the generous one. I¡¯ll act as if I fell for your lie.¡±

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He already knew how to enter into Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin. The flow of magic used by Nanarai Bodra could be felt in this region. Artpe just had to slightly tweak the flow of Mana in the air to reveal the hidden ruin.

    Artpe¡¯s party rested as they recovered their stamina and magical energy. He finished his work during that time. A portion of the hignds sunk as a hole appeared.

    The irregr shape of the hole made it look naturally formed. However, the energy that wasing out of that hole wasn¡¯t natural or weak.

    ¡°Oppa, the energy I feel inside feels very chaotic. Will we be ok?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too worried. It is a better options than charging the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    Artpe replied as he thought about the level of the Four Heavenly King he had just witnessed. The Four Heavenly King had reached level 390. He had expected this. The 1st ranked Four Heavenly King had reached simr levels in the past life too.

    The timeline differed by couple years, but the Four Heavenly King¡¯s growth had been stagnant during that period. It wasn¡¯t as if the current Four Heavenly Kings were more exceptional this time around.

    ¡®The Demon King hadn¡¯t revealed himself, so I couldn¡¯t check his level. However, it should the same as before.¡¯

    The Demon King¡¯s level was probably somewhere close to level 400. ording to the energy Artpe sensed earlier, Artpe was able to get a rough idea of the Demon King¡¯s level.

    Even if the level of the heroes were discounted, both of them possessed cheat-like abilities. If one took into ount of the members in Artpe¡¯s party, they would be able to contend with the Four Heavenly Kings. It probably would be possible for them contend with the Demon King too.

    ¡°But no, there is a reason why the Demon King¡¯s castle was built near here. You guys can feel it. Aside from this ruin, this region is full of highly dense Demonic energy. Of course, Demons are able to maximize their power here, and humans are at their weakest in this region. Moreover, the Demon King¡¯s castle amplified this effect. In other words, the Demon King¡¯s castle possessed a cheat-like field magic. It allowed anyone possessing Demonic energy to win in its sphere of influence.¡±

    ¡°So that is why oppa decided to destroy the Demon King¡¯s castle before we headed into the ruin?¡±

    ¡°Of course. By the time wee out of this ruin, they¡¯ll probablye up with an Artifact that mimics the ability of the Demon King¡¯s castle. However, the efficacy of that item would be much worsepared to the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    At that moment, Sienna raised her head as she asked him a question.

    ¡°Oppa, wouldn¡¯t the Demon King choose to abandon this ce? What happens if he decides to prioritize conquering the human realm?¡±

    ¡°No, that will never happen.¡±

    The Demon King tried his best to protect his castle, but when he realized he couldn¡¯t stop the Downfall spell, he had immediately enacted his escape n.

    The Demon King didn¡¯t know if more Downfall spells would be used. There was a high probability that he wouldn¡¯t return to this ce for a while, but....

    ¡°In the end, he¡¯lle back here. He is a psycho that cares about the stage he is on. If he wanted topletely own the human realm, he would have moved as soon as the heroes were born in the human realm. However, he didn¡¯t do that. He wants the heroes toe to him. He won¡¯t leave this ce until he fights it out with heroes on this stage.¡±

    ¡°So he¡¯ll wait for us like an idiot? We¡¯ll be able to acquire the power of the ruin and ambush him?¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    The hero from his past life had been truly brave. She had been level 374, and herrades had been no where near her level. Despite all of this, she had charged the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    Of course, the hero¡¯s party from his previous life hadn¡¯t received support from the human realm. They couldn¡¯t take the time to level up, since the human realm was about fall apart at the seams. That is why the hero¡¯s party had to take the bitter pill. They had to charge the Demon King¡¯s castle. In the end, the hero had failed.

    The hero¡¯s party had been barely able to defeat Etna. It was hard to fathom that they would have been able to kill the first ranked Four Heavenly King. Even if they were able to kill him, they were at the heart of the Demon realm. The Demonic energy was the densest at that location, and the Demon King was being supported by the Demon King¡¯s castle. His power had been amplified, so there was no way the hero¡¯s party would be able to exceed the power possessed by the Demon King.

    ¡®However, it¡¯ll be different this time around. The Demon King¡¯s castle no longer exists. At this point, the current hero¡¯s party well exceeds the power of the past life¡¯s hero¡¯s party.¡¯

    Just those facts made this fight doable. Artpe had full knowledge of his past life, and at this point, he had done everything he could do using that information.

    A certain amount of power could be gained in this ruin. The only unknown variable was the power that had been waiting beyond the Demon King. However, that was something beyond Artpe¡¯s control.

    ¡®Jeez. I reincarnated for nothing....¡¯

    As if by habit, Artpe grumbled as he sat down on the ground. Maetel leaned against his shoulder. It was something he had expected Maetel to do. On the other hand, something unexpected happened next. Regina wordlessly lowered her head on his knee. Her movement was as natural as the breeze in the air.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Regina?¡±

    ¡°I need to rest in peace.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hmmm.¡±

    ¡°Ho-oh.¡±

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t unsheath your sword. Don¡¯t chant your holy spell.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just all rest in a friendly manner!¡±

    The situation had been about to turn ugly. Sienna grabbed Vad, Sherryl and Roa. Sienna dived towards Artpe with everyone in tow. Elrick was barely able to dodge Sienna. Before Artpe could dodge, he was ttened by his whole party.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤as expected of the hero.¡±

    ¡°Eh-whew.¡±

    Elrick¡¯s gaze was filled with envy and sympathy. Artpe let out a sigh.

    With the destroyed Demon King¡¯s castle and the screaming Demons as background, the party took theirst break before they headed into the ruin.

 Chapter 164 - Nanarai Bodra (2)

    Chapter 164 - Nanarai Bodra (2)

    Artpe¡¯s party took a peaceful break. Itsted for three hours. The Demon King¡¯s army was still moving aimlessly outside. Artpe¡¯s party ridiculed the Demon King¡¯s army as they entered into the ruin. Everyone had regained their peak condition. The only one that had been in a state of difort was Artpe, but he didn¡¯t make the mistake ofining out loud.

    ¡°Oppa, are you ok?¡±

    ¡°You are the one that dived onto me with everyone in tow. Do you think I¡¯ll forget about that, you rascal?¡±

    ¡°Eh-hee.¡±

    Artpe vigorously stroked Sienna¡¯s head. She let out an embarrassedughter. He stretched out his Mana Strings in all direction. They had bravely entered into the ruin, but the thick Demonic energy made it hard for them to see. This meant that the effectiveness of the Read All Creation was reduced.

    However, he could imbue the Mana Strings with his Read All Creation ability. It was a method that was better than seeing with his eyes. It was a cheat.

    ¡°Nanarai Bodra was a full-fledged Demon, so why did he gather such dense Demonic energy here? Why did he keep it a secret from the Demon King of his era....? He was a Demon, yet he didn¡¯t really act like a Demon.¡±

    ¡°There is something Artpe doesn¡¯t know. Amazing.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t out on a pic, so stop smiling, you dork.¡±

    Nervousness was entirely missing from Maetel. He flicked Maetel on her forehead as he extended his Mana Strings deeper into the ruin. The Mana Strings came into contact with something, and his Mana Strings were severed.

    ¡°It¡¯sing!¡±

    Artpe yelled out as he created a barrier in front of his party. He controlled the Mana Strings that weren¡¯t severed to create a holy barrier. As soon as he created it, something rammed into the barrier. When Vad create a holy me to illuminate their surrounding, the identity of the enemy was revealed.

    ¡°Golem¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [Geeeeeeee-gee-gee-gee!]

    ¡°Let¡¯s destroy it first! Thinkter.¡±

    Unexpectedly, the Golem wasn¡¯t thatrge. It was a bitrger than the armored Elrick. However, the power contained within it wasn¡¯t small. There was one thing that was interesting....

    ¡°It isn¡¯t Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°Holy energy isn¡¯t doing any extra damage!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Physical damage still works on it!¡±

    Sienna let out an energetic shout as she charged forward. The sledge hammer in her hands expanded to twice its original size. In the next moment, she took a powerful swing. The Golem had just broken through the barrier. She applied a clean hit on the Golem that was about to charge forward.

    [Geeeeeeeeeee!]

    It didn¡¯t matter if the Golems were strong or weak against holy power. Their outer shell was made out ofposite metals. It was very hard, and Artpe couldn¡¯t discern the identity of the metal at first nce. Despite it being incredibly hard, the outer shell couldn¡¯t stand up to Sienna¡¯s strength. Half its body cratered from her strike!

    [Gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee-gee!]

    ¡°I¡¯m going too!¡±

    When Sienna swung her heavy hammer, it was inevitable that an opening was formed in her defense. Sienna had to avoid taking damage, and at the same time, it was her role within the party to stop the charge of an enemy¡¯s attack. However, this was in the past. After Elrick had joined the party, her load had decreased considerably.

    [Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    The entire body of the Golem was covered with a ck metal. It swung its arm to hit Sienna, but Elrick had charged forward as soon as Sienna had started retracting her hammer. It was well-timed. Elrick had swung his axe, and a loud thundering noise was produced when he hit the Golem.

    ¡°Koohk. This guy is really sturdy¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it actively attacking us?¡±

    ¡°Oh Winter Spirit! Please stick to the joints of my enemies.¡±

    The Golem wasn¡¯t fast in the first ce. When Regina finished her chant, the Golems was moving much slower than before. Maetel wouldn¡¯t miss out on such a golden opportunity.

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet!¡±

    She used eleration to charge forward, and the violent swing of her bastard sword caved in the head of a Golem. She immediately made her Mana explode to nullify the defense of the Golem. Sienna and Elrick followed up with additional strikes!

    The hammer and the axe dug into the Golem¡¯s body. If someone that didn¡¯t know all the circumstances saw the fight, it would have looked very brutal.

    ¡°Winter Queen¡¯s Nail!¡±

    Afterwards, it was Regina¡¯s turn. Her Ice Spear pierced through the Golem. The entire hero¡¯s party ganged up on the Golem. They had gone all out!

    The Golem hadn¡¯t been able to put up a decent fight before it stopped functioning. As soon as the Ice Spear hit the Golem, the party backed off. They wiped off their sweat. It was a form of a celebration ritual.

    ¡°This is easier than I thought it would be?¡±

    ¡°Hey. Why didn¡¯t it put up more of a fight against us¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The battle had ended too easilypared to the quality of opponent they had faced. It seemed they were aware of this fact. The party members tilted their head in puzzlement as they each expressed their opinions. Artpe checked to make sure no more Golems wereing towards them. Then he approached the fallen Golem.

    ¡°It is possible that this Golem wasn¡¯t made for battle in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°This ruin is overtly letting out so much Demonic energy. The Golem also possesses powerful magical energy, yet it wasn¡¯t made for battle?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think it is a possibility.¡±

    Not all ruins and Dungeons were made with fighting taken into consideration. Magicians also created these types of structures for magical research. The process in creating a magic tome imbued the magic tome with knowledge and defensive mechanisms were ced within the structure. This was why it wasmon to consider these research facilities as Dungeons.

    Most Dungeons and ruins were defined by those that explored them. Artpe¡¯s party had decided this ce was a ruin, and they hade in prepared for a battle.

    ¡°This Golem is within a space filled with Demonic energy, yet it doesn¡¯t use the Demonic energy. It uses Mana.¡±

    ¡°I guess so¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°That means this Golem might have been built with the purpose of¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe used his Read All Creation ability to search the body of the Golem. In the end, he was able to find a small metal magic circle inscribed within the body. The magic circle had taken significant damage from Maetel and Regina¡¯s attack. However, it wasn¡¯t damaged enough where he couldn¡¯t recognize it.

    ¡°As expected, this magic circle converts Demonic energy to in Mana. That is why the Golem doesn¡¯t emit any Demonic energy. It sucked in the Demonic energy within the ruin, and it converted the Demonic energy into Mana. The Golem moved by using the converted Mana as its power source.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    ¡°Oppa, are you sure a Demon made this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°What a waste. Nyaa-ah.¡±

    His party members still didn¡¯t have a proper grasp of what he was talking about. They looked confused.

    ¡°Why was a Demon conducting a research where he changed Demonic energy into Mana?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that person wasn¡¯t a Demon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I¡¯vepiled all the historical ounts about Nanarai Bodra, and there is no way he was a human. His life wasn¡¯t a path that could be tread by a human.... If that is true...¡±

    It would have made sense if a Demon was researching for a way to convert Mana into Demonic energy. Why was this Demon researching for a way to convert Demonic energy into Mana?

    Demonic energy was more aggressivepared to pure Mana, but in terms of efficiency, Demonic energy was on par with pure Mana. However, the Demon race couldn¡¯t use pure Mana, so it was best if all Mana was converted into Demonic energy.

    ¡®I had thought Nanarai Bodra was merely a genius that was prolific in his research¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    Artpe suddenly felt a chill all over his body. He had considered this ce to be thest opportunity to level up with the Demon King¡¯s castle ahead of them! However, it turned out not to be that simple. There was something more here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to advance without killing any Golem.¡±

    ¡°So you think there was an ulterior motive as to why the Golems are converting Demonic energy into Mana?¡±

    Maetel was correct. In the first ce, the ruin was located near the Demon King¡¯s castle. If they were rash in destroying the ruin, the Demonic energy in the nearby region might increase. If that happened, it would be unbearable for them.

    Even if this ce was made by a Demon, it had been locked. It was locked so tightly that Artpe, who was the possessor of the Read All Creation ability, was the only one able to enter it. That meant there was a reason why Nanarai Bodra wanted to maintain this ruin in this location.

    ¡°Was Nanarai Bodra not on the side of the Demon race? Was he on the side of the humans¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in deeper.¡±

    Artpe unfurled one hand. Several dozen Mana Strings extended out in a winding manner, and it extended out into the entirety of the ruin. He had no reason to hesitate now.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to go forward without killing any of them...¡±

    ¡°I just have to stop before I kill them!¡±

    Artpe justughed when Maetel replied in a spirited manner. If she said she could do it, she could do it. He decided to ignore the rest of his party members, who had turned deathly pale.

    The party headed deeper into the ruin. Since the ce was lined with traps, they couldn¡¯t move too quickly. However, Artpe¡¯s power allowed him to know about the traps in advance, so they were able to disarm all of the traps. They didn¡¯t suffer any harm from the traps.

    Of course, traps weren¡¯t the only Artifacts installed in the ruin. There were Artifacts that converted Demonic energy into Mana. There were Artifacts that synced the Golems, and it increased the efficiency of the Golem¡¯s abilities. If the Golems used Demonic energy as their power source, it would be quite inefficient. Then there were the Artifacts that were ced to solely control the temperature of the ruin. Every Artifact was working to reduce the Demonic energy.

    ¡°There¡¯s one here too. It seems it isn¡¯t just the Golems. The entire ruin is purifying the Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, that is how the ruin was able to hide itself? I also think there is a barrier that negates the Demonic energy that leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Negation. If one negates the Demonic energy, it is quite noticeable. Demonic energy¡¯s properties doesn¡¯t allow for that to happen. This ruin is currently.... There is a spell over the ruin that is fooling the entire Demon realm.¡±

    Regina was right. This ruin was amazing, but it couldn¡¯t win against the entire Demon realm. That is why Nanarai Bodra had gone great length to hide this ruin.

    ¡°Aside from the function of changing Demonic energy into pure Mana, isn¡¯t there a wealth of Mana within the ruin? The ruin is probably uses that Mana as a power source to hide itself.¡±

    ¡°If we had destroyed more Golems.....¡±

    The Mana, which was being used to hide the ruin, would run out. The ruin¡¯s location would have been revealed to the Demon realm. The party felt a chill run up their body when they realized this fact. They hade here to ambush the Demon King, yet they had almost made a mistake!

    ¡°How many Golems did we subdue?¡±

    ¡°522.¡±

    ¡°That means¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ How bad was the Demon realm when this ruin hadn¡¯t existed?¡±

    Artpe considered himself to be fortunate in his past life. The Demon King hadn¡¯t asked him about the location of this ruin.

    The sole purpose of the Golems were to change the Demonic energy into Mana. Their defense was high, but they didn¡¯t possess much offensive capabilities. If the Demon King had found out about this ruin, he would have destroyed it. It would have immediately increased the power of the Demon realm.

    ¡°Artpe, I can see the end.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim, I feel an ominous energy. Please get ready for battle.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤nyaa, nyaa-ah.¡±

    Maetel, Vad and Roa spoke in order. After finding out about the identity of the Dungeon, Roa had been unable to settle down. She was so persistent that she badgered Artpe by scratching at his back.

    ¡°I want to eat. I want to eat. Nyaa.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll flick your forehead every time a drop of blood appears on my skin..¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah-ah, nyaa-ah-ah-ah.¡±

    They were probably getting close to the heart of the ruin. He could feel something being protected by the guardians. It was probably an item where the Demonic energy was concentrated. Artpe also sensed something familiar beside the item.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no way.¡±

    ¡°Artpe?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s face stiffened. However, Maetel didn¡¯t have the chance to ask her question. Thirty three Golems had appeared all at once from across therge space.

    It was the start of the boss battle.

 Chapter 165 - Nanarai Bodra (3)

    Chapter 165 - Nanarai Bodra (3)

    [Gee-gee-gee-gee-gee]

    [Geeeeee-geeeee]

    The Golems were getting closer as they let out a bizarre sound. They sounded like steel armor that hadn¡¯t been oiled in couple hundred years. Artpe gave a firm order as he watched them.

    ¡°We have to subdue them without destroying them. Even if one is destroyed, the Demonic energy within this ce will detonate.¡±

    The party entered into the depth of the ruin knowing the function of the ruin. Basically, they were going against Nanarai Bodra¡¯s will.

    Still, it seemed Nanarai Bodra had taken into consideration of people like Artpe¡¯s party. When those on humanity¡¯s side set out to explore the ruin, Nanarai Bodra made it so that only those that took down the Golems without destroying them had the qualification to enter into the heart of the ruin. It had been built that way.

    ¡°Artpe, I¡¯ll go first!¡±

    ¡°Sienna and Elrick will protects us. Roa, you¡¯ll have to put in some work this time!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah!¡±

    After acquiring a humanoid body, Roa had developed a talent for hand to handbat. She followed behind Maetel. She had already taken off her ufortable priestess clothes. She only covered the parts that had to be covered. It was a very light attire.

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    ¡°Hoohp! Hit them hard!¡±

    They had gained experience on how to deal with the Golems as they explored this ruin. These Golems were like all the other groups of Golems before them . They possessed enormous amount of Mana, and they insisted on a closebat battle. Maetel and Roa dodged their heavy and clumsy attacks. The Golems were pierced with Maetel¡¯s sword and Roa¡¯s ws.

    At the center of their body, the Golems possessed a core that supplied magical energy. Circuits stretched out from their core. Maetel and Roa just had to sever their arms and legs to make them immobile!

    [Geeeeeeeeee]

    [Gee-geek, gee-gee-gee-geek]

    In terms of speed, no one could catch up to Maetel. Roa had the ability to dissolve her body, so she moved freely in all directions. This was why the Golems weren¡¯t able tond any blows. They looked like idiots as they turned around in circles. Sherryl was keeping a little bit of distance from the fight as she manipted her water trident. She acted as support to Maetel and Roa. The fight looked like a well choreographed dance!

    ¡°Oh, Winter Spirit.¡±

    ¡°Divine Hammer!¡±

    ¡°Hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    On the other hand, the party members capable of long ranged attacks attacked the Golems that were trying to encircle the party from all sides. They neutralized the Golems.

    Since these Golems were guarding the heart of the ruin, their average level was 390. While Artpe¡¯s party hadn¡¯t been able to raise their levels in the ruin, they had gotten used to fighting the Golems. They fought against Golems without much difficulties.

    ¡°That means I should¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe searched the magic circle that was ced over the entirety of the ruin. He tried to gain control over it.

    It felt like the distant past, but it was only 4 years ago. He had done something simr when he first went into the hero development Dungeon with Maetel.

    At the time, he was only at a level where he could only interfere with the magic ced over the Dungeon. He could affect it only in a limited fashion. That was no longer the case. The current Artpe had leapfrogged the previous life¡¯s version of himself in every detail. Moreover, he was familiar with the magic ced over the ruin. He was so familiar with it that he was sick of it.

    ¡°What the hell happened here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe grinded his teeth as he swallowed the words he had been about to say. He couldn¡¯t distract hisrades, who were fighting right now.

    While his party faced off against the Golems, he retracted all the Mana Strings he had sent out towards all quarters of the ruin. He connected the Mana Strings to the ruin¡¯s magic circle, and he activated his Materialization magic. It was a rare cheat spell that allowed him to make his ideas into reality! If hebined the spell with the Read All Creation ability, he could theoretically bring all spells to its knees!

    [Geeeeeeeeeee]

    [Gee-gee-gee-geek]

    The Golems reacted in a sensitive manner when Artpe tried to take control of the ruin. However, their actions had the adverse effect of creating a big opportunity for Artpe¡¯s party!

    Maetel and Roa had read the movement of the Golems. Maetel¡¯s sword and Roa¡¯s ws shed through the air, and the Golems fell in ones and twos.

    ¡°You can¡¯t destroy them!¡±

    ¡°I already know, nyaa-ah!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t difficult. I¡¯m used to subduing enemies without killing them.¡±

    Maetel also realized what was happening. Sse was quick on the uptake only during times like this. Artpe smirked as he went into another gear as he tried to finish his task.

    A changed urred 15 minutester.

    ¡°Huh? The Golems are moving slower.¡±

    ¡°Winter Queen¡¯s Frost. Sessful¡±

    ¡°The Golem¡¯s output is starting to fall. Did you perhaps..... Artpe-nim?¡±

    She had the correct answer. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Artpe continued to work on the magic circle of the ruin as he pulled the Mana from the Golems. It was the Mana that was allowing the Golems to move.

    The Golems had to focus more on converting Demonic energy into Mana. It was inevitable that their movements started to slow down. On top of that, their Mana was being stolen by someone else. They didn¡¯t have the power to move!

    ¡°Just a little bit more.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea how you are doing this. Artpe is a vindictive spirit from an ancient time.¡±

    ¡°Divine Ground!¡±

    As the number of Golems decreased, it reached a point where the Golems couldn¡¯t keep a perimeter around the magicians. It allowed Sienna and Elrick to participate in the close quartersbat. Sienna ruthlessly struck the ground to make the Golems fall to the floor, and Elrick was merciless as he crushed the arms and legs of the Golems with his axe!

    Maetel and Roa were fighting an elegant and clean battle. On the other hand, Elrick and Sienna were fighting a destructive battle. It was terrifying, but one couldn¡¯t deny that their their style of fighting was effective. After crushing the legs of two golems, an additional golem was thrown to the ground! The Golems struggled on the floor!

    ¡°Ah. My skill grew!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done. Every move backwards!¡±

    Artpe had timed it, so he would finish his spell when her skill had leveled up. The Mana Strings, which had exited from his entire body, wrapped around his staff and his body once more. The Mana Strings was spread once again, and they connected to various locations all around the ruin. Artpe¡¯s will flowed down the Mana Strings.....

    ¡°Materialization!¡±

    [Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

    Purple colored Mana filled the entirety of the ruin. In the next moment, all the Golems, who had been attacking, came to a stop.

    Then they started to slowly return to where they had appeared from. It was as if time was rewinding itself. His party members wanted an exnation, so Artpe gave a simple exnation.

    ¡°They have recognized us as their masters.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m amazing.¡±

    He decided humility wasn¡¯t his thing. He affirmed their praise! Each step taken by Artpe made the entire ruin react to him. The focus of the ruin was trying to center around him. Currently, Artpe was the ruin. This implied only one thing.

    ¡°It means Artpe-nim has reached a level higher than Nanarai Bodra!¡±

    ¡°As expected of master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Stop buttering me up.¡±

    His party had to buy him some time, but he had taken over the magic circle created by Nanarai Bodra. So their words weren¡¯t technically wrong. Artpe felt an odd emotion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Before we do that....¡±

    Artpe gave Mana to the Golems that had not recovered yet. When they were able to move, the Golems started to move into the inner room. They moved slowly in an orderly fashion. Artpe¡¯s party followed behind them.

    When they walked through a dark and narrow tunnel, they were greeted with a kingdom made out of light.

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party members had a hard time working in harmony, yet at that moment, they all let out an exmation. It didn¡¯t matter if they could see the true nature of what they were seeing or not. They all became surprised by what they saw.

    ¡°How pretty.¡±

    ¡°It is truly horrific and terrifying¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Would one be able to find a ce like this in the human realm and the Demonic realm? It was a location where a massive amount of Demonic energy and Mana existed in one ce.

    The Demonic energy created an enormous current, and the 33 Golems sucked in the Demonic energy to create Mana. The ck current of Demonic energy and the white current of Mana met at the middle. It was as if an explosion was imminent. A very unstable equilibrium was being maintained.

    ¡°Artpe-nim was right. If we detonated even one Golem....¡±

    ¡°We would have been blown away alongside this ruin.¡±

    Of course, the Golems weren¡¯t the only ones purifying the Demonic energy. There was an altar at the middle of the square. It was filled with magical runes, and it was the backbone of the purification process.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, this looks more like a seal....?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is a massive amount of Demonic energy being produced here. We can¡¯t simply say a lot of Demonic energy is here, because we are at the heart of the Demonic realm. You can feel it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was an item within the altar that was emitting a horrifying amount of Demonic energy. The altar was doing its best purify it, but it couldn¡¯t purify all the Demonic energy. The remaining Demonic energy was being purified by the Golems and the Artifacts installed around the ruin.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it is a very familiar energy, oppa. Also... That altar is very familiar too.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s face stiffened. It was the same for the others.

    ¡°Evil Heart, nyaa.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤sunbae-nim.¡±

    ¡°That is also correct.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t know what expression he should make. He had a peculiar expression on his face as he nodded his head. He approached the altar, and he read the words written on the altar. Each letter contained the power of magic. It was definitely a message to those that searched out this altar.

    ¡°¡®I am Nanarai Bodra. After the Demon race was found, I became their greatest magician.¡±

    ¡°Those words are very familiar and pompous.¡±

    ¡°¡®It is to be expected. At one time, I used to be the best magician in the human realm, and I was also the hero. My skills were all retained....as I changed into a Demon.¡¯¡±

    At that part, Artpe shut his eyes tight.

    When he sensed the familiar shape of the altar, he had expected this. However, it was an entirely different manner when his suspicions were confirmed.

    The identity of Nanarai Bodra was his sunbae-nim,. He had transitioned into bing a Demon. He had fallen.

    He didn¡¯t need to read the rest, but the wide eyes of his party members were all trained on him. He had to continue reading it for hisrades.

    ¡°¡®Everything is the result of human folly. Once the Evil Heart was made, it wouldn¡¯t stop unless all the Mana of the world was converted to Demonic energy. This was the same for the race that was created by humans.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Created¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? What is he saying?¡±

    Maetel asked the question, and Artpe answered her.

    ¡°It means the Demon race was a race created by humans.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh?¡±

    Maetel still had a hard timeprehending Artpe¡¯s words. No, it was more apt to say that she was having a hard time epting it. From a young age, she had grown up hearing stories about the hero and the Demon King. She was being presented with an enormous story that contradicted the origin of the antagonistic rtionship between the human race and the Demon race. Of course, she was having a hard time epting it.

    ¡°A race made by the humans....?¡±

    Instead of answering that question, he continued to read the words written on the altar.

    ¡°¡®In the beginning, there was no Demon race. There had been no Demonic energy. The humans had gone through copious amount of research in an attempt to make the power of Mana into something more destructive. At the end of our research, we were able to create the Evil Heart. In the process of researching the Evil Heart, humans were able to change into Demons. They gained the power they had been yearning for. However, the Demonic race was made from Demonic energy, so they had a strong basic instinct towards destruction. They also developed a fundamental animosity towards Mana. In the end, they turned against the humans.¡¯¡±

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    This was how the Demonic race and the Demon realm was born. If they thought about it, there had been plenty hints. When they found the Demonification research, they should have thought about this possibility. Since they didn¡¯t think it was a possibility, they had unconsciously denied what had been in front of them!

    ¡°¡®Those that are able to read these words have respected my wishes. By reaching this ce, you¡¯ve shown the desire to correct this twisted reality. I want you to heed my advice. Don¡¯t touch this horrible item. Turn back. There is nothing that can be done. The Winter Queen and the Dragon that taught me the way of magic couldn¡¯t do anything. The Elves, who are blessed by Mana, and the Dwarves, who are master craftsman, couldn¡¯te up with a solution.¡¯¡±

    The passage was reaching an end. Their faces had turned pale, but Arte continued to read the rest of the passage.

    ¡°¡®When I realized this truth, the only thing I could do was to break and seal the fragments of the Evil Heart. It merely stopped the expansion of the Demon realm. I chose to change myself into a Demon, and I dedicated my extended lifespan in order to research a solution. I researched for a way to turn the Demons back into humans. If I seeded, this ce won¡¯t exist. If I didn¡¯t get the result I desired, this ce will still exist. If you were able to find this ce, you should leave quietly. Do not get greedy. If this location is revealed to the Demon race, the human realm will face a huge cmity.¡¯¡±

    After he read the whole passage written on the altar, Artpe started thinking.

    This really sounded like an ominous g.

    [You arete.]

    At that moment. Artpe realized that someone had teleported into the ruin.

    [I am here.]

    It was expected. He knew this would happen. Artpe let out a sigh as he turned around. His eyes took in the sight of a Demon.

    Before he entered the ruin, Artpe knew that there was a Demon that was higher in level than the 1st ranked Four Heavenly King from his past life. He was the Demon that Artpe hadn¡¯t met in his past life.

 Chapter 166 - Nanarai Bodra (4)

    Chapter 166 - Nanarai Bodra (4)

    The party had learned the shocking truth. While they were thrown for a loop, a man had appeared within the ruin. This was obvious, but the man was a Demon. He possessed a massive amount of Demonic energy.

    [Hero, I¡¯ll say this beforehand. Every n you carried out was perfect. However, we are superior to you. We predicted what you will do. That is all I¡¯ll say.]

    ¡°Oh oh. What an arrogant statement. I am an arrogant asshole, but you are right there with me.¡±

    Everything about the man was ck. His face waspletely covered by a mask, and his neck was covered by a scarf. His entire body was covered with leather clothes. It seemed he was trying to hide his identity, but his attire made him more conspicuous.

    When Artpe checked with his Read All Creation ability, he found out that the Demon was at level 393. He was the strongest opponent they had faced up to this point. It was clear that the enemy was openly hostile towards them. Despite this fact, Artpe had an odd smile on his face as he asked the Demon a question.

    ¡°You must have searched all the nearby region near the Demon King¡¯s Castle, right?¡±

    [That right. You guys were able topletely hide yourselves in a short amount time. That is why we thought you couldn¡¯t have run away too far. We searched with that premise in mind. Even if the ruin was well hidden, it was inevitable that we would find this ce. Moreover¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The Demon wore a mask, but Artpe could tell that the Demon wasughing.

    [This holds especially true for us. We¡¯ve been desperately trying to find what had been left behind by Nanarai Bodra.]

    ¡°You weren¡¯t able to find this ce for several hundred years. You were barely able to find it, because of us. You have a talent foring up with a bullshit story.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Artpe had used one of the requisite skills of a Four Heavenly King. It was called, ¡®Using a Casual Sarcastic Remark to Make the Other¡¯s Body Flinch.¡¯ In an instant, it made the Demon shut his mouth.

    Artpe¡¯s words were true. If his party hadn¡¯t entered the ruin, it would have taken the Demons several hundred more years to find this ce.

    It was clear that the Demon race found something that would be very beneficial to them. It was all thanks to the action of the hero¡¯s party. The hero should be agonizing over his mistake, yet the hero continued to p his mouth. Where was his arroganceing from? Moreover, why did the Demon suffer psychological damage from the hero¡¯s words? Why was he being tormented by the hero¡¯s words?! The Demon grinded his teeth as he opened his mouth again.

    [That is originally the property of the Demon race. It isn¡¯t something that a human should be coveting. I¡¯ll be taking it.]

    An unprecedented amount of Demonic energy poured out from the male Demon. He was level 393, and he was at the peak of his power. His power started to be emitted as battle magic.

    This was the first time the hero¡¯s party would be fighting an opponent this strong. They nervously raised their weapons. Even if they were to meet this Demon in the human realm, they would have a hard time facing him. However, they were having this fight at a ruin where the Demonic energy was at the highest. The difficulty of the fight would be much higher.

    ¡°Roa.¡±

    However, there was one person that was free from all worries. Of course, it was Artpe.

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    ¡°Are you able to eat it?¡±

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    Everyone within this space thought he had misspoken. Roa was the only one, who understood his words. Her three tails swayed back and forth in a busy manner as she nodded her head.

    ¡°I can eat it, nyaa! However, it¡¯ll take me a very long time to digest it! Nyaa-ah! Moreover, master has to help me. Nyaa?¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll help you as much as you want. Go eat it!¡±

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Artpehhhhhhhhhh!?¡±

    What was she going to eat? The Demon had no idea, so he tilted his head in confusion. He opened his eyes wide as he swiveled his head back and forth. He continued to scan his surrounding.

    On the other hand, Roa was a brave cat that didn¡¯t allow anyone to get in the way of her eating food. She let out a joyous meow. She immediately ran towards the altar as she opened her mouth.

    [What the hell¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    The Demon finally realized what Roa was trying to do, so he desperately shot out his Demonic energy. By instinct, Sienna got in his way! There was over 10 level difference between the two, but Sienna possessed the power of an Evil Reflector. It allowed her to withstand the power of the Demon.

    Sienna raised her hammer, and it rapidly grew in size. She quickly smashed the feelers created by Demonic energy. The tip of the tentacles weren¡¯t able to withstand the holy power of Sienna. They shriveled up. When the Demon saw this, his eyes narrowed.

    [Your power¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What the hell is it!?]

    ¡°Koohk, koo-hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    However, she couldn¡¯t hold out for too long. It was too much of a strain. Until now, the hero¡¯s party had been able to shrug off the level difference, but they couldn¡¯t do that with this opponent. His power was the real deal. An oppressive amount of Demonic energy poured out from him. It was enough to negate Sienna¡¯s power. It was enough to push her backwards!

    ¡°Vad¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Unni!¡±

    ¡°Oh my lord! Please bless your bright daughter! Help us resist against this twisted and evil being!¡±

    Vad immediately chanted her blessing. The Mana within Sienna¡¯s body was activated to the extreme.

    It was the Mana of an Evil Reflector, which opposed all evil! Her hammer was strengthened, and shepletely blocked the Demon¡¯s Demonic energy. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she was purifying the Demonic energy into pure Mana. It was as if the Demon¡¯s existence was being rejected. The Demon yelled out in rage at what he was witnessing.

    [Twisted? We were made to be twisted by humans!]

    Did he eavesdrop as Artpe read the words written on the altar? No, that wasn¡¯t the case. The Demon had said that he had been looking for Nanarai Bodra¡¯s tracks for the past couple hundred years. Basically, he was part of the faction that was separate from the current Demon King. He was probably rted to the previous generation¡¯s Demon King. Basically, he knew about Nanarai Bodra¡¯s identity, and he knew about the Demon race¡¯s origin story.

    [Despite knowing the full story, you want to deny our existence and destroy us... You guys are truly foolish and arrogant!]

    ¡°It happened several hundred years ago. Why should I care, you son of a bitch!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    As Artpe browbeat the Demon, Roa finally reached the altar. She started to swallow the Evil Heart. It was much bigger than the ones from before.

    The Demon knew his time was about run about, so he stopped emitting his Demonic energy. He moved forward using teleportation, yet the hero¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t let the Demon do as he pleased!

    ¡°Not a chance!¡±

    ¡°Koohk, hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Maetel shared Records with Artpe, so she was able to use the spell called Hero¡¯s sh! A brilliant wing made out of light sprouted from her back. It noticeably reduced the Demonic energy. On top of that, Vad power was being used to restrict the Demon. It was a double whammy!

    [Even if you guys are able to do that..... You guys are mere brats that lived several years in a sheltered environment!]

    Despite all that was happening against him, the Demon didn¡¯t retreat. The Demonic energy boiled up from within his body. His ck Demonic energy seeped into the surrounding. He created a domain for himself.

    [You guys don¡¯t even have a sense of what is right. You guys are ying at being heroes..... Do you really you can obstruct me!]

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    ¡°I can hold out!¡±

    A massive amount of Demonic energy exited the Demon¡¯s body. It was in the shape of a front paw of a monster, and it struck out against Sienna and Maetel! However, Elrick used the full might of his armor to stop the charge of the monster. The ws of the Demonic energy created small cracks in Elrick¡¯s axe. However, he didn¡¯t retreat.

    ¡°It is the warrior¡¯s job to protect the rear!¡±

    [Foolish brat! Get out of my way! I just want to recover the item that is rightfully ours!]

    The Demon¡¯s fist embedded itself within the de of Elrick¡¯s axe. However, it didn¡¯t end there. Refined des of magical energy sprouted from the Demon¡¯s body. They attacked Elrick!

    ¡°Koo-hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Eh-eeeet!¡±

    At that moment, Maetel¡¯s foot impacted on the Demon¡¯s body. She didn¡¯t care about the des that were sprouting from his body. It couldn¡¯t pierce her body. Her quick kick sent the Demon flying. The Demon became embedded in the wall of the ruin.

    [Ha!]

    This was the moment he had been waiting for! As soon as he escaped the encircling of the hero¡¯s party, the Demon used Blink. In an instant, he teleported in front of the altar!

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    [Stop. Wait a moment. You bitch¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    When he finally reached the Altar, the Evil Heart was in Roa¡¯s mouth. She really nned on eating it? The Demon was taken aback as he tried to grab Roa by the scruff.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Gulp.¡±

    [Oh no¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    He never expected her to swallow it without hesitation. The Demon froze in ce from despair as the Evil Heart disappeared in front of him.

    Of course, he could split open Roa¡¯s stomach. He could extract it, but the quality of the Evil Heart would have degraded significantly by then!

    [What the hell did you guys do!]

    ¡°What did we do?¡±

    Artpe burst outughing at the Demon¡¯s words. The situation had unfolded this far, yet the Demon had no idea what was going on. He could onlyugh at the Demon¡¯s foolishness.

    The Evil Heart had been extracted, yet the altar continued to let out a light. The Dungeon was also trying very hard to purify the Demonic energy, which had filled up the ruin. The only difference was that it wasn¡¯t purifying the Demonic energy of the Evil Heart. It was purifying the Demonic energy of the Demon, who had invaded the ruin.

    ¡°This is what we did.¡±

    When Artpe wagged his finger, all 33 Golems turned in ce as they red at the Demon. Even Artpe¡¯s party needed a good amount of time before they were able to defeat all the Golems. Even if the Demon was high in level, the Golems were formidable foes!

    However, the important part wasn¡¯t the martial prowess of the Golems. Magic circuits were engraved within their body, so they started sucking in the Demonic energy of the Demon. Just this feature of the Golem restricted the power of the Demon!

    [You bastard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ My Demonic energy! How are you using the ruin¡¯s power!?]

    The Demon had known that this was Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin, and that the Evil Heart was ced within this ce. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to anything else. Even if the Evil Heart was gone, the ruin still possessed massive amount of power.

    The Demon finally realized the dangers of the ruin. However, it was way toote for him. Once the Demon rashly followed the party into the ruin, the game had ended for him.

    ¡°No. You should have thought this out. You guys were too big of a blockhead to find this ruin for several hundred years, right? Can¡¯t you see what that implies? Did you really charge in here without any n? You can¡¯t be that foolish, right?¡±

    [Koohk, koo-oooooooohk!]

    ¡°Artpe is so full of himself.¡±

    ¡°That is his best quality!¡±

    While the Demon was struggling to break free from the fetters ced on him, the Golems had surrounded him. Vad used this time to heal the injured party members. Their vitality was restored.

    ¡°I hoped someone would crawl in here. I never expected someone to actuallye here. As expected, it is more fun for me when there is one or two Demons that are stupid enough to run straight into a trap.¡±

    Artpe was speaking from a perspective of a human. He grinned as he took out and opened his magic tome. His staff rose into the air, and it let out Mana, which shone with purple light.

    ¡°This is my domain. You did as you please by intruding into this ce.... It is time for you to die.¡±

    [Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]

    All the Golems attacked at the same time when Artpe gave the signal! When the Golems had been fighting against the party, they had been slow. However, it was as if they were sharing Maetel¡¯s eleration ability. They swiftly attacked the Demon!

    ¡°Master, please help me, nyaa! This is too big!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already in the process of helping you. You should just throw up the part that you can¡¯t digest right now.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    The item was bigger than anything she had eaten up until now. It seemed she was in pain. There wwere tears forming in Roa¡¯s eyes. Of course, Artpe had expected this. This was why he had opened his magic tome.

    [That magic tome... Did you take it from Tiana!?]

    ¡°As expected, you are in the same faction as Tiana.¡±

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! As expected, you guys killed Tiana!]

    The Demon detonated his Demonic energy to face off against the group of Golems, who were trying to rush him. He yelled out with a voice full of rage. Three Golems couldn¡¯t purify the Demonic energy, so they blew up. However, Artpe didn¡¯t care about that.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask if you want this or not. Well.... Let¡¯s start myst experiment.¡±

    The magic tome vibrated as it floated up halfway into the air. It started to sync with the entire ruin. The Demon finally realized that the magic tome had been rewritten. It happened when his eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Everything return to what it used to be.¡±

    When the secret to the Demonic energy and the Demon race was revealed to him, Artpe had finished the ¡®Reim¡¯ spell. The spell flowed out of Artpe¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 167 - Nanarai Bodra (5)

    Chapter 167 - Nanarai Bodra (5)

    It was a miracle. The sight in front of them couldn¡¯t be described in any other way.

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koo-ha!?]

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhh.¡±

    The ck light turned into purple light. Then it turned into a bright and colorless light. The quality of Mana being emitted by magic tome changed several times in a short amount of time. The ruin moved in sync with the magic tome. Since the magic tome was created for the same purpose as the ruin, it was easy to sync the two Artifacts.

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the magic tome and the ruin were one right now. Artpe was able to tie them together with his chant! He was able to finish the spell without much difficulty. ording to his will, the Demonic energy in the atmosphere and the Demonic energy within Roa and the Demon started to change. It happened simultaneously.

    Roa rxed when she felt the Demonic energy, which she hadn¡¯t been able to digest, turn into Mana. The Demon felt his existence being twisted. He yelled out in shock.

    ¡°Anyways, I was able toplete this spell thanks to sunbae-nim. I was wondering why I seemed to be traveling towards the same direction as him. In the end, we had our eyes set on the same destination. If I can point out a difference, sunbae-nim only wanted to purify the Demonic energy into pure Mana. I only sought to change those that possessed Demonic energy into....¡±

    These two methodology wasbined into one, and the magic was finally perfected.

    Artpe¡¯s original methodology of using the magic tome had the downside of damaging arge portion of his subject¡¯s Record. Since he couldn¡¯t do anything about existing Demonic energy, he had decided to drain all the Demonic energy from his subject. He had tried to create a weak point that he could exploit through this method.

    However, he realized now that he had been wrong. Artpe wasn¡¯t supposed to change a Demon into a human. He had to restore a Demon into being human again.

    The secret hidden within the ruin was so foul that it made him sick. The previous hero, who was Maetel¡¯s ancestor, knew the truth. He had tried to find a way to revert everything back to their original state. He had turned himself into a Demon for this cause. Artpe had taken a different approach to reach this point. He had pursued turning Demons into humans for a different reason than Nanarai Bodra. However, his research was able to get him to this point.

    The process differed from each other, but their intent was the same. The fact that he shared the same emotions with his sunbae was a bit nauseating, but.... His sunbae had been right. In terms of result, Artpe had also walked on the right path.

    Maybe, Artpe had developed his Innate ability over the years to reach this point. Maybe, he became a hero for this purpose.

    Mmm. He was probably overstating it. Artpe still wanted to live the quiet and peaceful life of a dairy farmer. He wanted to live in peace. If possible, he wanted to live that life with those that wanted the same thing as him.

    He had to perfect this spell for that purpose. He¡¯llbine his umted Record with sunbae¡¯s umted Record to create a neww of this world!

    [The long-cherished ambition of the Demon race is close to fruition.... Do you think I¡¯ll submit to this magic!]

    The Demon was trying to protect his Record and existence. The Demon¡¯s body rolled up into a ball. He no longer paid attention to the attack from the Golems. He created a thick barrier made out of Demonic energy. He put it around his body.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you are going to protect yourself? No, it seems you are trying to run away like this.¡±

    Artpe was correct. The Demon knew that it was a lost cause to fight the hero¡¯s party within the ruin. He couldn¡¯t win against them. This was why he gave up on recovering the Evil Heart. He chose to retreat for now, so he could live to fight another day.

    [You dirty human filth! You know the truth, yet you n on pursuing only your selfish interests! I will kill all of you no matter what!]

    The enormous Demonic energy surrounding his body split into several dozen fragments. They were all moving in different directions, and each orb was surrounded by a powerful energy. These fragments were hard to stop.

    One of the orbs contained the real body of the Demon. It was trying to use this method to escape the hero¡¯s party. However, the Demon had chosen the most foolish escape method. Even if there were several dozen orbs, it was impossible to deceive Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability!

    ¡°Where are you going? You are free to enter here, but you won¡¯t be able to exit this ce as you wish.¡±

    [Koohk!?]

    Artpe imbued his Mana Strings with the power of Hero sh. A strand of Mana String shot out towards one of the orb. When the Mana String impacted the orb, the Demon within was revealed. All the other orbs disappeared.

    ¡°I chose the right one. You are trying to y tricks on me?¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Artpe almostughed. It was such a satisfying sight. The Demon had revealed himself after being hit, and he red towards Artpe. At some point, the Demon¡¯s mask had been ripped away. The Demon¡¯s face was dyed ck. His hideous face was revealed.

    Of course, Artpe had never seen him before. He was d that there was no unexpected backstory sprung on him once again. He was getting tired of it.

    [How did you know!?]

    ¡°Fuck him up, Maetel!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Maetel realized that the Hero sh was effective against the Demon. As expected, a brilliant light surrounded her bastard sword. She charged towards the Demon. The Demon gritted his teeth as he moved to face her.

    [You are the descendent of that dirty traitor! In all fairness, you deserve to pay for his sins too!]

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what my ancestor did!¡±

    Even if the Demon was suffering under Artpe¡¯s magic, it wasn¡¯t as if his martial ability had deserted him! Demonic energyyered on top of his fist to form the Demonic w. He punched towards Maetel. When the Demonic w shed with the Hero sh, it was as if the resulting aftershock would swallow the ruin in its entirety.

    Maetel bit her lips. She yelled out as her voice cut through the sound of the explosion.

    ¡°Everyone help! We just have to hold out until Artpe finishes his spell!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-oooooooohp!¡±

    While Maetel upied the Demon, Sienna and Elrick joined the fight. While the Demon was engaged with Maetel, he was hit with the full might of Sienna¡¯s hammer and Elrick¡¯s axe. Extreme rage appeared on his face.

    [Cheap humans!]

    ¡°Good. Stay where you are!¡±

    The synchronization between the magic tome and the ruin was intensifying. The Demonic energy and the Demon was being purified. At the same time, the Record of the magic tome and the ruin wasbining into one.

    Of course, it was taking on the form of the magic tome. The ruin no longer had the Evil Heart, which it had been tasked to protect. ording to its new owner¡¯s will, the ruinpressed its power into the magic tome!

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ggooh-oooohk.¡±

    The hero¡¯s party was fighting against a Demon! The ruin and the magic tome wasbining their power! It really was an epic sight that deserved to be in the hero¡¯s tale. With this spectacle as backdrop, Roa had been rolling around on the floor. She was gripping her stomach as if she had an indigestion. Suddenly, a cute burp came out of Roa¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Some members of Artpe¡¯s party red at Roa. Roa jumped to her feet, and she yelled out in an energetic manner.

    ¡°I digested it, nyaa-ah! It is regrettable that I couldn¡¯t digest it all. However, I ate as much as I could, nyaa!¡±

    [Digested¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!? That makes no sense. The Evil Heart is an indestructible Artifact. It is the source of all Demonic energy. It isn¡¯t something a single being could consume!]

    ¡°Nyaa-ah-ah. I won¡¯t have to eat a meal for a while. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    Roa had an extremely satisfied expression on her face as she rubbed her sleek stomach. However, in the next moment, Roa¡¯s luminescent eyes red towards the Demon.

    ¡°However, dessert is another story. Nyaa.¡±

    ¡°Roa, you are stronger now. Charge him!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t joking. Roa had be ridiculously strong.

    He had thought the Evil Heart was a signle Artifact that had been broken into three pieces. However, he realized that wasn¡¯t the case when all three pieces were gathered in one ce.

    Roa¡¯s Gluttony had purified the three pieces in her stomach, and the Evil Hearts werebined into one. This new Artifact could no longer be called the Evil Heart. It had safely merged, and it had perfectly integrated into Roa¡¯s body. It let out a continuous stream of Mana. It was a massive flow of Mana, and it was strengthening her.

    In terms of how much Mana she possessed, Roa possessed overwhelmingly more Mana than Artpe. The amount of Mana she possessed dwarfed the amount of Mana possessed by the Demon King from his past life. It put into perspective as to the enormity of what had happened to Roa!

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    [You bitch! Did you perhaps eat all the Evil Hearts! Are you responsible for killing all myrades, who headed underground!]

    ¡°Uh. I hadn¡¯t expected it to work, but did they trip my trap?¡±

    When Artpe cackled, the Demon became more angry. In a normal hero¡¯s story, the hero usually showed a bit of sympathy or even sadness towards his enemy in such a situation. The hero¡¯s resolve sometimes weakened. However, Artpe already mastered the manual for the Four Heavenly King. There was no way he would react in such a way.

    ¡°You guys have lived for couple hundred years in the Demon realm, yet you guys fell for that trap. Are you guys idiots?¡±

    [Koo-hooooooooooo!]

    A destructive spell was supposed to activate when the underground altar was destroyed. However, Artpe had intervened with his magic. He had dyed it, so the altar would be destroyed when an intruder came in. He had inwardly looked forward to it.

    This was why he had made it so that the temple of Nirotacid wasn¡¯t destroyed. He had left a clue within the temple that pointed towards the underground world. It seemed a group of Demons had visited the temple as soon as the barrier around Nirotacid was dispelled. Moreover, it seemed they had taken his bait.

    [How¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The Demon race had been searching for the Evil Hearts in the human realm and the Demon realm for a very long time. When the Demon realized that all the Evil Hearts had been found by the hero¡¯s party, he was at a loss. In truth, the current hero¡¯s party had been able to find the items thanks to the help of the Winter Queen and the previous generation¡¯s hero. However, the Demon only saw the result. This was why he felt very aggrieved.

    [We made preparations for the past couple hundred years, yet you were able to gain control of everything!]

    ¡°Ah. You are annoying. Why do I have to keep exining this to you? You guys werecking.¡±

    [I¡¯ll kill you!]

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The Demon¡¯s Demonic w was powerful enough to push back the hero¡¯s party. Roa charged towards the Demonic w. Roa would have been helpless before she had eaten the Evil Heart. Currently, she was able to destroy the Demonic w in an instant, and she was able to wound the Demon¡¯s face!

    Roa licked the Demonic energy, which had coated her arm. Roa smacked her lips.

    ¡°It is delicious, but I can¡¯t eat a lot right now. Nyaa-ah¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He is merely a test subject.¡±

    Roa had absorbed the Demon¡¯s demonic energy just from being in contact with him. Her attack weakened the Demon, and at the same time, it restored Roa¡¯s magical energy. It resulted in her bing stronger. At this moment, Roa¡¯s existence was poisonous to the Demon race. She was more poisonous than Sienna.

    [Koo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kooh-hoo!]

    It didn¡¯t end there. The ruin kept shrinking, and at the same time, the light emitted by the magic tome became stronger. Of course, this process was slowly weakening the Demon¡¯s power. The Demon¡¯s body worked against his will. His body started to change incrementally to the body of a human. It was a painful process.

    It was a great magic that returned the Demon and the Demonic energy into its original form. It was being helped along by the heroes, holy priestess, Evil Reflector and the Greed Beast.

    The Demon had to admit it. This hero¡¯s party deserved to be called the hero¡¯s party. They possessed all the power that¡¯ll allow them to exterminate the Demon race. He had made a very big mistake entering this ruin by himself. He had trusted his power and level too much.

    [All right. I¡¯ll admit it.]

    Instead of extreme anger, a calmness came over his face. It was his patented move. It was called the ¡®I suddenly be rxed when losing¡¯ skill.

    [You guys are powerful foes. You are more powerful than any other heroes in the past. Moreover, you are a threat to the Demon race. You even acquired a way to turn Demons into humans.... That is why...kahk!?]

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Usually, something really annoying happened when someone said such lines. Maetel hade to realize this fact in the several years of her adventuring. The Demon¡¯s neck was exposed as he spoke his lines. Maetel stuck her bastard sword through his throat.

    Most of the Demon¡¯s demonic energy had been purified. Most of the leftover Demonic energy was being concentrated near his heart. This was why the Demon was vulnerable near his neck region. This was why Maetel decided to attack his neck.

    [Gguhk, gguh-huhk!]

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    The Demon was about to say something, but Maetel had swung her sword. His his head was separated from his body, and it was sent flying.

    The Demon couldn¡¯t finish his speech. There was a mixture of shock and rage on his decapitated head. Afterwards, Sienna swung her hammer, and his head was turned into scraps of meat as it dispersed into the air. However, it didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°Nyaa! His heart is about to explode, nyaa-ah?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok!¡±

    The Demon had put everything he had to his heart to cause a massive explosion. It was a stale move that even the past Four Heavenly Kings hadn¡¯t used. Of course, Artpe was still prepared for it!

    Since the Demon¡¯s will was gone, his body could no longer control his regenerating power. The Demon¡¯s body continued to swell, but in the next moment, Artpe swept his magic over the Demon¡¯s heart. In a sh, the Demonic energy change into pure Mana.

    It was unknown as to what chemical process had urred, but a level 393 magic stone was left behind. It contained all the previous Record and ss of the Demon.

    ¡°Alrighty then....¡±

    Artpe gripped the magic stone as he spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run away!¡±

 Chapter 168 - A Mans Contract (1)

    Chapter 168 - A Man¡¯s Contract (1)

    After he confirmed the death of the Demon, Artpe immediately used his teleportation skill. He used the ability of his Blink Boots to teleport his party to a far away ins in the Demon realm. He had done it without asking for his party¡¯s opinion on the matter.

    ¡°W...where are we?¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Did our battle end¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Aside from Artpe and Maetel, the other party members were having a hard time figuring out what had happened.

    They finally met a formidable enemy for the first time, and they had been prepared to go all out. Artpe looked like he was doing something, and in an instant, the Demon went on the defensive. The Demon looked as if he was about to use his hidden card, and Maetel had acted as if she had been waiting for that moment. She had cut off his head.

    Then Artpe picked up the magic stone, and the party was standing in an open field in the Demon realm.

    ¡°Mmm? Ooh-mmmm?¡±

    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this. It feels as if we¡¯ve skipped several crucial steps! Something is really wrong with all of this, but we were able to achieve our goal without a hitch. Therefore, I can¡¯t reallyin....!¡±

    ¡°Everyone should stop talking about such trivial matters. I want you all to gather around me. This ce isn¡¯t safe. The barrier around Nanaria Bodra¡¯s ruin was broken when the Demon infiltrated it. The other Demons, who are nearby, would have immediately sensed it. However, the ruin......¡±

    Artpe moved his gaze towards the ce they had just left. As expected, the ruin was unable to maintain itself. It had transferred all of its power and Record to the magic tome. As soon as Artpe¡¯s party left the ruin, it started to fall apart. He could see the Demons gathering in the nearby region.

    The Demons were moving quickly, and they could sense that the ruin had held something with incredible amounts of Demonic energy. They were shocked and angered as they watched the ruin copse.

    ¡°They¡¯ll start searching the nearby regions. They¡¯ll go through the same process as the Demon, who had visited us before. That is why we have to move quickly. Golems, I want you guys to stay here.¡±

    [Geeeeeeeeee]

    ¡°It¡¯s the Golems!?¡±

    Surprisingly, Artpe hadn¡¯t just extracted his own party. He had brought along the surviving 17 Golems!

    The Golems moved by sucking in Demonic energy, so they were able to move in the Demon realm or anywhere near a Demon. Each Golem were over level 370, so it would have been too much of a waste to leave them behind in the ruin.

    ¡°You guys will protect us. Demons will arrive here. I want you guys to fight until the moment you are destroyed.¡±

    [Gee gee gee gee gee gee]

    [Geeeeeee gee gee]

    Maetel spoke as she watched Artpe give Mana and orders to the Golem.

    ¡°Artpe, what are we going to do now? The ruin was supposed to be thest ce where we were going to increase our levels. The n was to charge the Demon King¡¯s castle afterwards....¡±

    Originally, he had wanted his party to gain EXP. He had learned the secret of this world instead. He hadn¡¯t wanted to learn about this secret, but it was thrust upon him.

    The Demons were originally humans. The Demon world was created when an energy created by the humans had run amok. This energy was called the Demonic energy. Everything had be distorted thanks to human greed. The hero¡¯s party represented humanity, and they were supposed to kill the Demon King. Of course, the secret inevitably took the wind out of their sails.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Maetel, this changes nothing. We do what we have to do.¡±

    At first nce, Artpe¡¯s words sounded cold, but he was just stating the truth.

    ¡°Do you really think we can get along with the Demons, because they used to be humans? No. Even if they were humans, it wouldn¡¯t matter either. We aren¡¯t fighting, because we are the heroes and they are the Demons. We fight them, because they are our enemies.¡±

    Even now the Demon realm was invading the human realm. The Demon King had the mentality of a great chef, but he was doing it so that he could develop the heroes close to their limits. Then he would step forward to crush the heroes. He wasn¡¯t doing it, so he could y house with the heroes.

    ¡°We just found out that we have enemies, who had been moving with the intent of reiming the Evil Hearts. Why do you think they had their eyes on that item?¡±

    ¡°I killed the Demon before he could tell us.¡±

    One didn¡¯t really need to hear the Demon¡¯s words to know what was going on. One just had to think about the former hero. Why did Nanarai Bodra seal the Evil Hearts?

    ¡°Their goal is to turn the human realm into another Demon realm. All humans would be made into Demons, and the Mana would be turned into Demonic energy. If they had the power of the Evil Heart, it would have been possible.... Well, I¡¯ll pose a question to you. Who is the biggest impediment to their n?¡±

    ¡°Artpe and Roa?¡±

    ¡°You are correct.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t intended it to be like this from the start. However, Artpe and his magic tome represented the antithesis to the Demon race. Their continued existence meant that the n of the Demon race always had the chance of failing.

    ¡°Even if our ancestors made the Demon race several hundred years ago, we shouldn¡¯t make our decisions based on our heart. We aren¡¯t directly responsible for their plight, so we don¡¯t have to feel sorry towards them. We are just beating up people that are trying to kill us. It¡¯s simple, right?¡±

    ¡°I think you are making things a bit too simple, but.... Ok.¡±

    Artpe hadn¡¯t faltered from him objective since the beginning. The process in reaching his goal had taken on differentplexions, but nothing had changed.

    ¡°Master, will we be able to defeat the Demon King with our current power?¡±

    ¡°It will be close. It is possible, but there is a high probability that someone will die in that fight. ....if one of us dies, everything was for naught.¡±

    Of course, the hero¡¯s party from his previous life couldn¡¯t even measure up to the current party. The hero¡¯s party from his previous life charged the Demon King¡¯s castle despite working under very bad conditions. As a result, they had been bloodied. However, that wouldn¡¯t happen with Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°Since our n A was a bust, we have no choice but to move onto n B.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You have a n B?¡±

    ¡°I just made one right now.¡±

    The Demons had already detected Artpe¡¯s party located in the open ins. Artpe couldn¡¯t detect the Demon King, but he could sense the man, who used to be the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings in his past life. If Artpe fought only against that Demon, they would be able to win without much difficulty....

    ¡®If I fight him, the Demon King will react in some way. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t move until all the Four Heavenly Kings are defeated....¡¯

    The Demon King¡¯s castle was ruined. The Demon King¡¯s absolute position of advantage was being cut away. At this point, it was unknown as to how the Demon King would respond. Nothing would surprise him. When the faction tied to the previous Demon King had shown up, Artpe stopped seeing the current situation through the prism of his past life.

    ¡°There are many unexplored regions in the Demon realm. It is unlikely that we¡¯ll find any Evil Hearts there..... If we are looking for ces to level up, we have to head towads those regions. That is our only option.¡±

    Basically, these were regions that one visited after clearing the final boss. It was supposed to happen during the postscript, yet they would be going there ahead of time. If enemies that weren¡¯t supposed to exist appeared, it would be no problem now! Maybe, the forces of the past Demon King was residing within one of these unexplored regions...

    ¡°They areing. Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Artpe left behind the Golems as he used Blink again. Once. Twice. He continued using it until they werepletely clear from the territory of the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    ¡°Artpe, one guy is following us.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    He didn¡¯t need her words of warning. He knew, who was following them. Artpe had done his best to erase the traces of his Mana as he repeatedly used Blink. However, he couldn¡¯t gain any separation from his enemy. Moreover, the Demon had already reached a location near them.

    [Stop.]

    ¡°Wow. His voice is still pompous.¡±

    Artpe clicked his tongue as he used Blink again. He wasn¡¯t the type of person to stop, because someone said stop!

    [Your features and clothes.... I¡¯m sure of it now. You are the hero named Artpe! You are the one that tricked Etna!]

    It wasn¡¯t too surprising to hear that the Demon knew his identity. The Demon, who had entered the ruin, had immediately recognized his party too!

    But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ He remembered that this man liked Etna. Etna had always bombarded Artpe with love, and this man had always looked at him with anger in his eyes. Artpe had always wanted to avoid all of them. When he looked back at his old self in his past memories, he didn¡¯t miss it at all. Artpe once again buried the useless memories of his past, then he used Blink again.

    [How long will you be able to run away like this? You dare to race Petra-nim!]

    Artpe was using Blink with his party in tow. They could no longer see the ruined Demon King¡¯s castle, but the man was stubborn as he remained on their trail. At that point, Artpe realized that something was awry.

    ¡®There should be only one Four Heavenly King left in the Demon realm that is following the Demon King¡¯s orders. Why would the Demon King let his only subordinate with real power leave his side? Wouldn¡¯t the Demon King want the Four Heavenly King by his side?¡¯

    Artpe suddenly stopped. This ce was part of the Demon realm, but Demonic energy was scarce here. It was a wastnd that the high ranked Demons rarely frequented. It was unknown as to how many consecutive Blinks he had used, but his party looked a bit nauseous.

    ¡°Artpe, did youe up with a n?¡±

    ¡°No. I just think that our current situation is a bit odd. Did the Demon Kingpletely abandon the Demon King¡¯s castle after we blew it up?¡±

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    Maybe, the Demon King became afraid after he witnessed the unbelievable power of the hero¡¯s party? Or maybe, he regretted his slothfulness. He might have gone into training for several months to emerge as a Demon King at the prime of his power. It was also possible that the current Demon King had been assassinated by the force that had followed the previous generation¡¯s Demon King.

    ¡°The Demon King isn¡¯t nearby. If that is true.....¡±

    If it was just this single Demon, they didn¡¯t have to run away like this. Artpe gripped his staff as he turned around. He immediately saw the man with burning blue eyes, who wasing towards him at high speeds.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad option to defeat him here before we leave.¡±

    [Submit to my anger! Freeze! I will punish you in the name of Petra Dealeto Tekotooth!]

    Petra was the first ranked Four Heavenly King in Artpe¡¯s past life. Artpe was tired from using a great magic in the ruin, but he wasn¡¯t alone. Roa had gotten stronger after eating the Evil Heart. She might be able to defeat this Demon by herself.

    ¡®Still, he might have gotten stronger, while we were exploring the ruin. Let¡¯s see....¡¯

    Purple light was emitted from Artpe¡¯s eyes. He stopped the enormous cold fog emitted by the Demon as he activated his Read All creation ability. His eyes took in all information regarding Petra.

    [Petra Dealeto Tekotooth]

    [Level : 390]

    [Demon race]

    As expected, this guy¡¯s level was lower than the Demon they had just fought in the ruin. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t developed any Innate ability. He hadn¡¯t evolved into a different race. If his party party fought against Petra, they would be able to win....

    ¡®Wait a moment.¡¯

    Artpe¡¯s thoughts came to a halt. The male Demon was close enough for Artpe to see him with his eyes. He could even see the fuzz on the Demon¡¯s blue skin.

    So why.....

    ¡®Why doesn¡¯t he have his cor on¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    Artpe was so surprised that he remained frozen. The Demon was rushing straight towards him, yet he stood there.

    He checked the bastard¡¯s information using his Read All Creation ability. He even did a thorough search using his magical energy.

    This bastard wasn¡¯t being controlled by the Demon King¡¯s Innate ability.

 Chapter 169 - A Mans Contract (2)

    Chapter 169 - A Man¡¯s Contract (2)

    [That is a suitable look for you! I want you to freeze looking like that!]

    Petra was sure that Artpe had be frightened by his magical energy and power over the cold. He extended his hand forward as he emitted more cold energy. His power was truly frightening. It was as if he was trying to freeze the entire in and the sky above him.

    In a sh, the cold current swept over Artpe¡¯s party! If one breathed in this cold air, one¡¯s lungs would be frozen. However, Regina raised her hand before her party members suffered any damage. A cold energy of different quality was emitted by Regina, and she confronted the Demon.

    ¡°You hold the power of a Demon. Pure Demonic energy was used to twist nature. It is mere trickery. Your power isn¡¯t the true power of winter.¡±

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    Petra was taken aback, so he came to a halt. Artpe watched the exchange, and he wondered if Petra had been the one to tell Etna about the existence of the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin.

    [You dare to fight me with the power of frost? You really think you can win against me?]

    ¡°For some strange reason, I have taken an active role in many recent fights. Will I die at this rate?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You won¡¯t die. It just means you are indispensable to this party.¡±

    The initial reasoning for heading towards the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin was to acquire enough power to deal with Etna and Petra! Artpe raised his staff, and he supported Regina with his Mana. He smirked. On the other hand, Petra caught a glimpse of Artpe¡¯s massive magical energy. He also discerned the identity of Artpe¡¯s staff.

    [You actually have enough ability to blow away the Demon King¡¯s castle¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Petra should speak the whole truth. There was no one within the Demon King¡¯s army that could decimate the Demon King¡¯s castle. Only someone like the Demon King would be able to aplish what Artpe¡¯s party had aplished. Artpe knew that Petra was using one of the essential skills of the Four Heavenly King. He was using the Bluff skill. Artpe felt a sudden sense of nostalgia.

    [All right. You guys can all attack me! I¡¯ll just freeze all of you!]

    ¡°Regina, can you do anything about this cold air?¡±

    ¡°His power is twisted, but that is also the reason why he is strong. It is impossible for me to neutralize more of his power.¡±

    It was simple as to the reason why Petra was powerful. His mere presence froze his surrounding, and a basic debuff was applied to his enemies by the environment created by him.

    Artpe¡¯s party had Regina, so she was able to stop most of the adverse effect of Petra¡¯s cold energy. Despite her doing this, Artpe¡¯s party could feel frost starting to form on their skin. It proved that Petra hadn¡¯t acquired the Four Heavenly King title through mere chance.

    ¡°Maetel, will you be able to fight him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It won¡¯t be a problem. I can withstand the cold.¡±

    ¡°All right. You should use this.¡±

    ¡°This is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    As always, Maetel was about to unsheathe her bastard sword. However, Artpe pulled out a longsword from his belongings. It was the sword gifted to Artpe by Etna. She had put the power of her fire into this sword, and she had asked him not to give this sword to Maetel. It was only for his use.

    Artpe had used three consecutive Reinforcement on the sword. Then he had used the magic stones he had gathered over time toplete the 4th Reinforcement. He was able to upgrade his sword to hellfire status. The fire from the past was like a candle mepared to the current me.

    ¡®In the end, you knew this woulde to pass. Right, Etna?¡¯

    If he was wrong about this, it couldn¡¯t be helped. He would have to suffer the consequences in some other way.

    ¡°I have to use the sword gifted to Artpe by that woman....¡±

    In a sh, a very odd expression appeared on Maetel¡¯s face. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t make decisions based on her feelings. She grabbed the sword. The heat, which emanated from the sword, pushed back the cold energy.

    [That fire!?]

    Petra recognized the source of the fire being emitted by the sword. The color of Petra¡¯s face changed couple times, but Maetel didn¡¯t pay attention to it. She immediately used eleration to charge the Demon!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want to end this quickly!¡±

    [I acknowledge that you have some spunk!]

    Arge ice spike shot out from the ground before Maetel could finish her ambush. She easily dodged the attack, but Petra had been aiming for this from the beginning. Cold air shot out from his hand as a whirlwind appeared in front of him. It pounced towards Maetel, who had jumped into the air!

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    [Koohk!?]

    The fact that she was in the air didn¡¯t mean that Maetel couldn¡¯t move freely. She used the power of the Hero sh, and a golden wing appeared behind her back. She used to the power of the wing to shoot forward like an arrow, and she dodged the whirlwind, which contained swirling ice crystals. She swung her me sword when she reached Petra.

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    Petra was surprised by her ridiculous reaction speed, but he was able to block her attack with an ice barrier. However, it couldn¡¯t withstand her attack for too long. His ice barrier melted.

    Petra knew his barrier hadn¡¯t failed, because the fire sword was excellent. His control hadn¡¯t dipped either. It was happening, because a simr yet different cold energy waspeting with his own power. His domain was being taken away by the presence of another magician.

    [What a shallow tactic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°You told us to attack you at the same time. Elrick and Sienna. You too, Sherryl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready..¡±

    ¡°You should just focus on interfering with his progress. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, oppa!¡±

    Petra created cold energy by decreasing the temperature of the Demonic energy to the extreme. He was born with a constitution that was resistant against the cold. This resistance held up against both the Demonic energy inside and outside his body. His bones, muscles and skin was being protected against the extreme cold.

    If one wanted to damage him, one had to prate the armor of cold energy around his body. The only one capable of doing that was Maetel, who was using the me sword.

    ¡°Divine Ground!¡±

    ¡°Earthquake!¡±

    This was why Sienna and Elrick didn¡¯t immediately attack Petra. While he was engaged against Maetel, Petra couldn¡¯t attack Sienna and Elrick in an aggressive manner. The two of them used this opportunity to destroy the ground beneath Petra!

    [Little pests!]

    As the ground shook, Petra lost bnce. He clicked his tongue as he used his magical energy to elevate his body into the air. When he flicked his hand, ice spikes shot out from the frozen ground. Sienna and Elrick deflected the ice spikes that wereing at them from all sides.

    Since Sienna and Elrick couldn¡¯t resist against the cold, they quickly retreated. It was enough of a diversion for Maetel. Maetel was able to read Petra¡¯s magical energy and movement in real time. She quickly ran simtions in her mind toe up with a n to dispatch Petra. She immediately put the n into action!

    ¡°It seems you faltered under the attack from the little pests. It seems you aren¡¯t that great!¡±

    [What a pathetic attempt at a taunt!]

    The cold energy around Petra¡¯s entire body turned into the shape of a Demon¡¯s w. It swiped at Maetel, but the me sword¡¯s power was being infused with Maetel¡¯s Mana. She easily melted the w.

    [Let¡¯s see how much ice that fake me can melt! Let¡¯s experiment!]

    Petra finally realized that he couldn¡¯t block her attacks using simple cold energy. He quickly spoke a spell as he called forth six enormous ice swords. This move was also a miscalction.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like experiments!¡±

    The cantrip for his spell was short, but the time was like an eternity to Maetel. In a sh, she activated eleration. She stabbed the longsword into his stomach. Petra couldn¡¯t dodge or block this attack.

    The sword wasn¡¯t able to prate fully, but it did wound him. Blue blood flowed out from his wound.

    [Koo-huhk!]

    He didn¡¯t remember thest time he had bled like this. It wasn¡¯t to say that he had never been wounded before. However, his blood was very cold. After the blood trickled out from his wound, it usually froze around the wound. This was why he had never seen his blood flow like this before.

    That wasn¡¯t the case right now. First, it was Regina¡¯s fault. She had significantly reduced the power of his cold energy. Secondly, Maetel was holding a me sword. When the sword impacted on his body, it pushed a powerful heat energy into his body, and it had melted his blood.

    [You bitch!]

    When the attacknded, Petra immediately used an escape Artifact. He left behind his six enormous swords behind as he distanced himself from Maetel. He shouted abuse towards Maetel.

    [This really is the power of Etna! You bastards probably coerced her! I won¡¯t forgive you, you bitch!]

    Maetel had lost her target, and she had been flung into the air. All the ice swords shot towards her. However, the ice swords couldn¡¯tplete their mission. Enormous waterspouts appeared in the air, and it deflected all the ice swords!

    ¡°My master doesn¡¯t threaten those that are innocent!¡±

    Sherryl¡¯s sonorous voice rang out when she arrived near them. As soon as she received her orders from Artpe, she had changed herself into bubbles. She travelled through the air as she hid herself.

    [What the hell¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ A mermaid!?]

    She couldn¡¯t damage the Demon with her power, but she had enough power to act as support for Maetel! The deflected swords arced towards Maetel like boomerangs. As response, Sherryl changed the direction of the waterspouts to deflect the ice swords once again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you freeze this water!¡±

    [Do you really think I can¡¯t do it!]

    In a sh, he bit hard on Sherryl¡¯s taunt. He took control of her waterspouts by freezing them. The counterattack didn¡¯t take long. However, it looked as if he was begging Maetel to stick him with her sword again.

    ¡°Eh-eet.¡±

    So she did as he wanted. She shot into the air. She used her momentum to stab the me sword through the underside of his chin.

    [Ggoo-ahk!]

    The me sword entered from beneath the chin. It pierced into his mouth then it lodge itself in the back of his head. Blue blood shot out. His blood froze in the air. The frozen blood looked like dots forming a small gxy.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhp!¡±

    Sienna had retreated to the back earlier, but she jumped into the air as if she had been waiting for this moment.

    The sledgehammer looked too heavy for her, yet she kept twirling it in one hand. She kept spinning it to increase the centrifugal force, and she swung it towards the Demon, who was falling to the ground. It was a clean hit! She hit the hilt of the sword, which was embedded in the Demon!

    [Ggoo-uhhhhhhhhhhhh!?]

    Momentum was transferred into the sword. The sword embedded itself deeper into his mouth, and it started to burn. Surprisingly, the Mana of an Evil Reflector was added to the sword when Sienna hit the sword. For a brief moment, she was sessful in creating a holy me!

    ¡°I did it! It is abination skill called ¡®Fire Baptism¡¯!¡±

    ¡°It feels as if everyone in our party is getting used to using each other¡¯s Mana¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    It was good news, but it sounded like something from the old tales where the protagonists shouted, ¡®One for all!¡¯, as theybined their powers. He didn¡¯t like it. Still, he had started this, so he couldn¡¯t object to it. Artpe let out a sigh of resignation as he raised one hand.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    While Maetel was fighting the Demon, he had extended hundreds of thousands of Mana Strings into the surrounding. At once, the Mana Strings wrapped tightly around Petra. Petra was like a bug caught by a spider. He couldn¡¯t even let out a scream as he thrashed his body.

    [!?]

    ¡°Good job everyone.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to change this guy into human too?¡±

    She had used a massive amount of Mana. She was taking deep breaths as she tilted her head in puzzlement. This Demon didn¡¯t look like a kind person. Artpe let out a bitterughter when he saw the expression on her face.

    ¡°I just have to confirm something with him.¡±

    [Oohp oohp oohp!!!]

    Petra was the so-called 1st ranked Four Heavenly King(ording to Artpe¡¯s memories), yet he had been caught so easily. He resisted against his bonds. He tried to convey to his captors that they wouldn¡¯t able to break his mind. He really looked like a worm at that moment.

    ¡°Hey, worm.¡±

    The following questions by Artpe made Petra throw away his lofty pride.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your shackles? How were you able to free your soul from the Demon King? Did you also join the previous Demon King¡¯s forces?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!!!]

    It was a super rare unique skill that could be used by the possessor of the Read All Creation ability, who was going through his second turn in life. It was called, ¡®H...how the hell do you know about that!?¡¯ skill

 Chapter 170 - A Mans Contract (3)

    Chapter 170 - A Man¡¯s Contract (3)

    ¡°If you answer my questions, you will no longer be in pain.¡±

    [!!!!]

    Petra wriggled his body in a vertical movement. He vigorously expressed his opinion through this method. He looked like a Wisp trying to express its emotion. It was quite funny, so Artpeughed as he slightly loosened the cocoon.

    [Fuck off¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!?]

    When he regained some control over his Mana, he tried to freeze Artpe with his cold energy. However, the cocoon ignited. It started to burn, and it caused tremendous pain to Petra.

    ¡°Our party¡¯s greatest strength is that we share our Mana and attributes. Isn¡¯t it awesome?¡±

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    It wasn¡¯t a simple me. It was the me of the Phoenix that was infused within the longsword. Moreover, Sienna¡¯s magical energy had been added too, and it had transformed into something that could be called a holy me. This me had manifested all along the cocoon! It was so painful that tears of blue blood started to pour out of Petra¡¯s eyes.

    [Ggoo-ooh, ggoo-hooooooooo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The me over the entire cocoon extinguished itself in short order, but a me continued to burn at the tail end of the cocoon. Moreover, Artpe still had a full reservoir of Mana. If he received help from his staff, he could easily create another me. It would be much bigger than the one from before. Hurray for the Materialization magic.

    ¡°You probably know this, but there won¡¯t be a second chance.¡±

    Artpe wasn¡¯t being stingy. It meant that Petra would die if he was hit with an attack simr to the one from before.

    [I¡¯m a Four Heavenly King¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Do you really think I¡¯ll cooperate with a hero? Foolish hero, you will lose against the power of the Demon realm....]

    ¡°I see. You do not serve the Demon King. Right? You said the Demon realm instead of the Demon King.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Arte spoke as he touched his neck. If he had a shackle, it would have been located exactly at that region. Of course, Petra knew what Artpe was referring to.

    [You bastard. How much.... Koohk. How much do you know¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°I told you what I know earlier. I know the Demon King keeps the Demon race in check using his Innate ability. This is how he normally controls the Demons. However, I also know that the previous Demon King¡¯s forces aren¡¯t fettered by the Demon King¡¯s shackles. This group is secretly working behind the scene. That is all I know. You should be fettered by the Demon King¡¯s shackle, yet you are free from it right now.¡±

    [You are merely a hero, so how...!?]

    ¡°How I found out about it isn¡¯t important. Well, let¡¯s continue our conversation. You probably didn¡¯t like your current situation, right? You finally reached a position that was directly beneath the Demon King, yet someone suddenly showed up to steal your spot. Moreover, the Absolute Control of the Demon King became untenable by this new group.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Artpe was making an educated guess to a certain extent. He had no proof that the previous Demon King¡¯s faction had interfered with the current Demon King. However, Artpe had killed a Demon in the ruin just now, and the Demon possessed more magical energy than Petra. This was why Artpe knew that Petra¡¯s original position had been threatened. He was able to deduce all this.

    ¡°Moreover, if I had to make a guess right now.... Did something happen to the current Demon King?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    When Artpe saw Petra¡¯s eyes widen, he came to the conclusion that something disastrous had happened to the current Demon King. There was no way that monster would be pushed around by a level 400 Demon. What the hell happened!

    Artpe sighed inment when he realized the whole situation had gone awry. Why did the previous Demon King¡¯s faction do nothing in his past life? Why only in this current life.....

    ¡°Wait moment.¡±

    At this point, he remembered the words of the previous hero Nanarai Bodra. His sunbae had always been obsessed with boasting about himself. He loved listing his aplishments. In all his boastings, did he explicitly write down the words, ¡®I killed the Demon King¡¯?

    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤he never did.

    ¡°Whoa. Wait a moment.¡±

    Shit. Why was he having such thoughts now? Artpe couldn¡¯t understand it himself, yet the idea had blossomed. It filled the space within his head.

    He nced at hisrades. They were looking at him with worried eyes. He red at Petra, who was dancing the twist within the cocoon. He asked Petra a question.

    ¡°Is the previous Demon King still alive?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Artpe was greeted by a long silence. Petra studied them, and in the end, he came up with an answer that would cause the most strife to Artpe¡¯s party. He put on a sincere sneer as he replied to Artpe¡¯s question.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what will you do if I said he¡¯s still alive?]

    ¡°My god.¡±

    Petra hadn¡¯t even thought about hiding his emotion. Artpe¡¯s head spun.

    He had firste up with the idea as a joke. Since there were two heroes, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if there were two Demon Kings. However, the vague idea had suddenly turned into something concrete. In the end, it had be reality.

    He didn¡¯t know what happened to the current Demon King. At the very least, it was clear that the previous Demon King was atrge on this world. Moreover, the previous Demon King was clearly stronger than the current Demon King! In the end, the arrogant sunbae-nim had been unable to kill the Demon King of his era!

    He had wondered why that sunbae bastard had prepared so many things for the future heroes. He had also talked about researching for a way to turn the Demons into humans, but in the end, the previous hero had been unable to properly finish the job! On top of it all, why was the previous Demon King attacking after all this time had passed?!

    ¡®Wait a moment. The dream I had in the past.... It was probably Maetel¡¯s memory from her past life. What did Regina say? There was something more horrible than the Demon King, and didn¡¯t she say that it had been released?¡¯

    He understood now that the previous Demon King had been freed in his past life. However, why did that event extend into his current life?! It felt as if the answer was at the tip of his tongue, but he could no longer think deeper on the subject. The current situation was already making his head hurt as is.

    [I won¡¯t tell you anything beyond this. I acknowledge that you guys are stronger than me. However, it is as I¡¯ve said before. You won¡¯t be able to ovee the Demon realm. In the end, everything will happen ording to his will. The human realm will turn into the Demon realm soon. The designation of humans and Demons will be meaningless.

    Now that you know this you can kill me. The only thing I regret is the fact that I cannot deliver the inevitable despair you will feel with my own hands.]

    ¡°Then Etna....¡±

    Artpe couldn¡¯t hold back his frustration, so he spat out his words. Petra, who had been readying for his own death, froze. His body stiffened.

    ¡°What happened to Etna? Where is she right now? Is she safe?¡±

    [You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    Artpe would never admit his feelings, but in that moment, Petra saw the emotion within Artpe¡¯s eyes. It was simr to the emotion he felt towards Etna.

    Aside from the sword nted in his neck, it was clear that there was a connection between Etna and Artpe. When Petra confirmed Artpe¡¯s feeling towards Etna, he forgot about his current situation. He let out words of derision.

    [Are you crazy?]

    He was in pain, yet he cackled. Heughed at Artpe with all his heart.

    [It is true that Etna isn¡¯t like other Demons in that she cares about the other races. She is a foolish woman, but.... She isn¡¯t foolish enough to ignore her true nature. She is undeniably a Demon. When the timees, she won¡¯t hesitate to burn you alive. This won¡¯t be the fault of the Absolute Control of the Demon King. It is the fate between the Demon race and the human race. You are the so called hero, yet you....]

    ¡°Stop spouting such nonsense. I asked you about her whereabout.¡±

    Artpe hadpletely ignored his words. This made Petra grind his teeth, and heughed more heartily.

    [There is only one thing you¡¯ll be able to do when you meet Etna. You will do what you are doing to me. You will kill Etna. Since you have that magician by your side, it¡¯ll be easy for you to kill her. That is why I won¡¯t tell you her location. I love her. Even if she doesn¡¯t want me, I want her to live on. I want her to be part of the new Demon realm.]

    It seemed Petra nned on saying nothing. In truth, Artpe had used the experience of his past life and his Read All Creation ability to fluster Petra. It had barely been enough to make Petra him talk. Now Petra clearly had an idea as to what Artpe wanted to know through Artpe¡¯s own words. The possibility of getting an answer to his question was close to nil.

    He now knew that the previous Demon King was still alive. He also learned that the current Demon King¡¯s position had been threatened. He might even be dead. Artpe would have to be satisfied with what he had learned. He would have to back off now.

    ¡°Artpe, you said it¡¯ll be too dangerous to linger here. Those were your words.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes, I did say that. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Artpe lifted a finger. If he raised his finger a little bit more, his Materialization magic would activate once again. It would tighten the Mana Strings, and Petra would be burned to death by the holy me.

    Before he did that....

    ¡°You call that love? You are merely a stalker.¡±

    [!?!?]

    He couldn¡¯t hold back the words he had always wanted to say to Petra. It was something he had pushed down in his past life. He had transitioned from being a Four Heavenly King into being a hero, and he was finally able to speak his mind.

    ¡°You never asked about what Etna wanted. Isn¡¯t that right? You probably have no idea what her thoughts are. She will act a certain way, because she is a Demon? It doesn¡¯t matter if one is born as a human or a Demon. We all want the same thing in life, dumbass. Etna hates fighting as much as she hates the endless fire that burns within her. Did you know that, you fucking idiot? For your information, she realllllllllllly hates you. You should take a hint at some point. I guess it is understandable, since you don¡¯t care what Etna thinks. You just pushed your unwanted feelings onto her. You probably don¡¯t know how much she hates you.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Each point brought up by Artpe couldn¡¯t be denied. Petra couldn¡¯t speak a single word at the bombardment of truth. Of course, this was the same for the members of Artpe¡¯s party. From their perspective, the hero sounded as if he knew the Four Heavenly King on a personal level! Amongst them, Maetel¡¯s eyes shone unusually bright.

    ¡°I see. Artpe knows Etna really well¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Unni!? The battle has ended, so why are you raising your sword!? Unni!?¡±

    Fortunately, Maetel¡¯s anger didn¡¯t have the chance to be directed at Artpe. Petra had opened his mouth before that could happen.

    [Do you really think you will be able to understand Etna? What will change for her even if you understood her? Will your position against her change? Will her position against you change?]

    ¡°It can be changed. You have no idea.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    In a sh, Petra became filled with anger when he saw the certainty in Artpe¡¯s eyes. They loved the same woman. As a malepeting for the same woman, he wanted to break Artpe in half. Petra realized that his love couldn¡¯t be realized, so he wanted to see this man despair in front of Etna. That was the only way he¡¯ll feel better.

    [Hero.]

    His death was imminent. In that moment, his pride as a man leapfrogged any ideology as a Demon.

    [Give me a Soul Contract. I will bring you in front of her at all cost. Let¡¯s see if you can speak those exact words to her!]

    For the first time in his life, Petra Dealeto Tekotooth deviate from the n.

 Chapter 171 - A Mans Contract (4)

    Chapter 171 - A Man¡¯s Contract (4)

    Artpe didn¡¯t know who and when he¡¯ll make a contract with. Therefore, he always carried around Soul Contracts.

    The Soul Contract required mutual consent, but it could be used by anyone with a soul. It could be human to human, Demon to Demon, human to Demon, human to spirits, etc. There was nothing more reliable than a Soul Contract.

    ¡°However, there is a downside to the Soul Contract. If the one signing the contract possesses too much magical energy, the power of the Soul Contract will have a hard time enforcing its terms. In such instances, the contractor¡¯s Mana is used to punish the other side. If one is short on Mana, a thorny situation urs. All your Mana gets sucked into the otherside.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Maetel signed at the bottom of the long contract. She nodded her head.

    ¡°That is why everyone in our party is signing the contract. We are co-signing the contract, so our Mana will act as auxiliary in case of emergency?¡±

    ¡°Our Maetel has be a lot smarter.¡±

    ¡°Compliments. Give me morepliments.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    As a gifted Demon, Petra had wanted to fuck over Artpe using this feature of the Soul Contract. However, Petra could only watch in silence as Artpe¡¯s whole party signed the Soul Contract. They cooperated toplete an excellent Soul Contract.

    He didn¡¯t know about the others, but Petra knew that he couldn¡¯t win against the massive amount of magical energy possessed by Artpe and Regina. Moreover, there was the girl with the cat ears. She seemed be from an anthropomorphic race, and he was having a hard time sensing her magical energy!

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go over the contract once again. Until Petrapletes this contract, he cannot directly and indirectly harm those that are designated to be allies of Artpe. Moreover, he cannot lie to them. Artpe will make the judgement if the terms are broken.¡±

    [This in an unfair contract!]

    ¡°Why are youining when you¡¯ve already signed it?¡±

    [Koo-oohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    He could no longer run away. Petra had put a noose around his neck when he acted out on an impulse. Petra let out a groan. Artpe had a cheerful expression on his face as he read the rest of the contract.

    ¡°Petra will guide Artpe and his party to Etna. He will protect her from any external factors that might influence her decision. If she refuses Artpe¡¯s offer of apanying him, Petra will be released from the contract. However, he will not be able to attack Artpe¡¯s party in this eventuality. If Etna makes it known that she will follow Artpe¡¯s will, Petra will carry out the will of this contract. He will follow Artpe¡¯s orders. Mmm. It is a great ve contract.¡±

    ¡°Artpe likes freedom. Is it ok for you to coerce someone like this? Is it ok to make him submit to you?¡±

    ¡°I believe that those, who are capable of thinking and acting for themselves, should be free. However, this guy doesn¡¯t deserve to think and act for himself. He is trash.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, Artpe.¡±

    Petra had been the one to suggest the contract, yet why did he feel aggrieved? Petra gritted his teeth as he had this thought.

    ¡®Anyways, you¡¯ll be able to see Etna for yourself, and you will be able to hear her will As a result, I¡¯ll have the chance to be freed from this contract. There is nothing for me to lose here.¡¯

    [I was released from the Absolute Control, but I am not sure if she was freed from it too. You realize this fact, right?]

    ¡°Of course. However, it won¡¯t be a problem. That won¡¯t get in the way of us being able to confirm her wishes.¡±

    Moreover, he hadpleted his research for the purpose of freeing her. It was a coboration between Artpe and sunbae-nim. He was able to create a type of remation magic.

    Petra had no idea as to why Artpe was so confident in his answer. However, he hade to a conclusion that they were talking past each other, so Petra decided to drop the conversation.

    [I guess I¡¯ll have to guide you to Etna. She hasn¡¯t returned after leaving for cia. We¡¯ll start our search there.]

    ¡°We already know about cia. As expected, you won¡¯t be of much help.¡±

    [That¡¯s not all. I can trace her tracks using my magic!]

    ¡°You are a stalker.¡±

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Artpe thought about the time he had met Etna in cia.

    She had been searching for the sculpture made out of the world¡¯s first ice. However, she had to wait outside the ruin, so she had left the rest up to Artpe. It happened when the party cleared the ruin. They were about to head out when a powerful Demon had attack the ruin. At the time, Artpe¡¯s party decided to retreat, and they had headed towards the underground world.

    At the time, Artpe assumed that Etna would team up with the newly arrived Demon. Both were of the Demon race, and Etna still had her shackles on. From what Artpe was hearing from Petra, it seemed he had assumed wrong.

    [After Etna carried out the Demon King¡¯s orders, she was given a vacation, and she was supposed to be left alone. It happened during that time. It is as you¡¯ve said. The previous Demon King¡¯s forces made contact with her. I believe they had made some n that would make sure that she headed towards cia. At the very least, they baited her there. She would be weakened in the northern continent, so they would be able to subdue her easily.]

    ¡°Damn it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The previous Demon King¡¯s forces had secretly baited a Four Heavenly king out of the Demon realm. They nned on subduing her. The purpose of this n was to weaken the Demon King¡¯s power. Basically, the past Demon King¡¯s forces was locking horns with the current Demon King¡¯s forces.

    It meant Artpe should have gone out to help her fight the other Demon! He had blindly assumed that the Demon would be on the same side as her. He had been an idiot! Of course, his assumptions had made sense at the time!

    ¡®No. At the time, I hadn¡¯t perfected my remation magic. I took the preferable path. We were able to take care of the Evil Heart thanks to the Winter Queen, and I was able toplete the remation magic. It isn¡¯t toote if Etna remains unharmed.¡¯

    Artpe decided to stop beating himself up, and he focused on Petra¡¯s words.

    [However, she won¡¯t fall so easily.]

    It was easy to discern why Petra thought that way. Artpe¡¯s party had arrived on the northern continent with impable timing. The Demon, who hade to subdue Etna, had be confused by his party¡¯s presence.

    ¡®He had to destroy the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin on top of subduing Etna. He failed by attempting to aplish both task at the same time. When Etna saw the Demon, she probably realized what was going on.¡¯

    He finally had a full picture on what was going on. He just had to work under the assumption that the Demon realm was split into two. It couldn¡¯t be more clearer than this.

    [The spy was amongst the Four Heavenly King. The one that recently rose to the highest rank amongst the Four Heavenly King was the traitor.]

    Petra gave a short description of the new Four Heavenly King. There was only one new information Artpe was able to learn from Petra. He had met the new Four Heavenly King before. When? It was when Artpe¡¯s party had entered Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin!

    ¡®All right. I¡¯ve eliminated oneplication.¡¯

    Artpe silently clenched his fist as he listened to Petra¡¯s exnation.

    [However, it was toote by the time we realized this fact. You guy killed Jeriet, who was working behind the scene, in Pdia. Etna went on the run after being attacked, and she hasn¡¯t returned yet....]

    Artpe thought Petra was crying. However, when he looked closer, he realized that Petra¡¯s blue skin had a red tint to it. It seemed Petra was embarrassed by what had happened.

    [Any meaningful force within the Demon King¡¯s castle was the Demon King and me. When the civil war was about to heat up, you guys destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle with your spell. The previous Demon King¡¯s forces used this opportunity to mount an all-out attack. You can guess what happened afterwards.]

    He never expected everything to be so connected!? While Artpe became dumbfounded, Petra continued to speak.

    [The governing power exchanged hands. I don¡¯t know what happened to the Demon King. I just know that my Absolute Control was dismissed. I lost all connection with the Demon King. Afterwards, the previous Demon King¡¯s faction assigned me to the region around the Demon King¡¯s castle. They split up as they headed towards various regions of the Demon realm. Since they¡¯ve captured the heart of the Demon realm, they said they¡¯ll search for an item out in the open now. I¡¯m not sure what they were searching for.]

    Petra didn¡¯t know about it, but Artpe knew what they were searching for. If he summarized the situation, Artpe¡¯s party had destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle, and it had helped the previous Demon King¡¯s faction expand their power base within the Demon realm. On the other hand, Artpe¡¯s party had acquired all the Evil Hearts, so he hadpletely messed up their n. As expected, life was fun!

    [I decided to cooperate with them for the sake of the Demon realm. Moreover, I believe Etna will make the same choice as me.]

    ¡°We¡¯ll know when we ask her. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    He turned around in an energetic manner, but none of his party members looked happy. Maetel spoke on behalf of everyone. She sounded sullen.

    ¡°In the end, we are fighting for that woman? It feels as if we are the bridesmaids.¡±

    ¡°If Etna joins our side, it¡¯ll be more beneficial than us leveling up couple levels. I want everyone to follow me without giving me lip.¡±

    ¡°We are returning to where we came from after eating the Evil Hearts in the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t all we did. We destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle. Our actions also precipitated an update to the forces of the Demon realm!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I liked it. Master is the best. Nyaa-ah.¡±

    It had always been like this after Artpe¡¯s party had started their adventure. Something always seemed a bit off. Artpe¡¯s party left as they had such thoughts. There was no sign of the Demon King, Four Heavenly Kings and the Demon King¡¯s castle. The only thing left was a scene of destion and ruin.

    On the other hand, the war between the human realm and Demon realm was intensifying as the days passed.

    The human alliance had been formed with the Zard Empire taking on a key role. Silpennon, who was the new king of Diaz, and the Dwarves also took an active role. They were able toplete the alliance. Even if the human realm was able to effectively gather their strength, the Demon King¡¯s army attacked with the intent of bulldozing everyone.

    While they were crossing the ocean, they had been unexpectedly attacked by the merfolk, so their number had been reduced drastically. However, they were still the Demon race.

    All the Demons were at least level 200, and a single Demon was able to wipe out a human battalion. The human realm didn¡¯t possess many powerful beings on par with the Demons. In the end, the Demons had to be killed one by one, and the casualties of the human soldiers were high. It was a war of attrition. It didn¡¯t matter which side won. The pain would be felt on both sides. As the war dragged on longer, the human realm became impoverished. People started losing their will to live.

    ¡°Move a bit faster! Can¡¯t you see them crawling towards us!?¡±

    ¡°The Demon reinforcement troop ising from 11 o¡¯clock! We need reinforcement too!¡±

    ¡°The holy priestess is sending up a prayer! All the injured should be moved close to her!¡±

    The battlefield was extremely loud. It didn¡¯t matter if one was at the top or the bottom of the hierarchy. It was hard to distinguish if one was a Demon or a human on the battlefield. Everyone was drenched in blood. It was hard to tell if an attack wasing from an ally or an enemy. Everyone just pushed forward.

    Silpennon was an extremely bright beacon of light amongst the chaos.

    Silpenon had faithfully followed the recipe created by Artpe. In the end, he had be the strongest at stealthy attacks, and he also didn¡¯t lose to anyone in a head-to-head contest. Once he showed up on the battlefield, he wiped out all his enemies. His allies were mesmerized by his bright red hair. Even if they hadn¡¯t received any special buffs, strength returned to their arms when they saw Silpennon. They were able to swing their swords again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break through the right side, so I want you guys to bunch there!¡±

    ¡°Understood, your majesty!¡±

    ¡°That person is the new king of Diaz¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Several dozen heads of Demons flew into the air each time his twin daggers split the air. The humans cheered each time they saw this. However, Silpennon felt himselfcking, so he continued to move faster.

    ¡®This ce isn¡¯t the only front line. I have to finish the fight here, and I have to go help the Elves.... Artpe, you bastard. Are you really aplishing something in the Demon realm?¡¯

    Was he perhaps only taking care of the Four Heavenly King?! Silpennon grinded his teeth as he turned around. At that moment, arge scythe mowed down the humans. A powerful Demon had made his entrance. It looked as if Demon was on a different levelpared to the other Demons.

    ¡®In the end, that bastard Artpe wasn¡¯t able to stop the Four Heavenly Kings either! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I can¡¯t win against him by myself.¡¯

    He made a quick judgement. He wasn¡¯t nning on running away. He had nned for such an eventuality. He had a contingency n where he would be able to gather all his party members, who were spread out all over the battlefield.

    ¡°Aria¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!?¡±

    Silpennon had been about to contact the holy priestess. However, an enormous scythe appeared in front of him. Silpennon was able to dodge the attack, but he couldn¡¯t stop hismunication Artifact from being destroyed..

    [I finally found you, young king of Diaz.]

    The Demon was truly fast as he arrived in front of Silpennon. He had a creepy voice. His voice sounded like a slithering snake. He spoke as he withdrew his hood. Of course, it was Silpennon¡¯s first time seeing this face.

    It should be the first time, yet.,...

    [Or¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Should I call you the thief of the hero¡¯s party, who had his ce stolen? Would that be easier?]

    Thebination of words spoken by the Demon had nothing to do with him, yet he felt a buzzing in his head when he heard the Demon¡¯s words. He came to a halt.

    The Demon just grinned as he watched Silpennon.

 Chapter 172 - A Mans Contract (5)

    Chapter 172 - A Man¡¯s Contract (5)

    [Did you do this?]

    The voice came from a very far ce. The hero snorted as she shook her head.

    ¡°Why would I do this? I thought you did it. We thought you became scared, so you called for your mommy. Do you really think I want to bring this story to an end? Are you arbitrarily trying to be the main character of this story?¡±

    [You cannot even defeat me, yet you want to tackle that? No, this story is iplete. It is a failure. Just watching this story had been absolutely boring, yet you want me to dance to your beat? I refuse.]

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll achieve it at all cost.¡±

    The hero spoke those words as she activated her Innate ability. The dumbfounded thief just watched as a bright gold light was emitted from the hero¡¯s body. He realized that she was using her Innate ability, which had been awakened within her by Regina.

    He couldn¡¯t just lie here like this. He had to get up, and he had to help her. It didn¡¯t matter what she nned on doing. He would always be by her side. He had delivered despair to her. Somehow, he¡¯ll create a bigger hope that¡¯ll overshadow that despair.

    However, he couldn¡¯t stand up.

    He couldn¡¯t get close to the light created by her.

    She hadn¡¯t looked back towards him even once.

    Even the Demon King didn¡¯t pay attention to him.

    He wasn¡¯t the main character. He was a minor character. No, it was worse. He was basically part of the background of this story. This was the thief¡¯s lot in life.

    Why was it like this? He always thought he would be able to be the hero¡¯s mate if he tried his best. He wanted to be the main character that stood by her side. He wanted to bring this story to an end with her. That was what he had thought. So why was it like this?

    Why were his actions so futile?

    [It seems you are very self aware of your own plight.]

    At that moment, an unidentifiable voice tickled the ears of the thief.

    [You are nothing. You are nothing to the hero. You are nothing to the Demon King. You are merely here by chance. You are nothing more than a prop in the background. You are always tiptoeing around on your feet. Doesn¡¯t it hurt?]

    ¡°You bastard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    After he spoke those words, he coughed out blood instead of air. He couldn¡¯t even turn his head to search for the being that was talking to him. However, he knew that this being was able to avoid detection from the hero and the Demon King.

    [Shall I tell you something that is surprising and fun? You future will be more miserable.]

    ¡®Miserable¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? I¡¯m already dying here in a miserable fashion, so how can it be more miserable?¡¯

    [The world will be rewritten soon. Surprisingly, it will be rewritten by the man you just killed. When he died, he had awakened his power. This power was so powerful that the Demon King couldn¡¯t do anything against it. The man I serve couldn¡¯t do anything against it. We are being swept away by that power.]

    ¡®That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ How is that possible¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    [It is the power of the Innate Ability. The hero has one, and the current Demon King has one. My master, who is the one and only Demon King, has one. However, you don¡¯t have one. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you would have been swept up in that power, and you would have been none the wiser.]

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    When he heard those words, the thief¡¯s heart cooled. Until now, he had epted his lot in life as a given. Now the difference in his abilitiespared to the others started to feel absurd.

    He also knew why it was like this. He knew it very well.

    [Even if you give it your all, you cannot leapfrog the hero. It doesn¡¯t matter how hard you try. She won¡¯t look at you. It¡¯ll be the same next time. The world will start once again, yet your turn will nevere. Everything will be the same or your lot in life will be worse. If you are lucky, you might be able to stand on the main stage. It is truly humorous! Yes, that man loved the hero. Maybe, he will chase you out, and he might upy the spot next to the hero!]

    ¡®Funny¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It really is......hrious.¡¯

    A cold rage bloomed within his heart. Where could he direct that anger? Should he direct it towards the Four Heavenly King Petra, who had put him down like this? Should it be directed towards the Demon King, who didn¡¯t even consider him to be an enemy? Or should it be directed towards the hero? He had given it all trying to win her heart, yet in the end, she hadn¡¯t even turned around to look at him.

    Maybe, it should be directed towards the man that stole the hero¡¯s heart. He was an enemy, yet he hadn¡¯t relinquished her heart.

    [What are you? You were born without a meaningful purpose, and your life had led up to nothing. What are you supposed to call that? Can you really call that a life worth living? Are you satisfied with it? You probably won¡¯t appear in the hero¡¯s story again, and your death is inevitable. Is your death any different from amon soldier that had his throat pierced by a Demon of the Demon King¡¯s army?]

    ¡®I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    The thief had been born to an exceptional station in life, and he had lived an exceptional life. When he met the hero, he believed his life would be more special. In truth, he had worked very hard to make his life special. In the end, he had failed.

    Now he had to go back? The status he had achieved will be taken away from him too?

    [Do you want to repeat such a life again? In the end, you¡¯ll probably live a more ugly life. Is that eptable to you? Will you take that lying down?]

    ¡®You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What do you want to say to me?¡¯

    [What if I said that there is a different way to live your life? Shouldn¡¯t you pursue that different path?]

    ¡®Live....a different way?¡¯

    It felt as if his world was falling apart. The thief¡¯s world was crumbling apart. He didn¡¯t know if the world was falling apart, but he knew it was the end for him.

    The end of the world was being rolled back like a scroll being curled back on itself. The Demon King realized what was going on, and he was astonished by the development. The hero was the only one that seemed to have predicted this. She kept increasing the size of her golden light. As expected, she was the main character that shone brilliantly in any situation. She wasn¡¯t swept up by this new development. Instead, she was using this new development to her advantage.

    She was different from him. In the end, he wasn¡¯t able to stand next to the hero¡¯s side.

    She wouldn¡¯t stand by his side.

    [Steal her. You just have to take what you want. You kill those that get in your way. Ah. You actually tried that already. We will give you a more suitable position. We have the power to do that. We¡¯ll make it so that you¡¯ll be able to possess the hero.]

    ¡®The hero¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    [You don¡¯t have much time. We did our best to make the minimum preparation. You have to choose quickly. Do you want to apany us? We just want to dye the human realm in a more effective manner. If you stand at the vanguard of our efforts, we can give many things beyond your imagination.]

    ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    The thief couldn¡¯t remember which choice he had made. The only thing he could remember was thest voice he had heard.

    [If that is your choice, I¡¯ll hold your memory in trust for the day when we meet again.]

    ¡°My spot was stolen away?¡±

    Silpennon answered as if nothing was wrong, but he was letting out cold sweat. He had be very sensitive to Mana, so he was able to size up his enemy through the Demonic energy leaking out from the Demon. At the very least, the Demon was 10 levels higher than him.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why he was letting out cold sweat. Something about this Demon was ominous. Silpennon had always thought he was standing on solid ground, but after meeting this Demon, it felt as if he was standing in a swamp. His legs were unsteady, and it worried him.

    [You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. I just want to have a conversation with you.]

    ¡°If you wanted to have a conversation with me, I would have preferred it if you had sent an envoy to my pce.¡±

    As he spoke those words, Silpennon started to retreat little by little. He wanted to lure the Demon towards a location where there were no soldiers. Of course, his opponent knew what he was trying to do. The Demon didn¡¯t care if the small fishes died or not. He went along with Silpennon¡¯s y.

    [You are much stronger than your past self. You¡¯ve be very powerful.]

    ¡°Past? This is the first time I¡¯m meeting you.¡±

    [I see. You are still stuck in a minor role.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon hesitated when he heard the Demon¡¯s words. It was as if he didn¡¯t have total control over his body. He gritted his teeth as he activated his Mana with all his strength. The Demon snorted when he saw this.

    [You should think hard on it. We¡¯ve already had this conversation before. Do you not remember the choice you have made?]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but I think I¡¯m suffering from dementia. If I wronged those that are normally around me, maybe I should go around apologizing in advance?¡±

    Silpennon had learned the skill to provoke his enemies from Artpe, and he had worked on it! The problem was the fact that he always learned such useless skills. He grumbled to himself as he rxed his body. The enemy surprisingly smiled when he observed Silpennon¡¯s action.

    [You are mimicking him. Are you doing it so that you¡¯ll be able to get closer to the hero?]

    He hesitated once again. At this point, Silpennon was sure that the Demon knew about his feelings. It was quite unpleasant. He had seen this bastard for the first time, yet this Demon acted if he knew Silpennon¡¯s inner thoughts and feelings. It pissed him off.

    ¡°I really hate adventures....¡±

    He had no choice. He mumbled to himself as he adjusted his stance. He hit his daggers against each other to create a spark. He had found this Artifact from a ruin pointed out by Artpe. It was a twin dagger called the Thunder God¡¯s Rage.

    [I see. You really don¡¯t know anything. As expected, you are merely a prop in the background. Nothing has changed. If so, I¡¯ll have to make you remember your contract.]

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    When he sensed the Demon approach him, Silpennon moved very fast as he crossed his daggers. He created a clone, and his clone blocked the scythe. In a sh, an enormous thunderbolt appeared, and it hit the Demon!

    [Oh oh. How thrilling. However, you¡¯ll feel something more exhrating. Right?]

    ¡°Koo-hoohk!?¡±

    If it was a normal battle, this was the best y Silpennon could have made. He had used the highest ranked Unique skill of a thief. It allowed him to attack and defend at the same time using clones. Moreover, the Artifact was imbued with the property of thunder. Silpennon¡¯s dodge was perfect.

    ¡°Ggoo-oooooooohk!?¡±

    However, his enemy didn¡¯t care what he did. It didn¡¯t matter if it was Silpennon, his Mana or his clone. Everything was fine if the Demon was able to make contact with his Record.

    ¡°This¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What the hell is this! Maetel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!? Koohk! Why was I at the Demon King¡¯s castle! My memories...shit! What the hell did you do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    It had been enough for the Demon to activate his Innate Ability called Record Keeping.

 Chapter 173 - A Mans Contract (6)

    Chapter 173 - A Man¡¯s Contract (6)

    [Do you remember everything now?]

    ¡°Remember¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? What the hell did you do!¡±

    The inside of his head was a confused mess, so he couldn¡¯t speak properly. The numerous memories became mixed with his current memories. It made him doubt if he was really here at all.

    [You were the thief of the hero¡¯s party, and you went through countless adventures with Maetel. In the end, you guys lost at the Demon King¡¯s castle. You fell.]

    ¡°You are talking nonsense¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He refuted the Demon¡¯s words on instinct, but he could clear see the scene inside his head. The Maetel in his memory was a bit more mature than the Maetel he currently knew. He had stood next to her, and he could see his otherrades too. However, Artpe was missing from that scene.

    [There is no such thing as a second hero. You were the hero¡¯s partner. At the very least, you thought of yourself as her partner.]

    However, that wasn¡¯t true. The hero Maetel hadn¡¯t treated Silpennon any different from her otherrades. He had merely been her friend. In the end, she hadn¡¯t even tried to bring him along into the battlefield. From beginning to end, Silpennon had merely been the bridesmaid.

    She only loved the man, who had appeared in front of her as an enemy. It seemed the man had felt the same way towards Maetel. Silpennon had be jealous, and he had stabbed that man to death. He justified it to himself by saying that he had done it for the hero.

    [However, his awakening paved the way for us. It is truly ironic. He earned the chance at reversing the world, but it also meant that everyone became swept up in his power.]

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had gained these memories thanks to that damned Demon. In his memories, Artpe wasn¡¯t the hero. He was the Four Heavenly King. He still looked disgustingly handsome, but his position in life differed greatly. In the end, he had died facing the hero¡¯s party. In this current reality, Artpe was....

    [You know this isn¡¯t a lie. You¡¯ve already realized that this is the truth. Doesn¡¯t that man have way too much knowledge about everything? Haven¡¯t you experienced numerous events that couldn¡¯t be exined away by him being wise?]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s weapon had been moving towards the enemy, but at some point, he hade to a stop. It would be easy for him to dismiss this as nonsense, but a different will was inside his head. This other will stopped him from dismissing the Demon¡¯s assertion. It made him continue the conversation with the Demon.

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ He tricked me?¡±

    [To be precise, he is duping the entire world. He used to be the Four Heavenly King in the Demon King¡¯s army. He changed the world to his taste, and he is putting on an act of being the hero. Howughable is that?! You deserve to be next to the hero¡¯s side, yet he separated you from her. He took possession of the hero. How can I notugh?!]

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    His head hurt once again. The past.... No, the memories and the consciousness from before the reversal of this world was slowly encroaching on his current self.

    [My Innate ability is called Record Keeping. That is why I wasn¡¯tpletely swept up by his power. I preserved his majesty¡¯s Record, and I also took possession of your Record. You probably know why I did that.]

    The envoyughed.

    [I want you to think about the answer you gave. Didn¡¯t you say you are with us?]

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had despaired at his hopeless and shabby situation. He was disappointed at the hero, who hadn¡¯t even nced towards him. He hated Artpe, who had been reborn through his death.

    That¡¯s right. The thief Silpennon had epted the envoy¡¯s proposal.

    [Everything has been prepared. There¡¯s only one change in the variable. I was going to give your your past life¡¯s Record, and I was going to strengthen you. However, you were tricked into following that man. You¡¯ve already gained power. However, the power you¡¯ve acquired will be used to stab that man once again. How funny is that?]

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Why me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [You possess the true bloodline of Diaz. You have enough power to be a central figure for the humans. If you join the side of the Demon race, it won¡¯t be necessary to kill numerous humans.]

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    When Silpennon replied in a dumbfounded manner, the Demon spoke with a truly satisfied smile on his face.

    [That¡¯s right. In the end, they will all be vassals under his majesty, so why would we exterminate all of them?]

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    [It is quite simple. Everyone will be a Demon. If everyone bes the same, there will be no reason for the humans and Demons to fight. The human realm will turn into the Demon realm. The two realm will no longer be divided.]

    ¡°What are you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    In an instant, Silpennon felt a silence descend around him. The envoy¡¯s words echoed in his ears. Whether it was possible was secondary, Silpennon could feel that the Demon truly believed in his words. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by it.

    ¡°That kind of tyranny¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Do you really think we¡¯ll let you do as you like?!¡±

    Silpennon grinded his teeth as he yelled out. His mind, which had be fuzzy, regained some of its rity. He couldn¡¯t be swayed by such nebulous story like his past life. He was a king responsible for the lives of countless humans, and he was a warrior!

    It seemed the envoy was truly enjoying his reaction.

    [The Demons live longer than humans, and we are more powerful. Why would humans refuse to be Demons?]

    ¡°You are going to use such reasoning to turn all humans into Demons? Are you nuts...?¡±

    [Change? We are just finishing what humans wanted in the first ce.]

    ¡°They wanted it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s instinct sounded an rm. It as telling him that this was as far as he should listen to the Demon¡¯s words. He tried attacking the Demon, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t ovee the skill gap between the Demon and him. He once again created a thunderbolt with his daggers, but the Demon easily blocked it. The Demon snickered.

    [The past humans wanted to be strong, and they wanted longevity. No, the current humans want the same thing too.]

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    [They put their heart and soul into solving this problem. After countless years, the humans found a method that worked. It was to twist the Mana to cause a change in one¡¯s body. Basically, it was an evolution. It was a stronger and more destructive form of Mana, but it created a superior body. It gave them longevity. Not all could achieve this evolution. However, the ones that were born anew had gained what they had wished for.]

    ¡°I told you that I don¡¯t believe you!¡±

    [You already know this to be true. They became the Demon race. The Demon race and the Demon realm were created by the hands of humans.]

    ¡°No!¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be. The Demons were like the Elves and Dwarves. They were races separate from the human race. This Demon was just lying to him. The memories, which was forcefully inserted into him, were a lie. That¡¯s right. It was all a lie!

    [You don¡¯t need to swing your des against me. Haven¡¯t you already decided to work with me?]

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ No. You want to make humans into Demons? I cannot participate in such work.¡±

    Even if it wasn¡¯t a lie, it didn¡¯t matter. He was well aware of the nature of the Demon race. He knew it very well. The Demon had injected memories into Silpennon, and Silpennon was able to bring up relevant memories to this topic. It was a society where the strong preyed upon the weak. It was a world where instinct was valued over logic. Power was the only thing that could keep such a world in order!

    Maybe, a part of humanity wanted to be Demons. It was possible. However, it wasn¡¯t something humanity as a whole had wanted. It wasn¡¯t a decision that should be made by a small number of supreme beings!

    The envoy didn¡¯t care if Silpennon¡¯s ill feeling towards him was deepening. In the end, Silpennon had no choice, but to listen to the Demon.

    [We¡¯ll give them all to your care. We just want to unite the world. We aren¡¯t interested in ruling the weak.]

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll believe that?¡±

    [I don¡¯t really have a reason to lie. Are you not satisfied with being given the people of this realm? If so¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ All right. I¡¯ll give her to you too.]

    ¡°Her¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s movement came to a stop as if by magic. It was as if he had been struck by lightning. He had a crush on Maetel as soon as he had met her. The memories from his past life had been transferred to Silpennon through the envoy¡¯s ability, and it dominated his mind.

    An extremely pleased smile appeared on the envoy¡¯s lips.

    [Originally, the hero Maetel was fated to die. However, we¡¯ll spare her if you cooperate with us. You just have to present us with the humans. We¡¯ll spare her, and we¡¯ll give her to you.]

    ¡°She is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [There is the one that took possession of the hero¡¯s heart. He coveted the ce that isn¡¯t his, and he turned back the world. I¡¯ll help you kill the second hero Artpe. You will be able to kill him with your own hands, and everything you wanted will be yours. As a price, the human realm will be turned into the Demon realm. You have to help out a little bit on that.]

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve regained your memories, so you know this. You know how vile and deceitful that bastard is. You also know how much you hate him as a man....]

    The Demon was right. He hadn¡¯t said a single lie. Silpennon from his previous life had wanted to kill Artpe. His heart had been filled with that desire.

    Moreover, Silpennon for him previous life had learned about his own miserable situation when his life wasing to an end. He had believed Artpe was dead, yet Artpe was able to change the world after awakening to his Innate ability. The feeling of unfairness had reached a boiling point.

    However, did these feelings dominate the current Silpennon¡¯s heart? In truth, it wasn¡¯t like that at all.

    ¡®You can leave the Demon King¡¯s castle to me. You should protect yournd and your people.¡¯

    Before he had risen to the throne of Diaz, Artpe had talked to him using themunication Artifact. Silpennon hadn¡¯t forgotten Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡®Also, you should be nice to Aria and Leseti. From my experience, there is nothing more scary than a woman¡¯s enmity.¡¯

    Artpe had spoken as if he was showing off his rtionship with Maetel. He teased Silpennon, but at the same time, Artpe had given him advice. That wasn¡¯t all. If one looked over Artpe actions, all this actions had been for the people around him.

    Artpe knew everything, yet he was best at seeing into the heart of people. He looked like he was always doing everything for himself, but his actions resulted in being beneficial to other people. One could tell that he was considerate towards others.

    ¡®Can I really call him a fraud? Even if Artpe had been the Four Heavenly King, do I have reason to condemn the current Artpe?¡¯

    Artpe was a leader of people. Everyone that followed him seemed tough. Maetel¡¯s sole reason for living was for Artpe. All the people that joined Artpe¡¯s party had deep feelings for Artpe. They weren¡¯t following Artpe, because they were coerced.

    If Artpe used his incredible power to cause change to this world, and let¡¯s say he had ced himself at the heart of the world. What if he rose to a position where he was adored by everyone?

    Would it be right for Silpennon to kill him again? He loved Maetel, but should he forcefully steal Maetel for himself? Should he cooperate with the Demons? Was that what he really wanted?

    In the first ce, did Artpe want to be affiliated with the Demon King¡¯s army? He was born as a Demon, yet did he want to fight against humanity? Silpennon had the memories from his past life, so he could find the answer. All Demons had been shackled by the Absolute Control!

    What did Maetel from his previous life say to Artpe? What did she say when she met the tired and sad Artpe? What did Artpe say to her?

    ¡®Should I really carry all the feelings I had in my previous life into this current life? If I merge those feelings into my current feeling, will I be able to ept everything about myself? Am I confident that I won¡¯t regret it? I know what it is like to love, yet do I have the right to steal away someone else¡¯s love?¡¯

    Above all else...

    Is the choice made by Silpennon from his previous life the best choice for the current Silpennon?

    ¡°My answer¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡±

    [I guess you are ready to give me your answer.]

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Silpennon lowered his head then he raised it. The two daggers in his hands let out a blinding blue light. Even if he was a high level Demon, he became blinded for a brief moment by the light!

    [Refuse!? Foolish human! You felt so much despair and anger, yet you refuse.... Koohk!?]

    After his vision returned, the Demon gritted his teeth as he red at Silpennon. However, Silpennon was no longer alone.

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhhhh. He¡¯s an incredibly strong Demon! I shouldn¡¯t havee here!¡±

    ¡°Shit. What a crappy life I live¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Hoo, hoo-hue-hue. An additional bonus¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! If I¡¯m able kill that bastard, I can catch Artpe-nim by the scruff!¡±

    ¡°Mr Silpennon, we weren¡¯t toote!?¡±

    There was the guardian knight, who had apanied him through his whole life. There was the ck magician that share an ill-fated rtionship with him. However, he grown to have affection for the ck magician. Then there was the merchant ajumma. He had known her for quite a while, yet her appearance and mind hadn¡¯t changed.

    Lastly, there was the girl, who mistrusted him, yet she continued to follow him. She was the holy priestess, who used to be a servant.

    When Silpennon was added to these four members, another hero¡¯s party was born. It didn¡¯t matter what others said. This was Silpennon¡¯s party.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found someone that is more precious to me than Maetel.¡±

    [You bastard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    The thunderbolt hadn¡¯t been meant to harm the Demon. It was a signal that called in hisrades. When the Demon btedly realized this fact, he raged as he bared his teeth. Silpennon let out a gleefulughter as he took hisbat stance. The holy priestess quickly used her Blessing to increase his abilities.

    The thief from the previous life had be the young king of a nation in his current life.

    After finding out the whole truth, he had chosen his current life. When he did so, his daggers let out a much more brilliant light.

 Chapter 174 - Phoenixs Daughter (1)

    Chapter 174 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (1)

    [Foolish bastard! Since you possessed great qualities for bing a Demon, I was going to give you special treatment. In the end, you made the wrong choice!]

    ¡°What a load of rubbish.¡±

    Silpennon had made up his mind. Silpennon brushed aside the Demon¡¯s words.

    ¡°The only good Demon is a dead Demon.¡±

    [Ha!]

    Silpennon¡¯s daggers shed in the air with the Demon¡¯s scythe. Silpennon was still at a disadvantage, but the difference between the two wasn¡¯t stark at all. How could someone change so much in a short amount of time? The holy priestess¡¯ buff was strengthening Silpennon, but that shouldn¡¯t have made this much of a difference. It was difficult for the Demon to exin the change.

    [You bastard¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    The Demon had a realization. Silpennon¡¯s movement was changing at a fundamental level. It was especially noticeable to the Demon¡¯s eyes that several of Silpennon¡¯s skill was being strengthened in an instant

    [Is it the Record I returned to you?!]

    ¡°If you are bitter about it, you can try to take it back.¡±

    It was impossible. The Demon hadn¡¯t put any constraints when he returned Silpennon¡¯s Record. When taking someone¡¯s Record, it was only possible if there was mutual consent. It seemed Silpennon also knew this.

    [In the past, you wholeheartedly epted our offer. Why are you opposing me!?]

    ¡°My past self was also opposed to the Demon race.¡±

    [Then what is your answer in regards to the hero Maetel and Artpe?!]

    ¡°Those two are my friends.¡±

    The answer was so straightforward that he looked like an idiot for worrying about it. He nimbly swung his daggers as he used a skill. He charged towards the Demon.

    ¡°There is no way I¡¯ll kill my friends, you bitch!¡±

    [You know everything, yet you foolishly choose to stand on the side of humanity! We don¡¯t need you to swallow up the human world. As a result of this, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll die in the most humiliating and miserable fashion!]

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Silpennon¡¯s voice. It was Aria¡¯s voice. She had no idea what the two were talking about, but she was sure the Demon had just insulted Silpennon!

    She could insult him, but others couldn¡¯t insult Silpennon. She was firm in this belief as she attacked the Demon with her holy spell. Of course, the level difference wasrge, so the attack wasn¡¯t that effective. However, it made the Demon flinch for a brief moment. In the next moment, Leseti charged the Demon from the front. Deyus and Mycenae attacked from long range.

    [This is your choice. In the end, you are deceiving yourself. You are acting as if you are satisfied with what you already have.]

    An ominous light was emitted from the scythe, and the Demon pushed aside the party¡¯s attack in one sweep. Sipennon ran within the shadows as he tried to stick his daggers into the Demon¡¯s leg. However, his attack was neutralized when the Demon detonated his Demonic energy.

    [Alright. This will also be a source of entertainment. By killing you guys here, it¡¯ll create despair within the hearts of humans! It¡¯ll help us break down morale amongst the humans!]

    ¡°Mr Silpennon! Eeek, unni!¡±

    ¡°Eh-whew!¡±

    When the Demon swung his scythe, several dozen Mana des glinting with darkness appeared from within. It attacked Silpennon, who had been rolling on the ground. The only one within the party with a shield was Leseti. She was able to block the attack. The Demon hadn¡¯t put much effort into creating this attack, yet Leseti had to use all her strength to block each blow. The Demon¡¯s blows were too heavy.

    ¡°He¡¯s a monster!¡±

    ¡°Endure it, Leseti! If we let this bastard do as he likes, he¡¯ll clear this battlefield by himself!¡±

    Silpennon quickly got up, and he took his stance. A blue aura started burning up his daggers. Of course, this aura extended up to his arms. Until now, his ability had beencking to use this skill.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [You have spunk, but an attack of that caliber can¡¯t...... Hoohp!]

    ¡°Great. This counts as 10 golds to my ount.¡±

    Mycenae¡¯s arrow flew true as it took off the Demon¡¯s hood. When the Demon instinctively flinched backwards, Silpennon¡¯s attack hit squarely on his face. A fierce spark appeared, and the Demon couldn¡¯t hold back a groan.

    [Koo-hoohp!?]

    ¡°Alright. The attack was effective. Aria!¡±

    ¡°Oh god, your servant sends her fervent wish. Please give blessing to this being, who was twisted in an evil manner!¡±

    It was the most holy blessing that Aria could use, and it came down on the Demon. As a holy priestess, this was also the strongest attack she could use against a Demon!

    The holy power considered the Demon race to be ¡®twisted¡¯ and ¡®wrong¡¯. This was why the power of the blessing tried to revert the Demons to their original form. As a result, the amount of Demonic energy possessed by the Demon decreased, and his ability to heal from a wound was dyed!

    ¡®If I think about it, it is obvious as to why Demons be tormented by the presence of holy energy. If humans were changed into Demons, it is obvious that they aren¡¯t in their true form!¡¯

    The divine will didn¡¯t have hold over the Demon race.

    Silpennon still had deep hatred from his previous life dying his heart. However, Aria was looking straight at him with worry in her eyes. He was able to slough off those nasty emotions.

    [You brats! You little maggots dare do this to me!]

    ¡°Good. You are starting to drop archetypal lines!¡±

    It was as Artpe always said. When someone that looked capable started to spit outmon lines of a viin, one had to no longer worry about that enemy! At this moment, it was funny that he had thought about Artpe¡¯s words. However, if one thought about the rtionship he developed with Artpe in this life, it was quite natural.

    ¡®You better be prepared for meter, Artpe.¡¯

    He wanted to get the whole story from Artpe. Moreover, Silpennon was going to put his emotions from his past life into making a confession to Maetel. He¡¯ll confess, and he¡¯ll be turned down. He¡¯ll be able to make a clean break. He knew who was most important to him right now. Despite this fact, he still had the emotions that he had amassed over a very long time. He won¡¯t be able to go forward without settling that issue.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He was determined to kill this Demon at all cost.

    [I¡¯l kill you, thief!]

    ¡°Koohk!?¡±

    The Demon swung his scythe in a wide arc as he bled. He was able to repel Leseti. Then he swatted aside the attacks sent by Deyus and Mycenae. He charged towards Silpennon. He did so, because he knew who was the nucleus of this party.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.¡±

    Silpennon took a deep breath, then he faced the Demon with daggers in his hands. If he shed straight on with the Demon, his weapons or his arms would break. It was an either or proposition. He was well aware of this fact. Despite knowing this, he didn¡¯t retreat.

    ¡®I was lower in level in my previous life.¡¯

    However, Silpennon from his past life had been on many adventures with the hero for a very long period of time, and he had worked on perfecting his skills. Of course, the current Silpennon had followed Artpe¡¯s recipe, so he had learned various thief skills. He had trained hard at perfecting those skills, but he had too little time to train for those skillspared to his past life. The difference was stark. Currently, he decided to ept his past life at face value, and he decided to kill his enemy by making the best use of the experience he had gained. His current self had overwhelmingly higher levelpared to his past self, yet his past self was much more proficient in his skills. If he couldbine the best of both life, he could create a new possibility.

    [I¡¯ll harvest your worthless lives!]

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    The twin daggers shed in the air, and a brilliant white light appeared. It wasn¡¯t just light. The materialized Mana turned into thunder as it exploded. It was sent towards the envoy.

    The envoy had somewhat predicted this attack, so he had prepared a barrier spell beforehand. He pushed the barrier spell forward. When Silpennon was stalled by the barrier, the envoy nned on cutting off Silpennon¡¯s head.

    [Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    After locating Silpennon, he was about to swing his scythe, but he realized that his hands were empty.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    [Koohk!?]

    Silpennon¡¯s dagger impacted on the defenseless chest of the Demon, and a powerful thunderbolt flowed into the Demon. On his other hand, Silpennon wasn¡¯t holding his other dagger. He was holding the Demon¡¯s scythe.

    ¡°Loot! Buy it from me, Mycenae!¡±

    ¡°epted!¡±

    The deal urred at lightning speed. In a sh, Mycenae took possession of the scythe, and she put it away in her Dimensional pocket. The Demon was so taken aback that he wasn¡¯t able to say anything. At that moment, an additional attack impacted on the Demon. It sounded as if a drum was being hit.

    [How dare you take that from my hands¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    ¡°You said it yourself. I am the thief of the hero¡¯s party. Moreover, a thief¡¯s specialty is to steal. My status in life doesn¡¯t prove my skill. I always made sure my skill proves my station in life.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t done it solely for Maetel¡¯s attention. It was the same in his past life and current life. He always had responsibilities on his shoulders, and he had worked really hard to acquire what he wanted.

    Silpennon from past life hadbined with the current Silpennon. It awoke the abilities that he needed right now.

    [Even if I don¡¯t have a weapon, I can kill you with magic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll just steal that too!¡±

    Silpennon once again charged forward. He no longer was using his twin daggers. The twin daggers had been a smokescreen. It was used to hide his true ability. As a true thief, he needed one hand free.

    [You dare interfere with Four Heavenly King Dios¡¯ power!]

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    The Demon revealed his name as being Dios. He let out a short cantrip to create a spear made out of Demonic energy. Heughed boldly as he faced Silpennon.

    The Demon was most definitely powerful. His Innate ability was unique, and it was powerful enough to twistmon sense.

    ¡°Still, your power isn¡¯t geared towards battle, right?¡±

    [It depends on how I use it. It can be used in battle.... You bastard.]

    At that moment, Dios finally realized something. His eyes widened. However, it was already toote. Silpennon had received support from the holy priestess, so his ability had risen to its zenith. The thunder dagger was in one hand, and he extended his free hand. He took on Dios¡¯ attack.

    [Ggoo-hahk!?]

    In the next moment, Dios lost the spear made out of pure Demonic energy. That wasn¡¯t all. The Demonic energy from the spear had been connected to him. It was ripped out of him, and it had caused massive damage to him.

    It defiedmon sense, so Dios couldn¡¯t have anticipated this attack. At the very least, Dios realized that it was skill that wouldn¡¯t make sense even if it was exined to him.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Afterwards, the Demonic energy that was ripped away from the Demon was transformed into thunder., Silpennon¡¯s dagger was embedded deep into Dios¡¯ chest. He detonated the massive energy within his chest.

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°If I use your power, I can make it into an offensive power.¡±

    The counter had contained Dios¡¯ power. In the end, the Demon fell to his knees. Silpennon¡¯s party didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. Leseti, Mycenae, Deyus and Aria focused their attack, and they cut away at teh Demon¡¯s life force.

    The fact that they were overwhelming a Demon that was over 10 levels higher was a miracle in itself. Or maybe....

    ¡°Are you perhaps....¡±

    Silpennon twisted the dagger embedded in his chest. He asked the Demon a question.

    ¡°In your organization, are you called the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings?¡±

    [How did you know that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    In the previous Demon King¡¯s army, Dios had been known as the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. He was in charge of keeping Records. Dios grinded his teeth. Silpennon had just asked it for curiosity sake. He smacked his lips as he stuck the dagger into the Demon¡¯s head.

    ¡°The style of your death made it seem so.¡±

    After confirming his enemy¡¯s death, Silpennon raised his head. He had fundamentally changed from before. He looked at his surrounding with new eyes. It was as if the world was his oyster.

    He used to be the thief of the hero¡¯s party in his past life. Currently, he was the young king of Diaz, and he was the leader of another hero¡¯s party.

    In that moment, Silpennon awakened to his Innate ability called Plunder.

 Chapter 175 - Phoenixs Daughter (2)

    Chapter 175 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (2)

    Artpe¡¯s party exited the Demon realm without a hitch. Of course, they temporarily joined up with the Genesis Mermaids. Artpe assessed the overall power of the Genesis Mermaids, and he created a new defensive line that would be more effective in barricading the Demon realm.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind, master.¡±

    ¡°I see. You¡¯ve made your choice.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is very unfortunate that I cannot stay by master¡¯s side, but.....¡±

    Sherryl returned to her role as ruler of the Genesis Mermaids. If she followed her desire, she would have apanied Artpe. However, there was a chance that she would lose all her vassals if she didn¡¯t return. She had to rule over her people.

    ¡°I¡¯ll block the Demons here. The fact that I was able to be with master for a short amount of time made me happy.¡±

    ¡°The war won¡¯t drag out too long. I¡¯ll see you at the end of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to end it quickly.¡±

    Even by herself, she had power that was on par with a Four Heavenly King. Her words gave him much confidence. After Artpe saw her rejoin the merfolk, he turned around. He was greeted with Maetel¡¯s sullen eyes.

    ¡°When the war ends, you don¡¯t have to see that woman again. Let her live her life in the ocean.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you say the most surprising and scary words.¡±

    ¡°I just worry that Artpe will be duped by other women. Artpe is kind. This is why I worry that you¡¯ll fall for the machination of women with ck hearts. Look, look. Aren¡¯t you suffering even now, because of one particr ck-hearted woman?¡±

    No matter how much Artpe thought about it, the one with the ckest heart was Maetel. It seemed she wasn¡¯t self-aware of this fact, so it was pointless to point this out.

    ¡°She is correct. Artpe-nim is too kind, so a bad woman can easily deceive you. That is why I have to protect Artpe-nim from such women.¡±

    ¡°Vad, sometimes you say the most interesting thing.¡±

    He had already given up trying to stop Maetel and Vad from fighting. That was why he had decided to avoid them all together. When he looked away, he caught sight of Petra. He was looking into a tracking Artifact.

    ¡°You are able to find her with that?¡±

    [It is a very sensitive Artifact, but I¡¯ve used this Artifact for the past couple dozen years. That is why I am able to get a general distance and location of my target.]

    ¡°As expected, you have the skill of a pro stalker. Amazing.¡±

    [Shut up.]

    The pro stalker Petra kept looking into the Artifact for a long time, and he tilted his head in confusion.

    [This can¡¯t be.]

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? For your sake, you better not say that Etna is dead¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [That isn¡¯t the case. However.... Her location hasn¡¯t changed from thest time I checked¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    In Artpe¡¯s head, he imagined Etna sensing Petra¡¯s tracking magic. She would probably burn all traces rted to her location. He liked that image, but if she did that right now, it would make his task of find her more difficult.

    ¡°Where was she when youst checked the Artifact? Is it cia?¡±

    [I thought she would have exited cia by now.... Shit. We have to hurry.]

    Petra hadn¡¯t worried about Etna even though she was being chased by the previous Demon King¡¯s army. He had joined forces with the previous Demon King¡¯s army, so he had assumed she would be subdued by the previous Demon King¡¯s army. In the end, she would have to cooperate with them. Petra hadn¡¯t balked at the idea, because he would be on the same side as Etna.

    However, she had been trapped in cia for the past year. That was a different story all together. The mere presence of the ice continent weakened Etna¡¯s power. If Etna had been chased around in such an environment, it was highly probable that her mind and body wasn¡¯t sound right now. Petra wasn¡¯t interested in embracing a thorny cactus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°In the end, we have to go to cia again.¡±

    ¡°I hate the cold.¡±

    Artpe ruminated as he increased the speed of the Steel Horse. Was he thinking about Etna and Petra? No, he was thinking about the previous generation¡¯s hero and Demon King.

    ¡®I am getting some idea as to why my current life unfolding differently from my previous life. It does bother me that this theory is based on the periodic dreams I¡¯ve had. However, veracity of those dreams have been confirmed. I had already suspected this early on.....¡¯

    In his past life, the previous Demon King and his forces had been sealed. It was probably the work of the previous hero. He wanted to pick a bone with the previous hero. If he had the power to seal the previous Demon King, why hadn¡¯t he killed the previous Demon King? His heart was full of desire to berate the previous hero. The previous hero probably didn¡¯t have enough power to kill the previous Demon King. That was the most probable answer.

    Despite this fact, the previous hero hadn¡¯t mentioned that he hadn¡¯t killed the previous Demon King. It was conspicuously absent in the messages left behind to the future heroes. He just wrote down words that boasted about himself. It made Artpe want to bring the dead back to life, so he could beat up the previous hero.

    ¡®Anyways, they were sealed. Since Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin was ced near the Demon King¡¯s castle, I wonder if the seal was ced near the Demon King¡¯s castle too. Moreover, that seal broke when Maetel¡¯s party invaded the Demon King¡¯s castle. They were freed on the day I died.¡¯

    This was all spection. When the seal was broken, Artpe had awakened to the second stage of his Innate Ability. In that moment, he had caused change to the world using his ¡®Rewrite¡¯ ability.

    The world was rewound, and the nearby seal was affected by his ability. Or maybe, the previous Demon King had affected his Innate ability and the seal. Everyone else was probably swept up in the ¡®Rewrite¡¯, and they had no choice. On the other hand, it might have created an opportunity for the previous Demon King, who was sealed.

    Didn¡¯t the Winter Queen talk about it? Those with massive Records weren¡¯t swept up in the change. If the previous Demon King possessed enough power, he might not have been swept up in the Rewrite. The current situation could be exined.

    As soon as Artpe returned to his past, the reality was already distorted. From that point on, the previous Demon King¡¯s faction started to methodically regain their power, and they had confronted the current Demon King¡¯s forces. In the end, they had gained control of Demon realm.

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°You are right. If you were a little bit less handsome, I wouldn¡¯t be this troubled.....¡±

    ¡°If Artpe-nim was a bit more strict, you would have walked a different path from this sort of a hero.....¡±

    ¡°You guys are still fighting over that topic?¡±

    As if to ask Artpe to choose who was more right, Maetel and Vad had approached him. He flicked both their foreheads, and he let out a sigh.

    They had entered into the heart of the Demon realm, and they had fought big battles there. They had returned after learning a big secret of the Demon realm. His party members didn¡¯t look strained by the recent events. He wondered if he was being too strung up. As he thought about it, he found his needless worry to be pathetic. He decided not to overthink it. Everything was based on a supposition. It wasn¡¯t certain that the previous Demon King¡¯s seal was broken by Artpe¡¯s awakening. Moreover, it was true that the Demon realm became reinforced by this development, but the hero¡¯s side had gained much more than the other side.

    He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings in his past life, and he had been revived in his current life as a hero. The hero¡¯s party had gained Vad and Sienna thanks to Artpe. Silpennon was much stronger than his past self....

    [Artpe.]

    Speak of the devil. As soon as Artpe thought about Silpennon, he contacted Artpe. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he took out hismunication Artifact. He answered it.

    ¡°Are you doing ok? We are going to cia to acquire a new party member.¡±

    [Didn¡¯t you say thatst time.....? Anyways, we killed one of the Four Heavenly Kings.]

    ¡°Four Heavenly King? From what I know, there shouldn¡¯t be any Four Heavenly Kings left...¡±

    [He wasn¡¯t under the current Demon King. He was the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings working under the previous Demon King. He had an Innate ability called Record Keeping.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    He had never expected to hear such words from Silpennon¡¯s mouth. It was what Artpe had been most worried about! It seemed the previous Demon King¡¯s faction was starting to operate out in the open.

    Wait a moment. Silpennon had encountered the Four Heavenly King from the previous generation.....!

    ¡°Is anyone hurt!? What¡¯s the damage!?¡±

    [Everyone is safe. His Innate ability couldn¡¯t be used directly in battle.]

    It didn¡¯t matter if the weakest Four Heavenly King was working under the current Demon King or the past Demon King. The result was befitting his title! The manner of his death, and the fact that he had an ambiguous Innate ability was simr to the previous Artpe! Artpe hoped that bastard couldn¡¯t rewind the world! Since Artpe was still here, it meant that the weakest Four Heavenly King wasn¡¯t capable of rewinding the world!

    He should be happy, yet somehow, he felt tears well up in his eyes. It was unknown as to whether Silpennon knew what emotions Artpe was feeling, but he continued to speak in a calm manner.

    [In the process of killing him, we all grew a good amount. You¡¯ll probably see me in new light when we meet again.]

    ¡°I¡¯m already seeing you in a different light..... Anyways, it is fortunate that you guys were able to kill him. I¡¯m d you are safe and sound. So he mentioned the previous Demon King? Did he volunteer this information? What is Record Keeping?¡±

    [Alright. I¡¯ll exin it to you. However, there is something I must confirm with you before I do so.]

    His voice was lower than usual, and Artpe understood that Silpennon was being serious.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    [So.... You... Do you.....]

    Artpe had set the stage for him, yet Silpennon was tentative to speak. Artpe became restless, so he decided to strike first.

    ¡°For your information, I like women.¡±

    [Is Maetel amongst the women you like?]

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What?¡±

    Is this the information he must confirm with Artpe? In a sh, he turned around, and he realized that Maetel was staring at him. He let out an eek as he shrank into himself.

    There was no way she could hear the transmission. He wondered if she thought he was talking to a woman. Maybe, she was jealous.

    [Hurry up and answer me.]

    Artpe put up a soundproof barrier. It made Maetel narrow her eyes further. He snorted as he waved her away.

    ¡°Yes, I like her. Are you satisfied?¡±

    [Then you should promise me. You will never allow her to get hurt.]

    ¡°She might get hurt in a fight, so I can¡¯t give you a definite answer.¡±

    [Hey.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤at the very least, I won¡¯t let her die while I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    Since his opponent was being serious, Artpe had to answer in a serious manner. After hearing those words, Silpennon didn¡¯t say anything for a brief moment. He finally let out a sigh as he answered Artpe.

    [Alright. I believe you. Let¡¯s move on to the main topic.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [I want to talk to you about your past life. I want to hear how you became a hero after you escaped being a Four Heavenly King.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    This time his thoughts truly came to a stop.

    [The Demon I met had an ability called Record Keeping. I received Record from my past life from him. He wanted to bring me over to their side. He wanted me to help them make the human realm into the Demon realm. I was able to be stronger thanks to him, and we were able to kill him.]

    ¡°Record Keeping¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That makes sense.¡±

    At the same time, he was able to ept why the previous Demon King¡¯s faction was able to recover their power so quickly. Before they returned to the past, the Four Heavenly King had stored their Records. He was able to restore their past Records in their current lives. It was fortunate that Silpennon¡¯s party was able to kill him. It was best to kill such a variable as soon as possible.

    However, thest change caused by the past Four Heavenly King was giving Artpe a headache.

    [I won¡¯t betray you, and you don¡¯t have to worry about me revealing this information to others... I just want to hear your story.]

    ¡°Silpennon, you¡¯ve really matured.¡±

    [It is all thanks to you, Artpe. So...]

    Silpennon was probably letting out a bitterughter on the other end of themunication Artifact. Artpe¡¯s mortal enemy from his previous life spoke to him.

    [Will you tell me your story?]

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a very long time. We aren¡¯t dating, so it would be awkward to talk to you on themunication Artifact for so long.¡±

    [You can tell me in your spare moments. I just..... I want to be as strong as you. Even if it is a little bit, I just want to see the makeup of your heart.]

    Artpe thought about it for a brief moment. They would be on the move for a while, and he had nothing to do during that time. Moreover..... He had someone he could talk to. He could reveal everything about himself. In truth, he was thankful for the opportunity.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that . At the end, you¡¯ll have so much respect for me that you won¡¯t know what to do with yourself.¡±

    In the end, Artpe nodded his head. At that moment, Maetel had be peeved. She had put a massive amount of Mana in her fists, and she was getting ready to break his soundproof barrier. He didn¡¯t forget to add this qualifier.

    ¡°First, I have to make up an excuse with Maetel.¡±

    They were on the road to cia. This was how Artpe gained a free diversion to pass the time.

 Chapter 176 - Phoenixs Daughter (3)

    Chapter 176 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (3)

    [We are getting closer. I¡¯m sure she is alive. I can detect her moving a little bit.]

    ¡°Hoo-ooh.¡±

    ¡°As expected, she¡¯s still alive.¡±

    As they got closer to cia, the words spoke by the party members decreased. Ironically, the level of tension was higher than the time they attacked the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    ¡°Are you guys getting nervous at the thought of fighting the former Demon King¡¯s forces? You don¡¯t have to worry too much about them. We won¡¯t be pushed unless the previous Demon King makes his appearance. I don¡¯t think the former Demon King is directly involved in this. If he is personally here, there¡¯s no way Etna would be able to run away like she is doing right now.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. The thought of that woman joining our party makes me very nervous¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Is that really the problem you guys are worried about!?¡±

    Maetel¡¯s words sounded like a joke, but at the same time, it didn¡¯t sound like a joke. At her words, everyone just nodded their heads. It seemed they weren¡¯t worried about the uing fight at all. Artpe wondered if there had been a w in their training program. He seriously mulled over that question, but of course, there was no answer forting.

    ¡°As expected, I should have killed her as soon as I met her.¡±

    ¡°You should consider yourself fortunate that she didn¡¯t kill you, you dork.¡±

    He wondered what Etna was thinking right now as she resided in cia? Artpe thought about it. Did the loyalty she had towards the current Demon King make her decline the former Demon King¡¯s offer? He didn¡¯t think that was the case. She probably didn¡¯t want to fight, so she was on the run.. Still, it wasn¡¯t entirely positive news for Artpe.

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t want to fight for the Demon King¡¯s army. However, does she want to fight on the side of humanity? That is an entirely different question.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t like a fight where blood was shed. Despite knowing this about her, could he really ask her to fight the Demon race? She was born into the Demon race, so maybe, the idea of fighting other Demons might sound worse to her. What if she bes hostile towards him, because he asked her to fight? What if she joined the previous Demon King¡¯s faction as a result? If something so idiotic happened.....

    ¡°There is no way she would have ill feelings towards Artpe, so you are being worried for nothing.¡±

    ¡°The probability of that woman bing hostile towards you is lower than Artpe being the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°How the hell do you guys know what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    Artpe nced at Petra, who was still looking into his Artifact. Artpe had no idea what Petra was feeling, but he continued to maintain a calm visage through all of this.

    ¡°That is my party¡¯s opinion.¡±

    [Etna is a Demon. She will fulfill her duty and obligation.]

    ¡°Then why is she on the run? If she wants to full her duty and obligation to the Demon race, she would have joined up with the former Demon King¡¯s faction.¡±

    [That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It is because she is loyal to the current Demon King.]

    It was the most original bullshit Artpe had heard up until now. It seemed Petra also didn¡¯t believe in what he was saying. He pivoted to another argument.

    [We¡¯ll find out once we ask for her opinion. That is the reason why I made a contract with you]

    ¡°The answer is already avable to you.¡±

    Artpe had no idea what Petra expected from Etna, but in the end, Petra will never have what he desired. Artpe let out a bitterughter. Petra snorted.

    Soon, the Steel horse containing the party arrived at the ice continent of cia. It still looked like an endless snow-cover field, but when Artpe looked at it through his Read All Creation ability, he realized cia wasn¡¯t the same at all. Artpe instinctually realized what was happening to the ice continent, so he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s ruined.¡±

    ¡°Is that woman dead?¡±

    ¡°No. In my opinion, this continent is dying.¡±

    Regina spoke instead of Artpe.

    ¡°The north is normally cold. The reason being the Winter Queen slept in the north. Her presence made the north colder.¡±

    ¡°However, she handed her Record over to you.¡±

    ¡°The continent is reverting to its original state. This might be the reason why Etna remains alive.¡±

    If the coldness from the Winter Queen had been maintained, Etna would have a hard time surviving within cia. However, the Winter Queen¡¯s Record was given to Regina. Fortunately, Etna was able to hold out thanks to the loss of the Winter Queen¡¯s presence.

    Everything would turn out fine unless the entire continent melted away.

    Artpe nodded his head as he activated his Read All Creation ability to its fullest extent. It wasn¡¯t just about Etna¡¯s location. The force of the previous Demon King was also here. He nned on killing them after searching them out.

    ¡°Artpe, are you donemunicating with Silpennon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m about done with that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Maetel always seemed to have anger burning in her heart towards Silpennon. Artpe stared at her as he suddenly asked her a question.

    ¡°Do you have something you want to ask me?¡±

    ¡°You said you will tell me about it when the time is right. I¡¯ll wait for that time.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®In truth, aren¡¯t you like Silpennon? Do you already know about everything?¡¯

    He wanted to throw those questions towards her, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to follow through. It might be childish, but he wanted to continue enjoying her endless kindness.

    ¡°What about me, Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t involve you.¡±

    ¡°You are too much!?¡±

    In his past life, Artpe had no history with Vad. This was why he felt untroubled when he looked at her. This was the same reason why he feltfortable around Sienna. It was also why he sometimes yed favorites with Sienna, and Maetel might have a vague idea he was doing this.

    [We don¡¯t have the time to be idling like this. The Artifact is starting to react more fiercely.]

    Vad was miffed, so she was starting to hop around in ce. Artpe had been soothing her when Petra clicked his tongue. He spoke towards Artpe. As a response, Artpe increased the speed of the Steel Horse, and he replied towards Petra.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already anticipate most of this? We possess massive amount of magical energy, and we are all moving in the same group. Of course, the other side will detect us.¡±

    [That is why we should hurry up. At the very least, we have to hear her answer before she dies.]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤hmmm.¡±

    It was as if Petra was fixated on something. By observing his actions, he wondered if Petra was acting this way based solely on a sense of responsibility towards the Demon race. Or was itradeship? Was it based on his love towards Etna? Maybe, it was an insight he discerned long time ago.

    However, Petra¡¯s face remained impassive. Artpe couldn¡¯t read anything from his face, so he shrugged his shoulder.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough to get an answer from her. We have to save her.¡±

    [Her life force is so faint. She is as weak as she could be. She is a Demon, so I wonder what method you will use to save her. I look forward to seeing it.]

    Petra mocked Artpe. It sounded as if Petra wanted Etna to die. That was the vibe he was giving off. It seemed all Demons were psychopaths. Artpe had been one of those Demons in his past life, yet he had such thoughts.

    The Artifact was gradually reacting more fiercely. It was as Petra had said. Etna wasn¡¯t in her normal condition. Despite this fact, she was continuing to move, and it was clear that she was alive.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Artpe let out an exmation. A bright light was emitted from his eyes as he searched his surrounding.

    ¡°It seems they found Etna¡¯s general location thanks to us. They are starting to move in earnest towards the direction we are traveling.¡±

    ¡°Are you able to check their overall power?¡±

    ¡°There is one at level 385. There are two hovering around level 370. Five of them are at the cusp of level 350.¡±

    If Artpe was in his past life, these Demons were at a level that wasparable to him. He had been a Four Heavenly King! They couldn¡¯t be the entirety of the previous Demon King¡¯s forces. Still, it was excessive amount of force when one considered that they were here to capture a single Demon. He turned slightly pale at this fact.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head towards them.¡±

    When Maetel heard Artpe¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t hesitate. She made the deration as she unsheathed her sword. Artpe was struck dumb. Maetel tilted her head in puzzlement as if to ask him what was wrong.

    ¡°Of course, Artpe and Roa received the most EXPst time. However, I also reached level 385 after killing that Demon not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°Will you really be ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m used to always fighting opponents higher in level than me. This time there are a little bit more of them, but I won¡¯t lose to such lousy opponents. Even if I wanted to lose, I wouldn¡¯t be able to lose to them.¡±

    She didn¡¯t intend to do it, but she always dropped memorable lines. He was really scared of this Maetel.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not all....¡±

    ¡°That woman will be incredibly happy to see Artpe, and Artpe can¡¯t just leave her be. If I see that sight, I would want to kill that woman. That is why I¡¯ll make myself scarce. That is why Artpe has to finish any skinship with her by the time I return.¡±

    ¡°You really never change¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Hnnng.¡±

    After Maetel spoke, Regina stepped forward with her staff.

    ¡°Maybe, their goal isn¡¯t solely to capture Etna. Their attention might shift from Etna to us.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°It means I¡¯m going to go with Maetel. I have the answer they want.¡±

    Regina¡¯s eyes twinkled. He couldn¡¯t find themon link between Etna and Regina. He tilted his head in confusion. Then he suddenly had a thought.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, the previous Demon King¡¯s faction gave Etna the information about the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin. Maybe, they didn¡¯t go through all of this, because they wanted to capture Etna. Maybe, they wanted Etna to sh against the Winter Queen, so the Winter Queen would be weakened. It would have allowed them to kill the Winter Queen¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯

    Etna possessed the power of fire, so she would have weakened the entire ice contient. This was obvious, but the Winter Queen was synced with the ice continent. It would have also weakened the Winter Queen.

    Even if one possessed great power and high level, one couldn¡¯t replicate what Etna could do. Of course, Etna also became weakened as a price.

    ¡°The ice continent of cia is also part of this world. If they want to make this world into the Demon realm, they need to kill the ruler of cia.¡±

    ¡°That is an excellent deduction, Regina. So what does that have to do with you?¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling.¡±

    She stuck to the back of Maetel, who was about to jump off the Steel Horse. She moved her lips slightly.

    ¡°I might be cia¡¯s next ruler.¡±

    The two girls quickly left the Steel Horse, and they started chasing down the previous Demon King¡¯s forces. Petra was shaken by the words left behind by Regina. As always, Artpe ignored Petra.

    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive soon..¡±

    Artpe no longer needed to rely on Petra¡¯s Artifact. Etna was meticulous in hiding herself, but Artpe could see where she was. Her location was something that could be discerned by an Artifact. Of course, Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation could discern her location too.

    [I can¡¯t see her. I believe she is using a stealth spell that uses heat. As expected of Etna....]

    ¡°I can see her.¡±

    [What?]

    Artpe¡¯s eyes honed in on Etna. When she caught sight of the unidentifiable Steel Horse, she had firmly bitten her lips.

    Two enormous fireball appeared in her hands. If someone else looked towards her, they would have seen the snowy-field suddenly melt away. One wouldn¡¯t be able to see it, but one would feel a pir of fire emerge into existence.

    [I won¡¯t go back!]

    When the me was about to wash over the Steel Horse, it shed with Petra¡¯s cold energy. The mes disappeared without much fight. Petra clicked his tongue when he saw this.

    [As expected, she is dying.]

    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡±

    Artpe gave a short reply as he jumped off the Steel Horse. Petra was taken aback by Artpe¡¯s unpredictable action. He followed after Artpe.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe?¡±

    It was as if she was having a hard time believing in her own eyes. She mumbled to herself. As expected, her body wasn¡¯t in its normal state. Until Artpe had revealed himself, she was unable to detect him. That was proof that she wasn¡¯t ok right now.

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    When hended on the ground, Etna was able to confirm that it was him. Etna raised her voice as she called out to him. There were tears welling up in her eyes. It was as if she was about to cry. Artpe finally realized something. Maybe, Etna had been under the false assumption that Artpe had died in the ruin.

    [Etna.]

    Petra spoke to Etna in thenguage of the Demon race. Her eyes had been fixed on Artpe. She finally realized Petra was there too. When she saw him, her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Yes. I sensed you first. The cold energy that I hate... Artpe, why did youe here with him....? D...did you decided to work with the Demon race?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Artpe used Blink as he immediately arrived in front of Etna. She immediately tried to hug Artpe. However, she became guarded when she saw Petra arrive behind Artpe.

    [Etna, I want to confirm something with you.]

    As soon as Petra confirmed it was Etna, he abruptly spoke towards her. He spoke over her.

    [Will you return to the Demon realm or are you going to be with this man?]

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Etna¡¯s eyes turned round. Petra kept staring at her as if he was trying to see through her. Artpe let out a sigh as if he felt sorry for Petra.

    Ah. This was why this bastard was unpopr with thedies.

 Chapter 177 - Phoenixs Daughter (4)

    Chapter 177 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (4)

    ¡°We¡¯ll speak to her after we let Etna recover a little bit.¡±

    [We have to ask her the question first.]

    Artpe frowned as he tried to get in the way of Petra. However, he let out cold energy from his entire body as he stopped Artpe¡¯s advance. Petra took a small step towards her. As he did so, he had made an explosive deration.

    [Etna, this man is the hero. Despite this fact, do you wish to be with him?]

    This bastard took the initiative like this! Artpe wanted to calm down Etna a little bit more. He was going to be careful in how he confessed to her. This bastard poured vinegar all over his n!

    Before Artpe could say anything, Etna carefully grabbed onto Artpe¡¯s sleeve as she spoke.

    ¡°What if I said I want to be with him? Will you return to the Demon world without making a fuss?¡±

    [Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    Artpe was the one that was more surprised by her answer. Etna replied in a nonchnt manner.

    ¡°From the beginning, I knew you were either the hero or a member of the hero¡¯s party. Moreover, I already told you how I feel about you. I can understand Petra not being aware of it. I don¡¯t like the fact that Artpe became so surprised by my words. Do you treat a woman¡¯s heart so lightly?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [I see. I understand what you want now.]

    Petra replied in a calm manner.

    [You are rejecting me, and you are choosing the hero over me.]

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know why you are with Artpe, but I no longer want the Demon race and the Demon King¡¯s army force me into doing things I do not like. Above all else, I don¡¯t want you to pressure me into staying by your side. It is sickening.¡±

    [I see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    At that moment, Artpe felt the Soul Contract activate. It meant Petra had went against the contract. It was a somewhat predictable turn of event.

    [However, you are a Demon. You were born into the Demon race, yet you choose to reject your Demonhood?]

    [In all my life, I have never want to be a Demon, Petra.]

    Petra created cold air around him. As a response, Etna emitted me from her entire body. However, she had been severely weakened thanks to residing in the ice continent for the past year. Her fire had lost much power. If she used a bit more power, she might really die.

    Artpe gritted his teeth as he created a barrier. He put the barrier over Etna, then he red at Petra.

    ¡°Petra, do you no longer love Etna? Are you nning on killing her?¡±

    [I do not need a woman that doesn¡¯t love me. She was born a Demon, yet she rejects the Demon race. I do not need such a woman. Above all else, the woman decided to attach herself to the hero! I have nothing more to say!]

    A fierce cold wind arose, and it hit Artpe and Etna! The barrier was infused with Etna¡¯s fire. The barrier was able to stop Petra¡¯s attack, but Etna couldn¡¯t entirely avoid being weakened by the attack. His cold energy had been strengthened by the ice continent!

    ¡°Why did you bring that bastard here, Artpe!¡±

    ¡°He said he could guide me to you. Even if I am amazing, I can¡¯t find you without a single hint. If I tried to do that, how long do you think it would have taken me to find you?!¡±

    [Hero Artpe, you should have realized in the beginning that I have no lingering attachment to my life. As a price for breaking the Soul Contract, I will die. You are an idiot for giving me a Soul Contract knowing this.]

    Petra had nned on doing this from the beginning. He already knew the a form of rtionship had been established between Artpe and Etna. This was why he pretended to guide Artpe to Etna. He just wanted to kill Etna with his own hands. Artpe finally realized what Petra¡¯s intention was.

    This guys was in stupid.

    ¡°The cost of the Soul Contract isn¡¯t merely your life..... You really failed in your life as a Demon.¡±

    It seemed Petra was under the assumption that Artpe was solely banking on the Soul Contract to keep him in line. If he believed that, the true idiot was Petra.

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!?]

    ¡°It is as the name implies. The cost of a Soul Contract is your soul.¡±

    If one broke the content of the Soul Contract, one¡¯s Soul would be stolen by the other party. Basically, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that this wasn¡¯t a simple death. Still, one wouldn¡¯t be entirely wrong to say that death was the end result of breaking a Soul Contract.

    However, one would be mistaken to think like that. As the word implied, a soul was the essence of a being. It contained all of one¡¯s Records. If one just wanted death of the other party, one wouldn¡¯t go through the annoying process of drafting a contract. It would be quicker to bash the other side with a mace.

    [I don¡¯t care what it entails¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Petra finally realized that the Soul Contract he had drafted with Artpe wasn¡¯t a simple item. He bit his lips as he pull up every iota of his Mana.

    [I just have to kill you before it activates!]

    When he lost to Artpe¡¯s party, he had been in a sorry state. However, in the process ofing to the ice continent, he had recovered his power. When he stepped onto this icynd, his power had exceeded the power he possessed during his prime.

    Petra¡¯s calctions weren¡¯t too far off. It took time for the penalty of the Soul Contract to be enforced. Moreover, he might have a degree of resistance thanks to his level and experience. He was trying to kill Etna and Artpe before he died. It was a usible tactic.

    ¡°Well¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Of course, Artpe had prepared an item for such an eventuality.

    [Koohk!?]

    ¡°Etna, I¡¯m sorry. I know I should treasure this item, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Artpe had taken out the me sword, which had been gifted to him by Etna! After using the magic stones, he had finished his 4th Reinforcement on the me sword. It had been a lot of help in their previous battle against Petra. Was he holding up the sword, because he wanted to sh Petra with it?

    No way. Artpe was currently Reinforcing the sword again. He hade up with this idea when he saw Etna send out a maelstrom of fire to block Petra¡¯s cold energy.

    ¡°The barrier from Frate....!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    There were many ways to use the Reinforcement skill. Artpe had mainly used it to permanently strengthen the functions of an Artifact. However, there was a way to temporarily strengthen the function of an Artifact. Of course, there was a price that came along with doing this. His current action was closer to thetter option.

    [You think that¡¯ll be enough!]

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a simple me. Mana Strings under the control of Artpe emerged from the me sword. Each Mana String was infused with the power of fire. The Mana Strings started to weave together in the air to create a strong and rigid barrier.

    The fire sword, which was at the heart of the barrier, was starting to crack as time passed. It was the price for adding more heat to the barrier.

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t attack him!¡±

    The Steel Horse had arrivedte. Artpe¡¯s party was about to rush forward when they saw what was transpiring. However, Artpe blocked them from approaching any further. It was easier to block Petra¡¯s attack when it was focused on him.

    [Do you think a mere Artifact can block a spell that was created with my life on the line?!]

    ¡°You lost the moment you thought this was a mere Artifact!¡±

    There was a grin on Artpe¡¯s lips. Afterwards, he increased the output of his Reinforcement skill. What happened was....

    ¡°My sword!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡±

    Her me sword waspletely destroyed! The intrinsic nature of the Artifact remained the same, yet the output was steadily increasing. In the end, the sword couldn¡¯t withstand steady climb of its power, so it broke.

    Despite this fact, the heat created by the sword remained in ce. In fact, the power was still increasing! It was thanks to the me within the sword escaping the restricting confines of the sword!

    ¡°This is the greatest ability possessed by an Artifact. When an Artifact sacrifices itself, an extreme result urs. It is able to create a great magic in one go! This is a spell created bybining the Reinforcement and the Materialization spell..... I call it the Waste Money spell!¡±

    ¡°You should have given it a bit cooler name!¡±

    Etna had been pretty impressed by the spell, but she appalled by his horrible naming sense.

    The enormous fire shield easily blocked the cold energy. Petra bit his lips.

    [This can¡¯t be happening! You betrayed the Demon race. You betrayed the Demon King. You betrayed me.... I.....!]

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    Artpe used his Materialization spell to slowly change the shape of the barrier. In a sh, the wall of fire increased in size, and the sound of the me covered up the howl of Petra. The me wall engulfed Petra! When it came to using fire, Etna could basically be called the mother of the mes. Even she gulped when she saw Artpe¡¯s attack.

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The horrible scream of Petra could be heard from beyond the fire. The scream of pain wasn¡¯t simply caused by the fire. His power was being internalized through the fire. The ¡®penalty¡¯ of the Soul Contract was finally starting!

    [Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Herooooooooooo! You bastard, Artpehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°Don¡¯t act so familiar with me.¡±

    [How dare you! You bastardddddddddddddd!]

    At the moment of his death, did he miraculously remember his past life? Artpe¡¯s eyes turned sharp, but Petra spoke no more. The Soul Contract, which was in his possession, crumbled away after spending all its power. Afterwards, the me was suddenly all gone.

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t a simple waste of money. I borrowed the power of the Artifact, but I manifested it using my Materialization spell. The Record from the Materialization spell still remains.... It won¡¯t be as powerful, but I¡¯ll be able to recreate this spell again.¡¯

    Artpe¡¯s heart was beating faster. He finally found a way to grow his Materialization spell. He didn¡¯t have many enemies left, but he had ominous feeling tha he¡¯ll meet those enemies in the near future!

    ¡°Artpe, are you alright!? W...what happened to Petra!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Etna.¡±

    He hade here to save Etna, yet he had forgotten about her. He had been drunk on his magic. When Artpe¡¯s worried eyesnded on her, Etna let out a bitterugh as she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It seems Petra is dead, but he left his Soul behind.¡±

    ¡°Soul¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The me had been extinguished, and a very small blue marble was left behind. Artpe let out a smile of satisfaction as he picked it up.

    ¡°In the old stories, there are stories about the Demon race trying to revive the Demonic god. Normally, the vector for the Demonic god in those stories were characterized as marbles. It talked about the fragments containing the soul of the Demonic god. Most of these fragments took on the shape of marbles.... However, this marble contains the soul of a powerful Demon.¡±

    The story about summoning the Demonic god seemed toe up every couple dozen years. However, the world hadn¡¯t ended yet. It was just an old story.

    If Artpe just threw away this Soul Marble, some brainless idiot might try to summoning the Demonic god. The idiot might be enticed by the Demonic energy within the marble.

    ¡°However, it is impossible to revive someone using the marble even if it contains the Demon¡¯s soul. Of course, it contains all of the Demon¡¯s Record, but that is it. In truth, it is just a very good ingredient for making an Artifact. It can also be used in magic.... Regina might like this.¡±

    In truth, he had thought about strengthening Regina¡¯s magic. He had this idea when he met Petra once again. As soon as he made the Soul Contract with Petra, he had expected things to turn out like this. If he spoke this out loud, he would look too unscrupulous and viinous, so he kept this fact to himself!

    ¡°Anyways..... I¡¯m d you are unharmed, Etna......¡±

    Artpe took the marble as he turned towards Etna. The very first thing he checked was her slim neck. There was no cor. It seemed something really did happen to the Demon King.

    ¡°Unharmed? That¡¯s what I should be saying to you.... I really thought you were dead.....¡±

    After the hectic situation came to an end, tears welled up in Etna¡¯s eyes. In theirst meeting, Artpe¡¯s party had escaped to the underground world as they brought down the Winter Queen¡¯s ruin around them. Of course, Etna would have thought they were dead!

    ¡°I should have stopped him, but I wasn¡¯t able to. I... I.....¡±

    ¡°Etna.¡±

    At that time, Etna had been fettered. The Demon had been stronger than her, and they were of the same race. How could she interfere with such a foe?!

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°Anyways, I want to ask you something.¡±

    This might cause her pain once again, but.... Despite this fact, he believed that she was waiting for this question.

    ¡°Will you be with me?¡±

    Artpe tossed the slightly embarrassing question towards Etna.

 Chapter 178 - Phoenixs Daughter (5)

    Chapter 178 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (5)

    ¡°B...be with you.....¡±

    Etna¡¯s cheeks became bright red. Her body had been feeling the adverse effect of the ice continent, so she looked pale. Finally, some color and vitality returned to her.

    ¡°D...does that mean you left that youngdy toe to me?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Even if I leave her, she¡¯ll probably chase me down until the end of my life.¡±

    ¡°You are the worst! You are openly talking about seeing both of us!?¡±

    It was the truth, so he had no rebuttal. Her cheeks were puffed up to the max. He couldn¡¯t say, ¡®I didn¡¯t ask you to marry me. I just wanted you to enter into the party. Aren¡¯t you thinking too highly of yourself?¡¯

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t entirely true. He didn¡¯t want her to be a ¡®good party member.¡¯ He had thought he had no personal feeling towards her in his past life. When Artpe escaped being the Four Heavenly King to be the hero, he slowly started to be more honest with his own feelings.

    ¡°Ahh-oooooh. It is a really disrespectful proposal. I should tell you to fuck off, but I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t turn you down. You are so cheeky that it is killing me.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve already offended you, do you mind if I ask you to do one more thing for me?¡±

    ¡°What can I do? I¡¯ve never met a man like you.¡±

    Artpe used his Read All Creation ability to scan Etna. He got a perfect assessment on her current status. She had been talking to him in a nonchnt manner, but her vitality had degraded significantly.

    Normally, she was able to find a right bnce between her Demonic energy and fire energy. However, she had stayed almost a year within the ice continent, and her innate fire energy had weakened. The Demonic energy used this opportunity to rampage within her body. As a result, parts of her body were wasting away.

    She was a Demon, but she was closer to the fire energy than the Demonic energy. When the tenuous bnce between the two was broken, the only thing that remained was her eventual death.

    In truth, it was a miracle that she was able to stand here like this. It seemed Petra was correct. She was acting as if she was fine, because she was worried about the previous Demon King¡¯s forces chasing after her.

    ¡°Even if you really like me, you shouldn¡¯t stare at me like that. It is a bit embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°You really are simr to Maetel.... Anyways...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you saying I resemble someone, but why did you have topare me to that little girl!¡±

    ¡°Etna, I would like you to be a human.¡±

    Artpe was direct with his words. Until now, Etna had been embarrassed and flustered. She hadn¡¯t known what to do with herself. However, a fierce light appeared in Etna¡¯s eyes when she heard his words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like such jokes. If it wasn¡¯t Artpe, I would have burned the person that spoke such words to me.¡±

    ¡°What if I¡¯m not joking?¡±

    ¡°Then that makes it much worse.¡±

    ¡°I researched for a spell that would free you from the shackles ced on you by the Demon King. It might be hard to believe, but I was sessful. In your current state, I¡¯m sure it will work.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Somehow, Artpe knew about the shackles that had bound her to the Demon King. She set aside the question as to how he found out about it. Artpe had researched a spell for her. It would be a lie if she said that her heart hadn¡¯t fluttered when she heard his words. However, she immediately shook her head from side to side.

    ¡°I am no longer shackled by the Demon King. If I was still shackled, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay behind here.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you bringing up such a proposal? Is it, because you want me to be the same race as you? If that is your intention, I¡¯m not particrly moved by it. It isn¡¯t amusing either....¡±

    It seemed she was still flustered by all of this. Artpe wanted to peel back the confusion she was feeling. He made a firm deration.

    ¡°If you remain as you are, you won¡¯tst long. You probably know this already, right? If you want to survive, you have to choose to either remove the fire energy or the Demonic energy. Since the removal of the fire energy is impossible, we have to removed the Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤howe you always know everything?¡±

    Etna looked like she was about to cry. Artpe continued to smile brightly as if he was teasing her.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just that. I know that the previous Demon King¡¯s forces are chasing after you. This was revealed to me by Petra. Anyways, it seems you are being vignt against them. You don¡¯t have to be. You can be at ease, since Maetel and Regina went to dispose of them.¡±

    ¡°Just the two of them!? No. Are you nuts!? They¡¯ll be killed!¡±

    The current Etna was where his party was about half a year ago. She was at the cusp of entering level 400, and it seemed she had remained at that level for past half year. It was to be expected, She had been busy hiding from her enemies, so she probably didn¡¯t even know how much time had passed. Basically, she had been in mental duress for the past year.

    ¡°Artpe-niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim!¡±

    ¡°Oppa!¡±

    The rest of his party approached Artpe and Etna with impable timing.

    Petra had been prepared to die as he created a great magic. Artpe had blocked Petra¡¯sst ditch effort as if it was nothing. His party was taken aback by it, so they were rooted in ce. However, a good atmosphere was starting to form around Artpe and Etna. Vad could no longer tolerate it. She took control of the Steel Horse, and she had charged toward the two of them!

    ¡°Artpe-nim! A...are you ok!?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m ok. In fact, I think you are about to manufacture a problem for me. Calm down. Don¡¯t chant your holy spell.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I saw you guysst time¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Holy priestess!?¡±

    ¡°You recognize what she is now.¡±

    ¡°W...wait a moment¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Etna already knew Artpe was strong. She realized that he had grown his repertoire of abilities. She realized this when she saw him easily put down Petra.

    However, she never expected Vad, Sienna and Elrick to be around level 380. She never expected them to be so strong!? When she saw Artpe¡¯s party, she recognized their strength. She was dumbfounded by it.

    ¡°How¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? I travelled with Sienna. At the time, she grew fast, but not at this rate.....¡±

    ¡°Etna unni is amazing, but Artpe oppa is more amazing!¡±

    Sienna let out a bright smiled as she answered her. She immediately went towards Etna. Sienna was also sensitive to Demonic energy. Her sensitivity was second to none, so she immediately realized the serious nature of Etna¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Unni, they won¡¯t chase after you any more. You can take your time as you listen to oppa¡¯s words. Ok? The Demon race and the Demon realm shouldn¡¯t have been born in the first ce. Moreover, oppa is trying to correct that! Oppa has the ability to bring about this change!¡±

    In the process of perfecting this process, he had killed a significant number of Demons. However, she omitted that part.

    ¡°Even Sienna knows about it!? Of course, I already knew that Artpe possessed a magic with a very unique property. Yes, I had somewhat guessed that you were a hero. However, I never expected you to work on changing the Demons into humans!? It is ridiculous!?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t ridiculous, because I¡¯m really awesome.¡±

    Artpe spoke in a solemn manner as he extended a hand towards her.

    ¡°Just trust in me, and let me take care of it. At the very least, it is better than dying.¡±

    ¡°Aahhhhhhhhhhh! Really! I have no idea what is going on!¡±

    She had been attacked by the previous Demon King¡¯s forces, and at some point, the shackles ced on her by the Demon King disappeared. She went on the run, then Artpe and Petra appeared together in front of her. Petra did something idiotic, and he was killed. Only his Soul Marble was left behind. It led to Artpe confession that made her heart throb. Now he suddenly wanted her to be a human!

    ¡°Ooooooh. What the hell is this? Why is everythinging out of the blue like this? It would have been great if events didn¡¯t ur so fast and in bunches!¡±

    She wildly gripped her hair as she yelled out loud. In the end, she sat down on the ground, and her head was lowered.

    ¡°You are right. At this rate, I¡¯ll die. That is why Artpe can do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care if you make me into a human or a phoenix! Do whatever you like! However, you should do it after you save your girlfriend¡¯s life. Those Demons are really strong. You have to hurry up, and go help her! Why are you acting like an idiot by trying to take care of me when your girlfriend is in danger? Are you really a hero?¡±

    ¡°You really are too kind¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Are you sure you are a Four Heavenly King?¡±

    ¡°In the old hero tales, there always is a pretty and kind Four Heavenly King that falls for the hero.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Etna unni, you are so full of yourself.¡±

    Artpe lightly flicked Sienna¡¯s forehead. He couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter.

    ¡®In truth, I didn¡¯t really have a way to persuade her to do this. Maybe, I should be thankful that Enta is in a weakened state..¡¯

    Etna had tried to change the subject, but in the end, she gave her consent. Her pride was strong, and she was firm in her beliefs. He had thought it would be hard to persuade her, but thankfully, it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s join up with Maetel first.....¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that!¡±

    Artpe had been letting out a sigh of assent, but a sharp and powerful voice was heard from afar. When he turned to look, he saw two girl running towards him. This was obvious, but it was Maetel and Regina.

    ¡°We already took care of them!¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    In a sh, Maetel ran forward, and she blocked Etna¡¯s path. Her eyes were slightly red. Her eyes were mixed with worry and anger.

    ¡°That is why skinship is forbidden now!¡±

    ¡°Maetel, is this what you meant earlier? You didn¡¯t mean to say you would give me some time to have some skinship with Etna. You meant you were going to kill the Demons so fast that I won¡¯t have time for skinship?¡±

    ¡°Maetel is scary. She is more like the Demon King than the real Demon King.¡±

    Regina looked terrified, and he could guess at what she had witnessed. In a short amount of time, both their levels had risen significantly. Artpe decided not to talk about it.

    ¡°You really killed them all? You guys?¡±

    On the other hand, Etna became surprised when she sensed the magical energy emanating from Maetel and Regina. The two girls were basically fighting for the spot of being strongest in Artpe¡¯s party. Above all else, Etna was dumbfounded by the fact that these two girls had killed all the Demons that had been tormenting her for the past year.

    ¡°Everything is moving at a fric pace. For your information, a Four Heavenly King and the previous Demon King¡¯s forces died here. It isn¡¯t a safe ce to be. We have to quickly finish the work that still remains to be done. Then we have to leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°W...work that still remains.....¡±

    Etna gulped. Maetel sharply raised her eyes, but she didn¡¯t say anything. No instructions were given, yet Sienna activated her Mana. She was preparing for the scenario where Etna¡¯s Demonic energy went on a rampage. Elrick didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he just knew the number of women in the party would be increased by one. He silently had this thought as he raised his hammer. He stood guard.

    ¡°Your party is so strong. You have no reason to pick me up!?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Even if we make many preparations, it is never enough. Our enemies are powerful.¡±

    ¡°In such a scenario, you should have said you aren¡¯t picking me up for your party. You should have said you picked me up for love!?¡±

    It seemed this maiden¡¯s brain was filled with knowledge from romance novels. His party members had experience much with Artpe, and they knew what they should and should not expect from Artpe. His party members looked at her with pity in their eyes. Meanwhile, Artpe had slowly opened his magic tome, and he floated his staff into the air.

    Several hundred clear Mana Strings exited his body through the staff. The magic tome started letting out brilliant purple light. It was the same color as his eyes. Etna¡¯s eyes became fixed on the magic tome.

    ¡°That magic tome.....¡±

    ¡°Enta, this will hurt a little bit.¡±

    Artpe gave a low warning, then he activated the remation magic.

    The cause and effect rtionship started to find its rightful ce.

 Chapter 179 - Phoenixs Daughter (6)

    Chapter 179 - Phoenix¡¯s Daughter (6)

    ¡°Hoohp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The shock made her gut wrench, and it made Etna gasp. However, the spell had been initiated already. Even if the spell was stopped, the Demonic energy would rampage more within her body. This was why Artpe poured more Mana into his staff in order to speed up the spell.

    ¡°Oooh. It is making me nauseous. I think I¡¯m going to throw up....!¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long. Vad, you should get ready to heal her. Sienna, you should capture the rampaging Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    ¡°You should just be on standby!¡±

    ¡°I hate you, master. Nyaa!¡±

    There had been a lot of experiments up until that point. He even did a clinical test on a Demon stronger than Etna. Etna had fire energy within her that was an unpredictable variable. The fire energy won¡¯t help in the process of converting the Demonic energy, but it also won¡¯t actively interfere with his work.

    ¡®Etna stores all her Mana as heat energy. To be precise, her fire is mixed with Demonic energy. It is neither pure fire energy or pure Demonic energy. She is unstable at a fundamental level....¡¯

    This was why Artpe had always been puzzled by her. She was born as a Demon, yet she was having a hard time finding an equilibrium for her body temperature. If she was a Demon born with the ability to control fire, she should be able control the fire within her. She would be like Petra. Petra was able to decrease the temperature by changing the property of his Demonic energy. Shouldn¡¯t she be able to do that?

    However, it wasn¡¯t like that at all. In Petra¡¯s case, it felt as if he was changing an A to an A-. In Etna¡¯s case, it felt as if she was changing an A to a B. However, she wasn¡¯t able to fully convert an A to a B. As a result, the energy she emitted felt closer to an A+B.

    The fact that she was capable of using her explosive me was amazing. However, Artpe had always assumed that fire wasn¡¯t her true nature.

    However, he had been sessful in acquiring an answer not too long ago. Demonic energy was a twisted form of Mana. Demons were modified humans. Basically, he had to think of her as a human born with the power of pure fire. However, she had inherited the blood of the Demon race, so she was out of sync.

    This might be why she was the most different in naturepared to the other Demons. The Demons were fallen beings that always possessed power that befits them. She might be the only Demon that was born with a power that went against the fundamental nature of a Demon.

    ¡®In the process of turning Demons back into human beings, their power will be reduced. In Etna¡¯s case, she might be stronger if she is able to shed her Demonic energy. No, it finally means she will be able to regain her true form.¡¯

    ¡°Etna, do you feel it too?¡±

    ¡°Ahh-ooooooh! It hurts so much that I have no idea what¡¯s going on!¡±

    He decided to give up on getting an answer from her. Artpe relied solely on his magic tome as he surrounded his magic around her. He did it to cause a change within her. He focused on the remation magic.

    Originally, she was supposed to be made out of pure fire energy. He was getting rid of the erroneous Record, and he was restoring her twisted body. In the process of doing this, he was discing the Demonic energy, which had been surrounding her body, with fire energy.

    ¡°Oooh, ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    A fierce wave of fire exited her body. Artpe was trying to return her body into her original form. His remation magic was reducing the Demonic energy as it let her fire energy flourish. The Demonic energy exited her body with the me. The me was burning the Demonic energy.

    On the other hand, the remaining Demonic energy started to resist against being expelled. The Demonic energy started to inted its size within her body. The Demonic energy started to im her bones, muscles and organs for itself. In an attempt to preserve its identity, the Demonic energy wasshing out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll purify it!¡±

    ¡°You should purify only the Demonic energy that¡¯s emitted from her body!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I feel Demonic energy moving within unni¡¯s body....¡±

    ¡°I want you to suppress it. We can¡¯t damage Etna¡¯s body.¡±

    Artpe was directing the remation of her boyd. Vad and Sienna busily worked under the supervision of Artpe. The Demonic energy let out a dark light, and Artpe¡¯s Mana gave off a purple light. Sienna and Vad let out a brilliant white light. All of their powers mixed to create a powerful wave of Mana.

    ¡°Ooh-ook. This is.....¡±

    Artpe was sure his spell would be sessful. However, he was unsure as to whether Etna¡¯s weakened body would be able to endure the shock created by the remation magic.

    Still, all he had to do was make sure that she was still breathing at the end. After her humanification wasplete, Vad could heal her. He had pushed ahead under this assumption.... As it turns out, his assumption had been entirely wrong.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Oppa, what is that!?¡±

    The me exploded. The glorious me was shing against the Demonic energy. However, the Demonic energy and the me energy wasn¡¯t weakening each other. The me was continuously increasing in size. The meless field of ice was being melted away.

    ¡°Hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ha-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The fire was Etna. As the fire energy becamerger than the Demonic energy, it quickly moved through Etna¡¯s body. The fire energy started fixing her wounded and weakened body.

    No, it might not be precise to say her body was being fixed. As the fire energy raced through her body, her body was turning into pure me!

    However, Artpe couldn¡¯t investigate it. He wanted to use his Read All Creation ability to check on Etna¡¯s status, but the Demonic energy was making itsst-ditch effort. As if it didn¡¯t want to lose, the fire raged to match the Demonic energy. The magic tome was in a precarious situation, so he had to put fully concentrate to take care of the magic tome.

    ¡°The me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible. It is as if her body is made out of fire.¡±

    ¡°So we just need to help the mes prevail?¡±

    Artpe decided that the me wouldn¡¯t harm Enta, who was its owner. Artpe sharpened his Mana as he attacked the Demonic energy, which was opposing the me energy. After receiving Artpe¡¯s permission, Roa also helped out.

    The remation magic was purifying the Demonic energy, but it was impossible to change all the Demonic energy into fire energy. Artpe let go of the Demonic energy that he couldn¡¯t change. He focused on changing her body at a fundamental level. If the vessel remained intact, he believed it could be refilled.

    ¡°Hoohp¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ha-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    He made the right call. The magic tome let out ast round of blinding light, then the fire energy epted Artpe¡¯s magic. In one go, the Demonic energy was purified!

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    ¡°It is no use crying over spilt milk, you dork.¡±

    Of course, this was possible, because Artpe had used his remation magic. However, it was also true that the high purity of Etna¡¯s me power had helped.

    ¡°Artpe-nim, should I heal that woman.....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Instead... Barrier!¡±

    The magic tome had finished its job, so it had been descending from the air. Artpe quickly put away the magic tome as he gripped his staff. He created his strongest barrier. Afterwards, an enormous explosion of me washed over the barrier.

    ¡°Gyaa-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    ¡°Is she attacking us? Should I kill her?¡±

    ¡°You should be retrained as a hero!¡±

    Each party member had been startled, so they spoke their mind. It was as if the red me would engulf the whole world, but it disappeared in a sh.

    No, it was more precise to say that the fire was reduced to a single point in space.

    ¡°Hoooo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    A fire spirit stood there.

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. This is why I felt uneasy. I should have killed her when she was a Demon!¡±

    ¡°How beautiful¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you changed her back to being human, Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The members of Artpe¡¯s party were taken aback, and they each said something. Maetel was the only one to make a sharp observation. Artpeughed as he answered her.

    ¡°I told you that I¡¯ll revert her back to her natural form. I never said that she would be human.¡±

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t know things would turn out like this.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ha-ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°She is letting out me with each breath.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. Just the sight of that makes my body hurt..¡±

    She was floating in the air as a subdued heat was being emitted from her body. She couldn¡¯t be called a human. Her long and voluminous red hair looked as if it was finely spun by fire. Herrge clear eyes flickered like fire.

    [Etna Carlyfate Mirecard]

    [Fire Spirit Mixed-blood]

    [Level : 388]

    [Innate Ability : Spirit Transformation]

    Others couldn¡¯t tell, but Artpe could see it with his eyes. She really wasn¡¯t human. If he had to guess, one of her ancestors had been a spirit, and the power of the spirit had manifested in her. However, the twisted blood of the Demon had suppressed the blood of the spirit. She had finally regained her true form now.

    ¡®I see. In the end, it seems my dream was correct. She had lost control when she found out about my death. At the time, she burned her own body to bring out the spirits....¡¯

    Moreover, he had probably only glimpsed a portion of the power possessed by her spirit in the dream. She had finally regained her power. It had been crucial for Artpe to learn the remation magic.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    She looked unaffected as she floated in the air. After looking dow at Artpe¡¯s party from above, she slowly descended. Strangely enough, the frozen ground around her didn¡¯t melt away when shended.

    ¡°You can perfectly control it now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is as you see right now.¡±

    All the mes that had been burning nearby was retracted. Etna let out an alluringughter. Maetel openly expressed her displeasure by ring at Etna. Etnapletely ignored Maetel as she walked towards Artpe.

    ¡°You really upset me. You are cheeky and confounding.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You keep looking at me with those innocent eyes..... I waspletely deceived by you.¡±

    He could feel a disquieting feeling behind her words. Artpe retreated backwards, and he was about to ask for help from Maetel. At that moment, Etna suddenly detonated in the air, and she disappeared. She immediately appeared behind him.

    ¡°Artpehhhhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Heeeek!?¡±

    The mood around her changed! She had acted like an innocent older sister from the countryside that wasing up in the world. Now it felt as she was a sensual youngdy from the city! Artpe wonder if Etna¡¯s personality had changed through the remation magic. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. The answer was much simpler.

    ¡°Will you ept me now? You are going to ept me, right? I approached you first. You definitely said you¡¯ll ept me. Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Etna? It seems you are mistaken. Maybe, we should start this conversation again from the beginning....¡±

    ¡°How can you be like this? You yed hard to get, and at the end, you made a deration saying you don¡¯t like older women.... Do you realize how gutted I was when I heard that?¡±

    What the hell?

    Cold sweat ran down his back. He realized something big would happen if he let Etna proceed with this topic of conversation.

    ¡°Etna, do you perhaps.....¡±

    ¡°Mmm. That reaction.... As expected, you have your memories. It seems you got it much earlier than me. Maybe, you had it from the start. Or.... Are you the mastermind behind this? It doesn¡¯t matter. We get to live again, and we were able to meet each other. Hoo hoo, Artpe.¡±

    When he heard her words, he perfectly understood what was going on. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but it seemed the current Etna possessed her memories from her past life!

    He had been surprised when Silpennon had spoken about his past life, but now she was talking about it too. At this rate, was he going to find out that everyone knew about their past lives? Are they going to make fun of Artpe! Was this some kind of a massive surprise party!?

    ¡°Get away from Artpe. Artpe doesn¡¯t like it. He doesn¡¯t like older women.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, hero. What are you saying? Artpe went through all that trouble toe to me. Can you not see that? This is basically a form of a public confession of his love for me.¡±

    ¡°It is said that deluded people are happy. Hoo hoo. It seems I have to put you down for good here.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to fight again? Alright. Let¡¯s put our honor as women on the line. Let¡¯s fight 1on1.¡±

    In a sh, the atmosphere became heated! Maetel and Etna was disying an overwhelming amount of power and spirit. Artpe¡¯s party members retreated backwards in fright. Artpe realized that Etna had regained her memories from her past life. He was so appalled that he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Regina brought down the tip of her staff against the ground. Etna and Maetel whipped their heads around as they red at Regina. It was as if they were tellling her to butt out of this. In a sh, cold energy was emitted through Regina¡¯s staff. She quickly froze the ambient Mana in their surrounding. Etna and Maetel turned pale when they saw this.

    ¡°I understand that both of you have affection for Artpe. However, our party¡¯s power will go down if the two of you fights each other. If both of you want to be killed by the Demon King, I won¡¯t stop you guy. I¡¯ll runaway with Artpe and Sienna in tow.¡±

    Regina had seeded the Winter Queen as the new owner of cia. The two women became quiet when Regina disyed her power. In that moment, the oue of the fight was decided.

 Chapter 180 - Renewal Plan (1)

    Chapter 179 - Renewal n (1)

    ¡°It feels as if I¡¯ve been born again. It really is a very refreshing feeling.¡±

    ¡°Shall I keep up that pattern by killing you again?¡±

    ¡°Maetel, you are acting more like a Demon King than a hero.¡±

    ¡°Koohk.¡±

    The party exited cia. Even if Etna had be whole, she wasn¡¯t saved from the adverse effects of the cold in cia. If they stayed in ce, they would be in a tight spot, since the previous Demon King¡¯s forces could arrive at any moment.

    ¡°Artpe, are you really going to let that woman into the party?¡±

    ¡°Of course. If Etna says she¡¯ll help us, we¡¯ll let her join.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll stab you in the back at some point in the future.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stab him in the back? I¡¯ve neverid a finger on Artpe in my life. I might want to put my hands on him for a different reason, but I¡¯ve never harmed Artpe. On the other hand, the hero......¡±

    ¡°Etna.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m just telling the truth. I might hate you if you re at me like that.¡±

    After Regina dramatically intervened between the two, Etna and Maetel were able to break out of their fighting mood. However, the rtionship between the two remained stormy.

    Maetel was irritated by the fact that Artpe seemed to pay attention to Etna more than necessary. On the other hand, Etna had regained her memories from her past life. She believed Maetel had been the one to kill Artpe in their past lives. There was no way she would look kindly on Maetel.

    ¡®Under the assumption that Etna had regained all her memories from her past life, it had been a near miracle that she had done nothing.¡¯

    Artpe let out a big sigh as he shook his head from side to side. He didn¡¯t know how he would be able to solve this problem with his abilities. Maybe, if he threatened to fall on his own sword, the two might calm down. Artpe decided that would be hisst recourse.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m in agreement. I really don¡¯t like you either.¡±

    Artpe ignored the two squabbling women as he spoke to the rest of his party.

    ¡°Well, we were sessful in joining up with Etna. There is only one thing left to do.¡±

    ¡°You are talking about hunting down the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°That was the original n.¡±

    There was fear, duty and a bit of anticipation in Vad¡¯s voice as she answered him. Artpe answered back with an ambiguous answer. Regina spoke instead of him.

    ¡°That is impossible now. The Demon King¡¯s castle has fallen, and the Demon King is missing. The previous Demon King¡¯s forces has made their presence known. The Demon realm isrge, and we cannot search the entire ce.¡±

    ¡°Regina is right. Our goal has be a bit ambiguous. If we aren¡¯t vignt, we might get idle. We might get distracted into doing other things. Ite up asionally in the hero¡¯s story. The hero talks to a merchant or the hero starts feuding with a noble. The main quest ends too quickly, so the hero goes on a subquest instead of finding the next main quest. In turn, something worse develops from an entirely different direction. If I¡¯m to simplify it, there are people that stray onto a different path instead of sticking to the main path. It results in them paying a price at ater date.¡±

    ¡°That sounds oddly familiar.¡±

    Artpe ignored Elrick, who had tried to undercut his words.

    ¡°However, you witnessed it, right? We¡¯ve been living under a delusion. We were wrong on a fundamental level. The Demon realm had been part of the human realm. The Demon race was the product of humanity¡¯s twisted greed. It is no longer as simple as killing the Demon King. Events have ballooned too much.¡±

    ¡°If people find out about this, it¡¯ll cause chaos. Each nation has at least one political activist that¡¯ll cause trouble, and the priests from the temples will jump up and down in anger.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. There will be those that will ignore reality. There will also be people that would want the Demon realm to be turned back into a human realm once again.¡±

    In truth, Artpe really didn¡¯t want to get involved with such work. However, Artpe was the only one capable of purifying the Demonic energy right now. This was why he couldn¡¯t back out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly end this before it be more of a nuisance.¡±

    ¡°Quickly¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Artpe, are you perhaps going back to the Demon realm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe turned his head slightly to avoid Maetel¡¯s gaze. She was right. They had to go back to the Demon realm. Maetel grabbed his shoulders, and she shook him.

    ¡°Why! Artpe always stressed the importance of moving in an efficient manner!¡±

    They had entered the heart of the Demon realm, and they had destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle. They had learned the truth within Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin, and as a bonus, they were able to kill one of the past Four Heavenly Kings. Everything was great up to that point.

    Why did Artpe have to get into a fight with Petra over their ego? It had resulted in them returning to cia. When everything had resolved itself in cia, they had to return to the Demon realm once again! Why! Why did they have to make such vain efforts! Was this really the best they could do!

    ¡°Oh my. It seems the hero is very dense. Artpe went to the Demon realm to meet me. Since I wasn¡¯t there, he used Petra to find me. All is as it should be.¡±

    ¡°You are merely the side dish!¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t able to ept reality, young hero. How cute.¡±

    As if she saw the perfect opportunity, Etna moved Maetel¡¯s hands away from Artpe. Then she gently draped her arms around his neck. There was a gentle heat that was emanating from her skin. She warmed his cold body.

    ¡°You traveled the long distance for me, Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You spoke about increasing the power of your party, but that was just a thin excuse. Hoo hoo. I always liked that about you. Yes. I like you even more now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t rub your cheeks against him. Don¡¯t act as if you are close to him.¡±

    ¡°However, we really are close?¡±

    Artpe was truly in a bind. When Silpennon regained his memories, he had been afraid that Silpennon would be his enemy. Now that Etna had recover her memories from her past life, he worried her simple love would evolve. He became afraid that her love would be a deep-seated love that he could barely manage.

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Maetel, there is something we can do now in the Demon realm. It is only possible, because a reliable ally like Etna had joined our party. It isn¡¯t what you think. This wasn¡¯t a waste of time. I guess I could suggest joining up with the continental alliance, since we are in the human realm. However, you know that¡¯s not a good idea, right?¡±

    ¡°Ooh-oooooh.... I still can¡¯t ept it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Of course, the current iteration of Artpe¡¯s party was powerful. They no longer had to move around in a small elite group to assassinate the leaders of the Demon King¡¯s army. They could just join up with the human army, and they could eradicate all the Demons in the human realm.

    Moreover, the Demon King¡¯s castle was gone now. The current Demon King was missing, and he had no idea where the leaders of the past Demon King¡¯s forces were located at. Even if he moved his small elite party, he had lost his targets.

    ¡°So why are we going to the Demon realm? Please give me the specifics.¡±

    When Artpe exined the situation, Maetel epted his reasoning. However, she became more puzzled, because she had epted his exnation. Artpe put on a bright smile as he answered her.

    ¡°I want to work on turning the Demon realm into a human realm.¡±

    Maetel had a faraway look when she heard his words. The rest of his party had a simr reaction. However, Artpe wasn¡¯t done speaking.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the Demon race. I¡¯ll return the entire region to normal. It¡¯ll consume a lot of Mana, but that is a secondary problem. This will aggro the Demons. It is the most ideal method to draw in the previous Demon King¡¯s forces.¡±

    The other side was trying to turn the human realm into the Demon realm. Artpe would do something thatpletely oppose their n. He would do it within the Demon realm. Of course, his foes would be aggro¡¯d to him!

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be possible?¡±

    ¡°You want to flip the hero¡¯s story at a fundamental level. It is an idea that is befitting Artpe-nim, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    If he had the time and resources, it would be possible. Time couldn¡¯t be helped, but the resources could be provided by the human realm.

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Roa. There are many things to eat in the world other than Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I can eat other corrupted things. Nyaa-aaah. I now know why the Demonic energy was such a tasty meal. Nyaa.¡±

    Artpe smirked at Roa¡¯s words. It was to be expected. The Demonic energy arose from humanity¡¯s twisted greed. Roa feasted mainly on corrupted energy. Of course, she would love the Demonic energy. Maybe, she had this realization when the truth of the Demonic energy became known.

    ¡°Can you really drive out all the Demonic energy from the human realm?¡±

    ¡°It is such an enormous task that I¡¯m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.¡±

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    His party members had questions about it, but Artpe answered them with a confident voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. When Artpe disys so much confidence, he always does something incredibly absurd.....¡±

    ¡°Good bye, cia. I¡¯lle back much stronger.¡±

    Everyone got on the Steel Horse. Everyone was nervous except Regina. She calmly waved goodbye to the continent. It was as if the continent was answering her. A snowstorm kicked up.

    ¡°Regina¡¯s ability also became stronger. Everything worked out if you look at the final result.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You just said final result. This is the final result!¡±

    ¡°Nyaaaaa.¡±

    The Steel Horse moved at high speeds. It was moving towards the holy nation of Pdia. It was the first step in gathering their resources.

    [Artpe?]

    It was deep within the night. It was when everyone was asleep. Artpe naturally opened his eyes when he heard thenguage of the Demons near his ears. He saw Etna sitting next to him. Her hair was letting out a subdued red light.

    [You are awake.]

    [What¡¯s the matter?]

    The Steel Horse was on auto drive, so it was moving under the night sky. Everyone looked a bit ragged as they slept.

    In truth, sleep wasn¡¯t necessary when one was at their level. However, they had been traveling with Petra for the past couple days. The journey had started when they had left Nanarai Bodra¡¯s ruin. Lot of things had happened in between, so they hadn¡¯t been able to rx. They were using this time to unwind.

    Moreover, Artpe wanted to recover too.

    [Don¡¯t re at me like that. I get hurt even by your small actions. ....didn¡¯t I just sound like a girl in love?]

    [You should be resting, Etna. You need it the most.]

    [Hoo hoo. You already know about it. I¡¯m whole, and I¡¯m in a peaceful state. You are no longer referring to me as Etna-nim. I¡¯m happy.]

    [You want to talk about old times?]

    He wondered if she wanted to talk about their past lives with him. It would be analogous to an old mercenary telling a story to a drunk crowd. However, Etna shook her head from side to side.

    [No, I just want to stick close to Artpe.]

    [You shouldn¡¯t be so straightforward with your words.... Why do all the women I meet start to take after Maetel?]

    [Maybe, the little miss might be taking after me?]

    Etnaid down next to Artpe, and she leaned into his shoulder. Maetel was sleeping on the other side. Etna moved in a way that didn¡¯t wake Maetel. Artpe thought it was quite the feat. Etna spoke thenguage of the Demon race to him. Only the two of them could understand it, and it was almost as if she was singing her words.

    [I don¡¯t know how we were able to return to the past like this. I¡¯m not even sure if this is reality. Artpe used to be a Demon, but you are human now. Moreover, you are the hero. I don¡¯t know why everything is flowing differently from before..... There are so many things I am curious about...]

    [I can tell you everything.]

    [It¡¯s alright.]

    Etna turned her head slightly, and she gave a short kiss on the nape of his neck. This was different from Maetel throwing a tantrum for a kiss. Every gesture was so mature that he needlessly felt his heart speed up. However, he had a feeling of disillusionment when he found himselfparing Etna and Maetel. He stopped thinking about it.

    [Artpe came to find me. That is why I¡¯m ok with whatever that happens in the future.]

    [I¡¯ll say this once. It wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t like you in the past, but I wasn¡¯t in love with you either.]

    [Mmm mmm. I understand Petra always was always the problem. This was true in this life and the past life. Ah, jeez. We said we won¡¯t talk about the past.]

    [If we want to talk about the present, it is inevitable that we¡¯ll have to talk about the past. There is no need to avoid it.]

    [Then Artpe likes the little Ms. hero? What I mean to say is... Have you always liked her even in the past?]

    It was an ambush. Maybe, she had been waiting for Artpe to say those words. It had allowed her to ask this question. Artpe was taken aback, but in the end, he willingly answered her.

    [Yes. A lot.]

    [Miss hero said the same thing to me. I thought she had killed you, so I became really angry..... Maybe, the one that had the most valid reason to act out in anger was that youngdy.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤thank you for holding back.]

    When she regained her memories from her past life, Etna could have gone crazy against Maetel and Regina. It would have been a reasonable reaction. However, she had suppressed her feeling as if it was nothing.

    [Mmm. The fact that you are alive makes me feel as if I can forgive just about everything..... Moreover, all of our circumstances has changed.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤that¡¯s true.]

    [I think I can get along with her. The little Ms. hero won¡¯t oppose me if I¡¯m on Artpe¡¯s side.]

    She really had a really good grasp on the situation. Maetel listened to Artpe¡¯s promation. She prioritized the safety of all her party members above all else. Even if she might grind her teeth, she would never point her sword towards an ally.

    [I¡¯m in the same boat. I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I can do whatever you want if it is for you, Artpe.]

    [I am a man with a lot of sins.]

    [I know.]

    Artpe acted like a cheeky jerk, but Etna justughed. Then she leaned into Artpe once again.

    [We meet again¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    [I guess so.]

    Her body temperature rose slightly. Artpe turned, so Maetel won¡¯t wake up. He was careful. Etna extended one hand, and she lightly grabbed his sleeve.

    [I¡¯ll protect you, Artpe. In the past, I wasn¡¯t able to protect you. I¡¯ll work harder knowing this... At all costs.... No matter what.....]

    [You are obsessing over weird things¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Etna?]

    She stopped speaking. When he took a closer look, Etna was asleep. She had stated that she hadn¡¯t been tired, yet she had immediately fallen asleep next to him. Artpe smirked when he realized this fact.

    He lightly grabbed the hand holding onto his sleeve, then he went back to sleep.

 Chapter 181 - Renewal Plan (2)

    Chapter 181 - Renewal n (2)

    When the next morning came, Maetel found Etna holding onto Artpe¡¯s shoulder as she slept. She became incredible angry, but she didn¡¯t wake up Etna. Did she remember Regina¡¯s words?

    As soon as Artpe opened his eyes, he saw Maetel ring at him. His heart was beating faster, but not in a good way.

    ¡°When everything ends, I¡¯ll settle this matter once and for all.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t kill her. It is also questionable as to whether you¡¯ll be able to kill Etna. She won¡¯t die easily.¡±

    ¡°Oooh-mmmmm.¡±

    Artpe and Etna got up. And finally, the rest of the hero¡¯s party woke up. The Steel Horse had stopped in mid air. The roof of the temple could be seen far down below.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already arrived at Pdia.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, are you really going to do it?¡±

    ¡°I have to.¡±

    ¡°Pdia¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Etna had been a Demon. It seemed she was having a moment of retrospection.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the heroes will get help from the holy nation of Pdia.¡±

    ¡°It is a crucial milestone in a hero¡¯s story.¡±

    ¡°The hero¡¯s story¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Pffft. Hoo-hooht.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, you dork.¡±

    In their past lives, the hero¡¯s party hadn¡¯t been able to do this. The Chef¡¯s recipe had mapped out everything. The hero couldn¡¯t receive help from the temples. In fact, all nations had refused to help the hero. The recipe had been amazing, so pace of the hero¡¯s growth had been exceptional. However, everything else had be a mess.

    ¡°Yes, this is a method that befits Artpe. I like it.¡±

    ¡°You know me well. Since this will minimize the death of Demons, you should give me your full cooperation¡±

    ¡°I have no objections, my hero. I¡¯ll do ask you like. I¡¯ll do whatever you ask me to do¡±

    ¡°Oohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also the hero! You should also follow my words!¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I guess the tiny Miss is also a hero.¡±

    ¡°Tiny!?¡±

    ¡°You are a bitrger than before, but..... Pfft.¡±

    ¡°Did you justugh at me!? You justughed at me!¡±

    After regaining her memories, each words that had exited Etna¡¯s mouth had been unnecessarily toxic. It put Artpe in a bind. The most troubling fact was that Etna meant every word she said.

    Instead of focusing on Artpe¡¯s words, Maetel growled towards Etna. He let Etna deal with Maetel. He immediately took control of the Steel Horse. It seemed the most troublesome one in his party was upied by the one he considered to be the most difficult one to deal with. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Maybe, it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing that Etna had recovered her memories from her past life.

    ¡°That is very rude.¡±

    ¡°Did I speak that out loud!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it now after I saw your reaction.¡±

    Regina was slowly bing very good at dealing with people. If she could somehow be managed, it would be great for him. Artpe didn¡¯t show any sign of contrition as he had rude thoughts about Regina.

    ¡°Pdia.....¡±

    On the other hand, they were approaching the capital of Pdia. Elrick¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too bright when he saw the city of Lihazeta.

    Since he hadn¡¯t fought recently, he had taken off his armor. His armor was infused with a Guardian Spirit, so it followed behind Elrick. If someone saw the armor walking behind him, Elrick would probably be mistaken for a necromancer.

    ¡°This ce made me realize that the world isn¡¯t as pure as I thought it would be.¡±

    ¡°You said they shut the door in your face when you asked them to dispel your curse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They didn¡¯t even bother talking to me. If it wasn¡¯t for Artpe, I would still be trapped within my armor.¡±

    ¡°Lihazeta... No, the entire nation of Pdia had be stagnant.¡±

    Vad threw in a helping word. It had been a while since she had visited her homnd. This was why she wore a clean outfit. She dressed up for the asion. She had put on essories she had worn during her life within the holy nation of Pdia. It had been a while, but she looked like a holy figure.

    ¡°We were too obsessed with the past teachings that had been passed down to us. We didn¡¯t ept anything new. We didn¡¯t send anyone outside, and we didn¡¯t let anyone inside. We started to rot from the inside. It was like that until Artpe-nim broke us.¡±

    The wordsing out of her mouth sounded very acerbic.

    ¡°At a fundamental level, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve changed. At the very least, they¡¯ll listen to Artpe-nim¡¯s words. If Artpe-nim hadn¡¯t existed, our future descendants would haveughed at Pdia. We owe a lot to Artpe-nim.¡±

    ¡°You do as you are told ording to Artpe¡¯s will, but you haven¡¯t changed at a fundamental level. You are quite simr to them in that aspect.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Maetel-nim. Of course, I don¡¯t expect Maetael-nim to understand my love towards hero-nim!¡±

    Before another war started between the holy priestess and the hero, the Steel Horsended on the ground. Of course, they hadn¡¯t hidden their presence. This was why the priests and holy knights residing with the heart of Lihazeta came running out. Most of the priests had been enlisted in the continental alliance, so they were out fighting the Demons in the battlefield. This was why there weren¡¯t that many priests and holy knights present within Lihazeta.

    Maybe, this was a blessing in disguise.

    ¡°H...hero-him!¡±

    ¡°The two hero-nim and..... Holy Priestess Vad is here too!?¡±

    After Aria made her official appearance, the number of holy priestesses had increased to two. Therefore, the priests had to make a distinction between Vad and Aria. It felt a bit odd hearing that title, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!? We were told that the hero¡¯s party had entered the Demon realm!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going back soon. However, I need you guys to do something for us before we do that.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Finally! The hero-nim has a task for us!¡±

    The holy nation of Pdia considered their ultimate duty was to help the hero defeat the Demon King! When the priests heard the requesting from Artpe, they became extremely happy.

    ¡°We¡¯ll help you in any way we can! Just tell us what you need!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe smacked his lips as he rubbed his hands together.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go raid your vault first.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what?¡±

    Artpe had activated Iron Face. It was an essential skill for merchants and swindlers. Afterwards, he searched every corner of Lihazeta. He collected every holy Artifact that contained an ounce of Mana. He extracted every Magic stone he could find. No one could stop Artpe, who was moving at full steam.

    He was so straight forward in his plunder that the priests were having a hard time expressing their grievances. The priests watched with their mouth agape. They watched as the important infrastructure of their nation became dismantled by him.

    ¡°H...hero-nim. That is.....¡±

    ¡°If the Demon race is able to reach this ce, the human realm is already doomed. A barrier is unnecessary here. Just give it to me. Oh, Vad. I want you to disassemble that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Artpe-nim!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t, hero-nim. That symbolizes Pdia¡¯s honor and dignity... Holy priestess, you can¡¯t dismantle that one!¡±

    ¡°Honor and dignity can¡¯t save your lives. This will buy you your lives.¡±

    ¡°Ggoo-oohk.¡±

    No arguments worked in front of Artpe! In the name of saving the future of humanity, Artpe stole every Artifact within Lihazeta. He was able to bully the dazed priests into helping him. In the end, he was able to finish his task in three hours.

    ¡°Hoo. This isn¡¯t too bad of a haul.¡±

    In terms of capacity, Artpe possessed the greatest Dimensional Pouch in this world. He put the Dimensional Pouch away as he turned around. Artpe had a satisfied expression on his face. He looked like a housewife that had finished washing the dirtyundry.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel so aggrieved. I¡¯m going to to visit every single nation.¡±

    ¡°Y...you are going to do this to the other nations?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is woefully inadequate for my needs.¡±

    He was speaking to the highest ranked priest within Lihazeta. He patted the shoulder of Bishop Becidi, who was the proxy to the pope. The priest was struck dumb. He asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°Hero-nim, what are you nning on doing within the Demon realm?¡±

    ¡°Sess isn¡¯t guaranteed, so I can¡¯t give you any assurances. But.....¡±

    If things turned out as he nned......

    ¡°The meaning of existence for Pdia will change a little bit.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    He left behind the confused priests. He got on the Steel Horse once again. It was crucial to retreat quickly! At his abrupt change in pace, the priests were struck dumb. His party members followed behind him as they got into the Steel Horse. Etna was thest one to get on. She turned around, and she gave them a wink.

    ¡°You guys should live hard. Don¡¯t do anything that you might regret. This is your bonus life.¡±

    ¡°Bonus¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Jeez.¡±

    ¡°Kyaahk, Artpe.¡±

    Afterwards, Etna was dragged away by Artpe. She burst outughing. Even as the Steel Horse moved towards their next destination, the priests continued to mull over the words left behind by Etna. They wondered what she had meant by bonus. At the same time, they thought about how pretty that maiden was.

    ¡°We¡¯ll loot all the nations that are on our path. Let¡¯s started making an estimate right now.¡±

    ¡°What kind of estimate?¡±

    ¡°It is an estimate as to how much Artifacts and Magic Stones is needed by each nation to defend against the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    He would steal the rest. When she heard his words, her eyes opened wide, and the whites of Maetel¡¯s eyes were visible.

    ¡°Artpe, I think you are worse than the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that, Maetel. The Demon realm was created thanks to the greed of humans. This is inarguable. Wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate if the entire human race shared in the burden of changing back the world as it should be? We really worked like a dog after being chosen as heroes. Shouldn¡¯t others pay a price that is equivalent to what we go through?¡±

    His argument sounded ridiculous, yet she strangely couldn¡¯t find fault with his argument. Maetel became speechless. While they were speaking, the Steel Horse had gotten close to the empire of Zard.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be surprised by this. There are more ces we have to plunder.¡±

    ¡°There are others we have to steal from¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? You already said you¡¯ll plunder all the nations. What else is left?¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. If you are going to plunder after plundering the nations, you are....¡±

    Unfortunately, Elrick had picked up on his n.

    ¡°Are you perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know the answer, you can just admit it.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning on stealing from the merchantpanies!?¡±

    When Vad heard Elrick¡¯s guess, she pped her hands. It was as if Vad wanted to say, ¡®Kyaa. There was that possibility!¡®

    On the other hand, Maetel just nodded her head. It was as if someone had exined to her that a mountain was a mountain, and water was water. Sienna snickered. The only one that took it seriously, aside from Elrick, was Regina. It was unexpected.

    ¡°They are scary when ites to anything rted to money. They are a bundle of desire and voraciousness. Even the magic kingdom couldn¡¯t take them down easily even if they tried. I know Artpe isn¡¯t foolish enough not to know that..¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know that. The Anywherepany and the other merchantpanies have hidden forces all over the continent. I have a rough idea as to how strong they are.¡±

    This was obvious, but in a war against the Demon King¡¯s army, the merchantpanies sold supplies at a cheaper price. However, they couldn¡¯t sell their products at a loss, so they extracted their price in other ways. Despite this fact, they were part of the continental alliance, and they were fighting hard against the Demon King¡¯s army.

    However, not all within the merchantpanies were fighting the war. The defense of the human realm was important, but the survival of the merchantpanies was more important.

    This was why their elite forces were protecting their most important treasures. If it looked like the human realm would fall, the merchantpanies were thinking about throwing their lot in with the Demon race.

    ¡°They don¡¯t value humans or Demons. They value money the most. Mycenae values love the most, but she is a really rare exception.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that in front of Mycenae. Anyways, it seems you know about the power of the merchantpanies.¡±

    ¡°So let me ask again. Who are you going to steal from?¡±

    ¡°Merchantpanies.¡±

    Cold energy emanated from Regina¡¯s body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like jokes.¡±

    ¡°You should think about it, Regina.¡±

    Artpe smiled as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°The magic kingdom couldn¡¯t easily deal with the merchantpanies, but it also means the magic kingdom was capable of doing it if they wanted to.¡±

    ¡°It would have been possible if the magic kingdom was prepared for its copse in doing so.¡±

    ¡°In the end, they areparable in power to the magic kingdom?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Regina finally had a realization. The person in front of her was the culprit that had ended the magic kingdom! That wasn¡¯t all. Regina¡¯s level couldn¡¯t bepared to the level she was at couple years ago! She could easily steal from thergepanies by herself!

    ¡°That is why we¡¯ll be ok. We can rob them real well.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is the baddest of them all.... However, I really love that about you!¡±

    The hero¡¯s party drove the Steel Horse towards the imperial city of the Zard empire.

    The hero¡¯s party, who was more vicious than the Demon King, started to earnestly gather ingredients for the great spell!

 Chapter 182 - Renewal Plan (3)

    Chapter 182 - Renewal n (3)

    Angelo Zard was the emperor of the empire of Zard. The young heroes were full of energy as they descended upon the pce. The emperor sounded stunned as he double-checked with the hero.

    ¡°So you want us to give you all our Artifacts? Right now?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to give it to us, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Artpe let out a bright smile as he spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably take it from us anyways.¡±

    ¡°Then you should just give it all to me.¡±

    The emperor slowly nodded his head as he spoke. Artpe had been about to carry out his task, but Artpe became surprised at the emperor¡¯s reply. He almost tripped over his own feet.

    ¡°You are just going to give it to me? I¡¯m going to take an extremely high amount of your Artifacts, yet you n on giving it all to me?¡±

    ¡°It is said that it¡¯s not over until it¡¯s over. However, that is true up to a certain point. You can easily ovee my empire by yourself. What is the point of putting up a fight right now? Moreover, the heroes are needed in defeating the Demon King. I don¡¯t have any grounds for refusing your request.¡±

    As expected, they spoke the samenguage. When Artpe grinned, the emperor got up from his throne as he sighed.

    ¡°Of course, these are only words. It¡¯ll be hard not to incur the resentment of the nobles. I¡¯ll try to help in carrying out the task, but in the process, you will shoulder most of the me. I have to blunt their anger and hate in some way. If you feel your ears burning in the future, you only have yourself to me.¡±

    ¡°Do that. I¡¯m fine with it. Undoubtedly, there will be some that won¡¯t listen to me. At that point, I¡¯ll have to use my power.¡±

    In truth, Artpe did something he should have done at an earlier date. The empire had inherited all the magic technology developed by the magic kingdom. The hero¡¯s party used the groundbreaking visualmunication system developed by the empire. They sent out a transmission asking for Artifacts and Magic Stones, since they needed it.

    [This message will be repeated once again. If you give up your Artifacts and Magic Stones without making a fuss, there will be no bloodshed.]

    ¡°Hey. I told you that you should speak a bit more softly!¡±

    Artpe watched the image floating atop the capital. Maetel had a kind smile on her face, yet she spoke as if she was an overlord. When he saw this, Artpe yelled out in fright. Angelo Zard had a benevolent smile on his face.

    ¡°At the very least, there is no way I will be med for this now.¡±

    ¡°Good for you.¡±

    Artpe grumbled in a low voice as he rolled back his sleeves. It was time to carry out his n.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. emperor. I need help with one more thing.¡±

    ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t asking me to apany you to the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    Angelo Zard was powerful, but he was powerful ording to the human realm¡¯s standard. He could probably fight a 1 on 1 battle with one of the officers under the Four Heavenly King. Moreover, he was an emperor that had founded an empire. He was too valuable to use as a mere soldier. Also......

    ¡°I already destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°How can I not worry? You just said you destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle. Doesn¡¯t that mean you were able to destroy the Demon King¡¯s castle, yet you weren¡¯t able to defeat the Demon King!? Where the hell is that bastard now!¡±

    As expected, the emperor had an interesting reaction to his news. Artpe cackled as he moved onto the main topic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll feel guilty if I only loot the nations. That is why I¡¯m going to loot the merchantpanies.¡±

    ¡°Merchantpanies? I don¡¯t think you are talking about the small-to-medium-sizedpanies....¡±

    ¡°Anywhere, Might and Seros.¡±

    All the Dungeon Merchants were affiliated with these threepanies. These were mega merchantpanies that had bases in each nation. When the emperor heard Artpe¡¯s words, he cackled.

    ¡°Oh oh. The hero finally lost his mind. You want to steal from the merchantpanies? These are thepanies that won¡¯t break even if there was a all-out war between the human realm and the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Artpe was speaking in a spirited manner when he came up with a good idea. He pped his hands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just falsely use them of having impropermunications with the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°You said it with your lips. It is a false usation. It is all wrong from the start.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just frame it like this. If they don¡¯t have any improper rtions with the Demon race, they should give up the assets of thepany as proof. If apany hides their assets, we canbel them as being in league with the Demon race. We can wipe them out.... What do you think? It¡¯s perfect, right?¡±

    It was an idea that came from a absolutely madd. However, the emperor put on a broad smile when he heard Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°I kinda like that idea!¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take that as you agreeing to cooperate with me.¡±

    There was an old saying that some people revel in others¡¯ misfortunes. An agreement was made between the emperor and Artpe based upon this concept. His empire¡¯s treasury would be emptied, and it would cause financial difficulties within his empire. However, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Artpe looted everyone else¡¯s treasury also! Artpe just had to make everyone equally poor. He had a truly devilish mindset.

    Soon, the emperor of Zard gathered the heads of the mega merchantpanies. They were gathered in one ce. Since the emperor had requested the meeting, it was impossible to send a subordinate. Everyone sat under the same tent as the emperor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    ¡°I would like to ask you a question before we start. I heard that the hero has gone to each nation, and he has stolen all the Artifacts and Magic Stones......¡±

    The head of the Mightpany struck first. The head of the Anywherepany and the Serospany frowned slightly. It seemed they had also heard about the cmity that had urred within each nation. Maybe, the emperor gathered them here to vent his anger. His anger might be directed towards them. He might ask them for something! All three representatives were having the same thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but the merchantpanies have already suffered enough losses in this venture. We cannot be more amodating to your empire.¡±

    ¡°At this moment, the storage houses of ourpanies are being emptied in order to fight against the Demon race.¡±

    ¡°Everyone should calm down. Emperor Zard just wanted a meeting. There is no way he would made such a rude overture.¡±

    The emperor didn¡¯t even have the chance to say anything. The heads of the merchantpanies spoke back and forth with each other. They started constructing a line of defense with their words. However, state of affairs always came faster and stronger than one expects.

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°Hero!?¡±

    Artpe had used Blink, and he had appeared atop the table. The heads of the merchantpanies were taken aback. They pushed their chairs backwards. However, there was no way they would be able to run away from Artpe!

    ¡°Ta-da.¡±

    ¡°Koohk! Barrier!?¡±

    ¡°It is a high rank barrier of incredible quality!¡±

    As soon as Artpe appeared, he flicked his finger to ce a barrier over the entire tent. He had use the Materialization spell alongside the Mana Strings. Neither Mana nor any physical substance could exit the barrier!

    ¡°You were in league with the hero from the start! How can this be!¡±

    ¡°You were jobbed by the hero, yet you are cooperating with him? You sold us out!¡±

    The emperor saw the blood vessels pop out on the necks of the representatives. He spoke in sly manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m still an emperor of an empire, yet you guys are being pretty rude with your words. Above all else, I am on the side of the hero, because I want him to kill the Demon King. I¡¯m not trying to persecute or frighten you. I just want all of us to sacrifice a little bit, so peace cane to this continent..¡±

    ¡°Liar! If what you say is true, why are you grinning!¡±

    The emperor was having a hard time keeping his expression under control, so Artpe stepped forward. After trying to break through the barrier couple times, the heads of the merchantpanies realized that the they were trapped. Artpe sat on the table as he looked at each representative. Every one of them couldn¡¯t face Artpe¡¯s domineering attitude. They looked away.

    ¡°I think you guys already know the full story of what is going on.¡±

    Artpe let out an unusually bright smile as he exined.

    ¡°That is why I¡¯ll skip the details. I¡¯ll cut to the chase. In order to defeat the Demon King, I need to create arge scale magic. I need your help in doing this. Basically, I need a lot of Artifacts and Magic Stones.¡±

    ¡°You emptied an empire, yet you need more?!¡±

    ¡°If you think you can bully us by mentioning the Demon King, you are mistaken. We aren¡¯t naive idiots. Of course, you are the hero, and you are the opposer of the Demon King. However, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll stand by and do nothing when you point your sword towards us!¡±

    The representatives nned on resisting against Artpe as a group! However, Artpe¡¯s attitude remained unchanged. He had a carefree attitude.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not really asking for your help. I just want to exin the current situation I find myself in.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ll just carry out what I have to do.¡±

    In that moment, Artpe¡¯s smile became twisted. His overwhelmingly dense Mana swept over the entire conference tent. It pressed down on their shoulders.

    ¡°Koo-huhk!?¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    Everyone present were pretty confident in their skills, yet they couldn¡¯t even raise their against Artpe. Artpe was the master of all Mana within the barrier. The only ones that were tranquil were Artpe and the emperor of Zard, who had promised his cooperation from the start.

    ¡°When did I give you the impression that you guys had a choice in this?¡±

    This line should crack the top 5 lines that a hero should never say. It was a vicious statement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you guys think. I just wanted to tell you guys that there is a legitimate reason for doing this. I¡¯m going to take all your Artifacts and Magic Stones. Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Even if you are a hero, do you think you can get away withmitting a crime!¡±

    ¡°This bastard isn¡¯t a hero. He is more vicious than the Demon King... Koohk!¡±

    The waves of Mana ovepped each other. The representatives had tried to raise their heads, but their heads were shoved back towards the table. They looked very polite in such a pose.

    ¡°If you turn down my offer, I¡¯ll assume that you are working with the Demon King¡¯s army. In such a scenario, the applicablepanies will be broken up and destroyed. That is why you should make a wise decision right now.¡±

    He was more vicious than the Demon King! The representatives of eachpany realized that Artpe wasn¡¯t speaking in hyperbole. Their eyes widened is dismay. Artpe looked satisfied. He raised one hand as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Since I have a good history with Mycenae, I¡¯ll start with the Anywherepany. Everything¡¯s better when you get it over with early on even if it is a beating.¡±

    ¡°W...what?¡±

    When Artpe waved his hand, Mana Strings extended from his hand. It bound the head of the Anywherepany.

    Since they were meeting with the emperor of an empire, the heads of thepanies didn¡¯t bring any bodyguards. (Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference even if they were present.) The head of the Anywherepany couldn¡¯t even put up a fight as he was dragged towards Artpe. Artpe locked eyes with him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be concise with my words. You have a storehouse, right? They hold the truly valuable items that you haven¡¯t released to the continental alliance.¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    In truth, the representative of the Anywherepany had somewhat let his guard down. It was as Artpe had said. The Dungeon Merchant Mycenae was affiliated with the Anywherepany, and she had worked with the hero¡¯s party from the beginning. She had a close rtionship with them. In fact, Mycenae had facilitated a pretty big deal during the incident in Pdia.

    Moreover, the Anywherepany was nning on using the heroes for profit after they defeated the Demon King. So how did things turn out like this? The representative felt mixed emotions.

    ¡°I have it. I always carry it with me.¡±

    ¡°I like the fact that you are handing it over without causing me any trouble.¡±

    He unfastened the locket that was hanging around his neck. When he opened it, he took out a very small pouch. It wasn¡¯t big enough to fit a single ear of grain. When Artpe saw it, he knew he had hit the jackpot.

    ¡°Good. Very good.¡±

    ¡°Hero, you really are acting like a real gangster.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    It was a miniature Dimensional Pouch. Despite its size, thepression of the space within the pouch was pushed to the extreme. It boasted a robust interior space where around 500 people could fit within it.

    Artpe checked the content of the mini Dimensional Pouch, and he nodded his head in satisfaction. There were 16 Artifacts. They were infused with incredible amount of Mana. He also saw Magic Stones harvested from monsters around level 250 and 300. It even had top grade potions. He didn¡¯t need the potions for his spell, but he took it anyways.

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. That is all I have. Do you realize how much we¡¯ve expended in the war? We already supplied the rest of the Artifacts and magic stones to the continental alliance. It is all being used in the war efforts.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    When the representative saw Artpe back down, he inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Obviously, he had handed over extremely valuable items, but he had carried it around for his own emergency uses. The Anywherepany¡¯s true safehouse was located at the headquarters.

    He had been worried about the next steps he should take, but the hero had backed off without making a fuss. It seemed fate was smiling down on him! These were reasonable assumptions to have in his current situation.

    ¡°You are next. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    On the other hand, the other representatives had been spectators, and they had been feeling optimistic. Maybe, the hero might stop after taking what the Anywherepany had to offer. Yes, there was no way he would loot all thepanies!

    However, there was something they didn¡¯t know yet.

    While Artpe threatened and ckmailed the representatives, his other party members were executing his n.

 Chapter 183 - Renewal Plan (4)

    Chapter 183 - Renewal n (4)

    ¡°This ce is the headquarters of the Anywherepany.¡±

    ¡°You really are a great merchant!¡±

    Maetel was letting out a brightughter as she raised her thumb towards Mycenae. She was sure that Maetel had learned that gesture from Artpe. Mycenae had an odd expression on her face. She wondered if she really should be doing this. She mumbled to herself as she looked at her surrounding.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. I really wonder if we are doing this for humanity....¡±

    ¡°We are doing it for Artpe. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    ¡°Customer, you really haven¡¯t changed from the first time I met you.¡±

    ¡°My chest becamerger than ajumma¡¯s chest during that time?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    They were in a medium-sized territory within Diaz. There was in a shabby building located on the Serata boulevard. The headquarters of the Anywherepany was located beneath this building.

    ¡°Wow. I sense people hiding beneath this ce. What are they all doing here? Shouldn¡¯t they be fighting the Demon King¡¯s army?¡±

    ¡°The fight against the Demon King¡¯s army is another business opportunity to thepanies. This why thepanies never go all in on a venture.¡±

    Silpennon snorted at Mycenae¡¯s slick exnation. The young king of Diaz had been invited as a special guest to the hero¡¯s party. The Anywherepany had shamelessly built a secret base within his country. Instead of feeling anger, he felt a bit dejected.

    These bastard were all traitors. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to annihte their entire family and rtives.

    ¡°I want to loot them, and I really want to put it all back into my kingdom¡¯s coffers.....¡±

    ¡°However, Artpe said to bring it all to him.¡±

    She was short and clear with her words as she unsheathed her sword. There was a violent air around Maetel. Diaz¡¯s coffers had been looted by Artpe, so he thought taking a little bit of the loot would be ok. However, he quietly gave up on that idea when he saw Maetel¡¯s savage smile. She didn¡¯t look like the girl hero. She looked liked a notorious killer.

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure Maetel remembers her past life....¡¯

    She continued to grind her teeth for no reason when she looked at Silpennon. Moreover, she was unusually obsessed with Artpe. It was quite scary.

    Of course, he had mostly given up on his affections towards her after awakening to his past memories. He didn¡¯t n on pursuing Maetel for her affections. However, they had shared camaraderie and friendship in their past lives They had shared joys and sorrows for many years. He still wanted to be friendly with her. He still wanted to be herrade and friend.

    ¡°Maetel.¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking for me, Red?¡±

    ¡°No. It is nothing.¡±

    It seemed she was tired of calling him redhead, so she had shortened it to Red! Silpennon became resigned as he stepped forward.

    ¡°You taking action is a good n. However, my Innate ability is quite helpful in these types of situation. Artpe probably sent you guys along with me thinking this task can¡¯t be done with just my ability.... Just wait here. I¡¯ll steal everything within this headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You are overflowing with confidence. It suits you.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah. Anywhere is cooked now.....¡±

    Mycenae had some knowledge about the ability that had awakened within Silpennon. This was why she had aplicated expression on her face as she mumbled to herself. It didn¡¯t take long. It goes without saying that Silpennon backed up his big talk by stealing everything from the Anywherepany.

    Silpennon¡¯s group finished their work without running into much difficulty. The Anywherepany ced all their high priced items in the storehouse within the headquarters. They didn¡¯t need to visit multiple locations. They just had to loot one ce.

    Above all else, Silpennon¡¯s Innate ability allowed them to smoothly finish their work from beginning to end.

    The problem was looting Might and Seros. Unlike the Anywherepany, the location of their headquarters wasmon knowledge. That is why their wealth was stored in multiple locations.

    ¡°Thesepanies possess a spell that can transport their wealth.¡±

    As Regina spoke those words, the party went through the building, which was considered to be at the heart of the Might merchantpany. It wasn¡¯t as if they were alone. They weren¡¯t being bothered, because everyone in the building had been knocked out by Sienna and Elrick¡¯s shield charge.

    ¡°There is a reason why it is risky to use Spatial magic. It leaves behind a Record. It allows others to track you down.¡±

    ¡°That sounds veryplicated, but I think I get the gist of it. You are saying that Records have been left behind if the items passed through the headquarters?¡±

    ¡°Right. The items that are considered to be extremely valuable are brought to the headquarters first,. They measure the value of the items. Afterwards, the items are transferred to various branches depending on their worth, volume and type of items.¡±

    Regina¡¯s knowledge was very thorough. The Mightpany previously had their headquarters located in a city within the former magic kingdom of Aedia. Regina was the secret weapon developed by Aedia, so she had investigated about the Mightpany over the long years.

    ¡°That means we can use these Records to go to the other branches!¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Sienna had used her head toe up with an answer, but Regina firmly shook her head in disagreement. Sienna tilted her head in confusion. Regina raised her staff as she emitted magical energy. If other magicians heard her words, they would have let out a shout of disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to them. I¡¯ll activate the Record to call them back.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤call back the Artifacts and Magic Stones?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not just using Spatial magic. I¡¯m reading the Mana pattern of the Artifacts. I can read their current location, and I¡¯ll rewind their Record.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I have no idea what you are saying!¡±

    Sienna replied with a bright smile. Regina lightly tapped Sienna¡¯s head with her staff. Instead of borating further, Regina activated her magic. She had acquired the Record of the Winter Queen. She used a magic that only she could yse. She was able to see the Records rted to Mana with her strengthened eyes. She used a summoning spell.

    A frightening wave of Mana immediately arose from her. It broke apart the building¡¯s roof. As the light of the stars illuminated her, Regina started to summon the items by ones and twos!

    ¡°Wow! It is stilling out!¡±

    ¡°Sienna, what are you doing? You should gather the items.¡±

    ¡°However, I sense living beings..... Ah! I see! It isn¡¯t just Artifacts and Magic Stones. I think people are being summoned too?¡±

    A merchant had appeared alongside an Artifact. The merchant had a death-grip on the Artifact. Sienna lightly bashed the merchant with her shield. The merchant was sent flying over the roof.

    Regina calmly spoke about what was going on.

    ¡°If one wants to interfere with a summon magic, one needs to be in direct contact with the subject being summoned. Mana can be injected into the subject to stop the summoning. If one fails, one gets summoned alongside the subject.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Over there!¡±

    Sienna let out an innocentughter as she ruthlessly swung her shield. The merchants fainted when they were hit with the shield. It wasn¡¯t just the custodians of each branches being summoned. Dungeon Merchants that possessed Artifacts and Magic Stones started to appear by ones and twos.

    ¡°T...this ce is...!?¡±

    ¡°This makes no sense. I couldn¡¯t even put up a fight with my Mana before being summoned.... Kah-hoohk!?¡±

    The merchants tried to put up a decent fight, but Regina¡¯s summon magic was too powerful. One had to be at least level 300 to be able to interfere with the Mana pattern she wove. Aside from Artpe¡¯s party and Silpennon¡¯s party, there were no other humans that had exceeded level 300.

    ¡°It is endless. Tsk. These dirty bastards are trying to make money while humans are currently dying on the front-line. They squirreled away all these items....¡±

    ¡°It is understandable. They just think differently from us.¡±

    Sienna quietly spoke her words as she swung her shield. The Dungeon Merchants, who had just been summoned, were starting to unsheathe their weapons. However, they all fainted when their heads were bashed in by the corner of Sienna¡¯s shield.

    ¡°However, oppa¡¯s will was just stronger than theirs.¡±

    ¡°It besplicated when you start talking about might makes right.... However, Artpe is absolute in your eyes, so I won¡¯t waste time arguing with you.¡±

    In this venture, Elrick also thought Artpe was in the right. The human realm was in danger of falling, yet thepanies were squirreling away so much resources. This meant they were preparing for the human realm¡¯s loss. They were preparing for the day when the Demon King conquers the whole world.

    The humans were already at a clear disadvantage. It might have been understandable if thepanies had pulled back their resourcester on, so they could fund a resistance. However, they were keeping these resources back while the battle between the two sides were close. It was obvious as to what they were trying to pull.

    ¡°Rei, how much more do you have to summon?¡±

    ¡°The Mightpany has a lot of stuff. I¡¯m also going to summon all their Dungeon Merchants, so I think it¡¯ll take 5 more hours.¡±

    ¡°Five hours¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yes, let¡¯s finish this quickly, so we can return.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    While Regina was maintaining her summon magic, she extended her Mana towards a different direction. There was amunication system used by the Mightpany, and it extended across the territory of Aedia. She made it so that the merchants couldn¡¯tmunicate with each other. She had activated a wide scalemunication interference magic.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough energy to be surprised any more.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s happening on Etna unni¡¯s side. Do you think everything is going smoothly?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea why she insisted on going with the holy priestess, but.... She should be doing well.¡±

    Sienna and Elrick looked at each other, and they titled their head in puzzlement. Of course, Sienna didn¡¯t realize that such a small gesture made Elrick¡¯s heart beat faster. Her thoughts were solely on Etna.

    ¡®From what I heard from oppa, unni insisted on going to Seros. It was as if she knew the location of the headquarters.... She picked out Roa and Vad unni for her party. Does that mean.....¡¯

    She knew it was mere spection, but Sienna was worried. She hoped that Etna wouldn¡¯t suffer a wounded heart.

    At that moment, Etna was on the move with Roa and Vad. They were walking in the streets of Pdia¡¯s capital. They were in Lihazeta..

    ¡°Nyaa nyaa. I don¡¯t like ces without corrupted energy. Nyaa. I want to see master. Nyaa-ah.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that Artpe-nim is corrupted, kitty?¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I like master, because he is cozy. Nyaa-ah. I also like that he is adequately rotten, nyaa!¡±

    ¡°Ho-oh. In my opinion, I think your eyes are rotten.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    The holy priestess was able to eliminate Demonic energy, and the Demonic beast was able to eat the Demonic energy. The fight of the century was about to start between the two, but Etna had extended her fire. She separated the two. She had burned away all the Mana the two had been using. Her skill was frightening.

    ¡°We are almost there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ms Etna? I can confirm that the headquarter of the Serospany is within Pdia. However, it is as I¡¯ve said earlier. It isn¡¯t in Lihazeta. It is located in one of the outer cities....¡±

    ¡°That ce is empty now.¡±

    ¡°Ughh.¡±

    Since Lihazeta was the capital of Pdia, it was covered with countless spells. A good number of those spells had been destroyed in thestmotion, but new recement spells had been ced. Since temples were located all over Lihazeta, there was a great amount of ambient holy energy. Even Artpe, who possessed the Read All Creation ability, would have a hard time finding what he wanted in this ce.

    ¡°It happened when Jeriet was slowly subverting Pdia as he masqueraded as the fake pope. You were at the heart of that situation, so you probably are well informed about it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course. Artpe-nim appeared like a shooting star, and his actions....¡±

    ¡°In truth, master didn¡¯t do much. Nyaa-ah.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth. ¡±

    Etna ignored the two girls, who were growling at each other.

    ¡°At the time, Artpe hade up with the best course of action. He checked all the priests, and he filtered out the corrupted ones. He killed them before they could give excuses. He was bold. Afterwards, he made sure the priests wouldn¡¯t be led astray....¡±

    At that moment, Etna came to a stop, and she poked the ground. At one point, a magic circle containing an enormous amount of Mana had been ced there. There was a faint trace of another magic circle being made there.

    After receiving Etna¡¯s Mana, the magic circle started to power up. Vad¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°This is the vestige of a teleportation magic....?¡±

    ¡°Artpe alwaysmits fully to his actions. That is why he missed one possibility.¡±

    Vad could somewhat guess at what this possibility was. As the magic circle expanded, it surrounded the whole party. In the next moment, they were in an underground corridor within arge building.

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    Roa sniffed the air. She tilted her head as she spoke.

    ¡°I sense Demonic energy, nyaa-ahhh.¡±

    ¡°No way. Is it the Four Heavenly King Jeriet¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°You are correct.¡±

    He admitted it with a truly depressed voice. The former Four Heavenly King took a step forward.

    ¡°He was the first one to defect to the previous Demon King¡¯s faction. He infiltrated the human realm to support them. The first thing he did was to acquire the Serospany for them.¡±

    Demons that were easily over level 300 started to appear in the corridor by ones and twos. It seemed they had hastilye to the corridor after they sensed the teleportation magic. Roa bared her teeth at them. Vad was taken aback by what she saw.

    It was Jeriet. He was supposed to the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King, and he had been the first to die.

    Arpte hadn¡¯t known that Jeriet had acquired the Serospany. He had gone on without knowing about Jeriet¡¯s machination.

 Chapter 184 - Renewal Plan (5)

    Chapter 184 - Renewal n (5)

    At some point, the Demons that were carrying out the Demonification research in the human realm had disappeared. The reason behind this was simple. When Artpe killed Jeriet, the Serospany had atrophied. Most of Jeriet¡¯s project had been intertwined with the business of the Serospany, so all their ns hade to a halt

    At the time, the Four Heavenly King and the powerful Demons, who had been following the orders of the previous Demon King, were having a hard time exiting the Demon realm. Amongst the Demons that were already present in the human realm, none were as strong as Jeriet. This was why the Seros merchantpany had lost their clout.

    As a result, a stalemate urred. This was why the Demons were hiding in the secret headquarters of the Serospany.

    ¡°At first, we didn¡¯t know what was happening. We were barely able to see their n when the previous Demon King¡¯s forces came to the fore. This isn¡¯t the current Demon King¡¯s style.¡±

    ¡°What style of action does the current Demon King prefer?¡±

    ¡°Instead of working behind the scenes, he likes to grow his power out in the open. He likes to cause fear through an overt disy of power.¡±

    If one went only by her words, it was as if she was describing a chimpanzee instead of a Demon King. Their current situation didn¡¯t allow them to joke around, so Vad decided to keep her mouth shut.

    The one that was the most excited was Roa.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah, nyaa-nyaa-ah. Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa.¡±

    It was never in doubt that she was a cat. Her steps were light, soft and quick. She sucked in all the Demonic energy that permeated these grounds.

    The current Roa was nothing like the past Roa. She was quick and precise in picking out only the Demonic energy. The Demons didn¡¯t even have the chance to use their magic. They fell to the floor before they could even move.

    ¡°Roa, don¡¯t let even one of them leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°I already know, nyaa-ah.¡±

    Etna didn¡¯t personally subdue the Demons. She just used her vast magical energy to cover the entire headquarters with a massive heat barrier. Nothing coulde in or out. Any Mana or matter burned when it came in contact with the barrier. The headquarters had been isted.

    ¡°You processed heat to the extreme to create this barrier. I never expected such a thing to be possible....¡±

    Vad had already seen Artpe¡¯s nearly wless barrier. Etna¡¯s way of creating a barrier looked simple and brutish. However, she couldn¡¯t see any weak points in the barrier. Moreover, it had the ability to differentiate between enemies and allies. It implied that she had used spirits in creating the barrier. It wasn¡¯t a simple fire.

    ¡°Help Roa.¡±

    ¡°Roa is capable of doing this alone.... Ah, yes. I understand.¡±

    Etna had already shed the body of a Demon. However, she didn¡¯t feelfortable killing other Demons. This was why she wanted to be alone, and Vad realized this fact. She nodded her head as she joined up with Roa.

    ¡®In the short term, you¡¯ll suffer pain that is worse than death. However, I will not kill you all. Artpe will revert everything back to their true state, and at that time, he¡¯ll give you guys a choice. If there is no changes to your behavior......¡¯

    At that time, she¡¯ll burn all of them with her fire. Etna let out a big sigh as she took a step forward. Small fire spirits appeared around her. Theyughed as they followed her movements. It seemed they weren¡¯t aware of her feelings.

    The party easily took care of the Serospany¡¯s headquarters. They recovered all the Artifacts and Magic Stones. Since these items were made for Demons, the items were emitting negative energy. However, Roa ruthlessly suck out all the corrupted energy.

    ¡°Nyaa. My stomach is full. Nyaa.¡±

    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t reveal so much skin.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    Vad and Roa bickered with each other as they gathered all the items. Roa¡¯s base nature dominated over the Demonic energy. This was why Vad instinctually had favorable feelings towards Roa. She was a rotten holy priestess, but in the end, she was a holy priestess.

    ¡°As expected, they came here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡±

    While Vad and Roa were focused on confiscating the Artifacts and magic stones, Etna was slowly walking down the corridor. She was extending her Mana to search her surrounding. Vad tilted her head in puzzlement when she noticed Etna¡¯s atypical behavior. Etna let out a bitterughter as she answered the unasked question.

    ¡°After the previous Demon King¡¯s faction started to work in earnest, I wondered if their leaders had visited this ce at least once. I thought they might havee here to take some of the valuables. It seems I was right.¡±

    The Serospany was one of the threergest merchantpanies on this continent, yet they had significantly less treasurespared to their stature. This was why Etna wondered if most of the previous Demon King¡¯s forces had been ¡®supplied¡¯ by the Serospany, and she had been right in her assumption.

    ¡°There is more food somece else, nyaa?¡±

    ¡°Are you able to track them down?¡±

    The words spoken by Vad and Roa differed from each other, but they both wanted the same thing! Etna nodded her head as she replied.

    ¡°Yes. However, I don¡¯t know how many Demons there will be at that location. It might be dangerous if we go by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°You brought along Roa and me. I thought it was your n to just charge into their camp.¡±

    Etna smirked.

    ¡°I did so, because I thought there might be a chance that we might find one of their leaders here.... Be careful everyone!¡±

    She cut short her words. She quickly raised her Mana as she yelled out. The power of the barrier was gathered at a single point. Incredible heat was condensed into a single attack. A man appeared as he took on the brunt of this attack.

    [Koohk. The barrier is capable of counterattacking by itself....!]

    The man had nned on exterminating the intruders as soon as he appeared. However, he hadn¡¯t expected to consume all his prepared Mana in blocking the barrier¡¯s counterattack. He rolled across the ground.

    His entrance was poor, but the Mana hidden inside his body was immense! Vad chanted her holy spell on instinct. Roa immediately attacked him!

    ¡°Food delivery service, nyaa-ah-ah!¡±

    [Food delivery? Ooht!]

    If one possessed any corrupted energy within one¡¯s body, it became absorbed by Roa! One just had to be near her. The Demon was being weakened. Roa¡¯s ability was stronger than ever before. Even if the Demon was over level 390, he wasn¡¯t exempt from Roa¡¯s power.

    ¡°Nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa nyaa!¡±

    [Shut up!]

    ¡°Nyaa-ah!?¡±

    As expected, he wasn¡¯t a normal Demon. In a sh, he detonated his Demonic energy outside of his body. He baited Roa to absorb it, then he unsheathed his sword. He stabbed the sharp sword towards Roa! Roa had been drunk on the Demonic energy. She desperately moved her body in the air to avoid the attack.

    ¡°You don¡¯t bother someone¡¯s meal. I wouldn¡¯t even bother a dog when it is eating its meal! Nyaa-ahhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Focus, Roa!¡±

    Obviously, Vad was better at long ranged attacks. In the case of Etna, she dealt with the power of fire, but she was better at long ranged attacks rather than fighting in close proximity. The only one that could fight the Demon in close quarters was Roa.

    ¡°Oh god! This being covets evil, and he opposes order! Give your blessing to all those that opposes him!¡±

    [There is even a holy priestess here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Nyaa nyaa nyaa!¡±

    Vad¡¯s blessing was immediately infused into Roa. It strengthened her. She was supposed be a Demonic beast, yet she was taking in holy power! It almost made one want toin about the unfairness of it all!

    [This means the hero has gotten a wind of what we are doing, and he made a move against us. However, there are no heroes here. He only sent the holy priestess. Even if he sends two holy priestess, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. This was a foolish thing to do!]

    ¡°Do you really think that?¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    Roa swung both her paws as she attacked him. As he dodged, he tried to raise his sword. Suddenly, a red me appeared around his armor type Artifact. The me burned both Mana and matter.

    [Koo-hoo. You bitch¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    He had been distracted by Roa, who was constantly stealing Demonic energy from him. This was why Etna¡¯s attack hadpletely taken him unawares. He red at her as he resisted against the inferno. He was finally able to see the woman that had as much presence as himself.

    [Fire Witch Etna!? Howe you don¡¯t have the energy of a Demon....!]

    ¡°I wonder why?¡±

    Etna didn¡¯t know this Demon. However, it seemed he knew about her. He must have gotten his information from spies that had infiltrated the Demon King¡¯s castle in the past.

    It meant she couldn¡¯t let him leave this ce alive. Artpe had refined his spell. He had the ability to turn a Four Heavenly King into human. It was a key piece of information that had to kept secret until Artpe wanted to reveal his spell.

    [You betrayed the Demon race! You attached yourself to the heroes now!]

    ¡°It seems you have the time to chat away with me, Demon.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    When she saw an opportune moment, Roa sliced through the air. She was ferocious in her attack!

    There was Demonic energy coated around the Demon¡¯s sword. Etna¡¯s fire burned away the sword aura. The Demon looked devastated as he tried to bring back the aura, but Roa¡¯s long ws raked across his face before he could do that!

    [Koo-hahhhhhhhhhhhhk!]

    Roa was the Greed Beast. The mere existence of her Mana had the power of eating away at everything. Her ws stripped away flesh and bone when they raked the Demon. The blood of the Demon dissipated after being eaten by her. It was a truly frightening sight. Even her allies felt their hair stand on end.

    On the other hand, the Demon did something much more impressive. Despite feeling horrible pain, he focused his Demonic energy into his sword. He stabbed the sword into Roa¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    [A power that eats away at Demonic energy.... She is more dangerous than the witch!]

    ¡°Nyaa nyaa! Nyaa-ahhhhhh!¡±

    Red blood flowed out of Roa. She let out a cry of anger. Vad quickly worked on healing Roa. Etna extended her Mana to attack the Demon. However, the Demonic energy from the Demon stretched out from his body, and it made contact with Roa¡¯s blood, which was flowing down his sword. In the next moment, the mes assaulting his body just disappeared.

    [It works.]

    ¡°Innate ability!¡±

    [That¡¯s right. My Innate ability is called Reverse. I can assess and control my enemy¡¯s ability when I gain ess to their blood. I can temporarily use my enemy¡¯s ability. This.... I can Reverse this too!]

    She roughly knew that this Demon possessed high level, but it seemed he was one of the past Four Heavenly King. The fact that he was describing his ability proved her assumption! It was something only a Four Heavenly King would do!

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    His ability was legit. It didn¡¯t matter if his enemy had an Innate ability, magic or closebat ability. He had a cheat ability that allowed him to copy the special abilities of those that he considered to be his enemy!

    His Demonic energypletely ate the mes, which had been infused with Etna¡¯s Mana. As a result, he amplified the destructive ability of the fire, and it was sent back towards Etna. Roa still hadn¡¯tpletely recovered from her wound. However, she let out a meow as she put herself in front of Etna.

    ¡°It is Demonic energy! Nyaa-ah!¡±

    ¡°No, Roa!¡±

    He had used his ability to change Mana into Demonic energy. Moreover, he knew Roa would wee this move. When he confirmed Roa moved as he predicted, she put on a smile. Etna became sure when she saw this. The Demon had been trying to bait Roa from the start!

    [I¡¯ll do this!]

    ¡°Hoohp!¡±

    Roa was about to open her mouth. The Demon timed it perfectly as he switched ces with Roa. His Innate ability has two functions!

    [I can always switch location with my enemy!]

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    If he acquired Etna¡¯s blood, he would gain affinity to fire. This fight would be much more difficult. Fortunately, Etna was aware of his aim.

    In a sh, she surrounded herself with mes. She blocked his attack with the incredible heat. From the moment the sword pierced through the fire, it started to melt away. By the time the sword reached Etna, the sword had lost its edge.

    In the next moment, the Mana infused within the fire was turned into Demonic energy. However, she couldn¡¯t stop it from choking her. It wrapped around her neck.

    [ording to the report, you shouldn¡¯t be this strong..... Did you perhaps get stronger by abandoning the power of a Demon? Interesting!]

    ¡°Nyaa-ah!¡±

    [I¡¯m not interested in you any more!]

    After losing its edge, he could only produce the aura at the tip of the sword. He stabbed it towards Etna! Roa felt like aplete idiot after the Demonic energy was yanked out of her reach. She quickly moved towards the Demon. However, he didn¡¯t even turn around. He created an enormous spear made out of Demonic energy, and she threw it towards her.

    [With this your power will be mine..... What!?]

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    He stabbed his sword towards Etna. In a sh, Roa appeared near him, and she bit his neck. He was sure he had seen the Demonic energy spear engage with Roa. As he was having that thought, Etna¡¯s fire engulfed him.

    [Koohk. Get off me!]

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Roa hung onto him as she sucked away at his Demonic energy. This was why the Demon couldn¡¯t resist against Etna¡¯s me. Moreover, Etna¡¯s me had a peculiar property. It couldn¡¯t harm an ally.

    The Demon gritted his teeth as he tried to pry away Roa by using the aura de once again. However, Roa¡¯s body swayed as she dodged all his attack. The rate in which he was losing his Demonic energy remained the same.

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhh. Idiot.¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Roa grinned. Etna moved farther away from the Demon as she created arge fireball.

    [This damned monsterrrrrrrrr!]

    The Demon¡¯s body started to be dyed ck. An earthshaking amount of Demonic energy arose within him. It was a impressive sight. However, Vad calmly chanted her spell.

    ¡°Oh god. Please bring order to this arrogant and foreign being!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa!¡±

    ¡°Burn!¡±

    After revealing its true form, the Demon was hit by the holy mace of god! At the same time, Roa and Etna¡¯s attacked him. The Demon felt as if he had stepped into a quicksand.

    ¡®Shit. I should have given a report to his majesty first.....!¡¯

    The Demon¡¯s vision started to get blurry. As ast ditch attempt to get rid of Roa, he tried to turn the Mana within her body into Demonic energy. However, there was an unidentifiable energy source near her heart, and it immediately ate the Demonic energy.

    ¡®Ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I see. It was this.....¡¯

    The Demon realized that this energy source was what his king and his coborators had been searching for. It was what they had yearned for. He used hisst remaining power to activate a spell.

    Several minutes passed. Etna¡¯s party exited the Serospany¡¯s headquarters as the entire structure copsed.

 Chapter 185 - Renewal Plan (6)

    Chapter 185 - Renewal n (6)

    ¡°You guys can go back now.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What? You guys can go home now.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    After acquiring everything he wanted from the owners of the merchantpanies, he had continued to detain them. Artpe continued to lecture the heads of the merchantpanies. His lecture was titled, ¡®How to effectively empty the wallets of the heroes and knights, because they care more about the name of the technique rather than the price of the item.¡¯ As if hit by lightning, Artpe suddenly stopped talking. He ordered the meeting to break up. His actions were quite suspicious.

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Stop talking nonsense. From beginning to end, my goal was to receive support from you.¡±

    ¡°Support. Yes. Support.....¡±

    The heads of the merchantpanies felt aggrieved and angered by Artpe¡¯s choice of word. However, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Artpe¡¯s level was so high that they couldn¡¯t contend in terms of power. They just grinded their teeth as they exited the tent.

    ¡°What? Headquarters¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What!?¡±

    ¡°What happened there!?¡±

    They had been inside the barrier up until now. They hadn¡¯t been able tomunicate with the outside world. As soon as they stepped outside of the barrier, theirmunication devices started lighting up.

    However, they couldn¡¯t turn back now and argue with Artpe. Why? They had already given their word to cooperate with him. They had agreed to give up all their magic stones and Artifacts. If they asked why he emptied out their headquarters, Artpe would just mention the fact that they had agreed to give up all their items. It would be like talking to a brick wall. His answer would just piss them off!

    ¡°Ooh-doo-doo-doohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you grinding your teeth? Are your gums hurting?¡±

    ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m alright¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Wait a moment.¡±

    The three men swayed on their feet as they left the tent. However, Artpe suddenly grabbed one of them.

    ¡°The head of the Seros merchantpany.... Geota?¡±

    ¡°M...my name is George.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was referring to you. In truth, your name isn¡¯t that important. The identity of the being that controls you from behind is important. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, George froze in ce. He was trying very hard to look nonchnt, but his body shook involuntarily. He had been a merchant for several dozen of years, so he was armed with a poker face. However, the skill had its limit. It didn¡¯t work against Artpe.

    ¡°From behind¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    The other two heads of the merchantpanies didn¡¯t care what was being said. They were afraid of being ripped off even further, so they rushed out of the tent. The only ones inside the tent was the emperor, Artpe and George.

    The emperor was puzzled by Artpe¡¯s words, but he observed George¡¯splexion. It had turned pale. It made one think that Artpe¡¯s words weren¡¯t a lie.

    ¡°Could there really be another owner to one of the three great merchant houses?¡±

    ¡°I just found out about it. You can rx.¡±

    Artpe had received reports from his party, and he had pulled down his barrier. They had safely finished their tasks. However, at the end of Etna¡¯s report, she had added a new piece of information. Artpe hade up with a story to threaten the merchant houses. However, in the case of one merchant house, his made up story had actuallye to pass.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤the location of our headquarters was found out. The fact that you emptied out that ce means.... Ahhhhh.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The secret of yourpany has been revealed. I¡¯m d you are quick on the uptake, George.¡±

    Artpe put up a barrier once again. He grabbed George by the shoulders as he let out a low growl.

    ¡°You better tell me everything about your dealings with Jeriet and the other Demons. You shouldn¡¯t leave anything out. I¡¯ll kill the Demon King, and if your story doesn¡¯t match up, I¡¯lle back for you. it¡¯ll end up badly for you and the others.¡±

    ¡°Heek!¡±

    This was the Intimidation technique that he was able to use, because he had been a former Four Heavenly King! George¡¯s face turned blue. On the other hand, the emperor now knew that there really was a connection between the Demons and a merchantpany of the humans realm. He stood up from his seat in shock.

    ¡°I never expected your far fetched story could be true!¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and start the interrogation. I want to know how much of our information was handed over to the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±

    ¡°If it was just the Demon King¡¯s army, I wouldn¡¯t consider it to be such a serious matter.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, the emperor tilted his head in puzzlement. George¡¯s body started to shake. Artpe just let out a bitterughter.

    After some time passed, Artpe rejoined with his party members. Artpe was satisfied when his party brought back full Dimensional Pouches.

    ¡°Will this be enough, Artpe-nim?¡±

    ¡°It is far from enough. In the process of changing the Demon realm back into the human realm, Demonic energy will be converted into Mana. I think that¡¯ll somehow make up for the rest of the Mana I need.¡±

    ¡°How big of a spell is it.....¡±

    He was turning back the human realm into a human realm. He was also turning the Demons back into humans. It would be an amazing spell. However, it was such a massive spell that his party members were having a hard time wrapping their heads around it. Vad could only shrug her shoulders.

    ¡°Roa, you are a mess¡±

    ¡°Nyaa? The resistance this time was fierce. Nyaa-ah¡±

    Roa looked aggrieved as she replied. She licked her arm. She waspletely healed by Vad¡¯s holy power, but her defensive gears had been destroyed. Moreover, she couldn¡¯tpletely hide the minor scars.

    ¡°Pet me, nyaa-ahh.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    She loved to eat the most, but she also loved acting cute like a cat. She stuck close to Artpe as she meowed. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he extended Mana Strings from his hand. He used his Materialization magic to erase any blemishes. He let out a sigh. It came unbidden.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. Nothing has been settled yet.¡±

    ¡°The thing that hasn¡¯t been settled is Artpe¡¯s state of mind! You shouldn¡¯t touch any woman like that except for me!¡±

    ¡°You are the one that I shouldn¡¯t touch like that. Roa is a cat. She is safe.¡±

    ¡°That is why she is the most dangerous one!¡±

    Artpe went along with the conversations as he joked. He looked over each of them. Fortunately, the only one that had been hurt was Roa.

    ¡°Etna, you couldn¡¯t gauge the exact level of our enemy?¡±

    ¡°I could tell that he possessed high level. I believe he might have been one of the Four Heavenly King.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    He was slowly developing a feeling that he was killing most of the past Demon King¡¯s faction. Was he making a false assumption? What¡¯s worse, the damned sunbae hadn¡¯t been able to kill the previous Demon King and the previous Four Heavenly King. They had been sealed instead! As he thought more about it, the previous hero was looking more and more ipetent!

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s head back to the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°In the end, we are going back to the Demon realm again.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve aplished a lot, but I¡¯m getting a weird feeling. I really don¡¯t know why.¡±

    The party looked to be somewhere between satisfied and dispirited. Artpe had aplicated expression on his face as he grabbed George by the scruff of his neck. He spoke towards the emperor of Zard.

    ¡°Soon, the tide of the battle will change. You should be prepared to chase the Demons to the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°You think the Demons will retreat on their own?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯ll be able to chase them out.¡±

    At Artpe words, the emperor¡¯s two eyes were full of question. From the start, the emperor had no idea what Artpe was talking about. However, Artpe didn¡¯t bother exining himself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. When I see you next, the war will be at an end.¡±

    ¡°The war¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It will end. That is music to my ears.¡±

    ¡°That is why you shouldn¡¯t washout before I washout, emperor ahjussi.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    The emperor let out a bitterughter as he replied.

    ¡°For a brief moment, you sounded like a true hero. It would be impossible for me to believe that you were the one to empty out all the nations and the three great merchantpanies.¡±

    ¡°I collected everything, because I need it. Don¡¯t be so petty.¡±

    The party got on the Steel Horse. They nned on traveling towards the nearest Warp Gate at full speed. They nned on heading straight towards the Demon Realm. Their final destination was the Demon King¡¯s castle(or where it used to be)!

    The great magic would start there, and it would cover the entire Demon realm. Then the magic will extend further to swallow the Demons. This would be true if everything went ording to Artpe¡¯s n.

    He really had made all the preparations he could make. Currently, Artpe was asking himself as to whether more could have been done. Could there be something that he was missing? What if some other hidden Demon King made an appearance? Were there any more secret Dungeons he could visit?

    He had always traveled down the appointed path.(Although, there were many unexpected and odd turns in the between.) The thing that was killing him was the fact that he had to lure in and kill an unknown enemy. He didn¡¯t even know the level of this enemy. If it was the current Demon King, there was around an 80% chance that his party would win out against him. However, this was the previous Demon King, who was stronger than the current Demon King! What nonsense was this!

    Maybe, he shouldn¡¯t have destroyed the Demon King¡¯s castle. Should he have ascertained the location of his enemies before doing that? No, if he did that, the already powerful previous Demon King would have received support from the Demon King¡¯s castle. The current oue was better than the alternative.

    ¡®Fuck. I me the previous hero. It is all his fault.¡¯

    He sat in the middle of the Steel Horse, which was taking off. He had a glum look on his face. Maetel suddenly grabbed his hand.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m not worrying?¡±

    ¡°Artpe can¡¯t know everything. You can¡¯t prepare everything beforehand. I think we are as prepared as we are going to be. At the very least, that is true in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ha.¡±

    Artpe wondered how she was able to time her words so perfectly. It was as if she already knew what was in his heart. It was quite odd. However, it felt as if she had taken a load off his mind.

    Yes, if his party was with him....

    Artpe wasn¡¯t suited for the role of a hero, yet he was starting to have cheesy thoughts that was unbing of him.

    Maetel continued to speak..

    ¡°Therefore, you shouldn¡¯t worry too much. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is the current Demon King or the previous Demon King. I¡¯ll destroy them all! I¡¯ll do it for our child, who will be born soon!¡±

    ¡°You should revise your words. You make it sound as if you are already pregnant.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t work!¡±

    ¡°You made my heart skip a beat!¡±

    The war between his party members was about to restart. Artpe adeptly maneuvered through the situation as he mobilized the Steel Horse.

    Artpe, Maetel, Sienna, Regina, Vad, Elrick and Etna were in their own thoughts as they watched the ground fall away. If they wanted to parse through all the thoughts in their mind, they would be up all night. Even then it wouldn¡¯t be enough time. The Steel Horse silently charged forward.

    When they reached the first warp gate, familiar figures were waiting for them.

    ¡°You guys arete. Did the emperor cling onto you? Did he dy your travels?¡±

    ¡°Silpennon¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Silpennon. His guardian knight Leseti, ck magician Deyus, holy priestess Aria, and of course, Dungeon merchant Mycenae was waiting there with Silpennon.

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±

    ¡°This really feels like it¡¯ll be the final fight. At the very least, we should decorate the ce as if it¡¯s the final stage.¡±

    ¡°The fact that you are speaking such words makes me think the final page of this story is approaching us. It does make me feel nervous.....¡±

    ¡°What did you mean by that?¡±

    When a hero¡¯s storyes to an end, every notable character usually mobilized. Artpe wondered if he was in a simr situation as that. Artpe suddenly became a bit sad when he realized the final battle was close at hand. Aria put on a bright smile as she tried to cheer him up.

    ¡°Since you are going to be facing the Demon King, I should step forward to offer my services as the holy priestess.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your presence will be of help.... No. A holy priestess should be present in the human realm. They still need you.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many Demons left in the human realm where I can earn my points.¡±

    Mycenae had spoken. He had a rough idea as to what these points were. It seemed she nned on bankrupting him. They were insisting oning along. It would be heartless to turn them down. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright. The whole Demon realm will rush towards me once I start the spell.....¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s party was the strongest force in the human realm. Their absence would immediately bring hardship to the human realm, but their presence would increase the sess rate of Artpe¡¯s n.

    Ok. It seemed the emperor will have to suffer a little bit more. Artpe had such irresponsible thoughts as he opened the door to the Steel Horse. The Steel Horse had gone through Reinforcements, so there was plenty of space. Even after Silpennon¡¯s party entered the Steel horse, there was enough space left.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll all go to kill the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°You should have said that from the start.¡±

    Silpennon grinned as he got on the Steel Horse. He flinched when he came face to face with Etna. Fortunately, both sides tolerated each other¡¯s presence. Leseti and Deyus followed in afterwords. They had pretty determined expression on their faces.

    ¡°Ah, Deyus. Let¡¯spletely erase your Demonic energy before we enter into the Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°Kek!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby. It won¡¯t hurt much. Maybe.¡±

    Aria and Mycenae was thest to get on the Steel horse. Mycenae¡¯s eyes shed. Somehow, she was brimming over with enthusiasm. It was scary.

    ¡°Nyaa. We are going to upend their food bowl. Nyaa-ah-ahh.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤yes. At least, you are still in your normal mode. I guess that¡¯s a blessing.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa?¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party entered into the Warp Gate, which led to the Demon realm.

    The final battle was approaching.

 Chapter 186 - Demon King (1)

    Chapter 186 - Demon King (1)

    In the past, he had boasted about it to his party members. In terms of knowledge about the Demon realm, no one could touch him. He had lived a long time before he was noticed by the Demon King. After he started working under the Demon King as a subordinate, he had been able to travel all over the Demon realm as if it was his own backyard. He thoroughly searched the Demon Realm using his Read All Creation ability.

    ¡°The merfolks are doing well.¡±

    ¡°If you bring her along, our sess rate will increase further.¡±

    ¡°It is as I¡¯ve said to Sherryl. The Demon race will return to the Demon realm. I ced her in a position where she¡¯ll be able to rack up a high body count.¡±

    As expected, a straight on battle wasn¡¯t any fun! It was more fun to poke one¡¯s enemy at a weak point! Silpennon smirked at Artpe¡¯s words.

    ¡°We¡¯ve created a very favorable situation for our side. It¡¯ll be difficult for them to lose this.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll win this war. It is a given. However, that isn¡¯t important.¡±

    If it was a world where magic and levels didn¡¯t exist, it might have been enough to just end the war. However, the world had monsters that could single handedly ughter millions of people. There were beings that could manipte the hearts of humans. There were Demonic beasts that could shake the foundation of existence. If these beings were left behind after the war, the race called humans will be defeated.

    ¡°They¡¯ll all disappear¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°The Demonification of humans...¡±

    Silpennon frowned as he thought about the envoy that had tried to entice him. It really was an unpleasant memory.

    ¡°Is the current Demon King simr to the past Demon King? Is he the type that can¡¯t stand the presence of humans on the face of this world?¡±

    ¡°The current Demon King just wants control over everything. He truly wants to be the owner of this world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You described him perfectly.¡±

    It was a very disgusting and cruel business. However, the hero¡¯s party was able to grow thanks to the current Demon King. On the other hand, Artpe had never met the past Demon King....

    ¡°If we had moved more conservatively, I think our enemy would have been a much scarier foe. However, the previous Demon King¡¯s goal is more clear than the current Demon King. His goal is to make all the humans into Demons.¡±

    ¡°He is a being from the pervious hero¡¯s era. He might be working in the direct opposite direction as the current Demon King.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that damned subae.¡±

    Artpe spoke in a sullen manner as he turned his head away. The Steel Horse had run straight through the waters where the merfolk were stationed. They were flying above the Demon realm.

    When they first entered the Demon realm, they had tried to avoid any attention as they charged straight towards the Demon King¡¯s castle. Now they wanted to be noticed. This was why they were overtly revealing their energy as they traveled.

    ¡°What if the previous Demon King shows up in the middle of everything?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight him.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s words, Elrick looked as if the world was crumbling around himself. Artpe cackled as he exined himself.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just continue to carry out our spell. Why do you think we gathered so much Artifact? We have plenty of power to punch up. We can ovee the level difference. ....if the level difference is toorge, it might be unreasonable. However, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen.¡±

    He was making a judgement based on their experience against the Four Heavenly Kings. He was sure! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤maybe.

    ¡°Basically, you have no countermeasures!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Have you ever heard of a hero¡¯s story where the Demon King wipes the floor with the hero? There is no way that happens! The hero suffers until he is on the verge of death. At that time, his party member makes a costly sacrifice, and it barely allows the hero to stab the sword into the Demon King¡¯s heart.... That party member might be you, Elrick.¡±

    ¡°Heeek!¡±

    ¡°You can be at ease, Elrick. I¡¯ll put your grave in a sunny ce... Ouch.¡±

    Artpe teased Elrick. Etna flicked his forehead before he could scare Elrick a little bit more.

    ¡°You have to think of a way where we win without losing anyone.¡±

    ¡°I already know that¡¯s the best oue.¡±

    In the old stories, everyone pulled through, and as the curtaines downs, they allughed with each other. However, that oue was only possible in the old stories.

    In his past life, Artpe always experienced farewells alongside victories. He had been lucky in his current life. His ability had been strengthened, and Maetel¡¯s ability was too much of a cheat. This was why he hadn¡¯t experienced any farewells yet.....

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to prevent any loss, but it can happen. I wanted to prepare everyone for that possibility, so they would be hurt less when the timees.....¡±

    ¡°Hoo. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you always had a very loving heart.¡±

    ¡°It is like you are giving us the disease and the medicine at the same time.....¡±

    Etna extended both her arms, and she wrapped them around Artpe¡¯s head. Artpe pouted, but he didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. It might have something to do with her rank in their past lives. When it came to Etna, he was a bit docile towards her.

    She had been equally upset as Artpe when she faced the Demons in the headquarters of the Serospany. This was how she would soothe her party using Artpe.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ah.¡±

    If she moved this close to him, she felt the need to escte her skinship towards Artpe. However, Etna had quickly gotten used to how things worked in this party. This was why she had realized something. If she created a mood between the two of them....

    ¡°Y... you are cheating! You are using the allure of an older woman...! It isn¡¯t something we can recreate!¡±

    ¡°However, Artpe doesn¡¯t like older women. Isn¡¯t that right, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Agreed. Artpe likes younger women, who are barely legal.¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you say?¡±

    Everyone in the periphery stopped her from going any further. Etnaughed as she separated from Artpe. He was mobbed by the girls.

    In truth, she didn¡¯t mind it. Her life was no longer being threatened for liking someone. She was plenty happy with that fact.

    However, it looked plenty dangerous from the perspective of the outsiders.

    It mainly had to do with the risk to Artpe¡¯s life.

    ¡°If Artpe doesn¡¯t die by the Demon King, he¡¯ll one day be killed by one of these women.¡±

    ¡°When you say it like that, it sounds quite serious. It has an ominous ring to it.¡±

    ¡°You always misrepresent my words.¡±

    Silpennon grumbled as he turned his gaze away. After Artpe used his Reinforcement ability, the Steel Horse had be its best possible version of itself. It was no longer a normal existence. It travelled at a mind boggling speed as it traveled above the Demon realm.

    Of course, monsters could see them, so there were cases when the monsters tried to chase after them. However, they were rarely attacked by Demons. It seemed most of the Demons had been mobilized into the human realm.

    Maybe, they¡¯ll arrive at the Demon King¡¯s castle...the ruins of the Demon King¡¯s castle without being bothered by anyone. As anticipated, they were quickly closing the distance.

    At this rate, it might take them couple hours to arrive at their destination. The Reinforcement had been used on top of the Dwarven technology, so the impossible was made possible. Silpennonughed at the thought.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s castle¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤aren¡¯t you afraid, Mr Silpennon?¡±

    It was Aria¡¯s question. The rest of the women were all busy tormenting Artpe. She was the only one that continued to observe Silpennon.

    After regaining the memories from his past life, she had been the most sensitive to his change. Everyone realized that Silpennon had changed dramatically. Unlike everyone else, she was a bit afraid that Silpennon had changed at a fundamental level.

    Since she possessed the Innate ability called Assimtion, she might be much more empatheticpared to the others. Silpennon absentmindedly thought about her abilities as he tilted his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It feels as if the fight is inevitable. I¡¯m afraid, but that doesn¡¯t matter. There is no benefit in trying to avoid this foe.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if their foe was the current Demon King or the past Demon King. Demon Kings were inherently at the extreme end of the power scale. In the end, it was an either/or situation. Either the human race or the Demon race prevailed at the end.

    It wasn¡¯t something that can be avoided, so he was resigned to it. Aria wasn¡¯t able to do that.

    ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am afraid. Of course, I am afraid of my own death.... However, I am afraid of Mr. Silpennon dying.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Silpennon became silent. This was basically a confession of love! She waspletely devoted to him!

    If it was the previous Silpennon, he wouldn¡¯t have known this. However, he possessed the memories from his previous life. He had experienced his own anxious love towards Maetel. Silpennon could see it all in Aria¡¯s gesture and words. He could feel her deep love towards him.

    If anything, he became annoyed towards his previous self. How could he not notice something so obvious?

    ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I want to help the two heroes, but in truth, I didn¡¯t¡¯ want to join this party. I wanted to stay in the human realm with Mr Silpennon.... If Mr. Silpennon dies, I.....¡±

    When Silpennon heard her words, he didn¡¯t look at Aria. He turned towards the others. It seem everyone was still focused on Artpe. There seemed to be a wall of women around Artpe. It seemed they hadn¡¯t heard Aria¡¯s voice. He let out a sigh as he turned his prating gaze towards Aria.

    ¡°Aria.¡±

    ¡°I...if I don¡¯t tell you this, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have another opportunity!¡±

    Aria¡¯s cheeks turned red. At the very least, she knew what her words implied.

    ¡°It is as Artpe-nim said before. The hero¡¯s story always ends with a sacrifice. Aside from the hero, it is very rare forrades of the hero toe out unscathed in the end.......¡±

    ¡°If the hero doesn¡¯t have hisrades, he won¡¯t be able to kill the Demon King by himself.¡±

    ¡°However, there is no need for Mr. Silpennon to be therade that¡¯ll be sacrificed.¡±

    ¡°You will jinx me if you keep saying that.¡±

    It seemed Artpe¡¯s story had scared Aria instead of Elrick.

    Silpennon let out a sigh as he lightly grabbed her hand. Aria let out little moan, and her already red cheeks turned redder.

    ¡°It is as Artpe had said. If one acts stronger before the final battle, one always dies at the final battle. That is why I won¡¯t act strong. I won¡¯t make any promise about the future, and I won¡¯t reminisce about some random past memories.¡±

    ¡°S...so what should we do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean what should we do? We are already holding hands, and we¡¯ll continue to hold hands until we arrive at the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤what is that?¡±

    Strength exited Aria¡¯s shoulders. It seemed the tension within her dissipated. Silpennon was able to elicit the desired effect.

    Silpennon let out a light sigh as he sent a low amount of power towards her. It allowed the two of them to share each other¡¯s body temperature.

    Maybe, his feeling had been conveyed to her. He was sure it was conveyed to her when she added her power into her hand. There was a small smile on his face as he turned his head slightly away her. He was too embarrassed to meet her eyes right now.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ¡°Ah. What is it again?¡±

    It always happened when a pleasant and affectionate moment arose between the two of them. It was quickly destroyed. It was always destroyed by Artpe.

    ¡°I want to nevere across a new variable like this again. I want to throw it in the trash¡±

    ¡°I really want to throw you off the Steel Horse right now.¡±

    He had made a promise with Aria, so he hadn¡¯t let go of Aria¡¯s hand. He just hid their entwined hands from Artpe as heined. It was unknown as to whether Artpe knew what Silpennon was feeling. Artpe just let out a dejected smile as he pointed outside of the Steel Horse.

    ¡°Do you see that Dungeon over there?¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Why is there another Dungeon here right now?!¡±

    Maetel screamed out loud, and everyone agreed with her sentiment. Artpe felt the same way as her, but he couldn¡¯t just drive past it. He couldn¡¯t ignore the Dungeon.

    The Dungeon was ced on the road to the Demon King¡¯s castle, so it was obvious that the Dungeon had been created not too long ago. There was something carved atop the entrance, and the letters were made using powerful Demonic energy. Artpe was the only one that could see it with his Read All Creation ability.

    ¡®Final Recipe.¡¯

    ¡°Shit. That bastard heard me talk behind his back.¡±

    Artpe cursed in a very low voice.

    It was a Dungeon made by the current Demon King.

 Chapter 187 - Demon King (2)

    Chapter 187 - Demon King (2)

    ¡°It is a trap.¡±

    Etna made the assertion.

    ¡°The Dungeon was made in a short amount of time, yet an unbelievable amount of work had been put into making it. Moreover, there is a message that only Artpe can see. It is clear who the Demon King is aiming for! That means the current Demon King has already....¡±

    The Demon King had already awakened to the memories of his past life. Etna almost blurted those words out. She was barely able to swallow it. There were those in her presentpany that didn¡¯t know about this fact. She exchanged nces with Artpe as they nodded their heads.

    ¡®It might be like what happened to Etna. Some event might have triggered his awakening. It is a possibility. Or maybe, the current Demon King met one of the past Four Heavenly Kings after he fought the previous Demon King. He might have regained his Record through the Innate Ability called Record Keeping.¡¯

    This was very unlikely, but there was also the possibility that the current Demon King had regained his memories much faster than Artpe had realized. There was a scenario where the current Demon King had possessed his past life¡¯s memories from the moment Artpe¡¯s Rewrite ability had activated.

    ¡®No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. If the current Demon King remembered his past life, he wouldn¡¯t have been pushed back so easily by the past Demon King. If he lost knowing about his past life, does that mean that the previous Demon King was that powerful?¡¯

    The previous hero possessed powerful magical energy, yet he wasn¡¯t able to kill the past Demon King. He had been a powerful foe that had to be sealed. Maybe, the current Demon King couldn¡¯t do anything despite knowing about the seal being broken. It was possible. The conflict between the current Demon King¡¯s faction and the past Demon King¡¯s faction might have started from the beginning.

    However, the most important fact was that the current Demon King¡¯s personality had remained the same. It was the one that Artpe knew. That meant....

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±

    After thinking over it for a long time, Artpe made the deration. For a brief moment, his party members couldn¡¯t process his words. They were frozen in ce. Maetel let out a shout in dismay.

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°The bastard said it is thest recipe. It means we will be stronger if we enter that ce.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a deration saying that he¡¯ll eat us after cooking us....?¡±

    Elrick¡¯s worry was well founded, but Artpe snorted as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°The only thing I¡¯m worried about is the previous Demon King, since he is an unknown foe. I¡¯m not afraid of the current Demon King. At our power level, we can take on the current Demon King. It¡¯ll be a fair fight.¡±

    At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t have to sacrifice anyone even if they were on the defensive. They would be able to run away without losing anyone at their current power level. Etna also nodded her head.

    ¡°The Demon King can¡¯t simply be judged using his level. Of course, that is true for this party too..... Still, we shouldn¡¯t purposefully go into a trap prepared by an enemy.¡±

    Usually, the hero charged towards danger. The hero was like a moth drawn to a me. Up to that point, Artpe¡¯s party had done well in deftly maneuvering through danger. Artpe let out a bitterughter as he answered Etna¡¯s questioning words.

    ¡°I thought about what the Demon King is thinking right now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t he thinking about destroying the heroes?¡±

    ¡°No. He purposefully created the Dungeon on the road to the Demon King¡¯s castle where only I could detect it. There is a barrier over it that won¡¯t allow even the previous Demon King to detect it.... It makes me think that something else is going on.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Wait a moment. Are you trying to say the current Demon King doesn¡¯t share the same goal as the past Demon King? Is that what you are trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The ruling power of the Demon realm had changed hand. Artpe had witnessed Petra working on behalf of the previous Demon King¡¯s faction. He assumed that all of the Demon realm had fallen into the hands of previous Demon King. However, if he thought back on it, he couldn¡¯t find proof that the current Demon King was a follower of the past Demon King.

    Moreover, he had appeared in front of Artpe¡¯s party by himself right now. The current Demon King had cut all ties with the previous Demon King¡¯s faction, and he had deftly maneuvered to appear in front of Artpe¡¯s party. The current Demon King was trying to focus the spotlight on himself.

    If he just wanted to ughter the hero¡¯s party, he would have joined up with the previous Demon King. He went out of his way to make a ssh by himself! He truly acted like the Demon King from Artpe¡¯s memories.

    ¡®The bastard is almost obsessed with the notion of controlling everything. That trait is oddly fused with the need to be an exhibitionist. Maybe, he......¡¯

    When Artpe was about toe to a conclusion, Silpennon suddenly spoke.

    ¡°Maybe, the current Demon King really doesn¡¯t like what has transpired right now?¡±

    ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth.¡±

    Silpennon had thought about hisst moments. At the time, the Demon King had spoken these words.

    [I never expected myself to be part of the stage.]

    His voice had carried anger and annoyance that he couldn¡¯t fully dictate the situation. Silpennon clearly remembered it.

    [I do not wee this. I do not wee this. This isn¡¯t fun at all.]

    What else did he say? In Silpennon¡¯s head, he heard the Demon King¡¯s resolute deration ring out once again. His words weren¡¯t directed at him. It hadn¡¯t been directed at Maetel either. Maybe, it was directed at himself. He might have been making a promise to himself.

    [The degree ofpletion of this story iscking. It¡¯s a failure. The fact that I had to watch all of this up until now had been boring. Now I have to dance to the tune of someone else? I refuse to do that.]

    Silpennon raised his head. There was only one conclusion he could make.

    ¡°This thought exercise is based on the assumption that the current Demon King is aplete psycho.¡±

    ¡°He is aplete psycho.¡±

    ¡°He called it the final recipe. Does it mean that he¡¯ll sacrifice himself to make us stronger?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    If it was a holy priest or a holy priestess, one might be able to believe a being was capable of such self-sacrifice. However, they were talking about the Demon King right now. When the other party members heard Silpennon¡¯s words, they had an expression of slight disgust on their faces. Silpennon did his best to convince the others, who looked taken aback by his assertion.

    ¡°You should think hard on it. It is true that Artpe is such a cheat that everyone in this party grew at an unbelievably rate. However, you have to look at it from the perspective of the current Demon King. When the past Demon King and his forces appeared, theposition of the fight between the hero and the Demon King was flipped on its head. ¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°His stage was destroyed before the match could end. Then to add insult to injury, the current Demon King was weaker than the past Demon King, so he was pushed into ying a minor role. In such a situation, the only choice he could make.......¡±

    Artpe spoke instead of Silpennon.

    ¡°He¡¯ll help us grow more, so we¡¯ll have a fighting chance against the previous Demon King? Is that what you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, he¡¯ll even sacrifice himself to make thise true!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-mmmm. It is an idea that only a psycho coulde up with.¡±

    In the process of this n, he would have to voluntarily give himself up. That part was psychotic. However, Artpe was having the same thought as Silpennon. Etna also wasn¡¯t able to refute Silpennon¡¯s words.

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just like that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°That is why Demons are dangerous.¡±

    When the party members developed an understanding, they nodded their head. Artpe once again double checked with his party members.

    ¡°If anyone wants to pull out right now, you can leave. However, I have to go in.¡±

    Artpe had something he wanted to hear from the Demon King. If he was able to survive the meeting..... If hees out alive from this, he will no longer be able to hide the information about his past life.

    Artpe nted the seed of determination in himself as he let out a deep sigh.

    No one dropped out.

    ¡°There is an incredible amount of Demonic energy here. I¡¯ve never felt such pressure from a Demon before.....¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party was sensitive to Demonic energy, so theirplexion turned pale as they got closer to the Dungeon. Only the expression of Artpe and Etna remained unchanged. In fact, Artpe looked disappointed.

    ¡®His level is much lower than the past. That is to be expected. In his past life, the Demon King needed six years from this point on to reach his prime. Still, he probably awakened to his past life. How is it so low? This might be a bit troublesome.¡¯

    ¡°Artpe, isn¡¯t this a bit odd?¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°I can feel an excessive amount of strong beings in there.¡±

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    When Etna pointed it out, Artpe narrowed his eyes as he carefully looked over the Dungeon. He couldn¡¯t see Record of beings that wasn¡¯t in his field of vision.However, it was as Etna had said. He could sense numerous beings that were absurdly powerful. There were enough of them that they would be able to chew up and spit out all the Demons that had been dispatched to the human realm.

    ¡°You said the previous Demon King¡¯s forces shouldn¡¯t be here. Right, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they aren¡¯t.¡±

    Artpe was baffled as he spoke.

    ¡°These are..... They are just monsters. These are the Demonic beasts that dwell at the heart of the Demon realm. That is why we¡¯ve nevere across them before¡±

    ¡°Nyaa? Nyaa-ah?¡±

    Roa reacted. She was always energetic in the presence of Demonic energy. Artpe spoke as he stroked her head.

    ¡°I think you are right. The lowest level Demonic beasts are level 360..... Yes, this bastard really did prepare thest recipe for us.¡±

    ¡°Petra said he kept a low profile after losing to the previous Demon King. Maybe, he wasn¡¯t with the previous Demon King that whole time. He might have traveled to the deepest part of the Demon world to gather the Demonic beasts.¡±

    The hypothesis sounded usible. Artpe was already sure it was true.

    ¡°Why are all Demons so crazy?¡±

    Vad was sincere when she asked her question. Artpe just kept his mouth shut as he put on a benevolent smile. At that point, the Steel Horsended on the ground.

    ¡°Are you sure we should go in like this?¡±

    ¡°It is like going into a region filled with trap, but you know the traps are there. Dont worry about it.¡±

    ¡°How can I not worry when I hear such words!¡±

    When he confirmed everyone got off the Steel Horse, he put away the Steel Horse inside his Dimensional Pouch. Then he extended his Mana Strings, and he created a small opening in the barrier covering the entrance to the Dungeon. Maetel took the lead, and the rest of the party grumble as they followed her into the entrance.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s presence....?¡±

    ¡°Far. He is always positions himself at the deepest part. He likes to wait as he observes his preys struggle.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the Demon King, he has an evil hobby.¡±

    When they all entered the Dungeon, the reality started to set in. The Demon King was at the end of this Dungeon. Some bit their lips, and other clenched their fists. Some in the party smacked their lips.

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhk!¡±

    Artpe used his Mana Strings to copse the entrance. It would either be his party or the Demon King. The Dungeon wouldn¡¯t open again unless one side was killed. On the other hand, Etna looked at the endless tunnel as she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°If he is the Demon King I know, he would have used a message spell as soon as we entered this ce. He would have used that moment to try to show off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already cut him off using my barrier. I¡¯m sure he wants to provoke me.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Artpe is ready for everything.¡±

    Artpe wordlessly bumped fists with Etna. The party looked at them oddly, but in the end, they gave up trying to decipher what was going on. At this point, they felt like idiots for being nervous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Maetel determinedly nodded her head as she unsheathed her sword. They had never fought together, but they were all experienced fighters that went through many Dungeons and battles. Their formation was wless as they slowly started their advance.

    It was the exploration of thest Dungeon.

 Chapter 188 - Demon King (3)

    Chapter 188 - Demon King (3)

    ¡°Hoo-ohhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    The knight¡¯s fierce shout shook the ground. The intimidated monster roared as if it didn¡¯t want to lose to her. However, the magician¡¯s Slow spell took effect at that moment. The monster froze in a vulnerable position!

    The knight had waited for this moment. She jumped high into the air. Her longsword was as long as her arm. She swung it several dozen times as she cut up the monster¡¯s face. Its face became a bloody mess.

    [Koo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koo-goo-wahhhhhhhhhk!]

    ¡°Koohk! It¡¯s a Poison Fog!¡±

    ¡°Purify!¡±

    ¡°Whirlwind!¡±

    ¡°Hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ha-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    The archer quickly used a Purification magic to neutralize the Poison Fog. The magician immediately used a wind spell. One spell flowed into the next like water! The knight received help from the archer and the magician, and in the end, she was able tond a killing strike on the body of the Demonic beast. The white aura, which had been focused on the de of the sword, raged as it coursed through the body of the Demonic beast!

    ¡°Hoo-ooh, hoo-ooh-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Gyahh, gyaa-ohhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Demonic beast, which was several dozen meters long, let out a ghastly scream as it fell. It no longer moved. At that moment, the party was sessful in killing the Demonic beast.

    ¡°Hey. It seems Leseti has grown a lot too.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. Nom nom.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party was eating lunch as they watched the three of them fight.

    ¡°You guys fought pretty well. I think you guys leveled up.¡±

    ¡°I really liked it when I was at their level. The level ups were so quick. Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t idly standby and chatter like that!¡±

    The fierce female knight Leseti had just killed the Demonic beast. She shouted out in anger, but the expression on Azell¡¯s party members remained unchanged. It didn¡¯t matter if the battle of the century was urring in front of them. They acted as if they were watching a y urring on a stage.

    It was to be expected. They were level 380. The rampage of a level 360 Demonic beast was akin to a neighbor¡¯s dog doing cute tricks. Even if they tried to be on edge, they couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°We almost died! The poison entered into my lungs!¡±

    ¡°It went away after one Purification. Anyways, you guys did good. Do you want to eat some stew?¡±

    ¡°You continue to make such a fragrant smell over the fire! That is why the Demonic beasts are continuing toe towards us!¡±

    At this point, Leseti¡¯s fantasy about Artpe had been broken. He kept pushing Deyus, Mycenae and her towards battle. He did so as his party rested in a leisurely manner. If someone else saw this, they would have thought Artpe¡¯s party was on a vacation. They were supposed to be hunting down the Demon King. Of course, she was angry!

    ¡°However, it can¡¯t be helped. The chef went out of his way to catch these Demonic beasts. We can¡¯t let them go to waste.¡±

    ¡°The fact that you simply see the Demonic beast as EXP is wrong!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see them only as EXP. They also look like money to me.¡±

    ¡°Oooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    Leseti stamped her feet in frustration. However, no one sympathized with her anger. This only happened, because Leseti, Deyus and Mycenae had fallen too far behind the main party in terms of level!

    The solution was simple.

    ording to Artpe¡¯s assessment, the Dungeon was filled with Demonic beasts that were over level 360. Of course, there were higher level Demonic beasts, but they were sorted in terms of level. As expected of the chef, he was fastidious in preparing his stage.

    Of course, Artpe¡¯s party couldn¡¯t level up killing monsters of such caliber.

    ¡°No matter which way you look at it, the Demon King miscalcted our levels.¡±

    ¡°It seems so. Even if we kill all the Demonic beasts here, we won¡¯t gain much EXP.¡±

    Etna agreed with him. She was at level 388, and she possessed the highest level in Artpe¡¯s party. However, the rest weren¡¯t that far behind. Both Artpe and Roa were level 386. Maetel was level 385. The rest of the party was close to level 380.

    Of course, the Demon King was making his decisions based on the perspective he gained from his past life. It seemed this was why the Demon King had went through the trouble of gathering Demonic beast that were 10 levels higher than Artpe from his past life. It was based on the information that Artpe had been the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly King. However, Artpe¡¯s party had grown beyond the Demon King¡¯s expectation. They possessed very high level.

    ¡°You should give us time to rest a little bit!¡±

    ¡°If I did that, it¡¯ll be hard to simte a difficult situation. Anyways, there is no way you guys will die. Be at ease and rush those Demonic beasts!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-heek!? They really areing again! Again!¡±

    ¡°Barrier!¡±

    It covered everyone except Leseti, Deyus and Mycenae, who were from Silpennon¡¯s party.

    [Kwah-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the three of us can kill that monster!¡±

    ¡°That monster wasn¡¯t born to be tamed by you! You have to kill it!¡±

    ¡°You can package it all you want! In the end, you just want to go through with an unreasonable fight!¡±

    He was always able to adeptly trick Maetel with his words, but he hadn¡¯t been able trick Leseti from the beginning. Artpe smacked his lips as hedeled another bowl of stew.

    [Goo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Kyaa-goo-wahhhhhhhk!]

    ¡°No way.¡±

    It was Vad¡¯s specialty stew. The scent of the stew was making the Demonic beasts go wild. One had charged straight towards the food. However, Regina had already ced a barrier beforehand, so it bounced off the barrier in graceless manner. Leseti¡¯s party had to put their lives on the line to fight this Demonic beast. In front of Regina, the Demonic beast was like a neighborhood mutt.

    ¡°This is unreasonable¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I can¡¯t ept this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill it first and thinkter. Since this one is big, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to earn more payment!¡±

    ¡°Ms Leseti, please move backwards a little bit!¡±

    Leseti shook from fear and indignation. However, she couldn¡¯t run away. Her honor as a guardian knight was on the line. Silpennon had decided to walk down this path. She couldn¡¯t back out, because she was afraid. In the end, she did as she always did. Sheined as she bravely raised her sword!

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of Leseti too much. Appearances aside, she is a loyal subject, and she is following me until the end.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure she is following you out of simple loyalty.¡±

    Artpe spoke with a bright smile on his face. Silpennon snorted. It wasn¡¯t something Artpe had the right to point out.

    As he did so, Silpennon¡¯s gaze fell on Artpe¡¯s hand. It was the hand that wasn¡¯t holding a bowl of stew.

    ¡°Are you going to continue doing that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll break through if I be careless.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s hand continued to move as he shot his Mana Strings into his surrounding. Countless Mana Strings were meshing with each other as it covered the entire region. Each Mana String was emitting a signal that differed from each other. It interfered with anyone trying to search them out.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if his opponent wasn¡¯t doing anything. Whenever the Demon King periodically disturbed his field of interference, Artpe used his Read All Creation to rebuild the part of his barrier that had fallen. He filled up the the barrier with new Mana Strings. It was something that only Artpe could see.

    ¡°The fact that we are hiding our Mana and location will make the Demon King suspicious. Our enemy is the Demon King. Such useless sleight of hand technique won¡¯t work against him.¡±

    ¡°You are making a false assumption. I¡¯m not trying to hide our presence. When the Mana Strings intersect with each other, it creates Mana. I¡¯m making up what our party is doing. The Demon King won¡¯t be able to have an urate assessment of us. He¡¯ll think our levels aren¡¯t that far off from the Demonic beasts, and that we are putting in a lot of effort in these fights. I made it so that it appears that way.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I give up.¡±

    Silpennon quickly announced his surrender. As always, he couldn¡¯t understand the wordsing out from a magician. Yes, it had been the same in the past life. Artpe spoke simrly to Regina, who had been Silpennon¡¯srade in his past life.

    ¡°That man¡¯s gaze feels unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°Please understand, Regina. He¡¯s acting that way, because he his enamored by you.¡±

    ¡°I realize I¡¯m popr, but I¡¯m already taken. However, I cannot hide my charm. Iment at making othersmit sin.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t true!?¡±

    Silpennon had absentmindedly looked at Regina in a pleased manner. However, he grinded his teeth when he heard the reaction that came from Artpe and Regina. Etna, who had been observing all of this, burst outughing.

    ¡°It really is an entertaining sight. I never expected all of us to blend with each other like this..... I never dreamed such a thing was possible.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. It would be great if the two redheads made themselves scarce.¡±

    Maetel replied in an apathetic manner. She was eating all the stew in her bowl. Even if it was made by Vad, Maetel had to acknowledge Vad¡¯s superior cooking skill. The smile on Etna¡¯s lips deepened.

    ¡°We can live together in harmony. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. You are trying to sneakily get in between Artpe and me.¡±

    ¡°Hoo hoo. Ms Hero always says such entertaining words.¡±

    The first one to get in between a rtionship was Maetel. Maetel snuck in between the rtionship between Etna and Artpe. If Maetel had awakened to her past life, she would have known this. Maybe, Etna had been wrong for assuming Maetel had awakened to her past life. She just put on a small smile.

    ¡°I can see that the quality of the monsters are increasing. We can no longer leave it all to Leseti¡¯s party. We should get ready to move.¡±

    Artpe sensed a cloud of war starting to appear between the two women. He spoke as he quickly took the bowl from Maetel¡¯s hand. Maetel pouted as she backed down.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hurry up and kill the Demon King. We¡¯ll kill that bastard called the previous Demon King too. I want to live in the countryside with Artpe as we raise cows.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to the life of a dairy farmer.¡±

    ¡°I want a goat.¡±

    ¡°I predict the birth of arge farmhouse.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party got ready to leave. They joined up with Lesti¡¯s party. Leseti¡¯s party was trying to gather their breath after sessfully defeating the Demonic beast. There were unshed tears in Leseti¡¯s eyes as if she wanted to ask them what took them so long. Artpe ignored her gaze. He¡¯ll let her party handle everything for the near future!

    As they traveled further into the cave, the level of the Demonic beast wasn¡¯t the only thing that was getting progressively higher. The Demon King was uncanny at setting up a stage. This was why he had put a decent amount of effort in cing traps. Since the Demon King had awakened to his past life, he knew about Artpe¡¯s ability. They weren¡¯t encountering normal traps. These traps were triggered no matter what if the traps were detected by Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    ¡°It is pouring out from above! Ah! A monster ising from that direction!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The traps were very vicious. It made one wonder if the Demon King had spent every spare moment of the past 10 years to make this Dungeon!

    The traps had been held down by the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy. As soon as the traps were triggered, the monsters were released. The monsters attacked the party attack with uncanny timing. It was slowly getting to a point where Leseti¡¯s party couldn¡¯t handle everything.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment. Go, reserver party!¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t the reserve party!¡±

    Silpennon took charge as the party members around level 370 stepped forward. Artpe was still fighting a battle of the mind with the Demon King. As they traveled towards the heart of the Dungeon, Artpe¡¯s battle with the Demon King was bing more challenging.

    ¡°The Demonic energy is getting thicker.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Shit. As expected, that bastard made preparations for us.¡±

    Artpe had prioritized destroying the Demon King¡¯s castle. The reason being the Demon King¡¯s castle was able to amplify the Demon King¡¯s power. A high density of Demonic energy was present in this space. It was so dense that it was pushing out all the Mana. It was preventing Artpe from activating his Innate ability.

    The Demon King was using this Dungeon like the Demon King¡¯s castle. He had used the Demonic beasts that had been ced within this Dungeon to his advantage. The Demonic beasts were emitting Demonic energy, and he had used it to slowly dominate the Dungeon. As the Demonic energy manifested more and more, it was making it harder for Artpe to use his Innate ability. Even if he tried to cut through the Demonic energy using his Mana Strings, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. In such an eventuality, he would have to fight directly with the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy.

    Of course, the Demonic energy had more uses than blocking Artpe¡¯s sight. In a region dominated entirely by Demonic energy, the Demon King could freely activate his spells. He could also move anywhere within this space. He would be close to an all powerful being in this space. This was possible, because the Demon King possessed denser Demonic energy than anyone else.

    ¡°Artpe, is he perhaps near us?¡±

    ¡°No. Not yet. He won¡¯t reveal himself in front of us until we kill all the Demonic beasts that had been prepared for us. Anyways, everyone should be prepared.¡±

    Of course, Artpe had acquired a method that¡¯ll peel away the bastard¡¯s Demonic energy. It was an ultimate technique that the Demon King from his previous life didn¡¯t know about. Artpe had gotten it from beings that the Demon King hadn¡¯t met in his previous life.

    However, Artpe thought it would be a waste to bring out these prepared weapons so early in the fight.

    [You really became strong¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Fourth ranked Four Heavenly King, Artpe Hirtana Kelduke.]

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to fight a battle of wills before I can use those items.¡±

    That was why he¡¯ll have to briefly take a step back in order to move forward.

 Chapter 189 - Demon King (4)

    Chapter 189 - Demon King (4)

    ¡°Letseti, get back! Let¡¯s get into the previous formation!¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty!¡±

    [You have always been a minor character. That is all you are.]

    [ording to your criteria, everyone that isn¡¯t you is a minor character.]

    [You are talking down to me. Again, this is new. This is quite fun.]

    While his party members were fighting against the traps and monsters, he was having a face-to-face with the Demon King. It had been a long time since they¡¯ve done this. Of course, there was ayer of Demonic energy in the way, so it was hard to tell if the Demon King was truly present in front of him or not. It was as if the Demon King was beyond a veil. However, Artpe could vividly imagine what the Demon King looked like across the veil.

    ¡°Maetel, it seems you will have to dispatch the traps.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be cumbersome to tank all of the traps. Let¡¯s guide the monsters towards the traps. That level of contribution won¡¯t steal EXP from others.¡±

    ¡°At time like this, you are really smart.... Alright. Let¡¯s do that!¡±

    [Are you still clinging to your past life? The world has started anew.]

    [You are the main driving force behind this change. Isn¡¯t that right? Second hero? Haha. You really picked up a pretty good title.]

    Artpe became silent when he heard those words.

    In truth, he was aware that the world had rewound thanks to his ability. However, he had no idea why his Record hadpletely changed from his past life. This was why it had never truly sank in that he was the main instigator for causing these series of changes.

    However, it seemed the Demon King thought Artpe was the main instigator of all the change.

    [Did you change Etna into an Elemental with your power? Was it a trump card you kept hidden in order to free her from her bondage? She truly was the most entertaining clown on my stage. She performed the most interesting dances. However, I never expected her to face me as an enemy. It truly is interesting.]

    [It seems you don¡¯t know everything unlike the previous Demon King¡¯s faction. They had information regarding me.]

    [However, they don¡¯tpletely understand your personality unlike me. I am here, yet they aren¡¯t. That is proof. Artpe, you are the clown that danced the longest by my side. I don¡¯t know everything, but I know you. That is why you cannot escape my grasp. The fact that ¡®you¡® are here is proof.]

    [Ha.]

    Artpe no longer fell for his empty bluster.

    It didn¡¯t matter how strong the Demon King was. It hadn¡¯t mattered that he had possessed an amazing Innate ability. He was merely a supporting character that got swept up in the Rewrite.

    There was no one in the world that could give Artpe answers to his questions. He would probably find his answers when he gained full control of the 2nd stage of his Innate ability.

    [Yes, you got your ass kicked by the previous Demon King. Doesn¡¯t that mean you are no longer the Demon King? Am I right?]

    [My, oh, my, your treatment of your former boss is quite disrespectful. You immediately went for the throat.]

    [You want respect? That is the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard recently.]

    Artpe was blunt as he asked his questions.

    [You lost your position and influence. Why are you running this operation by yourself? Are you an idiot?]

    [Did time rob you of your fear? Did it make you forget your experiences with me? Or did you be arrogant, because your level increased a little bit?]

    [You are helping us lessen our fear towards you. You shouldn¡¯t say such words in this current situation.]

    While hepeted against the Demon King with Mana, Artpe¡¯s gazended on his party. Whenpared to Artpe, Maetel and Etna, his party members had beencking. However, the party was going through the trial and tribtion prepared by the Demon King. Their power was rapidly increasing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can take that on.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯ll ask Artpe about..... Artpe shook his head. You guys are capable of killing it.¡±

    ¡°Lies! I¡¯m sure he is lying! Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    The Demon King wanted Artpe¡¯s party to reach him. This was why he had made sure that Artpe¡¯s party couldn¡¯t die even by mistake. This was why Artpe¡¯s party members were pushed toward to the brink of death, but the Dungeon allowed them to recover before they fought again. This cycle repeated itself, and it allowed their skills and levels to grow. The Demon King was going out of his way to close the gap between his power and the power of the hero¡¯s party.

    [I¡¯ll admit that all of you have grown beyond my imagination. You used one strike to destroy the Demon King¡¯s castle. You probably acquired that spell from Zestbar.]

    [Are you going to me your loss on that?]

    [I couldn¡¯t ovee that Dungeon. The existence of the Demon King¡¯s castle isn¡¯t that important.]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Huh? Was the Demon King pursuing a concept where he epted his faults in a cool manner? Artpe furrowed his brows as he tried to bring out another strand of Mana String. The Demon King kept talking into Artpe¡¯s ears.

    [However, I want to personally thank you. When you rewound the wheel of time, I earned the chance to remake my stage.]

    [That is why you are a psycho. A psycho shouldn¡¯t be a ruler.]

    [I am a conqueror. I gave up on being a ruler. That is why you shoulde find me. You will be able to hear my next answer, second hero.]

    Surprisingly, he no longer heard the voice of the Demon King. The conversation ended there. Artpe furrowed his brows, because he felt the Demonic energy in the region be much denser. In his past life, he hated any actions taken by the Demon King did. That sentiment deepened at that moment.

    ¡°He has nothing, yet he likes to posture and put on airs. I hate that the most.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, what about that!?¡±

    He quickly manipted his Mana to acquire control over this region. He ripped apart the veil of Demonic energy. He let out a bright smile when he saw a giant running towards the party. He yelled out.

    ¡°Level 380! I want you guys to fall back!¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ooh-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    Silpennon¡¯s party backed off. Sienna wielded her sledge hammer as she shot into the air. Both Maetel and Etna were busy defusing the traps that were continuously being tripped like a gear spinning. Of course, the most reliable vanguard was Sienna.

    ¡°Ha-ahhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [If I kill you guys¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯ll gain my freedom!]

    ¡°It is one of the 150 lines dropped by a pitiful baddy. I like it!¡±

    [Kooh-ha!]

    Sienna met the giant¡¯s enormous fist in the air with her hammer. The shockwave was enormous. Sienna had strengthened her body using a holy spell, so she wasn¡¯t hurt. However, the giant wasn¡¯t hurt either!

    At that moment, Artpe extended a Mana String from the rear, and he restricted the movement of the giant. The rest of Artpe¡¯s party was able to get move around the giant without being ttened.

    ¡°Hoo-ooooooohp!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    Sienna used her recoil to spin in the air, and she once again brought down her hammer. It was an acrobatic movement, yet the destructive power behind her strike was frightening.

    For a brief moment, the giant lost its ability move, and the hammer came down on its head with the weight of a mountain behind it. Half its head was caved in.

    ¡°Right now! Stomp him!¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t hold back when you use those few well chosen words!¡±

    Artpe extended several hundred strands of Mana Strings, and they pierced through the body of the defenseless giant. The Mana Strings sliced through the giant¡¯s body every time it moved its body!

    Sienna safelynded on the ground. The whole party ruthlessly attacked the giant. At that point, Artpe had already retracted his Mana Strings, and he had sent it towards another direction.

    ¡°Oppa?¡±

    ¡°There is a trap on the left. One more monster will appear from that location.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    The party members followed Artpe¡¯s orders, and everything went ording to n.

    They were in a space that was being dominated by the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy. This was why Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability wasn¡¯t working perfectly. However, the current Artpe wasn¡¯t like the Artpe of the past. As his level grew, he had shared Maetel¡¯s Record. In the process of his growth, his body had developed in many ways.

    If he couldn¡¯t gather information using Mana, he just had to rely on his body. Unlike a regr magician, he possessed a powerful body. He just had to invest a little bit of Mana to strengthen it. His Read All Creation could be used to boost his five senses, and he could perfectly read what was going on in his surrounding.

    ¡®I always had magical energy that matched my level. However, my body was weaker than most human knights. That is the version of me that the Demon King remembers. He doesn¡¯t know about this.¡¯

    The Demon King was obsessed with making his stage, so he was slow to realize that characters could change dramatically over time. This would be the cause of his defeat! Of course, Artpe couldn¡¯t gain information regarding the Demon King right now. However, he just needed to catch sight of the Demon King for a brief moment to gain all he needed. Even if Artpe wanted to careless, he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°If I can just peel back the Demonic energy.....¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just eat it? Nyaa-ah-ah?¡±

    ¡°You can eat a little bit. You¡¯ll get a stomach ache if you eat too much. That is why you have to be patient and wait for the crucial moment.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhh.¡±

    Roa instinctively sensed that the quality of the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy was different. If she ate it without being careful, she might fall sick. She might suffer indigestion.

    If she wanted to digest the Demonic energy without any problems, she had to defeat the owner of the Demonic energy! As a Greed Beast, she was given the ability to fight with her body and Mana for this very purpose. She sharpened her ws as her fighting spirit burned.

    It happened at that moment.

    ¡°I cleared the left!¡±

    ¡°Right is clear. Artpe?¡±

    ¡°Alright. Everyone gather up.¡±

    Maetel and Etna let out a sonorous shout. Artpe look on with a benevolent expression on his face as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The first group will join in the battle too.... We¡¯ll start down the road that leads to the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Ahh-oooh. My stomach suddenly hurts. Are we going to face the Demon King soon? Are you sure the Demon King will show up?¡±

    ¡°It really is the time for the Demon King......¡±

    As the Demonic energy steadily grew thicker, some party members started to feel a bit of fear. Artpe just smirked when he saw this. They had originally been prepared to enter the Demon King¡¯s castle. The pressure being ced on them right now was less than what they would have felt storming the Demon King¡¯s castle.

    ¡°Maetel, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always ready. I¡¯m not so sure about the others.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if they hadn¡¯t practice for this moment. They had practiced for this moment when they entered the Demon realm. Even when Silpennon¡¯s party joined up with them, they had continued to practice. They did so, while they kept a veil over the eyes of the Demon King.

    Despite doing all this, it was human nature to be worried. However, there was no reason to dy the inevitable. He was already having a hard time keeping the veil over the eyes of the Demon King.

    ¡°Alright¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ We¡¯ll move forward at full speed from now on.¡±

    ¡°Demon King¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too scared, Deyus. Your body no longer holds any Demonic energy.¡±

    ¡°How did your majesty turn into such a wise man in such a short amount of time?¡±

    ¡°Dude.¡±

    Silpennon pounded on the back of the dejected Deyus, who was pouting. In the end, they might be sacrificialmbs that were swept up in the same fate as everyone. Maybe, the fetters around their necks woulde off when the ck clouds hanging over the human realm was gone.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t killed all the Demonic beasts yet. It is too early to be scared. The Demon King shows up only when the te ispletely set.¡±

    ¡°However, it feels as if he¡¯ll show up at any moment. That¡¯s the vibe I¡¯m getting.¡±

    There was truth to what he was saying.

    Artpe grinned as he stepped forward. The mere contact with the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy caused an altered mental status. It left behind a faint curse that cause a nasty negative effect. Even Roa had a hard time eating such a Demonic energy.

    Artpe opened his magic tome in one hand. He already determined that the Demon King didn¡¯t have any contact with the outside world right now. Basically, they just had to kill him as soon as possible.

    ¡°Remation.¡±

    When he whispered the word, the magic tome let out a weak vibration as it revealed its power. Even the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy couldn¡¯t win against the power of Remation.

    ¡°Do you have enough Mana, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°I have enough.¡±

    At Maetel¡¯s question, he replied with augh. He pushed off the ground as he started running.

    The temporary Demon King¡¯s castle created by the Demon King started to crumble.

 Chapter 190 - Demon King (5)

    Chapter 190 - Demon King (5)

    They could feel the ground shake. The Dungeon¡¯s owner was the Demon King, and the Dungeon was physically manifesting the unrest being felt by the Demon King. However, any physical manifestation of Demonic energy was all swept up by the magic tome, and it started to revert back into pure Mana.

    ¡°Hurry! Run faster!¡±

    ¡°There is a monster over¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Koohk!¡±

    It was a level 381 Demonic beast. It was unknown as to where the Demon King had been able to find such a beast in the Demon realm. It was growling from pain as it attacked the party. However, the Demonic energy in the region had been instantly turned into Mana. The confused Demonic beast flinched. Maetel shed its leg. The Demonic beast fell to the ground.

    ¡°Etna!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡±

    ¡°Finish it, Regina!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Etna and Regina bombarded the Demonic beast with their power, and the Demonic beast died. The other party members, who had struggled to fight level 370 Demonic beasts, looked on with dumbfounded amazement. Artpe put the entire body into his Dimensional Pouch. He immediately resumed running.

    ¡°Ignore the traps! They¡¯ll be swept up by the Remation magic. They¡¯ll all be disarmed!¡±

    ¡°Move closer to Artpe¡¯s back! A much more dense Demonic energy is pushing into the space where the Demonic energy was purified into Mana.....!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh-ook, hoo-oo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It really hammers homes the fact that we are really in a nasty ce!¡±

    The Remation magic was turning the Demonic energy back into Mana. It was truly powerful. It consumed massive amount of Mana, so he hadn¡¯t been able to use it from the start. Now he would be able to.....

    ¡°Deyus, give me your Mana!¡±

    ¡°I should have just killed myself by biting my tongue.....¡±

    Deyus had grown much better than expected. All of Deyus¡¯ Mana was poured into the magic tome! If it wasn¡¯t enough, he would ask for Mana from his other party members. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t necessary.

    [Are these the bastards I have to kill!]

    ¡°Maybe not!¡±

    [Uht. Really¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    ¡°An opening!¡±

    [Koo-ahhhhhhhhk!]

    Afterwards, three Demonic beasts appeared to bar the path of the party. They were over level 380, and they possessed overwhelming power and Record. It really was a mystery as to where the Demon King had found these monsters.

    If the Demon King had these Demonic beasts, why did he need the Four Heavenly Kings? Moreover, why did he go through the useless process of sending the Demons to the human realm? Why sacrifice them unnecessarily? It made him want to ask those questions when he confronted the Demon King. Despite the Demonic beasts being powerful, Artpe could momentarily steal the atmosphere called the Demonic energy. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for Artpe¡¯s party to kill the Demonic beasts in their weakened state.

    ¡°Just push through!¡±

    ¡°The path in front of us is open! There¡¯s nothing more?¡±

    ¡°Of course there is.... The Demon King is there!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhk!¡±

    In the end, it didn¡¯t take the party too long to reach the Demon King. The party dreaded the possibility of an unexpected surprised, but there was no turning back now.

    The Demon King was right in front of their eyes! He was sitting atop a pretty fancy chair!

    [That magic tome..... It has a remarkable power. Where and how did you acquire it?]

    ¡°You are the one that is remarkable. You really are the same, Demon King.¡±

    The Demon King was sitting in a space filled with Demonic energy. It had been prepared by him. However, the Remation power of the magic tome was eating away at the Demonic energy. This created a phenomena where the hero¡¯s party was standing within a pocket of Mana, and the Demon King was sitting within a pocket of Demonic energy.

    At that moment, Artpe found the current situation to be hrious. He hadn¡¯t nned for this, and he couldn¡¯t have nned for this either. However, the magic tome was the biggest variable that could influence the oue of this fight.

    [I¡¯ve been weakened. I can no longer receive support from the Demon King¡¯s castle. I created this space. I should have absolute control over it, yet you were able to mess with this ce. You are crafty. Despite all of that, you are surprised to see me. That¡¯s right. This is me. You are just a poor soul trying to escape your fate. You are a devil child trying to act pure and innocent. Oh, Artpe Hirtana Kelduke. You cannot easily offend someone as powerful as me.]

    ¡°Mmm. You still love your fucking long monologues.¡±

    He kept throwing barbs as he talked to the Demon King, but he inwardly felt nervous. The current Demon King was pushed aside by the previous Demon King, yet that brought no sce to Artpe. It wasn¡¯t as if the current Demon King had his power stolen, because he had lost in a fight.

    He still looked imposing, and a thick cloud of Demonic energy was surrounding him. It was hard to see his true form. Still, Artpe could tell that the Demon King¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed from his past life, so he instinctively swallowed hard.

    He couldn¡¯t help it. The Demon King had refused to let go of Artpe¡¯s body and soul in his past life. Even if he had been able to escape the grasp of the Demon King, it didn¡¯t mean he had left behind all his wounds.

    ¡°Am I shaking¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, I think the Demon King is shaking too, so it is fine.¡±

    ¡°In such moments, you should say no, Maetel.¡±

    As if it was second nature, the Demon King looked confident as he had waited for Artpe¡¯s party. However, one could definitely see surprise and shock within his eyes. The reaction was to be expected when one considered that the Demon King had felt the power of the Remation magic.

    [You might be able to stand up against them. You possess the power that is the exact opposite of what they dream of. However, the scale of power is something the first researchers could have never imagined. It shouldn¡¯t be something a single magic tome could handle, yet you possess it. How?]

    [Why are you asking me that?]

    The mostpelling answer was that it was all through miracles and coincidences. Weren¡¯t all stories like this?

    It was like a game. There was always an unbelievably powerful final boss at the end. The main character¡¯s party goes through rough times as they grow in power, yet they aren¡¯t quite able to ovee the final boss. At that point, the main character gains some power through an unbelievably coincidental event, and the main character is able to defeat the final boss.

    At that point, the main character starts questioning everything.

    Why did he work so hard to gain power? The main character¡¯s party used the perfect n as they were assigned the perfect roles. However, it hadn¡¯t been enough. The final boss fell to something they found throughplete coincidence. It ends in the good guys winning, but somehow there was a lingering feeling of crappiness leftover at the end.

    This was happening in real life now, so nothing could be done about it. If one really got down to it, was there something in this world that could truly be exined? There were those that quibbled over the probability, and the unlikeliness of an event. They wondered if an event was too coincidental. However, those that thought like that were brats that hadn¡¯t lived a reallyplicated life that had twists and turns. That was what Artpe thought.

    [Let¡¯s fight. We don¡¯t need to say much to each other.]

    [Koo-hoo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I am truly pleased with the light in your eyes. Your eyes! Youck nothing. You truly are the partner I seek for this dance.... It¡¯s that look in your eyes!]

    The Demon King stood up from his seat. The Demonic energy, which was draped around his body, suddenly spread out in all direction. It rushed towards Artpe¡¯s party. Artpe held the magic tome open as he chanted a spell. He also started giving orders to his party members.

    ¡°Vad! Aria!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re ready!¡±

    The Demon King was an excellent magician, and at the same time, he was toxic. Petra had used Demonic energy to bring about extreme cold. The Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy was poisonous, and he could move it at will! If one was below level 300, just being near the Demon King was life threatening. A single puff of the poison could kill.

    In his past life, he didn¡¯t think the holy priestess could block the Demon King¡¯s poisonous Demonic energy. However, there were two holy priestesses in his party now. On top of that....

    ¡°Hooo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    Sienna was an Evil Reflector. She was the first confirmation that Demonic energy could be changed back into Mana!

    [What the hell is she? What kind of power¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Haht!]

    It was a type of Mana that the Demon King had never seen before. Sienna charged head on as she burst through the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy. The sight of her was more surprising than Artpe¡¯s Remation magic. At that moment, Artpe had a thought.

    ¡®Huh? Wait a moment. Sienna¡¯s Mana isn¡¯t Demonic energy, but at the same time, it isn¡¯t pure Mana either. However, she¡¯s the product of her Demonic energy being changed into Mana. I sessfully reverted her Demonic energy into Mana, so she should possess pure Mana....¡¯

    He was in a too dire of a situation to think too hard on this subject. Sienna was fearless as she swung her sledge hammer against the Demon King. In a sh, the Demon King created threeyers of barrier to block the attack.

    Afterwards, Maetel shot through the path opened up by Sienna. She destroyed the barrier!

    ¡°Demon King!¡±

    [We meet again, hero. You¡¯ve grown so muchpared to before. You are almost unrecognizable. Will you be able to get past me to this time to reach the next stage!]

    ¡°Stop saying things that I don¡¯t understand! Just fight me!¡±

    [Koo-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!]

    As he was fighting the two girls, the Demon King suddenly boosted his Demonic energy. Artpe instinctually realized that this was the precursor to a great magic.

    ¡°Regina and Etna!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    Regina possessed the power of an Ice Elemental and Etna possessed the power of a Fire Elemental. Of course, both girls were strong enough to fight the Demon King. However, they couldn¡¯t avoid their powers from adversely affecting each other. Their powers were ipatible.

    This was why a middle man was needed for them to maximize their power. This was what Maetel¡¯s Record Divide aplished. Their Mana, power and Record was transferred to a third person.

    Of course, it was transferred to Artpe.

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Sienna! Maetel! Don¡¯t back down!¡±

    ¡°I always believe in you, oppa!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never....backed down from an enemy!¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    Even the Demon King couldn¡¯t hold back a groan as he felt the quality of Mana being cultivated by Artpe. Artpe, who was handling the Mana, was at ease. The Mana overloaded his body a little bit, but it was a lovely feeling.

    ¡°Materialization!¡±

    Both girls had reach the pinnacle of their power. One dealt with fire and the other dealt with ice. Even if they received Mana through Maetel, the Mana couldn¡¯t bepletely purified. However, Artpe possessed the biggest legacy left behind by the previous hero. Even the previous hero hadn¡¯t expected the spell to bepleted. Artpe used his Unique spell called Materialization.

    All Mana followed hismand, and the image in his mind manifested within the world. This spell was being supported by a matrix formed by the Remation magic! Artpe had seen the great magic being performed by the Demon King in his past life ad nauseum. He knew its structure.

    The only reason why Artpe hadn¡¯t been able to do this before was the fact that he had beencking in Mana and ability. He could do it now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remove it all!¡±

    [Kuhk!?]

    ¡°Hahhhhhhp!¡±

    The Demonic energy swelled as if it was about to bring down the Dungeon. However, a sharp spear of Mana pushed through the Demonic energy. The Demon King didn¡¯t back down as he increased the output of his Demonic energy. Sienna and Maetel matched the Demon King¡¯s move.

    Sienna activated a holy spell using her own Mana. Maetel borrowed Vad¡¯s power as she struck out with her longsword. Their presence made the Demon King dy the manifestation of his spell.

    [You are going to defy my Authority by attacking me straight on!]

    [Authority? You were born with that power, so you shouldn¡¯t put such a grandiose name on it.]

    Artpepressed his lips. The Mana spear pierced through the wall of Demonic energy. Artpe was sessful in destroying itpletely. He hadn¡¯t defeated the Demon King, but he had stopped the Demon King from using his spell. It made him feel an enormous amount of exhration.

    [So this is what you are able to achieve with the Mana you possess.....]

    ¡°Materialization!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s Materialization magic wasn¡¯t a one-off spell. If he maintained the Mana, he could continue to change the shape of the spell without consuming additional Mana. This was the reason why the Materialization magic was a cheat!

    The Mana spear had pierced through its target, and it had put a stop to what the Demon King had intended to aplish. Afterwards, it changed its shape. The Mana condensed within the Mana spear exploded forth in an instant, and it [Reimed] the Demonic energy in the region into Mana.

    [Ka¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ka-hoo-hoo! You are quite good, Artpe!]

    The Demon King had been covered by the Demonic energy up until that moment.

    His true form was finally revealed, and one could see a ck cor on his neck.

 Chapter 191 - Demon King (6)

    Chapter 191 - Demon King (6)

    ¡°What the hell is that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    In a sh, Artpe became dumbfounded. He mumbled to himself. He thought his eyes were ying tricks on him, so he rubbed his eyes before he looked at the Demon King again. However, he could still see the shackles around the Demon King¡¯s neck. It was the Absolute Control, which had allowed the Demon King to subjugate his underlings.

    [An alreadypleted spell can once again change its shape.... You got me this time. I admit it.]

    The Demon King mumbled to himself as he rubbed at his neck. An amazing amount of Demonic energy made the cor turn faint. In the end, the cor was gone. However, Artpe possessed the Read All Creation ability, and he could clearly see the trace left behind by the cor. The cor wasn¡¯tpletely gone. It just spoke to the reality that the Demon King was resisting against the shackles ced on him.

    As expected, monsters over level 400 were able to resist against the power of Absolute Control. However, it wasn¡¯t the time to have such idle thoughts.

    [There are constraints to using Absolute Control. I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?]

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    Even the Read All Creation ability had a tough time seeing through to the true nature of an Innate ability. However, clues had been presented in front of his eyes. If he couldn¡¯t figure this out, Artpe deserved to die.

    [If you are able to win against your opponent, you are able to control them. However, if you lose, the opposite happens. You will be subjugated to the winner. You lost to the previous Demon King, so you are subjugated to him.]

    [You were able to discern everything in such a short amount of time. However, this is my Innate ability. As you can see, it is merely an ability that I can control.]

    The Demon King was lying. The Absolute Control was a peerless skill, but as a price, its owner couldn¡¯t control it. It was a dangerous ability. In short, it was a powerful magic, but it was like a nasty curse that can turn on its user if it wasn¡¯t sessfully used against one¡¯s enemy.

    The Demon King was using his massive reservoir of Demonic energy to resist against the Innate ability. However, he could only loosen the shackles. He couldn¡¯t escape it. Of course, a huge portion of his power was tied up right now in order to resist against his shackles. The fact that he still had this much Demonic energy left was frightening, but....

    ¡®Did he make this stage to orchestrate his own death?¡¯

    Artpe met eyes with the Demon King. Artpe wanted to read the Demon King¡¯s intent, but he once again realized that it was useless. He decided there was no reason to pussyfoot around this. The Read All Creation ability could¡¯t read thoughts. Artpe just had to push a bit harder, and he was sure he¡¯ll be able to find out the Demon King¡¯s intent.

    ¡°He is in a weakened state right now. We have to defeat him right now!¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    He didn¡¯t bother giving an exnation. He just delivered a correct assessment of an enemy that had to be defeated! The flustered Demon King once again poured out a fierce wave of Demonic energy. However, Maetel and Sienna just shrugged off the Demonic energy. They charged towards the Demon King! Maetel ran through the storm of Demonic energy, and she raised her long sword high into the air.

    ¡°Bash!¡±

    It was a simple Bash skill, but there was a light encasing her sword. It was the advanced spell form of the Hero¡¯s Aura called the Hero sh. All of the power within her spell was infused into a normal, yet high quality bastard sword. It became akin to a holy word. The Demon King red at her as he faced her.

    [It seems level isn¡¯t the only thing you¡¯ve improved on!]

    ¡°The fight with you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I can finish it now!¡±

    The light and the Demonic energy ran amok as they covered the nearby premise. Sienna used this opportunity to bring down her hammer. The Demon King quickly teleported, and the Demon King¡¯s chair was destroyed instead.

    ¡°The fight will start for real now. I can hear his heartbeat quicken.¡±

    ¡°I remember it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoo-ooooh.¡±

    The only one that had an inherent advantage over the Demon King in terms of attribute was Etna. Aside from ice, her me could burn everything.

    The Demon King¡¯s heart quickened, because it was the source of his existence. A fatally poisonous Demonic energy was pumped out of his heart, and it dispersed from his back. It was as if he had wings made out of poisonous vapor.

    [You think too much, my lovely puppet. It seems your magic is no longer as sharp when aiming for my neck. It seems your heart is moving before your hands.]

    [What a load of bullshit. If that is true, does your mouth move before your Demonic energy?]

    The Remation magic was already on the rise. Part of the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy had already been purified. Artpe¡¯s party just had to push him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll block all of his Demonic energy, so you guys should hurry up and just rush him!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [You can¡¯t defeat me just by rushing me!]

    Artpe had slightly slowed down the use of his spell. He was worried about an unexpected situation.

    ¡®What if I purify him? What will happen if I change him back into a human?¡¯

    Artpe already had experience of reverting a Demon into a human.

    He had done it with the lovely woman, who was using her fire, next to him. Etna was born with a power that was ipatible with her identity as a Demon. It had been akin to her suffering from a disease. However, she was barely able to find her true self, and she had awakened to her Innate ability.

    If that was true....

    What if he identally purified the Demon King? Would the Demon King¡¯s Innate ability evolve in the worst possible direction?

    Artpe had this thought when he saw the cor around the Demon King¡¯s neck. He never heard of an ability that gave penalty to its user. That meant the Demon King¡¯s Innate ability wasn¡¯t whole. Basically, the Demon King was in a simr situation as Etna.

    It seemed the Demon King had also realized this fact. He probably found out this defect in his ability when he lost to the previous Demon King. Since there was no way he would submit to the previous Demon King, he had to find a different method.

    ording to Artpe¡¯s bank of knowledge, the only method that could aplish this was the Remation magic.

    Of course, the Demon King was currently weakened since he was resisting against his shackles. However, Artpe wonder if the Demon King was purposefully suffering under Artpe¡¯s magic. What if he was trying to escape the body of a Demon?

    ¡®If it is him, it is possible. I have to weigh that possibility. Maybe, he is trying to create something here that¡¯ll allow him to advance to the next stage.¡¯

    Artpe took a deep breath as he grabbed his magic tome. The wings made by Demonic energy resolved into a ck dragon. It was crawling through the air.

    However, this was why the Demon King was crafty. He used a shy spell to look cool, and at the same time, he stealthily used other spells to put pressure on his enemy. Of course, Artpe knew all of this. This was why he couldn¡¯t let the Demon King escape being the target of the Remation magic!

    Artpe kept cancelling the Demon King¡¯s spell before it could manifest. It was as if the Demon King was only fighting with his body. This was also true with Arpte, since he was challenging the Demon King with his magic.

    The never ending ck Demonic energy was being invaded and eaten away by the purple Mana. It was like heat and cold fighting against each other. If one could see the the power being used, one woulde away impressed. From the perspective of those that were ignorant, it looked as if they were having a staring contest!

    [What are you afraid of? What is stopping you? Look, Artpe. Look at your Mana and my Demonic energy mingling with each other. If you want to see a much more decorated stage, you better take a step back!]

    [Don¡¯t worry about that. When I write my autobiography, I¡¯ll set off couple fireworks in the description for you. In the old tales, I hate the stories where the magicians fight each other. They keep boasting about their great magic as if they are passing a baton back and forth between each other. Those scenes annoy me the most.]

    Artpe, Etna and Regina yed key roles as they fought a fierce magical battle that couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. On the other hand, the other closebat party members rallied around Maetel and Sienna. They left behind their fear for the Demon King, and they bravely attacked the Demon King.

    [Ha! You are hiding something that I don¡¯t know about..]

    ¡°He keeps saying words I don¡¯t understand! It¡¯s scary!¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t asking you out on a date. Be at ease and just stab him!¡±

    The lowest leveled party member was Leseti, but she had grown a lot in the Dungeon prepared by the Demon King. She was able to wound him now. However, the thing that helped her the most was the holy priestess¡¯ Blessing and the Hero¡¯s sh that was infused at the end of her sword. It would have been impossible to seriously injure the Demon King without it.

    [It is an ability that is supposed to be granted only to heroes. How is she using it? Interesting. This is getting much more interesting. It almost makes me wish this was the final chapter to this stage. It is regretful that this isn¡¯t the case!]

    [In the end, you aren¡¯t able to escape your normal pattern!]

    In the regr order of the world, Hero¡¯s sh was a spell that only heroes could use. However, Artpe and Maetel had bent this rule.

    Maetel had evolved her Record Master. In the end, she was able to share the Hero¡¯s sh with any party members rted to Artpe and her!

    ¡°Am I going to die here?¡±

    ¡°If you do die, you should wish to be reborn in a world where there is no Demon King or Hero. Moreover, it would be great if there were no kings.¡±

    [Humans....!]

    When Sienna and Maetel created openings, the rest of Artpe¡¯s party members rushed in to injure the Demon King. When the Demon King was about to counter attack, Sienna showed unrivaled bravery by charging the Demon King!

    The party was akin to an enormous revolving buzz saw. They were chipping away at the Demon King. In truth, this was possible, because the Demon King wasn¡¯t that talented at closebat. The Demon King realized that he was slowly losing.

    [Etna¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! You threw away the peerless body of a Demon for that? You reduced yourself to aplish what? Did you truly gain what you wanted?!]

    ¡°Artpe, he is starting to put on that really annoying act. I think he¡¯s about to go into the third phase.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    The two of them had toiled under the Demon King for couple hundred years. Whenever the Demon King said something, they already knew what he was going to do!

    Of course, the Demon King knew that he had a habit of saying certain phrases. Despite him knowing this, he refused to change his behavior. He continued to be himself even though his pattern of movement was known by his foes. It truly was a behavior befitting a Demon King.

    [I¡¯ve been going easy on you. However, you won¡¯t have the time to rx from now on.]

    ¡°Maetel, you have to use elerate as much as possible! If possible, I want you to share that ability with the others! Get close to him!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Demonic energy exploded forth from where the throne had been. It seemed the Demon King had buried a reservoir of Demonic energy beforehand! On top of that, the several traps that hadn¡¯t been activated were triggered all at once. In a sh, the Mana purified by Artpe was turned back into Demonic energy. Artpe could tell this was a technique used by the previous Demon King.

    [As expected, you are following his orders!?]

    [His intent isn¡¯t the same as mine. However, he believed that he hadplete control over me, so he gave a portion of his power to me. He made mistake, and I was able to make this ce with that power.]

    The Demon King was once again going into a long monologue! This happened only when the Demon King thought his victory was assured!

    [There is a limit to how much Mana you can revert in a short amount of time. Well, show me. While you face my spell, will you be able to protect yourrades from the Demonic energy?!]

    Artpe had to acknowledge it. Up until now, the Demon King had been measuring his magic against Artpe, and he had found the limit to the Remation magic. Afterwards, the Demon King upped his power to a higher level, and he bragged about it! He really was like the traditional Demon King from the old stories! He relished in taking on the position of an absolute being!

    In a sh, the Demon King used his magic, and at the same time, the poisonous Demonic energy assaulted Artpe¡¯s party. It was a desperate situation where someone would die by the attack, but Artpe had a biting smile on his lips.

    His hand went in and out of his Dimensional Pouch. He brought out a long staff!

    ¡°I knew this would happen. This is why I prepared this, Demite staff Pipi!¡±

    ¡°Artpe, that sounded really funny!¡±

    Pipi had been storing Mana up until now. In the next moment, the staff let out a powerful light as it resonated with the magic tome. The Demonic energy and the spells filling the nearby region were all turned into Mana. In a sh, the Demon King was suffocating!

    [This is the moment....I¡¯ve been waiting for!]

    It happened at that moment.

    The Demon King¡¯s eyes shed as he epted the Mana into his body.

    At that moment, he was trying to be the subject of the Remation magic.

    On the other hand, it was also the moment that Artpe had been waiting for.

 Chapter 192 - Demon King (7)

    Chapter 192 - Demon King (7)

    [It seems I¡¯m the main character that¡¯ll move onto the next stage!]

    As expected, Artpe had guessed correctly on what the Demon King had wanted to do. The Demon King was trying to get rid of the cor around his neck. He was trying to use Artpe¡¯s Remation magic for his own end. He was trying to shed the body of a Demon! After he shed his Demonhood, he nned on defeating Artpe¡¯s party and the previous Demon King. He probably wanted to be the ruler of the new world.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m sending you off from this ce.¡±

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t care what the Demon King intended to do. He just shut his eyes as he swung his staff.

    Mana rose from Artpe, and he used the magic tome toplete a massive spell. The Remation magic was turning the Demonic energy within the Demon King into Mana! The spell was drawn deep within the Demon King¡¯s body, and Artpe instantly took ahold of the spell. He used the Materialization magic on top of the Remation spell.

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤koohk!?]

    The Remation magic had already beenpleted, but it started to change. The spell, which had been changing the Demon King¡¯s soul and Mana, stopped in its progress. It started to let out a light so bright that it could be described as being harsh. The light started to resonate with Artpe.

    This was none other than the light spell called Hero¡¯s sh! It was a spell that only the hero was allowed to use!

    [Koo-ha-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    It was akin to being poisoned after taking a potion. The Demon King took on the attack head on as he coughed out ck blood from his mouth. Up until now, the Demon King hadn¡¯t shown any outward sign of pain when he was attacked. This was the first time he had received a critical wound.

    [Kuhk, kuh-hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    It was to be expected. The Demon King had willingly epted the Mana into his body, and at that moment, the Mana had turned against him. How could one prepare for such an eventuality? How was he supposed to heal from this? The Demon King realized that what he had aimed for had turned out to be the ultimate trap. For the first time, the Demon King had to admit that he had lost in a battle of wits and craftiness.

    [Artpe, are you perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    [Ah. You don¡¯t have to go through the trouble of finishing that sentence. You probably want to say, ¡®Are you perhaps able to change the nature of the spell on top of changing its structure?¡® and ¡®What do you gain by taking control of a magic that I¡¯ve already absorbed into my body?¡¯ I¡¯m fed up with you speaking.]

    The Demon King didn¡¯t even have the time to point out anything since Artpe had already said everything the Demon King wanted to say. Artpe twisted his hand, and the power of the Hero¡¯s sh condensed within the Demon King¡¯s body. The staff let out a fierce light as it heightened the energy of the spell.

    Inyman¡¯s terms, the Demon King was an ice that had been swallowed up by fire.

    [You acquired¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ A very dangerous power¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    The Demon King spoke as he tried to expel the fatal and poisonous energy through his mouth. This was not the Remation magic where the Demonic energy was purified into Mana. The Demonic energy was treated as an absolute evil, and the Hero¡¯s sh started extinguishing it in its entirety. The quality of his Demonic energy degraded significantly.

    Moreover, the Remation magic was stopped in mid-process. The Demonic energy, which was in the midst of being purified into Mana, was torn between bing Demonic energy and Mana. It started to eat away at its owner from the inside. The Demon King was being destroyed so suddenly and thoroughly that he almostughed.

    ording to the knowledge and the power he possessed, he had no idea how to recover from this wound.

    Artpe continued to look at the Demon King.

    The Demon King spoke.

    [Magic is nature. You guys tried to change magic at a fundamental level. You changed a blooming flower into a rock, and a cloud into a volcano. Soon, you will realize this. You started walking down the road traversed by gods.... Are you able to handle that truth?]

    [That is none of my business.]

    [You still don¡¯t realize the weight of the power you have gained. If I had such power..... Ha ha. I was always prideful of the fact that I was the strongest. I¡¯ve fallen so far, and it happened when the new world is about to arrive. If I told this to my past self, he would have burst outughing!]

    The Demon King was still verbose. Artpe and Etna knew what that meant.

    The Demon King still had something up his sleeve.

    [All the Demonic energy... Obey me.]

    The Demon King had realized that his n had gone awry. He spoke those words quietly, and the entire Dungeon started to shake. Artpe¡¯s party tried to regain their bnce, so they lost sight of the Demon King for a brief moment. The Demon King took out an Artifact from a pocket, and he stabbed it into his heart. It was an Artifact that changed Mana into Demonic energy.

    The Artifact quickly stuck to his heart as it sucked in all the Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy. A dark light was emitted each time his heart beat, and it was a frightening sight.

    [However, it isn¡¯t enough, Artpe. You were foundcking. You weren¡¯t able to optimize the use of your ability, and it¡¯ll be the reason for your loss. It¡¯ll be an albatross that¡¯ll hang around your neck.]

    Overwhelming Demonic energy kept ovepping each other! Hero¡¯s sh and the Remation magic needed Mana as a foundation for it to work. As the Demon King synced with the Artifact, everything became dyed with Demonic energy. In the end, Artpe¡¯s spells lost their power.

    If the Demon King¡¯s power took shape again, this might really be the end. Artpe firmly bit his lips as he had this thought. It seemed he couldn¡¯t ovee the Demon King by himself. Of course, Artpe couldn¡¯t hide his disgust at this fact.

    [However....]

    In the end, a cool smile appeared on his lips.

    [When are you going to realize that this isn¡¯t a one on one fight between the two of us?]

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    The Demon King was speaking when he staggered on his feet. The Demonic energy had been under his control as it swelled up, yet it suddenly withered away. Even his consciousness was turning dim.

    [You bastard.....]

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Someone was behind the Demon King. He had stabbed his dual daggers into the Demon King¡¯s chest from the back. In one fell swoop, the Demon King¡¯s heart and the Artifact fused to it was destroyed. The young man moved his daggers back and forth as he destroyed the Demon King¡¯s internal organs.

    He was decisive and merciless. It was to be expected of someone that had stabbed Artpe to death in his past life. However, Silpennon¡¯s cold-blooded daggers were on Artpe¡¯s side now.

    ¡°As expected, you still didn¡¯t notice me. That is why you are a loser, you son of a bitch.¡±

    Technically, it was all thanks to Silpennon¡¯s Innate ability called Plunder. For a short amount of time, he had stolen Aria¡¯s Assimtion ability. He had beenpletely hidden, and he had ambushed the Demon King at the perfect moment. Silpennon unloaded the words he had wanted to drop on the Demon King. He was simr to Artpe in that aspect. He was a vicious person that wanted his enemies to feel bad.

    [You were able to hide even from from my eyes. You are merely a minor character, yet.... Koohk, koo-koohk. Koo-ha-ha-ha-ha!]

    In the midst of his speech, the Demon King fell to ground. There wasughter on his lips as he rolled around on the ground.

    [AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.]

    This made him feel much better. Their attacks hadn¡¯t been shy, but it had been very effective. In the end, the Demon King epted the result. When he epted this fact, he could ept someone else being the main character of this stage.

    He raised his head with difficulty. He met Artpe¡¯s challenging gaze.

    Ah ah. It seemed being a Demon had been a shackle in itself. Artpe had shed this shackle, and he was glowing brighter than ever. He opened his mouth to speak.

    [This was truly fun. I¡¯m satisfied.]

    At this moment, Artpe sensed that something was wrong. The Demon King¡¯s body was a mess, yet a hidden reservoir of Demonic energy arose from within him. It quickly started to rev up.

    ¡°You fight dirty until the end!¡±

    ¡°No, Silpennon! Damn it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Come back! Hurry!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Silpennon had been trying to apply additional attacks to the Demon King. Artpe desperately called him back with a sharp voice.

    [You are the Demon King, yet you are thinking about blowing yourself up!?]

    [I¡¯m not going to do that. Both of us didn¡¯t subject ourselves to the restriction of time. Either you or I have to advance from this ce.]

    The Demon King had been hit with the Hero¡¯s sh, Remation spell and Silpennon¡¯s strike. The Demon King¡¯s Demonic energy had been extinguished. He had suffered a critical wound where he could no longer maintain his body and soul. Either he had to choose to ept his death or he had to consume the rest of his Demonic energy to attack Artpe¡¯s party.

    He chose to do neither. He expelled both Demonic energy and Mana from his body. He pushed out the Hero¡¯s sh, and the Artifact piercing his heart. Blood poured out from his body. His blood started to create symbols. He was trying to activate a spell by using his body as a magic circle!

    ¡°Artpe, we have to attack now!¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯ll really blow up if you disturb him. That magic is something we can¡¯t interrupt until it is finished. You guys should retreat for now! Recover your health!¡±

    A bigger mess would be created if the spell was intentionally shut down! This was a spell that couldn¡¯t be disturbed! As expected of the Demon King, he used a spell that was befitting his station. Artpe firmly bit into his lips as he gripped his magic tome.

    The Demon King continued to speak.

    [Listen to me, Artpe. You were one of my Four Heavenly Kings. You seeded in being a traitor. You are the new god chosen by this era.]

    [I won¡¯t go easy on you, because you are suddenly talking about me in such high terms.]

    [It is time for me to go, yet I am like a bug that refuses to get off stage. I acknowledge my defeat.]

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    When Artpe heard those words, he felt a truly odd feeling.

    How should he describe what he was feeling?

    Was it a sense of aplishment he was feeling? Or was it a an empty feeling?

    For most of his life, Artpe had been beneath the Demon King. Now he was truly free from the Demon King¡¯s shadow. This might be a feeling of freedom.

    [However, you cannot properly fight them in your current state.]

    [What?]

    The Demon King immediately poured cold water over the feeling of freedom he was feeling.

    [The magic you showcased against me won¡¯t work too well against them. Above all else, the level difference is toorge. That is why you have to be much stronger.]

    [Are you perhaps trying to give me advice?]

    The Demon King was giving advice to a hero? It was truly ironic. Artpe justughed.

    Artpe thought he had known everything there was to know about the Demon King, but he had to admit it now. The Demon King was a psycho that no one could understand!

    [I love seeing good fall in front of evil. They want to get rid of the distinction between good and evil. I cannot allow that. There is no evil unless there is good. Good without evil isn¡¯t good at all. The humans don¡¯t need Demons, but Demons need humans. That is why you have to stop them. Then we will be blessed with the birth of a new evil!]

    In that moment, he truly was the Demon King. He was trying to help the hero for such a baffling reason. It was unpleasant, but Artpe couldn¡¯t reject the help.

    At this point, Artpe was flustered, yet the Demon King threw in another shocking piece of information towards him.

    [You should be aware of this, Artpe. The Demonic god exists.]

    ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [Do you know about the source that changes Mana into Demonic energy? Humans are not capable of creating such an item. They don¡¯t have the required ability. They were only sessful in summoning it.]

    It felt as if Artpe had take a huge blow to his head.

    That¡¯s right.

    Why hadn¡¯t he figured this out?

    How did the humans create a rare item like the Evil Heart? Why hadn¡¯t he focused on this line of inquiry? Artpe was at a loss for words at his own actions. He kept his mouth shut. The Demon King continued his exnation.

    [There is a source that changes Mana into Demonic energy. It is a monster called the Demonic god. Everything in regards to the Demonic race arose from the Demonic god. Your goal isn¡¯t to ovee the Demons and humans that returned through time. You have to ovee the god that have always existed.]

    It would be easy to call this a tactic used by the Demon King to confuse Artpe. However, Artpe couldn¡¯t easily dismiss the Demon King¡¯s words.

    He thought about what had urred in the holy nation of Pdia.

    He thought about the horrors created by the Demon Jeriet.

    Was Jeriet so weak that he preemptively joined the previous Demon King¡¯s faction? Why did he make the humans believe in the Demonic god? Was it a ploy to shake the faith of the humans?

    Or maybe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?

    What if the Demonic god really existed, and the previous Demonic King had a specific goal in mind in regards to Pdia....?

    [You have enough power to contend with them. However, the quality of your power is still low. That is why you should see it and experience it. Then you have to ovee it.]

    The Demon King¡¯s body swelled. Artpe was finally able to discern the identity of the magic circle using his Read All Creation ability.

    ¡°Summoning circle¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    [You have to ovee a part of the Demonic god.]

    Afterward, the Demon King¡¯s body exploded. The world acknowledged that the Demon King had fallen. The Demon King¡¯s Record and Mana was assigned to Artpe¡¯s party. Artpe felt his level explode upwards, yet he couldn¡¯t smile.

    The flesh, blood and bones of the Demon King created an enormous circle in the air.

    A magic circle waspleted.

    The door to hell was opened.

 Chapter 193 - Fragment of the Demonic God (1)

    Chapter 193 - Fragment of the Demonic God (1)

    [Goo, goo-goo-goo-goo-goo-ga-ga-ga.]

    ¡°I think it is still learning how to talk.¡±

    Artpe told a small joke, but no oneughed. Their eyes were focused on the monster that was pushing through the gates of hell.

    [Koo-goo-goo-goo-goo, gee-gee-gee-ga-ga-ga-gahk.]

    The first thing toe out was an enormous ck hand. The hand was covered with bumpy calluses, and its radius was 10 meters. Seven fingers moved tirelessly as Demonic energy emanated out towards all directions. The toxicity of the Demonic energy was greater than the Demon King.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s destroy that door! We have to somehow stop ourselves from being exposed to more Demonic energy ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°No, Silpennon.¡±

    Artpe stopped him. Silpennon¡¯s judgment would normally be absolutely correct, but that was also the reason why Artpe had to hold back Silpennon.

    ¡°There hadn¡¯t been any falsehood in the Demon King¡¯s words. The son of a bitch was always annoying, but he rarely said anything false. In that aspect, he wasn¡¯t like a Demon.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Everyone was looking towards Artpe. They inevitably realized it when they fought against the Demon King. Artpe and the Demon King knew each other too well. If he was simply a young man that grew up in the countryside as a hero, there was no way this could be true.

    However, they didn¡¯t press for an answer.

    They loved Artpe too much to doubt him, and they relied on him. They believed Artpe would reveal all if they needed to know the information. They trusted him implicitly.

    Artpe decided to reward them for their trust in him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys my storyter. Anyways, let¡¯s leave it alone for now. Let ite out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you aren¡¯t trying get us all killed.¡±

    It was unexpected. The first one to follow Artpe¡¯s words was Silpennon. He injected Mana into his daggers as he slowly retreated backwards. He stood ready as he asked Artpe a question.

    ¡°I think I know what you are trying to do. You really are a madd.¡±

    ¡°It seems you aren¡¯t a king in name only.¡±

    On the other hand, the other members of his party looked frightened by therge hand. Artpe was keeping an eye on them. At this point, the hand hade through, and the wrist was starting toe out. Artpe looked at the hand with his Read All Creation ability as he gave an exnation.

    ¡°Since we killed the Demon King, you probably felt your level go up. Right?¡±

    ¡°My head still hurts.¡±

    Leseti admitted it. Leseti and Deyus had fallen behind in terms of levelpared to the others in the party. They hadn¡¯t been able to participate in the battle against the Demon King, but the whole party was tethered together by Maetel¡¯s ability. The fact that they had helped manifest Maetel¡¯s Record Master skill was enough for them to experience an overwhelming increase in level.

    They developed in many ways after oveing an overwhelming obstacle called the Demon King. There was no need to dwell on this topic. Artpe nodded his head as he spoke.

    ¡°However, the Demon King said we won¡¯t be able to win against the previous Demon King. We.... I have to learn about the Demonic god. That is what he rmended me to do.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he summon that thing, because he wanted to kill us!?¡±

    ¡°We will merely face a portion of the Demonic god.¡±

    Artpe was sure of it.

    ¡°We have to grow by defeating that thing. The previous Demon King might call forth the power of the Demonic god. The current Demon King thought this will give us a winning chance against such power. I¡¯m of the same mind. If we defeat it, we¡¯ll be able to grow substantially.¡±

    ¡°Once a chef, always a chef..... Still, he was an asshole until the end.¡±

    ¡°So you want us to suck on our thumbs until that thinges out fully!?¡±

    Elrick asked in fright. Artpe shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°I said we¡¯ll face only part of the Demonic god. Even if we leave this spell alone, it¡¯ll terminate on its own. I have two piece of information that might give us hope.....¡±

    First, they won¡¯t have to fight the whole Demonic god. Secondly, they would be defeating a ¡®part of the Demonic god¡¯ right now. Even if the past Demon King made a y for using the Demonic god¡¯s power, Artpe¡¯s party would be fighting a reduced version of it.

    ¡°You call that positive news.... Ha-ah.¡±

    ¡°Mr Silpennon, get a hold of yourself!¡±

    ¡°We really have to fight that thing? Really?¡±

    Artpe was taking a hard-line, so the party had to grin and bear it. Up until now, Artpe had never made the wrong decision. He was probably right about this too.

    They were already tired from fighting the Demon King, yet they had to fight a monster that was summoned through the death of the Demon King!

    They felt frustrated, but no oneined. They couldn¡¯t do it. They knew who they will have to fight in the future.

    This was the hero¡¯s path. They chose to walk besides the hero, so they just had to endure it until the end.

    ¡°W....wrist. I...it¡¯s wrist ising out.¡±

    ¡°The Demonic energy.... Artpe, are you able to block it?¡±

    He looked down at the magic tome in his hand. It was letting out a faint light. He had activated it before the battle with Demon King started, so he was reaching the limit on how much Mana he possessed.

    However, he had no ns on backing down now. It also didn¡¯t mean that he was going to use the Magic Stones and Artifacts he confiscated from the merchantpanies and all the nations.

    ¡°I¡¯ll regenerate the Demonic energy into Mana, and I¡¯ll let the magic tome consume it as soon as it be avable.¡±

    For a brief moment, his party had no idea what he was talking about. Despite being in a desperate situation, they froze in ce. However, they started toprehend what he was talking about. They started to jump up and down in order.

    ¡°That item is invincible!? If it is capable of doing that, why did you bring the Magic Stones and Artifacts?¡±

    ¡°I need materials to purify the Demon realm. I need it for the Remation magic where I¡¯ll turn this world back into its original form. If I consume the Mana of this world in the process, this world will be turned into a ce of death.¡±

    Currently, Demonic energy was being summoned from a different world. In order to eliminate that energy, he was going to consume it, and it would cause no harm to this world.

    Above all else, it was an energy that couldn¡¯t be controlled even by that thing of evil. There was no downside in stealing that energy. It didn¡¯t even have to be him.....

    ¡°Pipi, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Soon, something happened that blew the mind of the party. Artpe had let go of the staff after lightly gripping it, then he let go of the magic tome. The staff started to revolve around the magic tome, and the Remation magic continued to work.

    ¡°It is sucking in the terrifying bastard¡¯s Demonic energy, and it is being changed into Mana.....¡±

    ¡°The spell is being maintained by the Mana......¡±

    ¡°It is being done by the staff!¡±

    ¡°Versatile Pipi.¡±

    ¡°Why is Regina being so proud of it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    At this point, everyone was dumbfounded that words were hard toe by. It meant Artpe had hidden this power even as he faced the horrifying Demon King!

    In other words, he had a backup n against the Demon King¡¯s trump card. He had instructed Silpennon to borrow Aria¡¯s power, and Silpennon was put on standby. It seemed there had been another n aside from that. His party members couldn¡¯t hold back their exmation at Artpe¡¯s meticulous nning.

    ¡°The door is decreasing in size!¡±

    [Koo-goo-goo-goo-goo-goo-goohk, koo-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gah!]

    The staff and the magic tome became the core of the Remation magic, and they slowly moved to a safer location. As they did so, the door to hell kept shrinking. It was as Artpe had said.

    [Kee-heeeeek! Kuh-hoo-ooh-hoo-koo-koo-ga-ga-gahk!]

    A trulyrge ck arm had been slowly emerging from the door, and the door was closing in the middle of its emergence. It was unknown as to where the sound had originated, but a horrible scream could be heard. The arm and the hand started to twist and turn. Artpe coldly watched it with his Read All Creation ability, and he spoke in a firm manner.

    ¡°Etna, Sienna and Maetel will move to the front. Regina will defend.¡±

    It meant he wanted everyone else to back out. Silpennon had delivered the critical blow to the Demon King, yet Artpe wanted him to stay out of this fight!

    ¡°In the end, you are going to do that.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh. Everyone gather up! Hurry!¡±

    However, no one in the partyined including Silpennon. Artpe had already exined such a scenario to the party members beforehand. This wasn¡¯t a simple smokescreen.

    ¡°Maetel... If possible, I want you to stay back.... However, this will be impossible without you. Are you able to control the skill and fight at the same time?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ask something so obvious, Artpe.¡±

    Maetel gripped her bastard sword harder as she slightly turned towards Artpe. She let out a lightughter. Her eyes were filled with love, and it was all focused on Artpe. It almost made one¡¯s skin crawl.

    ¡°If it is for Artpe, I¡¯m willing to do anything you want. Anything.¡±

    ¡°It would have been better if you said you were fighting for peace or camaraderie.... However, I¡¯ll have to be satisfied with that answer for now.¡±

    After the party members leveled up after killing the Demon King, Maetel had paused the Record Master skill. She started it up once again. Artpe didn¡¯t give any orders, yet everyone gathered up in one ce. They sat down as if they had promised to do this. Regina was the only one standing. She stepped in front of the group as she raised her staff.

    Despite what Pipi and the magic tome was doing, the Demonic energy wasn¡¯t fully purified. This was why Regina created a barrier of cold air, and the Demonic energy couldn¡¯t encroach into it. Regina¡¯s role was to defend her party members.

    So why not just move them farther out?

    It all made sense when one saw Maetel and Sienna borrow magical energy, stamina and strength from her party members through the Record Master. Artpe spoke quietly.

    ¡°Final battle mode.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. That name is embarrassing.¡±

    All for one, one for all. It was amon phrase that everyone strived for, but it was something impossible to achieve. However, it was possible through Maetel¡¯s skill.

    She had a skill called Record Master that could manipte Records of others. This was embarrassing to voice out loud, but the members of Artpe¡¯s party had strong trust in each other. This allowed Maetel to move strength, stamina and other physical abilities to the other members of her party.

    Until now, she hadn¡¯t really used this ability in a real battle. Even when she used it once or twice, it had been on the spur of the moment. However, Artpe thought this ability would be crucial when dealing with a stronger opponent. If the person she was borrowing the power was also strong, he surmised that the benefit would be that much greater.

    Artpe¡¯s party members had grown so much that they were considered to be the pinnacle of the human race. They were all sitting in one ce, and they were lending their power to Maetel and Sienna.

    [Koo-goo-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    ¡°It ising.¡±

    Fortunately, the arm started to move when the party had safely made all their preparations. The door to hell was forcefully closed. As a result, the arm was severed before the shoulder joint. An enormous amount of blood was pouring out, yet the arm started to slowly advance.

    It was letting out Demonic energy that was eating away at the cave¡¯s floor and the air. Despite its speed not being fast, the Demonic energy was too powerful. The cave continued be destroyed as the arm¡¯s zone of influence expanded.

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaaah.¡±

    Roa let out a cry. She hadn¡¯t been able to do much in the fight against the Demon King. She let out a cry of joy when she saw the enormous arm. It seemed the sight had whetted her appetite.

    ¡°Yes, you are here too. If we win against it, I¡¯ll let you eat all of it. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Roa.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. I love you, master. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    [Koo-ga-ga-ahhhhhhhhhh!]

    Roa¡¯s three tails swayed as her fighting spirit peaked. It was still unknown as to where the sound wasing from, but the Demonic god¡¯s arm let out a roar as it charged forward.

    The battlemenced.

 Chapter 194 - Fragment of the Demonic God (2)

    Chapter 194 - Fragment of the Demonic God (2)

    [Koo-goo-roo-roo-rooo-ga-ga-gahk!]

    It was a bitte to mention this, but the Demon King had reached level 403. Even if the Demon King had lived for a very long time, it was hard to believe that he had reached that level. Moreover, he possessed Demonic energy and skills befitting his high level.

    [Fragment of the Demonic God]

    [Level : 408]

    This monster had appeared out of the summoning circle. Only its arm had escaped, yet it was at level 408

    ¡°Its Demonic energy is swelling! Back off!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah. I can¡¯t eat it all!¡±

    Was it because it had been summoned through the Demonic King¡¯s Demonic energy? The Demonic energy of the arm possessed simr toxicity to the Demon King. However, it was much more dense and foul. Roa¡¯s Greed ability and the Remation magic was getting rid of it whenever they could, yet it was still this bad.

    ¡°Sienna, don¡¯t overextend yourself fighting it! If we buy some time, we will win eventually!¡±

    ¡°Yes, unni!¡±

    Fortunately, the Demon King had possessed much more intelligence than the arm. (Although, the arm was as crazy as the the Demon King.) Inparison to the Demon King, the arm was basically a being without consciousness. It was provoked by the two strongest females in the party. It instinctually attacked Sienna and Maetel.

    The ck hand was bumpy and rugged. Eachrge finger possessed seven additional long demonic fingers. These demonic fingers wed at the empty air as if it was a mouth. It was as if it was craving for its prey. If one was caught between those fingers, the result would be unimaginable.

    ¡°I understand it now. This is what the Demon King wanted us to experience.¡±

    The magic tome with the Remation magic was given to Pipi. He regained use of both his hands, and he was able to freely manipte his Mana. After a thorough examination of the Demonic god¡¯s arm, he came to a conclusion.

    ¡°If such a monster descends into this world, it¡¯ll be the end of everything. If we don¡¯t want the world to end, we have to defeat our opposition before they summon the Demonic god. Basically, that is what the Demon King wanted to point out.¡±

    ¡°It would have better if he had just told us that.....¡±

    Etna sounded sad as she mumbled to herself. She lightly swung her arm. A de of fire arose from the arc drawn by her arm. The fire de hit the monster¡¯s pinky finger. Instead of cutting off the finger, the attack left behind a very small flesh wound.

    [Koo-ohhhhhhhhhh!]

    However, it was enough to make the arm turn towards Etna. It was also what Etna had been aiming for. In the fight against Sienna and Maetel, the arm had been slowly inching closer to the party.

    ¡°Maetel said we¡¯ll win if we hold out for long enough. However, Artpe....¡±

    As the arm approached her, Etna sent shot a cannon ball made out of fire towards it. She put all her power into the attack as she asked a question.

    ¡°Will we be able to do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be possible if the Remation magic is maintained until the end. Roa¡¯s Greed ability has no limit. .....the problem lies with Maetel.¡±

    Record Master was a cheat ability that gathered the Record of many into one, and she was able to distribute it as she liked. Of course, such an ability would have a time limit. Even if Mana was provided for her use, no one could help her with her mental strength. She hadsted this long through sheer willpower.

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    [Koo-gah-ahhhhhhhk!?]

    Artpe and Etna continued to send spells towards the arm as they spoke to each other in a worried tone. At that moment, Sienna brought down her hammer. She had been been given the strength of her entire party, and she was able to crush one finger with her fierce attack. As if she had been waiting for this, Maetel quickly snatched Sienna, and she retreated backwards with Sienna in tow.

    Afterwards, the enraged Demonic god¡¯s arm grasped the space around it. While Artpe manifested his spells, he had been monitoring the arm¡¯s movement, form and energy. The arm kept repeating the same grasping gesture, and Artpe realized that nothing was left behind in the space grasped by the hand.

    Everything within the space was gone. Air, dust, Mana and even Demonic energy.....

    ¡°My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    [Koo-goo-rooooooo-goo-ahhhhhhk!]

    The power didn¡¯t differentiate between Mana and Demonic energy. It destroyed everything, and Artpe was sure that this was part of the arm¡¯s Innate ability. It was the most simple and destructive Innate ability that Artpe had run across up until now!

    Even as Artpe saw it with his two eyes, he was having a hard time believing it. How could so much power be given to such a creature! Its finger was crushed by Sienna when its Demonic energy was consumed, but it recovered from the damage. In front of its Innate ability, the regenerative ability of the arm looked like childsy.

    At that moment, dust settle atop Artpe¡¯s head. He had been monitoring the ceiling with sharp eyes. At longst, Artpe let out a shout.

    ¡°The cave is copsing. Regina!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The arm was letting out too much Demonic energy. Even though the Demon King had put his heart and soul into creating this Dungeon, it had reached its limit. Regina used her cold air to temporarily stop the copse of the cave. Then she directed therge pieces of the ceiling to fall on top of the arm of the Demonic god. She tried to damage it a little bit more.

    [Kee-haaaaaaaah!]

    A surprising fact was revealed thanks to her actions.

    ¡°The rocks disappeared before they could get near the arm. It didn¡¯t have to make that grasping motion!¡±

    ¡°It was a feint. Its Innate ability can be activated without the hand making that grasping motion. If it wasn¡¯t for Regina.... Shit. Sienna! Maetel! Don¡¯t approach it until I can suppress its ability!¡±

    Artpe busily moved his hands. Several thousand strands of Mana Strings appeared from the tip of his fingers. The Mana Strings kept changing direction as they expanded to fill the cave. The Mana Strings stopped the charge of the arm.

    ¡°Koohk!¡±

    The arm had charged forward as if it was going to swallow up the party alongside the cave. However, the arm was stopped for now. Artpe frowned.

    ¡°This son of a bitch is sending its negative energy through my Mana.....!¡±

    When the arm¡¯s Demonic energy made contact with Artpe¡¯s Mana, a connection was formed. A frightening image appeared within Artpe¡¯s mind, and a curse flowed into his mind. It was intended to mess with Artpe¡¯s mind. It was trying to negate Artpe¡¯s spell.

    The arm possessed overwhelming Record, so Artpe had guessed that it had possessed more than one Innate ability. He had been right. As expected of a being called the Demonic god, it had splendid abilities!

    [Koo-goo-roo-rooooooooooo!]

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    However, the Mana Strings didn¡¯t melt under the assault of its Innate ability. Artpe also wasn¡¯tcking in terms of mental strength. At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t work when Artpe¡¯s eyes were letting out the bright purple light. It was truly an amazing attack that contaminated the mind of one¡¯s opponent. Unfortunately, the arm had used it against the wrong opponent.

    ¡°I¡¯m immune to attacks on my mind, bitch!¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t buckle under its mental attack. He poured more Mana into his Mana Strings! Dozenyers turned into hundreds ofyers. Theyers of Mana Strings stacked upon each other as it continued to stop the charge of the arm.

    When Etna took Artpe¡¯s hand, a bright fire ran along the strings, and the me lit up the Demonic god¡¯s arm. She had the blood of an Elemental, so she was weak against mental attacks. However, she was just adding her power to Artpe¡¯s Mana. She could aplish this without sumbing to the mental attack.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t melee it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    At this point, Maetel had correctly assessed the situation. She moved on to her next attack. She held her long sword instead of her bastard sword.

    The sword had the ability topress and shoot out Mana. Maetel preferred the bastard sword, so the long sword rarely got used now. Despite this fact, the long sword had a top tier ability that allowed her to condense her Mana. It was also possible to stop the sword from shooting out the condensed energy. The condensed Mana became fixed to the sword!

    The Demonic god¡¯s arm was trapped by Artpe¡¯s Mana Strings, so it was barely moving. She aimed for the weakest point on the arm. She used elerate as she threw it towards the wrist joint. She put all the power of her Innate ability, and the power granted to her by the Record Master into this deadly throw!

    The weapon was invaluable, yet she had basically used it as a one-off throwing weapon. The party was close to being wiped out. It was a desperate situation, so no one stopped her.

    [Koo-goo-goo-goo-gahhhhhhhh!]

    The arm of the Demonic god sensed the weapon flying towards it. It tried to destroy the sword, but Artpe¡¯s Mana Strings desperately held back its ability. It resisted against the Mana Strings as it let out a massive amount of Demonic energy. The nearby region was destroyed as Demonic energy filled the cave!

    The Remation magic and Roa¡¯s Greed ability stopped the Demonic energy from reaching the party. However, it couldn¡¯t stop the Demonic energy from changing the course of the sword. When Maetel saw this, she tried to rush forward despite the risk of her mind bing corrupted. Artpe stepped forward before she could do so.

    ¡°Materialization!¡±

    In a sh, the long sword grew several dozen timesrger. The massive sword extinguished the Demonic energy in its vicinity, and it stabbed into the wrist joint. The hand was severed at the wrist!

    ¡°We did it!¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t out of the woods yet! G...get rid of the arm!¡±

    The severed arm and hand was in shock. However, it started moving again in short order. The handless arm was muchrger than the hand, but Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate to attack it first. He determined the Demonic energy of the Demonic god was nested within the arm. The Demonic god¡¯s abilities was concentrated in the hand.

    ¡°We can¡¯t get rid of that easily. First, we have to get rid of its arm since it supplies the hand with Demonic energy.!¡±

    As he spoke, Artpe blocked the hand with his Mana Strings. A more dense Demonic energy assaulted the ground and the ceiling. The ceiling continued to decay as it threatened to fall atop the whole party. Artpe¡¯s Mana String deflected the debris with his Mana Strings!

    It wasn¡¯t just that. The giant long sword was still under the influence of the Materialization magic. It slowly floated into the air then it shot towards the hand again.

    The Materialization had a special characteristic. It took a lot of Mana to use it, but it barely used any Mana when trying to change and maintain the spell! The Demonic god¡¯s hand became preupied by the enormous sword infused with powerful Mana.

    Maetel and Sienna had been waiting for that exact moment. They charged forward. Maetel gripped her bastard sword as she climbed atop the iling arm. She started degloving the arm with her sword. Sienna ruthlessly pounded on the severed wrist with her hammer. It was as Artpe had said. The Demonic god¡¯s abilities were focused within its hand. The arm was being directly attacked, yet the two girls didn¡¯t suffer from any mental attacks.

    ¡°Hoo, hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Maetel, just hold out a little longer!¡±

    ¡°Little longer? I can do this all day¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Unni, get out of there! Hoo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    [Koo-goo-goo-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!]

    Everyone realized that Maetel was lying. She couldn¡¯t keep this up.

    Despite Regina¡¯s intervention, the underground cave was slowly copsing.

    In the end, the Demonic god¡¯s hand broke free from Artpe¡¯s Mana strings, and it crumpled the enormous sword. Artpe bit his lips.

    At this point, it really looked like the Demon King had nned on killing them with the summoning.

    ¡®I thought it wouldn¡¯t be worse than the Demon King.¡¯

    He wanted to punch himself for having such thoughts. The mere existence of a creature with such massive energy and abilities was a cmity in itself. It was a terror, and it possessed the absolute power of the gods. It didn¡¯t need intelligence or consciousness to be a dangerous.

    ¡°Back off! The hand ising!¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Regina, over there!¡±

    ¡°Denied. It is impossible to use this spell multiple times all at once.¡±

    ¡°Eh-eet¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The party members were doing their best to resist against the Fragment of the Demonic god. At that moment, Artpe suddenly remembered the Demon King¡¯sst words.

    ¡®He told me to rise above the gods. He really wasughable until the end.¡¯

    Even a portion of the Demonic god overwhelmed the hero¡¯s party, yet the Demon King expected Artpe to ovee all of it by himself. He knew the Demon King was a psycho, but he had a renewed appreciation of this fact.

    Artpe grumbled as he raised one hand. Several hundred thousand Mana Strings appeared from his hand. He once again restricted the movement of the hand. Despite the Remation magic and Roa¡¯s Greed ability, the hand¡¯s power couldn¡¯t be weakened. It started to suppress and break apart Artpe¡¯s Mana.

    Artpe furrowed his brows as he sensed the hand¡¯s innate ability. How could such an Innate ability exist? It was pure destruction. It truly was something....

    ¡°Ssssp. I have no choice.¡±

    Artpe cleared his pte as he desperately gathered the Mana that was being suppressed by the hand. Fortunately, there was a portion of the Mana leftover after it suffered under the Demonic god¡¯s Innate ability. It really showcased how much control Artpe had over his Mana. He had reached the peak In terms of controlling Mana.

    ¡°Record of Destruction.... Please work.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    When Etna heard the words mumbled by Artpe, she looked at him in disbelief. Artpe didn¡¯t answer her questioning gaze. He put all his will and dearest wish into the spell he spoke.

    ¡°Materialization.¡±

 Chapter 195 - Fragment of the Demonic God (3)

    Chapter 195 - Fragment of the Demonic God (3)

    It was like watching a god create something.

    The Mana was gathered in the air, and a bright light covered it. It slowly started to take on a concrete form. The Demonic god¡¯s hand could feel the holy power within it, so it let out a scream. Its fingers wed at the air, but it couldn¡¯t reach the light. To be precise, the light became ridiculously intense when the hand got close to the light. It burned the fingers of the Demonic god¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Artpe!?¡±

    ¡°Arm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hurry up and get rid of it!¡±

    Artpe had to concentrate on his spell, so he couldn¡¯t give detailed orders to his party. Sienna and Maetel did as he said. They frantically swung their bastard sword and hammer as they attacked the fallen arm of the Demonic god.

    The Demonic god¡¯s hand twitched every time the arm was attacked. However, it must have decided that stopping Artpe from creating the light was a more urgent matter. At this point, Regina and Etna could guess at the identity of Artpe¡¯s magic. They just stood there as they stared at him in a dumbfounded manner.

    ¡°Artpe, you.... How....?¡±

    ¡°Etna, give me your Mana!¡±

    ¡°Y...yes!¡±

    There was an urgency in his voice. Etna forgot that she had to provide her Mana through Maetel. She let out out her Mana as is, but it was enough. In the past, Artpe and Maetel was able to use an Innate ability called Mana Link to share each other¡¯s Mana. The underlying reason for being able to do this was the fact that they were both heroes. For some reason, the same Mana Link had appeared between Artpe and Etna.

    In the end, the pool of light exploded.

    ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhhk!¡±

    ¡°W...was it a failure?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The space around them was filled will light. The Demonic god¡¯s hand and arm froze in ce. Of course, Artpe¡¯s party also stopped moving for a brief moment. Etna knew that Artpe had been attempting something outrageous, so she let out a gasp of distress. However, Artpe was firm as he shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°It was a sess.¡±

    [Kyaa-ha-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    The Demonic god¡¯s hand let out a roar. It was in rage, and it was about to charge towards Artpe. In the next moment, something suddenly grabbed the hand.

    An enormous white hand had emerged from the exploding pool of light.

    ¡°You really made it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Cheat. Artpe is a cheat.¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoohp.¡±

    Etna and Regina looked on with wide eyes as they mumbled to themselves. Artpe had depleted all his energy, and he was about to fall over. He was barely able to keep himself upright. Etna instantly recognized this fact. She quickly moved up to his side, and she helped him stay upright.

    ¡°Are you able to control it?¡±

    ¡°Just hold onto me like this.¡±

    ¡°Y..yes.¡±

    Etna heard the tired voice of Artpe, and she instantly felt her heart quicken. She inwardly asked for forgiveness for having such wayward thoughts, and she continued to support Artpe. Artpe was oblivious to the fact that Etna was having such shameful thoughts about him. He started to control the white hand in earnest.

    He was controlling it, yet he was no longer consuming any Mana. The spell was alreadyplete. The only thing left was to deliver his will to the hand. He had to order it as its rightful owner.

    [Koo-goo-ga-ga-ga-ga-ahhhhhhhhh!]

    He ordered it to drive out the rotten Demonic energy!

    The white hand started to push back against the hand of the Demonic god. The hand of the Demonic god tried to use its Innate ability to destroy the white hand, but the power possessed by white hand neutralized the power of destruction.

    In fact, the hand of the Demonic god was being pushed backwards as time passed. This was happening, because Maetel and Sienna was destroying the arm of the Demonic god. They were destroying the source of the Demonic energy.

    ¡°You really copied its Innate ability¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I learned a concept, and I materialized it. I was dubious as to whether it would work.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s exnation was simple, but it sounded preposterous to those that heard it. He was able to see an Innate ability as a concept, and he was able to learn it. First, one needed the Read All Creation ability to do this. Even if Artpe was able to learn it, there was the problem of Materializing it. Basically, this was something only Artpe could do.

    ¡°As expected, I think I¡¯m the main character.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense with a straight face.¡±

    ¡°I think I understand what the Demon King was talking about.......¡±

    The Demon King was well acquainted with Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability. In Artpe¡¯s lifetime, the Demon King had been most jealous of his ability. This was why the Demon King wanted Artpe to experience facing a part of the Demonic god. The Demon King had a hunch that such an incident would help raise up Artpe.

    ¡®That damned chef¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯

    It really was frustrating, but in the end, the Demon King had finished his recipe. It was perfect He had to acknowledge that fact.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah!¡±

    Roa had been sucking up the Demonic energy up until now. She finally stepped forward after it was confirmed that the Demonic god¡¯s hand was being held in ce by the hand made by Artpe. She quickly closed the distance. She bit the end of the Demonic god¡¯s arm, which was being assaulted by Maetel and Sienna.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah-ah-ahhhh!¡±

    She started to absorb its power with all her might!

    [Kyahhhhhhhh! Koo-ga-ga-ga-ga-koo-koo-koo-koo-ka-ga-ga-gahk!]

    Its scream suddenly became ragged. This wasn¡¯t a simple attack where it was being destroyed. It was being eaten! The sensation was entirely different! However, the arm didn¡¯t have any offensive capability. It could do nothing.

    ¡°Maetel! Sienna! You can attack the hand now!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah! I can eat all of this, nyaa-ah-ah!¡±

    Roa kept biting into the arm. Roa looked the happiest when she was eating. Maetel and Sienna attacked the hand of the Demonic god. All of its attack and ability was focused on the white hand, so it was easier for them to attack the hand.

    [Kyaa-ha! Kyah-goo-goo-ga-ga-ga! Kee-heeeeee!]

    ¡°Keep pushing! We can¡¯t give it any time to do something else!¡±

    He was giving those orders to Maetel and Sienna, but he was also making assurances to himself. It was as if the white hand had a consciousness. At Artpe¡¯s words, it grew in size, and it started to attack the other hand more fiercely. It started to push the Demonic god¡¯s hand with its own perfected destructive ability. It looked as if the god of the heavens was directly punishing the Demonic god.

    ¡°It should feel familiar. I added Sienna¡¯s Mana and the power of the Hero¡¯s sh on top of the holy energy.¡±

    ¡°You are able to tie all of those power into one¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    At this point, she gave up on being surprised. The god¡¯s hand was born through a miracle. Etna made a fervent wish that it wouldn¡¯t disappear before it defeated the Demonic god¡¯s hand.

    How long did this persist?

    At some point, the Demonic god¡¯s hand noticeably started to move slower. The Demonic god¡¯s arm was no longer in existence. The ck arm with the stump had been around 10 meters long, yet Roa had eaten it all.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah. Main dish.¡±

    Roa disregarded her swollen up stomach as she balled up her fists.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fall over before I eat that thing Nyaa-ah.¡±

    ¡°Go, cat-piggy! Eat it all!¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    [Koo-ga-ga-ga-ga-gahk-ga-ga-ga-ga-gahk!]

    As the predator got nearer, the Demonic god¡¯s hand used up its remaining reservoir of power for itsst struggle. Artpe firmly nodded his head as he used another spell. The Demonic god¡¯s power, which had spread into the surrounding, started to thin out. Etna was by his side, so she immediately realized what he was doing.

    ¡°You added the power of the Remation magic to it.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    The staff had finished its task. It slowly descended from the air, and it returned to Artpe¡¯s possession. The resonance between the staff and Artpe had ended. The magic tome was still letting out a faint light, and he had focused its power into the white hand.

    [Koo-ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kee-goo-goohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Goo-goo-ga-ga-gahk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Nyaa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Nyaa-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Roa bit the finger of the Demonic god. Therge finger let out an enormous amount of Demonic energy as it tried to dislodge Roa. However, Roa remained unaffected. Roa was trying to eat as much Demonic energy before the hand¡¯s Demonic energy was converted to Mana through the Remation magic. She ramped up her attack

    ¡°This is the end!¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhhhhhp!¡±

    Maetel brought down her bastard sword, and she severed two fingers. Roa immediately swallowed up the fingers. Sienna brought down fierce hammer strikes, so the hand couldn¡¯t resist any further.

    ¡°Nyaa-ah, nyaa-ahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Roa opened her mouth wide. An incredible amount of suction pulled the entire hand into her. She swallowed everything.

    ¡°Ggoo-oohk. I ate it all. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    She had an extremely satisfied expression on her face as she stretched out on the floor of the cave. Afterwards, every member of Artpe¡¯s party felt an extreme headache. They had defeated a Record from a foreign dimension that shouldn¡¯t have been here in the first ce. After they received the Achievement from defeating the foreign entity, Artpe¡¯s party was able to grow. As always, the process was painful.

    ¡°Ggoo-ooooooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Shit! We don¡¯t have the luxury of being able to sit here and work through this pain! The cave is copsing!¡±

    ¡°End the link! This will be painful, but everyone has to get up!¡±

    ¡°Artpe! Gather around Artpe! Hurry!¡±

    Artpe was in a desperate situation, yet he continued to move his hands as he gathered all the loot. There were some items left behind by the Demon King, but he didn¡¯t have the time to examine them! He just gathered everything!

    ¡°Everyone is gathered. Let¡¯s go! Blink!¡±

    They were quite fortunate in the fact that none of them had died after the hard fought battles. After defeating the Demon King, they had to fight the fragment of the Demonic god. The fights had pretty much wrecked the cave, and it was copsing on itself. At this point, the party was spent physically and mentally. The enormous level ups couldn¡¯t heal their tired souls.

    Anyways, they had somehow won.

    They had survived.

    When the party recovered their senses, they were in the middle of the Demon realm. The nearby region was packed with Demons.

    ¡°W...what the hell is this?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see. The Demon King had used his full power, and the fragment of the Demonic god had appeared in this ce. Of course, the Demons would react to such an event.¡±

    It had been the mother of all aggro. Pretty much all the Demons left in the Demon realm had gathered at this location. If given a little more time, the Demonic beasts and even some of the Demons that were in the human realm might be drawn to this ce.

    The most important thing right now was the previous Demon King. The previous Demon King probably felt the death of the current Demon King. It would be obvious as to who the culprits were. The previous Demon King would probably stop his conquest of the human realm. It was obvious as to who would be the biggest stumbling block to his Demonification of the human realm would be.

    Suddenly, Sienna tilted her head in puzzlement. There were countless Demons around them, but they weren¡¯t acknowledging the presence of Artpe¡¯s party.

    ¡°Huh? Why can¡¯t they see us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m using Assimtion right now.¡±

    The one to answer Sienna was Aria. She was still suffering under the aftereffects of the level ups. Despite her pain, she had protected her party members with her Innate ability. She had been able to increase the range of her Assimtion ability. She was able to include her party members now. It really brought home the fact that she had developed into a fantastic party member.

    ¡°Aria, amazing....¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move to a safe ce. We have to carry out our n in haste, but we desperately need to rest right now.¡±

    Everyone nodded their heads at Artpe¡¯s words. He inwardly nodded his head as he observed his party members.

    He thought it was time for him to tell his party members everything about himself.

 Chapter 196 - Artpe Hirtana Kelduke (1)

    Chapter 196 - Artpe Hirtana Kelduke (1)

    The Dungeon made by the Demon King had fallen, and an increasing number of Demons were gathering around the ruin. Artpe¡¯s party walked away leisurely towards a peaceful location. The location was a Dungeon. Artpe knew everything there was to know about the Demon realm, so it was easy to find a Dungeon.

    ¡°You consider a Dungeon to be a safe ce. I really respect Artpe¡¯s way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°It really is a safe ce in reality.¡±

    At the very least, this Dungeon had remained in existence for the past couple hundred years without being noticed by the Demons. The goal was to find a ce to rest in peace. The Dungeon (It had three floors.) was full of level 300 monsters. Artpe¡¯s party made quick work of all the monsters. They sat in the middle of the boss room as they sat around a campfire.

    ¡°Finally. This is great.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d we came straight for this Dungeon. I leveled up too much after we defeated the Demon King and the f\Fragment of the Demonic god. I felt a bit awkward in my own body. I¡¯m used to the change now.¡±

    As expected, it was Maetel, who was spouting such insane words. Artpe¡¯s two eyes took her in. Soon, familiar letters formed above her.

    [Maetel]

    [Level : 401]

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t been sure if it would actually happen, but she really did surpass level 400. Afterwards, he checked his own level, and he found out that he had reached level 401. If he said any flippant remarks about her level, it would also be applied to him as well, so he held back. The Demon King had given them an enormous amount of EXP, but the arm of the Demonic god had a bigger effect on their level. If it wasn¡¯t for the Fragment of the Demonic god, it would have been impossible for them to ovee the level 400 barrier.

    ¡°Maetel and I passed level 400. Sienna and Etna also..... Ah. Lastly, there is Roa.¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah. I no longer need to eat any more Demonic energy. Nyaa-ah-ah. Still, I want to eat more of that thing called the Demonic god. Nyaa-ah. Master, please summon it for me.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to hit you?¡±

    ¡°Nyaa-ah, nyaa-ah-ah-ah.¡±

    Maybe, he should have expected this. He probably should be stunned by this. Roa had reached level 405. She didn¡¯t contribute much in the fight. However, she had worked hard to eat all the Demonic energy. As a result, she was able to acquire overwhelming amount of Record and Mana.

    Of course, he guessed this might ur, but he felt a bit empty when confronted with reality. If he knew this was possible, maybe he should have been born as a Demonic beast instead of a human.

    ¡°In my eyes, you are the biggest monster. I was surprised when you fought against the Demon King, but when you fought against the fragment of the Demonic god, you really.....¡±

    ¡°You guys were formidable too. You fought against the arm of the Demonic god. We all made big contributions.¡±

    Even looking back on it, the mere thought of the Demonic god¡¯s arm was terrifying.

    What if more parts hade out of the gate? If the shoulder hade out, the arm would have been able to swing a weapon. It would have put Artpe¡¯s party in precarious situation. At the very least, several in their party would have died.

    Of course, it also sounded imusible that the Demon King taken this fact into consideration. The Demon King had consumed too much Demonic energy fighting against Artpe¡¯s party, so that was probably the most that the Demon King could summon.

    ¡°If you failed to manifest thest Materialization.....¡±

    ¡°That hand is amazing. It won¡¯t disappear?¡±

    ¡°In truth, I can¡¯t get rid of it.¡±

    Above all else, the white hand was the biggest factor that had allowed them to destroy the arm of the Demonic god. Surprisingly, the hand remained in existence. It had reduced its size, and it was as big as Artpe¡¯s hand now. However, it was impossible to unsummon it.

    ¡°This is a bit embarrassing to say, since I¡¯m talking about myself. However, an enormous amount of power was concentrated in one ce to create it. I consumed a lot of Mana, but I also recreated an Innate ability......¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it God¡¯s Hand. God¡¯s Hand.¡±

    If Artpe didn¡¯t use his special will to control it, the God¡¯s Hand didn¡¯t react to outside stimulus. It wasn¡¯t particrly active. It simply let out a faint light as it followed behind Artpe. Artpe tried controlling it, and he tried putting it on his hand like a glove. It was possible to do that.

    ¡°Heek. Don¡¯t touch me with that.¡±

    ¡°If my will is absent, its power of Destruction won¡¯t activate. It ispletely different from the hand of the Demonic god.¡±

    He smirked. As a response, he released the hand as he let it float in a different location. The only thing left was to check the items dropped by the Demon King and the Fragment of the Demonic god.

    ¡°Demon King... That bastard left only one behind.¡±

    ¡°What is that? It looks odd..... I think it is a bell.¡±

    There were few miraculous items that could exist thanks to the mere presence of the Demon King. This was one of them. All the Record amassed by the Demon King turned into nothing when he died, but there were some things that couldn¡¯t be swept away by the world. These traces of the Demon King remained behind in the world as Artifacts. In this case, the only thing left behind was a small bell. It was a bell that could be rung with one hand.

    [Summons to the Demons]

    [Everything that possesses Demonic energy bes weakened at the sound of the bell. They will also feel an odd sense of loyalty towards the possessor of the bell.]

    ¡°The Artifact¡¯s special characteristic is the same as that bastard¡¯s Innate ability.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a level restriction. Does that mean.....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he nodded his head.

    ¡°It means this will probably work on the previous Demon King. I think it¡¯ll also help in the Remation magic.......¡±

    He shouldn¡¯tin, because only one item was left behind. Even the loot left behind in his death had contributed in making the perfect recipe!

    It wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to win against the previous Demon King. However, he was sure that it would at least be a fair fight. It was an Artifact that put an end to all the uncertainty he had felt up until now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ease into this. I¡¯ll use Reinforcement four times.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you call easing into it?¡±

    Artpe quickly used four Reinforcement on the [Summons to the Demons]. The Reinforcement skill didn¡¯t simply boost the ability of the Artifact. It was a skill that utilized Artpe¡¯s abilities and Record to strengthen the item! After going through four Reinforcements, the item was reborn by taking on a simr nature to Artpe.

    [Deration of Demonic Extermination+4]

    [As Mana is consumed, a resonance that exterminate Demonic energy forms.]

    ¡°This looks like the weapon for the final battle.....¡±

    ¡°Nyaa. You can¡¯t ring it yet, nyaa-ah-ah. You have to ring it after I eat the Demonic god. Nyaa-ah-ah-ah.¡±

    ¡°The bell turned white. It also has a simr energy signature to Artpe-nim. It is pure white. It isn¡¯t dirty at all... How can something be so clean? ....I want to dye myself with that color.¡±

    ¡°Ho-oh. You still tell funny jokes, Vad.¡±

    Maetel and Vad red at each other. Artpe ignored them as he took out the loot items left behind by the Fragment of the Demonic god. They hadn¡¯t killed the Demonic god, yet there were seven dropped items. There was a bastard sword, shield, dagger, staff, hammer, glove and a level 408 Magic Stone. As an experiment, he held up the dagger.

    A very terrifying description appeared in front of his eyes.

    [Dagger of Destruction]

    [The user¡¯s life energy and Demonic energy is used as a price to imbue the dagger with a curse. Each stab from the dagger cuts away at the opponent¡¯s soul. If the opponent dies to the dagger, the soul has to follow the orders of the dagger¡¯s owner. However, if the owner of the dagger dies in battle, the owner¡¯s soul will be imprisoned within the dagger.]

    It was a cursed item. It was an item that no one would pick up if they knew the story behind it. One would run away without looking back.

    ¡°Every one of these items are covered with dense Demonic energy. They are unusable....¡±

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s dropped item turned pure white when I used Reinforcement four times. It¡¯ll be ok.¡±

    Artpe took out several Magic Stones he had gathered beforehand. They were supposed to be used when he reimed the Demon realm. However, the sacrifice of few Magic Stones would allow them to use these weapons of war. It was a very profitable exchange.

    ¡°I just have to use Reinforcement on all of these items.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You are right! It is turning white!¡±

    Artpe¡¯s n didn¡¯t go awry. The weapons were terrifying tools of destruction. They had been more suitable for the Four Heavenly Kings rather than the hero¡¯s party. However, it really did turn white after going through four Reinforcements. After checking the weapon options, he handed them out.

    The bastard sword was given to Maetel. Elrick received the shield. The dagger was given to Silpennon. Regina received the staff. The hammer went to Sienna, and the glove was given to Mycenae. Artpe took the Magic Stone for himself.

    ¡°Artpe, what about me? Huh? Me?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to get too close to him. Excessive skinship is forbidden.¡±

    ¡°I want to receive a present from you too.¡±

    Artpe mulled over the problem for a brief moment. He pushed his hand out towards those that hadn¡¯t received any weapon.

    ¡°Give me one weapon each. I¡¯ll Reinforce it four times.¡±

    ¡°Woo-hoo!¡±

    All the loots were distributed, and everyone was satisfied. Artpe let out a sigh as he checked his supply of Magic Stones. He had too many. He had no idea how many he had used in the Reinforcement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for real now. I have to sleep. Sleep and Artpe¡¯s shoulder is calling out to me.¡±

    ¡°No. There is something I have to do before we do that.¡±

    Maetel was about to put her head on Artpe¡¯s shoulder. He put up one hand as if to stop her.

    ¡°I know everyone wants to rest right now, but..... I would like you to hear my story.¡±

    ¡°Story¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Maetel instinctively grabbed his arm.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°No. I have to do it.¡±

    ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Maetel was looking at him with worried eyes. Artpe let out a bitterughter when he saw this. He had suspected this for awhile now. It seemed Maetel might have regained memories from her past life. At the very least, she had a vague idea as to what had urred.

    ¡°I want to talk to you guys. You can call it a confession if you like. It might sound silly. ....will you listen to me?¡±

    The party realized that he wasn¡¯t joking. The party members looked at each other, and in the end, they nodded their heads. Silpennon and Etna had already awakened to their past lives. They didn¡¯t interrupt Artpe as they kept their silence. They really were goodrades.

    ¡°Alright. So.... You probably felt that something was off when I conversed with the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just that. Weren¡¯t there many incidents like that? I knew all the locations of Dungeons in each nation. I moved as if I could predict the future. Of course, there were times where events didn¡¯t turn out as I had expected, but at the very least, I knew the starting point of each event. You probably all had this thought before.¡±

    No one denied his words. They knew there were too many incidents where they hadn¡¯t asked too many question. They glossed over everything by saying, ¡®It¡¯s just Artpe.¡¯ This had nothing to do with his ability to assess the present. Some in the party thought that he might have the ability of foresight.

    ¡°I have no choice, but to know it all. It¡¯s because.... I¡¯ve experienced it all once before.¡±

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m.....¡±

    Maetel extended her hand as if she was trying to stop him. He gently pushed her hand away as he made a deration.

    ¡°In the past, I was a Demon in a world that is no longer essible to us now. I earned the title of the Four Heavenly King, and I followed the orders of the Demon King. I died facing the hero¡¯s party led by Maetel. At the end, I awakened to my Innate ability..... The world.... I rewound the world.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That¡¯s quite the joke.¡±

    Elrick sounded as if he was punched in the sr plexus. However, no oneughed. Everyone present could tell that Artpe was being sincere.

    ¡°I have no idea where to start. Your story doesn¡¯t add up, Artpe-nim.¡±

    Vad replied to his words. Artpe let out a bitterughter when he heard the confusion within her voice. He continued to speak.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t n on ending my story there. Alright. Let¡¯s slow things down. Let me see¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I was born in the Demon realm, and I had to follow the order of the Demon King when I lost a fight against him. I guess that¡¯s a good starting point.¡±

    Everyone was shocked by his words. Artpe mumbled to himself in affirmation. He nodded his head as he started his exnation.

    It was the story of a man¡¯s life.

 Chapter 197 - Artpe Hirtana Kelduke (2)

    Chapter 197 - Artpe Hirtana Kelduke (2)

    All the party members needed to rest right now. However, there would be plenty of time to rest after they conversed. He didn¡¯t want his party members to misunderstand any part of his story. He was slow and meticulous in telling his story.

    It was the record of a loser, so he didn¡¯t think it deserved to be listened so attentively. However, his party members thought differently.

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you knew everything? You¡¯ve already experienced it once before?¡±

    ¡°In our past lives, many things went in favor of the Demon King instead of the hero.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s past life was the record of a loser, but at the same time, the hero¡¯s party had lost too. It was also the record of their defeat. He added nothing and he concealed nothing as he told the events

    He told how the hero¡¯s party was formed. Everything was different from their current life. The Demon King¡¯s army had used a different strategy in attacking the human realm. The hero¡¯s party couldn¡¯t stop the corruption within Pdia. He told them about Vad¡¯s love for Silpennon, and the destruction that arose from that love. He spoke about the hero¡¯s rtionship with the other human nations. He told them about the war, and the battle against Artpe....

    He told them about his demise.

    ¡°It really was a shit show.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was a shit show. I was the enemy of the human race, but even I could see how hopeless the humans could be as a race. That is the reason why I hid Maetel in the beginning. This is old news, but I¡¯ll make a shocking confession. In truth, the meal that we¡¯ve had up until now was better than the meal that would have been provided by the pce.¡±

    ¡°Artpe is a con artist.¡±

    Maetelughed as she spoke mischievously. There was also a faint smile on Artpe¡¯s lips. The fact that they were able tough together was quite amazing.

    ¡°That¡¯s my story. I don¡¯t have firsthand knowledge as to what happened to the world after I died.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡±

    Silpennon took up the baton. He told them about his encounter with one of the former Four Heavenly King, and how he had recovered his memories. He told them about what had urred up until the point of his death. He wondered if it would have better if he hadn¡¯t told this story. It was a miserable story. Still, everything became clear now.

    ¡°Basically, a secret boss has to be killed after defeating the Demon King. However, the secret boss was able to operate from the beginning when Artpe rewound the history of the world. Basically, that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    ¡°We defeated most of our enemies, but the previous Demon King remains to be defeated. That still remain the same.¡±

    ¡°I see. That is why.....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still having a hard time epting it.¡±

    Vad had a sour look on her face.

    ¡°How could I like such a man as him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fight youter on. I won¡¯t go easy on you, because you are a woman.¡±

    ¡°It is such a mysterious feeling. I wonder what I was like in that world.¡±

    Sienna absentmindedly thought about her other self in the previous world. In the end, she just nodded her head as she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful that oppa was born as a human. I don¡¯t think I can imagine a life without you, oppa.¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Artpe, the world would have ended.¡±

    Artpe just let out a bitterughter when he saw Sienna and Maetel¡¯s reaction. He had been a Four Heavenly King, and he had fought against Maetel, who had been the hero. Despite knowing all of this, their reaction was quite mild. It even made him question if he had been worried over nothing. Maybe, he was the weird one.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine since I¡¯m able to love Artpe-nim now. It is also fortunate that I avoided dying a dog¡¯s death in this life.¡±

    ¡°Artpe, may I hit that woman once? Just once.¡±

    ¡°You should be quiet.¡±

    When he came to his senses, he realized Maetel was already holding his hand. Maetel was smiling at him as if she had epted everything. Artpe was about to say something, but he gave up. He thought it was no longer important.

    ¡°Is that it? Is that all you feel?¡±

    ¡°It is such a ridiculous story that I¡¯m half in disbelief. Truthfully, even if the story is true, my attitude towards you won¡¯t change.¡±

    Elrick had spoken up. As one of the male members of the party, he was able to give the most objective opinion. It was also the reason why Artpe could trust his words the most. In the corner of Artpe¡¯s heart, there had always been a tight ball of worry, and he finally felt it loosen.

    ¡°If I heard that story before I met Artpe-nim, I might have a different opinion. However, aren¡¯t we trying to return the Demon realm into a human realm right now? If so, can¡¯t we just say that you were the first Demon to be turned back into human? That is also the reason why you were given the power of the magic tome. If I think of it that way, I can ept it.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Vad waspletely in love with Artpe, so Artpe had expected her to spout some nonsense that would be in favor of Artpe. However, her words were prettypelling. When he heard her words, an idea shed in his mind. However, it went away quickly.

    There was one sure thing that hade out of this. The scenario that Artpe had been most worried about hadn¡¯te to pass. Emotions washed over him. He didn¡¯t know if it was a sense of shame or relief. He just swept away all those emotions.

    ¡°I feel like an idiot for suffering under the weight of this burden for so long. Thank you for sharing your opinions.¡±

    ¡°The fact that Artpe-nim is capable of suffering is more surprising to me.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, ajumma.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an ajumma!¡±

    He was grumbling, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t deeply moved by all their words. His inner limit on how much embarrassment he could stand was surpassed. He immediatelyid down on the floor, and he pushed his hood down over his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. I thought you guys would be less upset hearing it from me rather than hearing it from the previous Demon King. It wasn¡¯t as if I thought your attitudes would change. It wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t trust you all. I just want you guys to know this.¡±

    ¡°Artpe-nim has a really cute side.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤shocked.¡±

    Regina¡¯s emotions were the most difficult to assesspared to the others. She was thest one to open her mouth.

    ¡°Artpe was older than me.¡±

    ¡°I wondered why you weren¡¯t saying anything about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m younger than you physically and mentally. I¡¯m in a very dangerous situation.¡±

    ¡°You are extremely safe. Extremely.¡±

    ¡°All your odd actions in the past makes sense now. From now on, I¡¯ll consider it a potential risk factor.¡±

    Artpe wondered if he should y along with her. However, he gave up on that idea. He didn¡¯t need his rtionship with women to get moreplicated right now. Regina was a bit miffed when he didn¡¯t y along. She kept poking him with her staff, yet he ignored her until the end.

    ¡®I have to stop her from talking about me liking younger women......¡¯

    He thought about saying something, but in the end, Artpe just fell asleep.

    In truth, he had been the one that had been the most overextended in the battle against the Demon King and the Fragment of the Demonic god. Of course, he was the moe tired than anyone in his party. He had told them everything about his previous life, and the fact that he had not copsed afterwards from exhaustion was a miracle in itself.

    ¡°Artpe fell asleep.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Maetel quickly moved to snipe the position beside Artpe. Sienna was as quick as Maetel. She positioned herself on the other side.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep too.¡±

    ¡°You guys really have excellent timing.¡±

    ¡°Artpe doesn¡¯t yield it up to us, so we have no choice but to take it from him.¡±

    ¡°However, I now have some idea as to why he¡¯s like that.¡±

    Maetel and Sienna guarded his sides. Vad pushed through the narrow space to position herself near Artpe¡¯s head. Artpe had fallen asleep, and he had a peaceful expression on his face. Vad was very careful as she put his head on her thighs, and she gently touched his hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is why Artpe-nim has been so hesitant. He inwardly felt that he was a different person from what we viewed him as. That is why he wasn¡¯t confident in being able to ept our feelings at face value.¡±

    ¡°Normally, you sound like an ignoramus. You sounded somewhat like a holy priestess right now.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Vad sounded sullen when she gave her retort. However, the smile on her lips didn¡¯t fade.

    ¡°I now know why he¡¯s been holding back. Now I can be at ease. I can pursue him for real.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been pursuing him for real until now!?¡±

    Her words were more surprising than the story told by Artpe today! Vad looked at herpetitors with guarded eyes, but she remained in ce.

    ¡°You n on staying like that all night?¡±

    ¡°I will do so if Artpe-nim can rest infort. It is as Artpe-nim had said.... Tomorrow will be a long day.¡±

    It was as if her words drained them of energy. The whole party came to a consensus without speaking a single word. They all sprawled out on the floor. They were all tired. For the next several hours, no one was bothered them. They were greeted by peace and silence.

    Artpe awoke the next day, and he felt unusually refreshed. He thought he had been lying on the floor, but his head was being supported by something soft and warm. He felt around, and he realized that he was touching someone¡¯s thighs. He became more surprised when he found out that the owner of the thighs was Vad.

    Despite having Artpe¡¯s head on her thighs, she didn¡¯t look ufortable. Sse was sleeping with a faint smile on her face. It bothered him that this was the most brightest and pure smile he had seen on her face.

    ¡®Why is she doing this? Until now, she never initiated contact until I gave her permission.¡¯

    He wondered if he had been worried about the wrong thing. After telling them his story yesterday, he wondered if he had called forth trouble from an entirely different direction. He had been worried about them rejecting him, but this change was worrying too.

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he tried to get up. However, he couldn¡¯t¡¯ move his body. Maetel and Sienna was stuck to his sides. Etna and Mycenae was holding onto his thighs. It was as if someone had casted an Immobility spell on him. He couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Dangerous man.¡±

    Regina was observing it all.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤do something. Don¡¯t just stand there looking at me.¡±

    ¡°The act of approaching you is dangerous. It is more beneficial to observe the pattern where the bugs fall into a trap.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sorry for ignoring you yesterday. I fell asleep. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤epted¡±

    Regina pouted as she swung her staff. She slowly separated the girls from him. He sat up, and he found out that everyone was still sound asleep.

    ¡°Is it ok not to wake them up? I would like to hasten the humanification of the Demon realm. The faster it is done the better it would be.¡±

    ¡°It is more important for our party members to regain their normal physical and mental status. If we exit this ce, we won¡¯t be able to rest for awhile.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤agreed.¡±

    Regina quietly nodded her head as she approached him. She sat down next to him. He wondered why she was doing this.

    She spoke with a sincere voice.

    ¡°I want to hear about my past life. I want the details. I want to hear how you came to know about me in my past life.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a happy story. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°If I want to be happy in the future, I have to go through with this.¡±

    It was a wise answer to a stupid question. Artpe smirked as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll tell you about it. Still, I hope you won¡¯t hate the humans too much after hearing this story.¡±

    ¡°Even if some of the humans did me wrong, I won¡¯t be incredibly foolish in hating the whole human race. You are worrying over nothing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you really are like that. Jeez.¡±

    Even in her past life, Regina had stuck with Maetel until the end as a member of the hero¡¯s party. Maybe, he had been worrying needlessly. Artpe nodded his head at her words, and he spoke.

    ¡°In my past life, the incident between the Elves and the Magic Kingdom turned out much nastier.....¡±

    The conversation between the two of them ended when the other party members started to wake up. Regina had taken a step back yesterday, so the girls were shocked when they saw her next to Artpe. They never expected her to use such a high level tactic. Regina stood her ground with an impassive face.

    This was how Artpe had revealed all the story he had kept hidden. He didn¡¯t leave any loose ends behind that could cause any confusions in the future.

    The hero¡¯s party headed towards the final battlefield.

 Chapter 198 - Final Chapter (1)

    Chapter 198 - Final Chapter (1)

    They had no idea where previous Demon King and the leader of his forces were located at.

    However, they had the trail left behind by Jeriet, who had been one of the Four Heavenly Kings. When one looked at the organization he had worked with, it wasn¡¯t far fetched to assume that the previous Demon King was trying to pull something off in the human realm.

    ¡°We are trying to activate our spell within the Demon realm. Maybe, they are doing the same thing. They are probably carrying out a n to turn the human realm into a Demon realm.¡±

    ¡°If the two magic shes, it¡¯ll cause a big headache.¡±

    Artpe had learned that the previous Demon King¡¯s forces were the products of the Demonification experiment. When he became aware of this fact, he had been watching out for their moves. Arpte had gathered all the Artifacts and Magic Stones for the purpose of purifying the Demon realm. At the same time, it had been a move to impede the progress of the previous Demon King¡¯s n.

    ¡°Of course, we might have been toote, but..... The current Demon King ran amok. For better or worse, everyone¡¯s ns were reset to zero.¡±

    Whether it was activities carried out by Artpe¡¯s party in stealth or the n being carried out by the previous Demon King, it all fell apart when the current Demon King went on his rampage. As a result, a fragment of the Demonic god was called into this world. It didn¡¯t matter what preparations the previous Demon King had made. The previous Demon King¡¯s forces would have toe back to the Demon realm.

    ¡°We have to be smart about this. We have to assume that we¡¯ll fight them directly when we initiate the Remation spell.¡±

    ¡°Life really doesn¡¯t go as nned.¡±

    However, Artpe was pretty confident in his party. The current Demon King¡¯s recipe had given them the means to contend with the previous Demon King. He had the Deration of Demonic Extermination. It was stored away, and it would be used when the right opportunity presented itself. On top of that, he had the hand of destruction. It still was maintaining its form. All these factors gave him confidence.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡±

    ¡°That ce no longer exists.¡±

    They no longer needed the Steel Horse. They were close to the site of the Demon King¡¯s castle, so couple Blinks was all that was needed. The biggest problem was the fact that there were too many Demons gathered there. It didn¡¯t matter which location they chose.

    ¡°The number of Demons increased while we rested.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aria. You¡¯ll have to overwork yourself for a little bit longer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve grown a lot . No one will be able to find us unless they are above level 500.¡±

    Aria spoke with confidence. She was unpretentious, and she told the truth. For a brief moment, Artpe wondered if Aria would be a much better holy priestess than Vad. It was as if Vad had somehow caught wind of his thoughts. She whipped her head around towards him. He was sure of it now. Maetel¡¯s ability of being able to read his thoughts was being shared between the girls.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°This is quite the sight.¡±

    Since the Demon King had died, the Demons were no longer subject to the Absolute Control. The absence of the Demon King had caused confusion, and the Demons started a meticulous search operation where they searched for the being that had killed the Demon King.

    ¡°They have this much loyalty towards the Demon King.....?¡±

    ¡°No. It isn¡¯t loyalty. They are just afraid of culprit that had killed the Demon King. They are afraid of being killed if they are on their own, so they are traveling in groups. If their joint efforts isn¡¯t enough to defeat their foe, they¡¯ll quickly lower their heads.¡±

    ¡°They really are acting like extras.¡±

    These were beings that hadn¡¯t been able to live their own lives. Rhere had always been a restriction on what they could do. They had lived under the rule of the Demon King for their whole lives. From their perspective, they valued their lives the most. It was the onlymodity that they could call their own.

    However, that would change soon. Battle, blood and death had always been the final destination of a Demon¡¯s life, but that would have to change now. In the beginning, Artpe had only wanted to turn Etna into a human. However, Artpe had reached this point, and he wondered if this might have been his goal all along.

    Yes, Vad was right. Artpe was the first Demon to be turned back into a human. At the same time, he was a pioneer that will lead other Demons down the road to humanification.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be using the spell soon. There will be Demons that¡¯ll try to stop the process. Even if they¡¯ll soon be turned into humans, we can¡¯t hesitate. We have to kill them.¡±

    It was unknown as to how many of these Demons were affiliated with the previous Demon King¡¯s forces.

    An argument could be made that they should go easy on the Demons since they were going to be turned back into humans. However, one would fail miserably if one held such pitiful sentiments.

    Artpe¡¯s words didn¡¯t allow his party members to feel any sentimental emotions. Everyone nodded their heads as they hardened their resolve.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Artpe briefly took a deep breath, and he opened his magic tome. His staff and magic tome resonated with each other as they rose into the sky. This was obvious, but Aria had reached the limit of her Assimtion ability. This was why the party was revealed, while floating in the air.

    [Humans!]

    [T...the energy is digging into my skin.... Holy power! He has holy power!]

    It wasn¡¯t simple holy power. Artpe let out an evil smile as he earnestly unleashed his magic.

    The Remation magic didn¡¯t discriminate between Demons and Demonic energy. It was a spell that restored everything that was twisted and out of ce! Artpe used his staff to boost his Mana, and his Mana flowed into the magic tome. It spread into the twisted world called the Demon realm.

    In a sh, he took out an Artifact from his Dimensional Pouch, and it was consumed. It took mere seconds to change Demons into humans in the nearby region.

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    [S...stop. That human bastard is trying to......]

    [What the hell? Why are the humans......?]

    A high number of Demons had no idea what was going on. However, some Demons realized that they were being turned into humans. This was being done by the hero¡¯s party. Some Demons had a dim idea as to what the implications was for this new development.

    [Don¡¯t panic! We cannot win against them in the first ce. Moreover, they are making us into humans! Humans! We are bing humans!]

    [I can sense my existence being twisted. For some reason..... Somehow, I feel my emotions calming down.]

    [Shit. Retreat! Retreat! We¡¯ll just die if we fight them! They aren¡¯t attacking us, but they are turning us into humans!]

    The Demons were confused, and they couldn¡¯t rashly attack Artpe¡¯s party. In fact, a fight broke out between the Demons that picked up on the situation and the Demons that were too slow to realize what was going on.

    Tens of thousands of Demons were gathered at the site of the Demon King¡¯s castle. While an absolute pandemonium broke out between the Demons, Artpe¡¯s party was sessful in perfecting the magic circle.

    ¡°Artpe, you have to speed it up!¡±

    ¡°It is easy for you to say!¡±

    However, it really was that easy for him. Artpe didn¡¯t hesitate to use the Artifacts and Magic Stones he had prepared in his Dimensional Pouch. He scattered them all over the ce. As soon as the items were released into the air, they perished. All the Mana was sucked into the magic tome.

    The site of the Demon King¡¯s castle was colored in gray and red. It had been filled with death and blood. In the next moment, the ce regained its natural colors. As if breathing, the Demonic energy within this space was being pushed out.

    ¡°Thend¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ My god¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°This really is its original form. Look over there. The red clouds are dissipating.¡±

    ¡°It is too beautiful. I never expected to see such a sight within the Demon realm.....¡±

    At the same time, it was an extremely sad sight. The ones that were still Demons looked at the Demons that had shed their Demonhood. In the end, a fight broke out. Then there was thend of the Demon realm, andnd that was reverted back to its original form. They started to adversely affect each other as they started to be diseased.

    ¡°Why are they fighting?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t aware of our presence..... No, they are refusing to acknowledge our presence. They gave up on understanding our actions, and they aren¡¯t trying to stop us. This also means that they need an outlet for their frustration.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the worst.¡±

    Artpe opened up another Dimensional Pouch. At once, he expanded the range of his Remation magic. Everything within his sight turned back into the natural world. It was the same for the Demons within it.

    ¡°Good. They have no reason to fight any more.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t merely a problem between the Demons and the humans, Artpe-nim. This might sound evil, but.... If I¡¯m being truthful, this is quite entertaining.¡±

    The Demon race had no real reason to fight. They fought and killed, because they were alive. They killed others, because they were ordered to kill others. They had lost their ruler, who had given them orders. Now they were losing their Demonhood. They were confused. They fought against each other, but they were lost. In the end, they sat on the ground.

    There was a good amount of blood shed, and some were trying to run away. If they kept their distance, Artpe¡¯s party left them alone.

    ¡°Shall we move to a different location?¡±

    ¡°No. When the ones that we really have to worry about shows up, these people will be a wall for us.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea where Artpe-nim¡¯s cheapnesses from. It isn¡¯t a character trait of a hero. It seems it arose from the experience you had in your past life! As expected, you are awesome!¡±

    ¡°Hey. That sounded like an insult.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t!¡±

    He kept expanding his spell. It really was unbelievable that the Demon King¡¯s castle had existed here. The dense Demonic energy was transformed into Mana, and it helped Artpe¡¯s party regain their full power.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happens after this. We¡¯ve already weakened the Demon race with this.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Artpe, I can feel theming. I can feel it. Soon!¡±

    At that moment, Maetel gathered all the purified Mana at the tip of her sword, and she shot it into her surrounding. She didn¡¯t give any consideration to the Demons that were turned into humans. The violent attack blew up the entire region.

    Afterwards, a clearly different group of Demons had appeared. They possessed a different type of aggressive Demonic energy. They numbered in the several hundreds, and each of them looked extremely pissed. It was as if Artpe had spit on the food they had been eating.

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    As expected of a former Four Heavenly King, Artpe immediately ordered an attack whenever a a stranger was located. The party quickly attacked the stranger! There was no mercy when one was determined to be their enemy!

    Maetel and the other party members reacted immediately as they attacked the Demons that were over level 300. Half the Demons lost their lives instantly, and the rest froze in ce. They were taken aback by the might of the hero¡¯s party. While they were frozen in ce, they were turned back into humans through the Remation magic.

    [We have to stop them! We are about to attain our long cherished desire, and they are trying to interfere with us!]

    [He have to stop them until our master can get here. The magic¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡±

    The Remation magic couldn¡¯t be stopped unless the previous Demon King took the matter into his own hands. This was the first time Artpe was using this magic at this scale, and he had a hard time initiating it. However, it became easier once he safely manifested the magic. He just had to be the source that provided the spell with continuous Mana. It allowed the influence of the spell to grow as its Record grew.

    The Remation magic, which had been manifested by Artpe, was going through that process. A Remation magic of this magnitude had never existed in the past. If one wanted to stop it, one had to kill Artpe, or the magic tome had to be destroyed. Those were the only two options.

    ¡°Soon, they¡¯ll attack me. It might be one of them, the previous Demon King or......¡±

    [Die.]

    Before Artpe could end his words, someone hade straight for his heart. Sienna¡¯s reaction speed was too fast. The attack couldn¡¯t get past her. The attack was stopped in the middle.

    [I never expected you humans to start this before us.... Moreover, it was done by someone who used to be a Demon.]

    The one, who had attacked Artpe, revealed himself. A spear made out of ck metal had failed to pierce through Sienna¡¯s shield. It was stuck in the middle of the shield. A level 401 Demon appeared a beatter, and he was holding onto the spear. He was a Demon that Artpe hadn¡¯t seen in his past life.

    [It is time. Everything our master wants has been gathered here. We¡¯ll take everything you have, and we will greet our master with it.]

    ¡°This guy isn¡¯t that high level! Just focus your attacks on him. Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kuh-huhk!?]

    The Demon had overlooked one thing. Artpe¡¯s party didn¡¯t know everything about the previous Demon King¡¯s n, but at the same time, the previous Demon King¡¯s faction didn¡¯t know about the rapid growth of Artpe¡¯s party.

    The price for such a mistake was his death.

    Artpe¡¯s party didn¡¯t know this, but this was the moment when thest Four Heavenly King in the previous Demon King¡¯s force perished.

 Chapter 199 - Final Chapter (2)

    Chapter 199 - Final Chapter (2)

    The surrounding was deadly quiet. In an instant, a level 400 plus high ranked Demon was killed. Of course, the reaction to such an event wouldn¡¯t be minor. The Demons, who were under themand of the dead Demon, came to a halt in fright. In the end, they were turned into humans by the power of the magic circle.

    [My power is decreasing.]

    [It isn¡¯t just our power. The aggression that we use to violently attack our enemies can¡¯t be felt. That bastard is trying to shackle us by turning us into humans!]

    ¡°Shackle? You guys have been wearing a mask up until now. Why can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m just taking that mask off?¡±

    When a firm idea took root within him, Artpe no longer hesitated over his actions. He didn¡¯t agonize over what he had to do. The Remation magic existed to turn everything back into its original form. This wasn¡¯t Artpe¡¯s will. It was the will of the world, so there was no way this spell would be defeated!

    [Can it be.....]

    The low voice of an old man could be heard.

    [I never expected someone toplete that spell.....]

    ¡°He has overwhelming Demonic energy. Regina! Etna!¡±

    ¡°We are ready.¡±

    ¡°This Demonic energy.....?¡±

    He let the staff use the Remation magic. He had done this before when he fought against the arm of the Demonic god. This allowed Artpe to participate in the battle. Of course, the Remation magic expanded at a slower rate as a result! This was why he wanted his party to take care of the fighting, but....

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    As he induced the staff and the magic tome to resonate, he was able to gain momentary freedom. He put his Mana into the hand of destruction, and in a sh, it grew in size. It regained its original size. When Artpe ryed his will to it, it spread its fingers, and it created an enormous barrier.

    Afterwards, the Baptism of the Demonic Spear impacted on the middle of the barrier!

    The hand did well in blocking it, and it destroyed the spear. In the process, Artpe was able to assess his opponent. He scrunched up his face.

    ¡°I knew it didn¡¯t make sense. I should have known it would turn out like this.¡±

    [What is that hand? A life form such as this exists in this world? No. I asked the wrong question. It is type of golem made through magic! Interesting. A mere golem was able to block my attack. How is that possible? However, it won¡¯t be able withstand my next attack. I already figured out the golem¡¯s special characteristic!]

    ¡°Artpe, he¡¯s annoying.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I feel the same way.¡±

    The second attack came flying in. First, the enemy manifested a magical to restrict the movement of the hand of destruction. Then he followed up with a barrage of powerful magic bombs. It was supposed to destroy the hand, but of course, the hand of destructionpletely extinguished the attack.

    [What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    ¡°This is odd. It is the first time I¡¯ve heard this voice, but his manner of speech is quite familiar......¡±

    ¡°It is also annoying.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s party members felt a weird sense of de ja vu as they raised their weapons. Artpe knew they were in a desperate situation, yet the couldn¡¯t suppress hisughter. His Read All Creation ability had already picked up on the presence of his enemy.

    Maybe, the Demon was confident no one could pierce through his stealth magic. He continued to be in a defenseless position. Of course, his stealth magic was so great that it couldn¡¯t be prated unless one had the Read All Creation ability.....

    [Etna.]

    [Yes, he really is annoying in my opinion.]

    Etna was sharing his Read All Creation ability, so she caught sight of the enemy. He was making every effort to destroy the hand of destruction with his magic, but the hand was blocking all his attempts. She could see that he was growing angry.

    [We have to give up on the idea that we can kill him outright. Before he picks up on it, we have to focus on dealing as much damage to his body. He is a master that knows our magic better than anyone else.]

    [How do you know this....? Never mind. I understand. I have to minimize my use of my magic, and I have to deal a fatal blow?]

    However, their foe was too far for him to leave the battle to the close range fighters of his party. Unfortunately, Mycenae was stillcking in terms of damage when it came to single burst attacks.

    This was why the task fell onto Etna. Etna was the only one in the party that dealt with magic that wasn¡¯t truly magic.

    [Alright. I¡¯ll show you how it is done.]

    Etna activated her Innate ability. If it was a simple spell, it would have been detected by her opponent. However, her Innate ability was Spirit Transformation. It was an ability that hadn¡¯t existed hundreds of years ago when the previous Demon King and the previous hero had run amok.

    ¡°At the very least, I¡¯ll take one arm!¡±

    [Koo-huhk?]

    This was why the Demon Nanarai Bodra couldn¡¯t respond to the suddenly surging white me. Etna had transformed into a Fire Spirit. As soon as he saw her, he immediately created a barrier. However, Etna had kept her words. She had already burned away his entire arm!

    [Koohk, koo-ha-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

    He hadn¡¯t felt pain for a very long time. The Demon screamed as he grabbed his shoulder. Artpe spoke as he watched the face, which had been distorted by pain. There was a cold smile on his lips.

    ¡°I believe this is the first time we¡¯ve met directly, sunbae-nim.¡±

    ¡°Sunbae-nim¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Huh?¡±

    The rest of the party finally realized what had caused that sense of incongruity. From the moment he had appeared, the Demon had spoken like a know it all asshole. He was Nanarai Bodra. He was the previous hero that had periodically helped Artpe¡¯s party by leaving behind vestiges of his legacy.

    There was distinct pattern to his Demonic energy, and he had overwhelming power. He also possessed an overwhelming presence and level. He had reached an absurdly high level of 403.

    Finally, the name that was being shown through Artpe¡¯s eyes proved his identity.

    ¡°Why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    ¡°Why is he attacking us? Does he have dementia? Does he not know that we are heroes?¡±

    ¡°No, he knows it. ¡±

    Artpe looked at the enraged Demon, who was pointing his remaining arm towards them.

    ¡°However, everything else within his head might have rotted away.¡±

    [A party of two heroes.... It is quite the familiar sight. It also makes me yearn for the good old days. I also fought for the humans once.]

    Artpe let out a bitterughter as he spoke.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t toote to return to our side.¡±

    [It is toote, young hero. My juniors.... Do you know about the weight of time? Do you know about the weight of death? I¡¯ve spent too long a time as a Demon, and I am too used to it now. The Demonic energy stole many things from me, but as a price, it breathed in new desires within me.]

    At the old former hero¡¯s words, Artpe snorted.

    ¡°You and your party had enough power to kill the previous Demon King. Despite that fact, you chose to seal the previous Demon King. Am I wrong?¡±

    [No. At the time, our party didn¡¯t have the power to kill the Demon King. We could only seal the Demon King.]

    ¡°You might have been able to convince your party members, but your lies won¡¯t work on me. I know that your ability is more geared towards attacking rather than sealing. Why did you do it? You don¡¯t like using your sealing ability since it is mundane. You prefer to use shy attacks. Am I right?¡±

    Artpe approached it from an angle that was unimaginable to a normal person. Nanaria Bodra flinched at Artpe¡¯s words, and he took a step backwards.

    [H....how did you know....]

    ¡°Ah. This asshole is an idiot.¡±

    ¡°I see. He really is an idiot.¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t give him time to respond. He pushed ahead.

    [I wondered why you sealed the Demon King instead of killing him. The reason was quite simple. At that point, you were already drawn towards the Demonic energy. You were drawn towards bing a Demon. You said you turned yourself into a Demon, and that it was for research. You nned on searching for a way to turn the Demonic energy back into Mana. However, you were merely trying to make an excuse. You tricked yourself into epting your true nature.¡±

    [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    He was silent for a brief moment before he opened his mouth.

    [It is truly a great deductive reasoning. Unfortunately, you are wrong, my junior.]

    ¡°I¡¯m wrong?¡±

    His eyes let out a bright light. Demonic energy overflowed as it strengthened his old body. If Etna hadn¡¯t destroyed one arm, he might have been able to push the hero¡¯s party. That was how fierce his power was! As he raised his fighting spirit, he yelled out!

    [The reason why I sealed her is simple. I was in love with her! I sealed her, and I dedicated my whole life in finding a way to revert her back into being a human. I was able to meet her again when the world was rewound. My way of thinking had been wrong from the start. The ones that were in the right were the Demons!]

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Artpe was struck dumb. He quietly nodded his head. The previous Demon King was a woman. It was a good information to know.

    The story he had heard from the Elven elders from the Forest of Eternity came to mind. The previous hero had hit on many Elven women, so this exnation was very direct. Maybe, that story was foreshadowing this moment. It was an entirely believable exnation.

    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot that can¡¯t be cured.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill him.¡±

    Everyone was in agreement. Nanarai Bodra was Maetel¡¯s ancestor, and at the same time, he had a big influence in allowing Artpe¡¯s party to grow so much. This was why they had decided to listen to his story a little bit more. However, they had found out that Nanarai Bodra didn¡¯t know his ass from his forehead.

    Moreover, Artpe suspected this when Nanarai Bodra had shown up as an ally to the previous Demon King. It seemed he had lost a significant portion of his memories throughout the long years. If he hadn¡¯t, he would have know about the power of the ruins he had created. He would have recovered the three Evil Hearts that he had put in safekeeping.

    ¡®He is unstable.¡¯

    The magic that turned humans into Demons wasn¡¯tplete. This was quite evident. If it wasplete, the previous Demon King¡¯s faction wouldn¡¯t be having such a difficult time turning humans into Demon after being released from their seal. This also applied to Nanarai Bodra.

    [I realized what the correct path was. Demonic energy isn¡¯t a twisted form of Mana. It is an evolved form of Mana, and it is the future we should strive for. I¡¯ve been rejecting the existence of Demons all my life. She fixed my way of thinking. The existence of the Demonic god gives legitimacy to the Demonic energy. It is superior to Mana!]

    The bastard waspletely twisted in the mind. At the very least, he had wanted to pay his respects to his sunbae, who had walked a much higher road in magic. However, that ship had sailed. Nanarai Bodra didn¡¯t care about the Demonic energy or Mana. He only cared about power and fear. Once he started worshipping the Demonic god, his career as a mage hade to an end.

    Artpe was cold as he gave his orders.

    ¡°Etna, you¡¯ll be the main one to attack. I¡¯ll focus on weakening them.¡±

    ¡°What about me, Artpe?¡±

    ¡°You can take on the remaining group. Regina, may you protect the party?¡±

    Artpe didn¡¯t need to say anything further. They knew what to do. The party¡¯s expression hardened all at once. Sine Nanarai Bodra hade out, there was only one person left that had yet to make an appearance!

    [You are a quite the sensible kid. You are different from the previous hero. Moreover, you are cute.]

    A slightly sweet voice could be heard from somewhere. Nanarai Bodra¡¯s face glowed as he looked up. Artpe gritted his teeth.

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤if youy your hands on Artpe, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    ¡°No, she just threw those words out there instead of greeting us. Don¡¯t be baited by her, Maetel¡±

    [Hoo hoo. As expected, this is fun. The twisted hero and the two heroes.... This is the best stage that I can offer him.]

    Artpe let lout a low sigh as he raised his head.

    He saw a blindingly beautiful woman with ck hair. The previous Demon King made her appearance.

 Chapter 200 - Final Chapter (3)

    Chapter 200 - Final Chapter (3)

    The previous Demon King had never became fully cognizant of Artpe. Not even for a moment. She had been released from her seal after Artpe had died. After the world started anew, she spent most of the time trying to fully free herself from the nasty seal that had been ced on her. She didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to others.

    Her power had been weakened by the seal, so she was still recovering her power. This was why she hadn¡¯t stepped forward onto the stage. However, she could no longer dy in making an appearance. She had to act. Of course, the previous Demon King and Nanarai Bodra was the core power of her faction. The two of them made up over 90% of the power possessed by her faction.

    [I am the Demon King, who inherited the blood of the Demonic god. My name is Ga Orzodia. I know you¡¯ve killed my poor sessor. However, I¡¯m very lenient when ites to a cute child. Did you say your name was Artpe? You don¡¯t have to be lost any more. You should return to the Demon race. I¡¯ll hold you in my bosom.]

    Her gaze was fixed on Artpe. She knew that Artpe was the backbone of the hero¡¯s party. She knew that Artpe was the one that had a hand in growing his party members to this extent.

    Above all else, he was manifesting a spell through his staff and magic tome! He was turning the Demon realm into the human realm, and her Demon underlings had been turned into humans. He was someone with overwhelming power! She had lost everyone that had acted as her hands and feet. Even as she surveyed her enemies, she was thinking about how to bring him under her as an underling.

    [I¡¯ll tell you this now. It is meaningless to go against me. My existence is a miracle in itself. I am this world¡¯s first and thest! I am the proof that the Demonic god exists. I am his daughter. I do not want to kill you. That is why you should walk towards me of your own volition. You should embrace me. I do not lie.]

    ¡°Each word you speak is dripping with Demonic energy. That means....¡±

    Artpe maintained his spell as he took in the sight of her. His Read All Creation ability did a great job in delivering her information to him.

    [Ga Orzodia]

    [Demon King]

    [Level : 419]

    [Innate Ability : Seduction]

    [The Mana of a whole race was used toplete the seal. Despite being freed from the seal, the aftereffects remains. Her full power hasn¡¯t been recovered yet.]

    Artpe¡¯s party had acted too fast, so she hade out before she had regained her full power. Despite this fact, it was as she boasted. She was plenty strong.

    It burned for Artpe to admit this, but he had to acknowledge that the current Demon King had been right once again. Artpe¡¯s party had to go through the experience of fighting the current Demon King and the fragment of the Demonic god. If they hadn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against Ga Orzodia.

    ¡°She is level 419. However, she had been sealed. She¡¯s been weakened significantly after she was released from the seal. We just have to do the same thing we did against the current Demon King and the fragment of the Demonic god.¡±

    ¡°Artpe always speaks as if it¡¯ll be easy.¡±

    The previous Demon King was a terrifying monster. However, he had already expected this when her existence was alluded to. The only thing his party needed right now was determination.

    Maetel and Sienna moved to the front. The rest of the party slowly moved backwards as they got in formation. Regina raised her staff in order to protect all of them.

    [It¡¯ll be futile even if everyone attacks me all at once. Will it be ok sending out only the two of them? Moreover, you are maintaining the great magic.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that woman¡¯s words. Her Innate ability is called Seduction. It is a technique that can make a hero into an idiot. In fact, that idiot is right over there.¡±

    [Oh my. You are quite the cold-hearted child. I haven¡¯t told you the name of my ability, yet you spoke it out loud. It feels as if you¡¯ve undressed me. Aren¡¯t you progressing too fast in make a move on me?]

    ¡°I¡¯m killing that woman for sure.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤since she is raising your fighting spirit, I won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Nanarai Bodra was letting out a powerful Demonic energy as he hovered near Ga Orzodia. It was as if he was trying to protect her. His nose red as he looked at her. It was a really pathetic sight, but his behavior was in line with his past image.

    [If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to unravel her seal. As the level and the quality of the subject being sealed increases, it bes harder to break the seal.]

    ¡°You are the one that had ced the seal, yet you weren¡¯t able to unseal it. It validates my idea that you¡¯ve lost a significant portion of your memories.¡±

    They no longer needed to listen to Nanarai Bodra. Above all else, they had to stop Ga Orzodia before she talked any more. Did Etna share a hive mind with Artpe? Etna immediately attacked Nanarai Bodra.

    [I¡¯m sorry, but you cannot kill this man until we achieve what we desire.... Hoohp!]

    The previous Demon King immediately moved to block Etna. However, Sienna had followed up behind Etna. She brought her hammer down, and the hammer crushed the spot where Ga Orzodia had upied. Sienna was also a heavy weight that was over level 400!

    Sienna wasn¡¯t the hero. Ga Orzodia never expected someone in the hero¡¯s party other than the heroes to possess so much power, so she dodged in surprise. However, her surprise didn¡¯t end there.

    [What¡¯s going on¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ah, ahhhhhh.]

    [You are a thorn in my side!]

    When Nanarai saw Ga¡¯s torment, he let out a shout in anger. His gaze was nted squarely on Artpe. To be precise, he was looking at the small white bell that was swinging slowly in Artpe¡¯s hand.

    [I¡¯ve never heard of such an Artifact!]

    ¡°Alright. He took the bait, Etna!¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡±

    Artpe was sessful in baiting the idiot! me coated Etna¡¯s entire body, and she charged straight towards Nanarai Bodra.

    She possessed a peerless Innate ability that was geared towardsbat. Nanarai Bodra was being weakened by the Deration of Demonic Extermination, so Etna was on par with him! Moreover, Nanarai was adept at dealing with magic. He was having a hard time countering attacks made through the power of a Fire Spirit. He could do nothing as he allowed Etna to damage his body.

    [It can¡¯t be helped. Since you guys are being so violent and unreasonable....... It¡¯ll hurt a little bit, but you should endure it. Afterwards, I¡¯ll have plenty of time to soothe your pain away.]

    Ga Orzodia gritted her teeth. The Deration of Demonic Extermination kept ringing, and it felt as if her head would be split open. However, it was merely an Artifact. How could she be called the conqueror of the Demonic realm if she couldn¡¯t even ovee a single Artifact!

    Maetel and Sienna had raised their weapons as they red at Ga. Ga raised her hand towards the two girls. Without any warning, magic missile erupted from Ga¡¯s hand, and the spell attacked the two girls. The magic missiles were a light attack, yet it was too powerful to be ignored!

    ¡°If we dodge, Artpe will be hurt!¡±

    ¡°This is gonna hurt more than a little bit¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    The profound power of eleration was added to Maetel¡¯s sword strike. She quickly cut through the magic missiles. Sienna blocked the fragments of the magic missiles with her shield. Ga had nned up on moving in close after she had fired her magic missiles. However, Maetel¡¯s single sword strike continued to split through the air. The strike was infused with Mana, and it flew straight towards Ga. She quickly moved to dodge it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch Artpe!¡±

    As if it was inevitable, Ga raised her arm to block Maetel¡¯s sword strike.

    [You aren¡¯t just a cute child¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°Since you are really old, I can see why you are looking for cute things.¡±

    [Ho-oh.]

    Maetel¡¯s provocation was sessful! Ga moved in very close to Maetel as she detonated her Demonic energy. She tried to attack Maetel, but it was toote. Sienna had gotten close, and she pushed Ga with her shield.

    Sienna had given up on directly attacking Ga. She was just trying to protect Maetel with her shield. She was trying to create an opportunity where Maetel would be able to attack Ga.

    [You magical energy is unique¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    ¡°Unni, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll protect Artpe.¡±

    Maetel took the Mana of an Evil Reflector from Sienna. She infused it within her sword. In the nick of time, Vad¡¯s blessing was ced over the two girls. At the same time, Vad¡¯s curse hit Ga. The tide of battle changed in an instant.

    [This is an annoyingly familiar sight. In the past, Nanarai stressed the importance of hisrades in front of me..... However, he is mine now!]

    As Ga moved, countless magic missles formed in her wake. Ga didn¡¯t have an Innate ability like the dead current Demon King. However, she was able to mentally subjugate other using her Seduction ability. On top of that, she possessed a massive reservoir of Demonic energy.

    Simple ns didn¡¯t work against her. One couldn¡¯t simply attack her weak point. In many aspects, she really was the prototypical Demon King.

    [The magic missiles are weakening¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?]

    ¡°Hooo-ahhhhhp!¡±

    Of course, even she was weakened in front of the Deration of Demonic Extermination being rung by Artpe!

    [We have to destroy that bell!]

    [You do it, Nanarai! I¡¯ll¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I have to entertain these brats!]

    Maetel started using her Record Master ability in earnest. She gathered the power of her party into herself. Maetel¡¯s skill had evolved in the process of fighting the Demon King and the fragment of the Demonic god.

    Her ability had moved beyond gathering the abilities of her party members. The power maximized Maetel¡¯s attack, and as soon Sienna tried to defend and counter attack, the power was transferred to her. Her skill was maximizing each other¡¯s abilities to the extreme.

    Ga could see the Record being transferred between the two girls, so she tried to attack at the exact moment when the transfer happened. Surprisingly, Maetel was too mobile, and she was aware of Ga¡¯s intention. Maetel didn¡¯t give Ga the chance to exploit the weakness in her skill. Ga gritted her teeth as she met Maetel¡¯s shing eyes.

    [You bitch¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there will be no stage for you beyond this. Everything will end here.¡±

    The bastard sword contained her indomitable will. It let out a white light. It was Hero¡¯s sh.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to exit this stage.¡±

    On the other side, Nanarai Bodra was in a worse situation than the Demon King. Etna was the only one in the party that was capable of going toe to toe with Artpe and Maetel! This was before she had gained her Spirit Transformation ability. Now she was a foe that couldn¡¯t be pushed around by Nanarai Bodra.

    [Is this perhaps the power of a Spirit? Yes, my arm was.....! You are a cute woman, yet you are quite rough!]

    [Can you close your mouth, grandpa? Your breath stinks. Or else..... I¡¯ll shut it for you!]

    Enta punched the air, and tens of thousands of Fire Birds erupted from her fist. In a sh, she created an area filled withva. Nanarai tried to manifest his Demonic energy into a spell, but it was burned away by the fire before he could do that. At that moment, Etna was as close to being the epitome of her fire attribute.

    [If you think I¡¯ll continue to suffer under your attack, you are mistaken!]

    [Hoohp!]

    In multiple instances, Etna had prevented Nanarai Bodra from activating his spells . He had the body of a Demon, yet he suffered from horrifying burns. He couldn¡¯t heal from these burns. In the end, he gave up on manifesting his spells through Demonic energy.

    However, this was when the true battle started. He quickly swung his one remaining hand. It was simr to what the Demon King Ga had done. However, magic missiles of a fundamentally different nature started to pour out. The magic missiles couldn¡¯t bepared in the quantity of power they possessed, but surprisingly, magic circles had been nested within the magic missiles. When the mes touched the magic missiles, the magic circle within was activated! It ate the mes!

    [I don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ve been with the hero, but I¡¯ve walked down the road of a magician before I became a Demon. I was peerless.]

    [You were overtaken by Artpe in terms of magic.]

    Etna snorted. She was a bit disheartened, since she couldn¡¯t read the spell that was nested within the magic circle. However, she couldn¡¯t outwardly disy her disappointment.

    ¡®I have to be more wary of this man than the Demon King. The one that is working on the Demonification of the human realm isn¡¯t the previous Demon King. It should be this man....!¡¯

    Even as Nanaria Bodra fought against Etna, he kept ncing towards Artpe¡¯s Remation magic. This might be a ridiculous idea, but he might be deciphering the Remation magic in real time.

    [I got you.]

    ¡°Ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What!?¡±

    Even during a battle, Etna was focused on Artpe. Her attention was divided. Etna didn¡¯t see the magic missileing towards her. She only realized its presence when it hit her body. Of course, she thought the me coating her body would block the magic missile.....

    ¡°Koo-hahk!?¡±

    [Checkmate. Shall we end this game, my juniors?]

    The me around Etna¡¯s body disappeared. Etna¡¯s body shook as she fell to the ground. Artpe had been injecting his Mana into the magic tome. He looked up in shock. At that moment, he saw something that he hadn¡¯t been able to see before.

    [Innate Ability : Magic Circle Creation]

    [I¡¯m well aware of your Innate Ability.]

    Nanarai Bodra was the asshole sunbae-nim, who wouldn¡¯t let go of their ankles. Nanarai Bodra grinned as he spoke.

    [I devised a magic circle that¡¯ll hide my Record for a short amount of time. I guess it worked very well.]

    ¡°You son of a bitch¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±

    Artpe grinded his teeth.

    It seemed his enemy had the ability to manifest Materialization magic through his magic circles.

 Chapter 201 - Final Chapter (4)

    Chapter 201 - Final Chapter (4)

    He was a magic circle user. He was able to devise magic that was impossible to use with only Mana. It was used when the caster wanted someone else to use a spell. It was also used when the structure of a spell couldn¡¯t be solved using a chant.

    Of course, there were advantages to using the magic circle, but it wasn¡¯t easy to use. A good amount of the caster¡¯s Mana was consumed in creating one, and it was a time consuming process. If one wanted to maintain the magic circle for an extended amount of time, one had to invest Magic Stones into it. These downsides existed.

    ¡®Can he create them without paying the requisite costs? Moreover, he is able to do it in such a short amount of time?¡¯

    It was an Innate Ability. Innate Abilities were supposed to be ridiculous, so he couldn¡¯t disparage it. It exined how Nanarai Bodra was able to grow so quickly as a hero. Moreover, Artpe finally realized why Nanarai Bodra was sessful in creating so many ruins.

    ¡®Basically, he doesn¡¯t know the fundamentals behind his magic. He is able to create and maintain magic circles, because he desires it?¡¯

    Nanarai Bodra had seen the half-Spirit Etna for the first time, yet he was able to create a magic circle that could consume her power. He did so by cing the magic circles within the magic missiles. It was as if he had skipped a step in creating his magic. He basically went from Mana to apleted magic circle.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a genius magician. You just had this Innate ability. You made it look as if you are a genius. You are merely a hero in heat.¡±

    [You have it all wrong, my junior. From the moment we are born, all of our status is predetermined. I was chosen to be a hero. You were chosen to live a life that was full of ups and downs. It was all decided when we were born. One can use one¡¯s outstanding mind to learn and use magic, or one could use one¡¯s Innate Ability to use magic. Basically, the cause and effect is the same.]

    His words couldn¡¯t be denied. A genius was merely a person born with a natural gift. Even if one achieved greatness through an Innate ability, it still fell under the umbre of the title called genius.

    [We all have our own ways of gaining achievements as we live. In the end, I was able to rise to this position. I worked hard to reach this height, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll willfully ignore the efforts made by others. Do you think you would have been able to reach your current position without your natural gifts? No. We are special. We are what people call geniuses. ]

    Nanarai Bodra spoke as he started to move towards Etna. Afterwards, Etna¡¯s body faded away, and she appeared next to Artpe. It wasn¡¯t a physical phenomena. It was the power of a Spirit, and it was something that couldn¡¯t be exined through Mana.

    [It seems she had enough power left to retreat, yet she remained on the battlefield. She moved next to you...... It seems she really loves you, my junior.]

    A bitterughter appeared on the sunbae¡¯s lips. It was assumed that he had turned into aplete idiot after falling under the Seduction ability. It seemed that wasn¡¯t true. He was being yed by Ga, yet he was self-aware of his own situation.

    ¡°Mmm. I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but there is a bond between us. Since the ancient times, the Demon King¡¯s party went nuts when it was mentioned. Why aren¡¯t you reacting the same way?¡±

    [Bonds. I know about it. I once believed in that. However, when I chose to betray myself.... I no longer believe it.]

    The magic missiles flew towards Artpe. However, the Hand of Destruction stopped all of the magic missle. The Hand of Destruction was capable of vaporizing most of the magic circles before they could do anything.

    [Powerful. It is powerful. What is that hand? I devised a magic circle should have stopped and destroyed that hand. Why isn¡¯t it working? It is quite mysterious.]

    Of course, Artpe didn¡¯t let his guard down. In terms of Innate Ability, Nanarai Bodra was a more fearsome foe than Ga. Artpe had gone through the prepared Dungeons, and he had gained the Mana String. He was able to gain the Materialization magic through the Mana Strings. It made Artpe wonder if Nanarai Bodra¡¯s Record had a part in everything he had gained!

    ¡®It is possible for me to resist him to a certain degree using my Materialization magic. It¡¯ll be important for me to find out what angle he ns on taking with the Magic Circle Creation. If so, I¡¯ll be able to counter.....¡¯

    Artpe extended the Hand of Destruction outwards as he put it on defense. Then he emptied one Dimensional Pouch. He filtered the Magic Stones through the Remation Magic, and he gave the portion of the Mana to Etna. In a sh, she regained consciousness.

    ¡°Kah, hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°Etna, you should rest.¡±

    ¡°Koo-ooh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°I was able to find out what he was hiding thanks to you. I can win this, so you should rx.¡±

    At Artpe¡¯s reliable words, she mutely nodded her head. Then she lost consciousness once again. He was able to recharge her Mana, but it was up to Etna to turn the Mana into Spirit energy. He just had to hope that she would be able to recover from the shock.

    Artpe left Etna in the care of Regina, and he decided to directly confront Nanarai. To be precise, no one other than him was capable of going against Nanarai.

    [Ho. Is that a Demite? Amazing. I heard a staff made out of Demite could conjure magic, but I never expected it to be able to maintain a great magic by itself!]

    ¡°You talk too much.¡±

    Pipi was given the possession of the the Remation magic tome. On top of that, Artpe had consumed Artifacts and Magic Stones to expand the radius of the Remation spell once again.(This simple act had the effect of cutting away at the Demonic Energy avable to Nanarai and Ga.) Artpe stepped forward, and a skein of Mana Strings letting out purple light swirled around both his hands.

    ¡°Fight me, sunbae-nim.¡±

    [I see. In the end, we have to resort to violence!]

    The magic missiles flooded forward. Hundreds of thousands of magic missiles erupted from Nanarai¡¯s body. There were so many that the only apt description was a flood of magic missiles. The more shocking part was that each magic missile held the power of a different spell.

    Nanarai was being weakened by the Deration of Demonic Extermination and the Remation magic. Artpe had no idea where Nanarai¡¯s power wasing from.

    Wait a moment....

    ¡®An endless amount of Demonic energy is surging out of him. He isn¡¯t generating this Demonic energy, and he isn¡¯t getting it from this world either.¡¯

    Countless number of magic missiles struck Artpe and his party. Artpe didn¡¯t push the Hand of Destruction forward. He unraveled the Mana Strings from his skein, and he created a defensive magic. It blocked all the magic missiles, and the Mana Strings elerated towards Nanarai.

    ¡®His body is unstable. He doesn¡¯t have any Artifacts or potion. I¡¯m turning the Demon realm into the human realm right now. As a Demon, he shouldn¡¯t be getting stronger. Where is his Demonic energying from? ....where?¡¯

    Artpe thought about the words written by the past Nanarai. Ny nine percent of his words had been boasts, and one percent had been the truth. He thought about the words recorded on the altar. What did the humans do when they were trying to change Mana into Demonic energy? What did they call forth, and where was it from?

    ¡°You bastard.¡±

    Artpe felt chills run up his body. Artpe had unraveled the truth. He yelled out in disbelief.

    ¡°You are using the power of the Demonic god!?¡±

    [You were able to recognize that?!]

    ¡°It was a guess, yet it seems I was right¡±

    This bastard had lost his mind, but at one time, he knew about the dangers of being connected to the Demonic god. That was why he had separated and sealed the Evil Heart. Artpe had never expected Nanarai to use his body to create an opening to the Demonic god!

    [Can you ept it now, my junior? There is no way you can win against me. I can bring whatever I desire into this reality. Your death and the Demonification of the human realm.... It will all ur as I desire. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I just need the Evil Heart.]

    Artpe had somewhat predicted this, but the Evil Heart must be essential to the process of turning the human realm into a Demon realm.

    Even if Nanarai could borrow the Demonic god¡¯s power, he couldn¡¯t indefinitely produce Demonic energy like the Evil Heart. This was why they were searching for the sealed fragments of the Evil Hearts. It really was an ironic situation.

    ¡®The most dangerous thing we face right now is.....¡¯

    Ga was fighting a fierce battle with Maetel and Sienna. Artpe was using his Materialization magic to fight against Nanarai¡¯s magic. The danger wouldn¡¯t being from them.

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaa. Hurry. I wanna eat. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    Roa had stayed behind to protect Regina and the rest of the party. Still, she was waiting for her turn toe. Wasn¡¯t she the Greed Beast, who ate all the Evil Hearts and the beings that possessed Demonic energy?

    [Your movements have slowed down, my junior]

    ¡°You haven¡¯t moved from your spot.¡±

    Artpe realized something. Nanarai Bodra and the Demon King Ga wasn¡¯t using their full might in this fight. They realized that Artpe was using the Remation magic. It meant that Artpe¡¯s party possessed the Evil Heart, so they were biding their time in order to steal the Evil Heart.

    [What shall we do, Artpe?]

    It was Maetel¡¯s voice. Artpe was firm in his answer.

    [We have to kill Nanarai first. HIs magic circles are too dangerous.]

    [Understood. I¡¯ll leave her to you for a brief moment, Sienna.]

    [Yes!]

    In a sh, the three party members shared their intentions. Long words were unnecessary. Artpe consumed several Magic Stones, and in a sh, he increased the number of Mana Strings. Nanarai couldn¡¯t react properly to the suddenly fierce attack. He was defenseless as he retreated backwards.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a line that a hero should say!¡±

    [Koo-huhk!?]

    Maetel immediately used her eleration ability to move away from the Demon King. In a sh, she stabbed her bastard sword into Nanarai¡¯s chest.

    The Mana Strings had blocked all the magic missiles. The remaining Mana Strings stuck to Nanarai¡¯s body, and they nullified the magic circles ced on Nanarai¡¯s body. Nanarai hadn¡¯t expected this, so his eyes widened in shock.

    [How......]

    [Nanarai!]

    The Demon King didn¡¯t love him. However, he was her most perfect and onlyprade. Ga turned around in fright when Nanarai¡¯s life was threatened. In a sh, she saw Maetel. Ga hadn¡¯t been able to prevent Maetel from moving away. She instantly saw Maetel getting ready to execute Nanarai.

    [You dare turn your back towards me!]

    At her gesture, an enormous whip made out of Demonic energy appeared. It flew towards Artpe and Maetel. However, Sienna stepped in between to block the attack. The shield held the holy energy of Vad, and Sienna¡¯s own Mana. She was able to block and destroy the Demonic whip. Ga¡¯s mouth became distorted.

    [From the beginning, I knew you were repugnant. You denied the blessing of the Demon race. You degenerated into bing a bizarre existence that goes againstmon sense.... Unfortunately, I do not have a spot for you in the world I will open.]

    ¡°Oppa protected this body. Oppa made this race for me. My Mana is for oppa.¡±

    As always, Sienna was calm andposed. Her ardor was small and quiet, yet it burned endlessly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. I will stop you.... You are trying to forcefully change humans into Demons. I cannot forgive you.¡±

    [I get it now¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!]

    Nanarai, who had sounded like he was about to die, shouted out. He really was cutting it close. He was able to assess the movements of Artpe, Maetel and Sienna. He also found out the structure of the Remation magic.

    [Ga! That cat! It¡¯s that cat! She hasn¡¯t stepped forward yet!]

    Afterwards, Maetel¡¯s sword cut off Nanarai¡¯s head. Nanarai¡¯s favorite magic circle was a Regeneration magic circle. Tens of thousands of strands erupted from the magic circle, but Artpe used his Materialization magic to stop the regeneration. Nanarai couldn¡¯t do anything, but greet his own death.

    [She¡¯s a cat?]

    ¡°Nyaa-ahhhhh?¡±

    Nanarai¡¯s message was delivered to Ga. Artpe clicked his tongue as he burned Nanarai¡¯s corpse.

    [I see. Evil Heart!]

    Ga yelled out. Roa didn¡¯t know what was going on. Nyaa.

    She let out another cute cry. Artpe and Maetel desperately charged forward.

    At that moment, a light erupted from something within Ga¡¯s possession.

    It was a legacy left behind by Nanarai. He had left it behind for Ga.

 Chapter 202 - Final Chapter (5)

    Chapter 202 - Final Chapter (5)

    ¡°Nyaa!?¡±

    Ga moved. Artpe didn¡¯t even have the time to react. Sienna tried to stop her, but Ga had dispersed her Demonic energy in all directions. Sienna had no way of tracking Ga¡¯s movement. In the end, Ga was able to throw a Magic Stone towards Roa, and it hit her.

    This item had been used by Nanarai before. Artpe was able to discern that the item held a magic circle. It opened a tunnel to another world, but Artpe¡¯s Read All Creation ability couldn¡¯t see into this other world. Aside from the magic circle, there were too many spells ced on the Magic Stone. This was why he wasn¡¯t able to discern all of its function at a nce.

    ¡°You crazy bitch! Silpennon!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Artpe shouldn¡¯t have bothered calling out for Silpennon. He was already moving. He used his Innate ability to steal the Magic Stone that had impacted upon Roa! His ability was amazing. He was able to Plunder even the magic that was already spreading within Roa. He was able to divert the power to a different direction. He directed it towards the Remation magic, and the Magic Stone became strengthened by it. His decision making was wless.

    [You¡¯ve been hiding your ace in the hole. You got me. However¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.]

    The smile on Ga¡¯s lips wasn¡¯t erased. Magical energy fell from an item within her possession. Afterwards, she used her Demonic energy to float into the air. Artpe let out a low moan when he saw this.

    [Nanarai prepared for his eventual death. Did you really think he would make only one of his items?]

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to do it on my watch!¡±

    Since Nanarai Bodra was dead, Ga was the only enemy left! All the Demons in this region had been turned into humans. Moreover, Ga wasn¡¯t even the current Demon King. They had no ns on getting involved with whatever Ga was trying to do.

    ¡°Vad! Aria! There is no need to hide your powers! This is the moment! You have to use your full power!¡±

    ¡°Oh god! There is a being here that rejects you! She is trying to bring evil into this world!¡±

    ¡°Divine Hammer!¡±

    The power of Artpe¡¯s party was focused solely on Ga. This included the magic of Regina and Artpe! Maetel attacked with her sword, and Sienna struck out with her hammer!

    However, the Demonic energy around Ga¡¯s body blocked every one of their attacks. The Deration of Demonic Extermination and the Remation magic was no longer effective. An endless amount of Demonic energy erupted from within her.

    [Nanarai, you did your part. It is my turn now. Everything will return to being Demonic!]

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something only Nanarai could do. It seemed Ga was also trying to establish a connection to the Demonic god through her body. She had been weakened through the seal, but this battle had unintentionally knocked off all the rust from her. She was able to regain her true power. There was only one magic circle ced within each Magic Stone prepared by Nanarai. Each time Ga released the power of the magic circle, the power of Artpe¡¯s party was rebuffed.

    [Why do humans pursue evil? Why are the Demon race stronger than the human race? It is because the Demons are in the right. That should be the direction we should be moving towards. The gods spoken by humans do not interfere with our lives. They just observe. The Demonic god willingly gives us his power!]

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    He could see why the current Demon King had despised Ga. Ga was a lunatic. She was basically a representation of the group of humans that had dreamed about Demonificiation of this world.

    Evil was capable of existing between humans. However, it was impossible for good to exist amongst the Demons. The current Demon King had loved the struggle between good and evil. He had taken this love to the extreme, but even so he was simr to humans in how he had acted.

    ¡°Nyaa. I¡¯m into men. Nyaa.¡±

    [Cute child. Why don¡¯t you show me everything you are hiding? The Evil Hearts are noble treasures. It seems you¡¯ve swallowed all of them. Right? Am I right?]

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaa!¡±

    Roa realized that Ga was aiming for her. She quickly dodged.

    ¡°Nyaa. I don¡¯t know what you are talking about! I digested it all, so I have nothing!¡±

    [The essence of that power can¡¯t disappear. Yes. You were chosen! Your body was chosen for the advent of the Demonic god!]

    ¡°Master, this woman is weird. Nyaa-ah-ah! Nyaa-nyaa-ah!¡±

    Roa kept jumping away from the hands that was trying to catch her. However, Ga was much faster than her. Roa was close to being caught. Maetel acted right on time as she used her eleration ability. She roughly pushed aside Roa as she attacked Gal. However, it was as if Ga had been waiting for Maetel. She had a bewitching smile on her face as she broke the Magic Stone in her hand.

    [You should help me, child.]

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!?¡±

    ¡°Maetel!¡±

    The Magic Stone possessed a spell that strengthened her Innate ability!? In a sh, Maetel¡¯s body froze. In the next moment, Maetel was able to rebuff the Demonic energy. However, it caused Maetel and her entire party to be knocked backwards. Ga took a step forward in the air. In front of her eyes, she could see Roa. Roa¡¯s hackles were raised. Her body had frozen in ce when she was confronted with the strengthened Innate ability of Ga.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to face me before you can do that.¡±

    [Mmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?]

    Ga was trying to procure Roa. At that moment, Aria revealed herself. It seemed she had always been there. She was much weaker than Maetel, but Ga¡¯s Innate ability was based on Demonic energy. Therefore, Aria didn¡¯t falter.

    [Holy Priestess? I see. You are the second Holy Priestess. Your ability to hide is peerless, but what can you do?]

    ¡°I can protect those that I must protect. I was given the power of the Holy Priestess, and this power is for everyone.¡±

    A golden light shone from Aria¡¯s eyes. Ga gritted her teeth. Aria¡¯s power was overwhelming whenpared to the Holy Priestess from her era. The power of the gods had been divided into two holy priestesses, yet she was unbelievably strong.

    ¡°In the end, your Demonic energy is a form of Mana. Artpe-nim told us this. You won¡¯t be able to touch Roa until you destroy all of my soul.¡±

    It would have been impossible without the Deration of Demonic Extermination and the Remation magic. Aria was able to use her Innate ability Assimtion to absorb Ga¡¯s Demonic energy. Ga¡¯s boundless Demonic energy was being turned into Holy energy. Her eyes widened when the Holy energy started to suppress her Demonic energy.

    [All of your powers are considered to be so excessive that only one should exist in the world at a given time. However, all your powers have been gathered in one ce. Ah ah. The weak gods were afraid of the Demonic god, so they sent all of them here!]

    ¡°I feel pity for you! You are hanging onto an illusion called the Demonic god!¡±

    Aria was sucking in Ga¡¯s Demonic energy, and she was making it her own. This allowed Maetel to ovee Ga¡¯s Seduction ability. She was sessful in moving again! She swung her bastard sword. Ga had to use one of Nanarai¡¯s Magic Stones to block the attack. Ga bared her teeth.

    [You saw the evidence of the Demonic god¡¯s power, yet you are unable to recognize it... After several hundred years, we were able to create the Demon realm. Now you are trying to turn it back into a human realm. You are metabolizing the Demonic energy to return it to Mana.]

    ¡°Dodge, Maetel!¡±

    Arpte retrieved Roa using Blink. He yelled out in shock when he saw the amount of Demonic energy surging forward from Ga¡¯s body. Fortunately, he had given his warning in time. Maetel grabbed Aria, and she retreated.

    [This is all the delusion of foolish children!]

    In the next moment, the Demonic energy detonated! Even Regina¡¯s barrier couldn¡¯t neutralize all of the attack. The shockwave washed over the region. In the middle of the crater, one could see the figure of Ga once again. Her skin had been dyed ck.

    ¡°Shit. It really feels as if the world is going to end¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that woman basically the Demonic god? How rotten! There is no sign of her own energy left within her body......!¡±

    Demonic energy, Demonic energy, Demonic energy. It was an enormous amount of Demonic energy. It was at a point where her body might not be able to withstand the presence of so much Demonic energy. If the Demonic energy hadn¡¯t been reduced by the power of the Remation magic and the Deration of Demonic Extermination, the Demonic energy would have overwhelmed the whole world!

    [You can try to revert everything, but there will always be the possibility of everything being turned back into Demonic energy again. Isn¡¯t this what you have demonstrated with all of this? Demonic energy is one with the Mana. Mana turning into Demonic energy is part of the natural flow. Even the gods you follow and believe can¡¯t deny this fact! Humans seek to be stronger. All humans want a new order under the Demonic god!]

    ¡°Nyaa-ah. That woman is crazy. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    Roa whispered her words as she remained in Artpe¡¯s arms. It was such a desperate situation that one had to wonder if her words were necessary.

    ¡°However, there is some truth to her words. Roa, you made the Evil Hearts your own by eating it. However, that woman has the Magic Stones that¡¯ll turn your Mana into Demonic energy.......¡±

    ¡°Nyaaa. If my Mana keeps changing into Demonic energy, does that mean I can constantly eat it? Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    She really was wired in a weird and happy-go-lucky way. After he told her that was not how it worked, he raised his head. The sight he had seen once before was unfolding in front of his eyes.

    [You are the new owner of the Evil Heart. I pity you, beast. You should stay put. I gave you the opportunity to worship the Demonic god, yet you refused it ..... All of you have rejected him!]

    ¡°O...oh no! Maetel!¡±

    The Demonic energying off from Ga¡¯s body was arranged in a particr pattern. It looked extremely familiar, and in the next moment, Artpe realized that the current Demon King had activated a simr magic circle to what the current Demon King used. Artpe wondered if Nanarai Bodra had engraved the magic circle on the Demon King¡¯s body. Artpe was probably right.

    [Until the end, Nanarai wanted to stop me from doing this. He was the one that opened the road to the Demonic god, so I respected his wishes. I determined it wouldn¡¯t be toote to enact this n after we recovered the Evil Heart. I no longer think that. I have no reason to hesitate any more. I follow the Demonic god¡¯s wishes! That is why the Demonic energy obeys me!]

    The past Demon King was adding the power of the Magic Stones. These Magic Stones were given to her by Nanarai Bodra. She was letting out an overwhelming amount of power as she activated the magic circle....

    [I¡¯ll just host the Demonic god in my body!]

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡±

    Maetel charged forward. She was borrowing half the strength and stamina of her party excluding Artpe. She gathered everyone¡¯s magical energy, and she strengthened it once more. At the end, she ced her Innate ability over that power. It was as if lightning was falling from the sky.

    [Hero, it is fate that I am sharing this moment with you. When the Demonic god descends, everything will be changed into Demonic energy. I¡¯ll use everything you¡¯ve prepared to dye this world with Demonic energy!]

    ¡°Koohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ This won¡¯t do! It isn¡¯t enough¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ahhhhhhp!¡±

    Artpe infused the power of his Remation and Materialization magic into the Mana Strings. He shot the Mana Strings towards Ga. He wanted to weaken her Demonic energy even by a little bit. He somehow had to stop her from activating her spell.

    He had already seen the structure of the spell that Ga was trying to manifest. There must be a way to mess up the spell without killing her. There must be a way to turn it into nothing! He was sure that he already knew this method. It must be possible....

    ¡°Artpe!¡±

    At that moment, Silpennon threw a Magic Stone towards Artpe. Artpe desperately snatched it out of the air. When he checked what it was, he realized it was one of the Magic Stones plundered from Ga by Silpennon. He could see the magic circle engraved within it....

    ¡°Silpennon, you are the best!¡±

    ¡°Just hurry up and solve this mess!¡±

    [Stay still, my children. Just show reverence to the Demonic god. Worship him!]

    Was it caused by the flooding of the Demonic energy? Her Innate ability was being severely boosted. However, it didn¡¯t work on Artpe and Silpennon. Their feelings couldn¡¯t be shaken by an outside source. That time was long past.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Artpe held Nanarai Bodra¡¯s Magic Stone. It held the ability of [Strengthen Innate Ability]. He followed Ga¡¯s example. He crushed the Magic Stone with his hand.

    At that moment, he could hear a voice in his ears. He had no idea whose voice it was. The voice was soft, and it brought up sentimental feelings within him.

    [Innate Ability - Read All Creation Ability 2nd Stage : Rewrite(Revision) has beenpletely released.]

    Artpe finally understood it at that moment.

    He now knew why he was able to return to the past. He knew why he was able to turn into a human. He also realized why he was ced next to Maetel of all ces. He realized why he was able to acquire the Materialization magic.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    If he had been able to keep a clear mind during his death in his past life, he would have be able to awaken to his ability at a much earlier date. His only regret was the fact that he hadn¡¯t realized it sooner.

    However, it wasn¡¯t toote.

    Artpe held power within his hands.

    It was a power that couldn¡¯t be prepared by the Demon King¡¯s recipe. It was an absolute power that was beyond what the Demon King could imagine. .

    ¡°Rewrite.¡±

    Artpe quietly intoned his words as he opened his eyes.

    [Wait a minute. This is.... Oh, Demonic god! Please show us your power......!]

    ¡°You are toote, previous Demon King.¡±

    Artpe grinned as he spoke those words. His eyes let out a bright purple light.

    Everything within his sight was the subject to his power.

    His supreme Innate ability of Revision was implemented.

 Chapter 203 - Epilogue

    Chapter 203 - Epilogue

    It had only taken three hours for Artpe¡¯s party to turn the whole Demon realm into the human realm. However, Artpe didn¡¯t stop his Remation magic there.

    Those that were twisted didn¡¯t only exist in the Demon realm. There were beings in the human realm that had been twisted by the Demon energy. Artpe kept using the Remation magic until there was no reaction to the magic tome.

    He had used his Innate ability Rewrite, and he had resonated it with the Remation magic. This was why the pool of Mana avable to him had diminished by a significant amount. Still, he was able toplete everything before he used up all the Artifacts and Magic Stones he had prepared.

    ¡°Are you sure this ce is the Demon realm?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t any more.¡±

    Blood colored clouds had always crowded the skies of the Demon realm. There was not a single vestige left of these clouds. Moreover, it was meaningless to differentiate between the Demon realm and the human realm now. In the past, the Demon realm had merely been a continent that was part of the human realm. Now humanity would record thisnd as a continent once again.

    ¡°Artpe, at the end..... What happened? How did you stop that?¡±

    ¡°I just returned everything to its original form.¡±

    Artpe was very calm as he answered her. He hugged the magic tome to his body, and it started to melt into Artpe¡¯s body. The magic tome joined with his soul, and it once again strengthened his Innate Ability. The party was struck dumb as they watched Artpe.

    Silpenon had passed the Magic Stone to Artpe. The Magic Stone merely strengthened Artpe¡¯s Innate Ability for a brief moment, but it acted as a spark plug. It had spurred on his awakening. His Read All Creation ability had already reached its 2nd stage, but now he was conscious of his ability. It allowed him to freely used the 2nd stage of his Read All Creation ability. He was able to use the Rewrite ability.

    First, hebined his Innate ability with the Unique spell called Materialization. Then hebined it with the Remation magic. His ability had be whole. In the end, these were abilities that had been cultivated from Artpe in the first ce. It was the natural consequence of everythingbining into one.

    ¡°This appeared where the previous Demon King had died.¡±

    Silpennon had retrieved a small Magic Stone. It had contained a massive amount of Demonic energy, but it couldn¡¯t escape the influence of the Remation magic. It was as if it had been bleached. Despite this fact, the Magic Stone contained an ominous power. Arpte let out a rotten smile as he looked at it.

    ¡°As expected, she left behind her ambition for the future generations. It really is an ending befitting a traditional hero¡¯s story.¡±

    He used his Read All Creation ability, and he could see a magic circle that could open a tunnel to the Demonic god. Artpe had to acknowledge it. The previous Demon King had been tenacious.

    If Artpe¡¯s party hadn¡¯t noticed it, some unsuspecting person might have picked it up. It probably would have happened after several hundred or thousand years from now. An unsuspecting person would call back the Demonic energy back into this world. Or maybe, the surviving force of the previous Demon King would continue their research. In the end, they would find this stone, and they would fulfill the dying wish of the previous Demon King. Something dramatic might have happened.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve gained enormous power now. We can reverse the magic. It¡¯ll be possible for us to cross into the other world.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon? It¡¯s a Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Shit. In the end, we are going to go fight the Demonic god? Really?¡±

    She had been in high spirits up until now as she fought, and the thought of a new Dungeon made Maetel feel excited. On the other hand, the other party members turned pale at his words.

    They had fought the current Demon King, the Fragment of the Demonic god and the previous Demon King. Now he wanted them to go fight the Demonic god!? Artpe smirked when he saw the appalled expression on the faces of his party members. He gripped the Magic Stone then he let it go.

    When he did this, the Magic Stone just turned into a regr Magic Stone containing overwhelming amount of Mana.

    ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    ¡°W... what did you do?¡±

    ¡°It will be too annoying.¡±

    Artpe¡¯s face scrunched up as he spoke.

    ¡°We finally got rid of all the enemies in this world, yet we have to go to a new world to fight a different enemy? Is this a joke? We aren¡¯t from some martial race.¡±

    ¡°But.... If we don¡¯t get rid of the source of trouble....¡±

    ¡°A new source of trouble always arises with time. If we try to eliminate each problem that arises, who is going to feed the cows?¡±

    Artpe hadpletely wiped away the Demonic energy, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that humans in the future generations might research a simr energy as the Demonic energy.

    This was just a hypothetical question. What would happen if Artpe¡¯s party went over to the other world, and they erased the Demonic god from existence?

    Would all strife within the worlde to an end? Would humanity find a happy ending?

    No way. For a different reason, a great viin would appear in the future, and there wille a time when this great viin would fight against humanity.

    ¡°Strife can arise at any moment in time. That is why we should leave this Demonic god and the other world to the future hero.¡±

    ¡°Your exnation sounds very usible, but in the end, you just don¡¯t want to fight any more ...?¡±

    That was the correct answer. If left alone, it wasn¡¯t as if the other side could invade this world. There was no need to cross over to the other world. It was unnecessary.

    Still, his power of Revision was able to block the tunnel heading towards the other world. If someone capable of breaking open the tunnel appeared, it meant the person would already have enough power to cause trouble even without the help of the Demonic god. Artpe was fine if that happened.

    ¡°I have no idea if this is alright!¡±

    ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t know. If anyone really wants to go, I can send them there. Do you guys want to go?¡±

    He had just erased the Record within the Magic Stone, yet Artpe dered in a confident manner. He had awakened to his 2nd stage of the Read All Creation ability. He had reached a domain that couldn¡¯t be understood by his party members, and his party members were aware of this fact. If he said he could send them to the Demonic god, they didn¡¯t doubt his words.

    This was why everyone turned pale, and they shook their head from side to side. The only one that looked a bit regretful was Roa.

    ¡°Nyaa. I¡¯ll goter if I start craving for it. Nyaa-ah-ah.¡±

    ¡°What is this? There is this unbearable feeling of ickiness.....¡±

    ¡°All hero¡¯s story is like that. The story thates afterwards always leaves a bad taste in one¡¯s mouth. If we don¡¯t leave behind a single seed of misfortune and uneasiness, our future generations will have nothing to do. It¡¯ll spice up their lives.¡±

    Everyone gave up on arguing with Artpe at that point in time.

    ¡°Yes. This is like you, Artpe.¡±

    ¡°So we really were sessful in finding peace without sacrificing an ally. This will hold true until one of you stab each other in the back.....¡±

    ¡°The only thing left is to settle our bnce with Artpe-nim.¡±

    As expected of Artpe¡¯s party members, they were going out of their way to nt the seed of uneasiness within him. He flicked the forehead of all his party members, then he received Etna from Regina.

    ¡°I protected all of them. It was tough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. You worked hard. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤it seems she¡¯s in a critical state..¡±

    Etna was able to uncover Nanarai¡¯s Innate ability before it was toote. However, as a price, most of her Spirit energy had been consumed. She was out cold right now.

    Artpe quickly filled up her Mana, but she needed to be conscious to be able to turn the Mana into Spirit energy. If she was left alone, there was a possibility that she would never wake up.

    ¡°That damn sunbae. He really is causing me trouble until the end.¡±

    However, Etna was no longer in peril. The [Remation] simply returned everything back to its original form. He had moved beyond that power. He could use [Revise] to get anything he wanted. In Artpe¡¯s current state, he was able to convert Mana into Spirit energy. It was a task that was easier than killing the Demon King G Orzodia.

    ¡°That power.....¡±

    Regina finally recognized the power awakened within Artpe. Her eyes had turned round. Artpe smirked as he brought a finger to his lips in a shhh gesture. After the Mana around Etna was turned into Spirit energy, he filled Etna¡¯s body with it.

    ¡°Kuh-hoohk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±

    Etna coughed as she opened her eyes. Her two eyes took in Artpe, who had a yful look on his face.

    ¡°Artpe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Did we win?¡±

    ¡°We won.¡±

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    ¡°It is over.¡±

    ¡°Good¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Amazing. You are the best.¡±

    She had inwardly thought that she would never wake up again. However, it seemed Artpe had picked up her ck as he magnificently defeated their enemy. At Artpe¡¯s words, Etna put on a faint smile as she nted a short kiss on his lips. Maetel became apoplectic when she saw this.

    ¡°W...wait a moment. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s supposed to wrap things up with a kiss!¡±

    ¡°I already did it.¡±

    ¡°Oooooooooh! I knew I should have killed you!¡±

    Maetel raged, but everyone just smirked as they looked on. The fact that she was able to get mad at such a simple thing brought home the fact that there was peacel now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Anywhere.¡±

    Artpe face was resolute as he answered the question. He spoke the dream he wanted as soon as he returned to the past. He truly looked determined.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to a ce where it is possible to set up a dairy farm.¡±

    Twenty years passed.

    The world was greeted with a tremendous upheaval. The Demons had been changed back into humans. The Demon realm and human realm wasbined into one. The truth behind the Demon race was revealed. The Demons were an existence born through human greed. It really brought home the fact that it was good to trust no one but yourself. That was how everyone felt when they learned the truth of the matter.

    There were some portion of the Demon turned humans that had refused to ept reality, so they had caused disturbances in various locations. However, the humans had grown stronger in the fight against the Demon race. They were swift and ruthless in putting down such series of attacks.

    Peace had returned. If one actually looked closer, one would realize that not much had changed. At the very least the Demon King and his underlings were all gone. They no longer appeared in this world.

    The King of Diaz Silpennon had applied himself in earnest to be a statesman. Through his first Queen Leseti, he was able to create an order of loyal knights. He was able to work with the holy nation of Pdia through his second Queen Aria. He was able to establish a state religion. As high as his level was, Silpennon received as much love and support from the popce. He had protected his nation, and he had protected his people. If one thought about his vocation as a thief, it was a truly ironic development.

    The empire of Zard was sessful in bing the top power of the continent. In truth, Zard had wanted to bring Diaz under his g too. However, Silpennon had been a member of the hero¡¯s party, and he was one of the strongest people on this continent. Zard knew this truth, so he didn¡¯t dare mess with Silpennon. Of course, one couldn¡¯t predict what would happen after Silpennon¡¯s death. At the very least, the two nations would maintain a friendly rtionship while Silpennon was alive.

    The hero¡¯s party was dismissed, and they went immediately into retirement. Those that were friendly or hostile towards the hero¡¯s party didn¡¯t search them out. Even if the hero¡¯s party could be found, they knew the hero¡¯s party couldn¡¯t be moved to any side.

    This was how Artpe finally achieved his 200 year old dream. He was able to live the life of a dairy farmer.

    ¡°Husband~.¡±

    ¡°You are giving me goosebumps!¡±

    In the morning, Artpe immediately jumped up from his bed when Maetel whispered in his ear. His reaction speed was almost miraculous. Maetel, who had called out to him, giggled. She took pleasure in his reaction.

    How can you still be so embarrassed?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to call me by that title.¡±

    ¡°But husband is husband.¡±

    ¡°Did I deny that? I just don¡¯t like hearing it.¡±

    If he went along with her antics by being sweet, he knew that a second round of strenuous activities would follow. It would be more intense thanst night. His experience with her for the past 20 years made him aware as to what would happen, so he purposefully replied in a gruff manner. He got up from the bed.

    ¡°What about Sienna?¡±

    ¡°She went along with Vad to see Oompa. Etna went to the field.... I think Mycenae is still asleep.¡±

    Oompa was the name of the dairy cow they were raising. Of course, they didn¡¯t have just one cow. It started out with Oompa. Then it went from Oompa II to Oompa Loompa. They were raising a total of 23 dairy cows.

    ¡°If Mycenae is asleep, it means there¡¯s no one else that¡¯ll bother me for a while. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I can go back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s sleep together. We should start making our third child.¡±

    ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤no. I forgot. I really have to go to work right now.¡±

    Usually, feelings change over time. He had assumed that her excessive and heavy love towards him would change to a different emotion after twenty years, but it seemed this didn¡¯t apply to Maetel. Maetel stated that she was half-joking, but she was half-serious about having another child. He flicked her forehead before he exited the house.

    No. Before he did that....

    ¡°Ah. Call the children. It is annoying, but they have to study magic today. We¡¯ll start the ss as soon as I get done with the morning tasks.¡±

    It was safe to assume that Artpe¡¯s children would be able to live a peaceful life. However, peace had to be protected with power. Artpe rotated with his wife to teach the children how to protect themselves.

    ¡°Yes, husband~¡±

    ¡°Ooh-ahhhhh!¡±

    Goosebump appeared on his skin when he was confronted with herst ambush attack. Artpe exited the house as if he was running away. Maetel once again let out a warmughter as she watched his back.

    She made a milkshake that she¡¯ll deliver to Artpeter on, then she made food for the children. After she ce the food on the table, she entered the room where all the children were sleeping. She nned on waking them up.

    ¡°It is time to get up, children.¡±

    There were a total of seven children. Maetel had born two children. One was male, and the other was female. Vad had born a cute daughter. A pair of energetic male twins were born by Etna. Mycenae had given birth to a half-elf son. Lastly, Sienna gave birth to a little princess.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t wake up just because she had called out to them once. Maetel put strength in her stomach as she let out a fierce shout. It was the former hero¡¯s War Cry. Of course, the children would wake up.

    ¡°Mom! You used War Cry again! The kids will cry!¡±

    The first born was Hirtiga. He represented the other children as he protested her method of waking them up. Maetel just let out a bright smile.

    ¡°It is time for you guys to eat, children. Today your father will teach you magic.¡±

    ¡°Ooh ooh. Dad is the hardest teacher. I just want to raise Oompa Loompa. I want to live my whole life on the farm. I¡¯ll be satisfied with that life.¡±

    ¡°Daddy said we need strength to protect the peace, idiot oppa.¡±

    The children forgot theints they had when getting up. They started talking loudly to each other as they walked past mother Maetel into the living room. Maetel followed behind the children. There was a satisfied smile on her smile.

    ¡°Yes. This is it. I¡¯m fine with this. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤there is no need to rewind it again.¡±

    The past 20 years had been peaceful, and it had been picture perfect.

    In that span of time, she hadn¡¯t used the 2nd stage of her Innate ability. Not even once.

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