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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Despite his calm exterior, Woo Jae-hee was quite anxious.
The dungeon was real, and unlike him, Kang So-hyun hadn’t made a single mistake. He even neutralized the upper-class dungeon boss with his bombs.
It was clear that Kang So-hyun had contributed more than him, but to top it all off, he had chosen a dirty, metal ball-like object instead of the obviously desirable weapon.
The other members saw that Cheon Yoo-hak had gotten stronger since he obtained the lightning-wreathed spear.
Even the picky Joo-ri suggested giving So-hyun the Ent fruit as a reward, which spoke volumes.
It was actually good. He had no reason to dislike having a good party member, but the problem was the bet he made with him.
-If there’s no dungeon, or if I’m less useful than you, I’ll do whatever you say. But if the dungeon is real, and you’re less useful than me, you’ll do whatever I say.
Honestly, he didn’t like him because he seemed too close to Yoo-hak, and he wanted to tease him because the girls seemed interested in him, but he hadn’t expected this to happen.
Then an opportunity arose.
“Hey, you old men! You guys look like private hunters or tomb raiders. Stop acting tough.”
If he could handle these thugs without Yoo-hak needing to step in, then wouldn’t he be able to compete with So-hyun in terms of contribution?
There were quite a few of them, but they were a disorganized mob that would crumble if he just subdued the man at the front.
“Hey, what did that kid just say?”
“He’s telling you to get lost, boss.”
“Right? That’s what I heard too. Seriously, do I look that weak?”
“Ah, kids these days. They all think they’re the best.”
Woo Jae-hee, thinking they were mocking him, picked up his shield.
“I warned you.”
“Hey, wait.”
He heard someone trying to stop him from behind, but he charged with his shield.
There was no way these thugs could break through his magic-enhanced shield and defeat him.
No way…
“Cough… huh?”
“Oh, you’re still alive? You’re not all talk.”
His shield crumpled from the man’s punch, and he was sent flying from the impact.
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Ah, I’ll correct one thing. This guy wasn’t a complete pushover.
While not having the Ruyi Replica meant that he couldn’t display the level of prowess he showed in the original story, it didn’t mean that he was truly weak.
The fact that Woo Jae-hee, who was relatively skilled at fighting monsters, was defeated in an instant was undeniable proof that the guy was a seasoned warrior.
“I told you to wait, why are you so impatient?”
They were criminals, villains who had lived by the sword, and were skilled enough to avoid being caught by heroes.
Of course, it was also partly because they hadn’t committed any major crimes yet, so no heroes above B-rank were assigned to them, but they were still seasoned villains.
And there were about thirty of them. Objectively, we first-year academy students with little practical experience were in a dangerous situation.
But I wasn’t worried at all.
I hadn’t expected anything from that guy called Woo Jae-hee in the first place, and we had Cheon Yoo-hak, the Peerless Warrior.
Well, I also had some insurance.
“Hmm.”
Cheon Yoo-hak lightly swung his newly acquired spear, testing its feel.
“Good. I was just looking for a chance to test this new spear.”
After confirming the satisfying whooshing sound it made as it cut through the air, Cheon Yoo-hak smiled arrogantly and aimed his spear at them.
“Wow, you’re so cool and handsome. But kid, you could die while showing off. What are you going to do if your handsome face gets scarred?”
“It’s annoying to see him showing off in front of the girls. Should we just kill him? That spear looks good too.”
Ah, by the way, the one who just complimented the spear was the villain who was supposed to be its original owner.
Did his name even matter since he would be leaving the stage soon?
“Pathetic.”
“…What?”
“And unsightly. You’re a bit lacking to be this spear’s first prey, but consider it an undeserved honor.”
…Well, the villains’ lines were a bit much, but you were also over the top, Yoo-hak…!
But right now, that over-the-topness was incredibly reassuring and cool! Wipe them all out!
“Seriously, this bastard, to an adult…!”
The guy who coveted the spear took out the spear he had been carrying on his back and charged at Cheon Yoo-hak.
He was quite fast, but not to Cheon Yoo-hak, apparently.
“Slow.”
Cheon Yoo-hak deflected the incoming spear with the Thunder Dragon Spear and assumed a stance.
“That’s not how you use a spear.”
A spear wreathed in golden lightning shot out from Cheon Yoo-hak’s hand as he grinned fiercely.
Pinpoint accuracy.
Bang! With a clean sound, the villain’s arms and legs were pierced consecutively before he could even react.
Ah, by the way, he didn’t kill him not because he made a mistake, but probably because it would result in a higher achievement score.
“…He’s pretty good. Taking out Moong-chi in one go.”
Ah, right, his name was Moong-chi. I had forgotten since it didn’t suit the image of the Thunder Dragon Spear.
“The lightning will paralyze him. I know from experience.”
Seriously, Yoo-hak, you normally die from that, not just paralyzed. And you weren’t paralyzed by lightning before, you were pierced by it.
“But that wasn’t a good choice. Now you’re all going to die. I’m not letting you live even if you leave everything behind. Ah, don’t worry, ladies—”
“I can’t listen to this anymore.”
Considering Cheon Yoo-hak’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange if he charged in and killed them all, but he seemed to be worried that we, the rear, would be hurt because Woo Jae-hee was injured.
His spear thrusts, like a fixed turret, were effective as a deterrent, but the problem was their sheer number.
“Huh? What’s wrong? Come at me. Are your friends not as good as you?”
I would have bluffed a bit more if Woo Jae-hee hadn’t been injured.
“It’s fine.”
Then the sweet Cheon Yoo-hak spoke.
“You are my companions. As long as I’m standing, no one can touch my party.”
Cheon Yoo-hak…! So you could be that cool…!
Just kidding. It was true.
Cheon Yoo-hak was also a protagonist of this novel.
If Lilac was an idealist and a saint who tried to save everyone, Cheon Yoo-hak was a realist and an egoist who prioritized protecting those within his grasp.
Lilac failed in trying to save those beyond his reach, and Cheon Yoo-hak gave up on anything he couldn’t obtain even with effort, but he ultimately regretted losing even what he had.
Some mocked him, comparing him to Lilac, but some cheered for his realistic approach.
He was also someone I could help.
The villains charged at him simultaneously.
Now, wait a minute. There was a problem.
If this were a typical novel, I would enhance Cheon Yoo-hak while shouting, “Ta-da! Imbued with Enhancement, his Peerless Warrior talent will sweep away the enemies!”
But unfortunately, I couldn’t do that this time.
Even in the original story, if Peerless Warrior received an enhancement-type buff, the frenzy penalty would also be accelerated.
Although I called it a penalty, the combat power of a frenzied berserker wasn’t to be underestimated, so it could also be a target for enhancement.
But simply enhancing his willpower wouldn’t be very effective, so Cheon Yoo-hak and I weren’t very compatible.
The number of villains Cheon Yoo-hak could handle alone was about seven, or ten with the Thunder Dragon Spear, which still left about twenty.
I said I wasn’t worried, but that was assuming I would also participate with my full power, which would require me eating the precious Ent fruit.
“Ah, this is a bit of a waste.”
The villains Cheon Yoo-hak couldn’t block came towards us.
Should I be thankful they didn’t take the unconscious Woo Jae-hee hostage?
Seriously, why weren’t they taking hostages?
“Hehehe, we won’t hurt you, mister.”
“Hey, what ‘mister’? We’re still young enough to be called ‘oppa.’ Oppa.”
Aha, I see. That was why. Well, they were villains after all.
Seriously, how old were they to be calling themselves “oppa”?
Even I, at my original age, would be afraid of being looked down on if I called them “oppa.” Were you guys younger than me!?
“Hmph…!”
The two in the back were pretending to be scared while preparing their spells, and Joo-ri slowly switched her weapon from a crossbow to a whip.
It wasn’t a bad response, but unfortunately, they weren’t the one-versus-a-hundred type of fighter like Cheon Yoo-hak. Two opponents per person was probably their limit.
In other words, we were outnumbered.
“Get out of my way…!”
Oh, Cheon Yoo-hak unleashed his fighting spirit and took down five of them.
But he seemed to be losing his mind, having fought too fiercely.
It would be dangerous if he completely lost control.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was a bit of a waste, but it was an unexpected gain anyway, so I might as well use it now.
It wasn’t like I couldn’t obtain it again, so I could consider this a test run.
“Chomp.”
As I bit into the fruit I was holding, a surprisingly tropical, refreshing taste filled my mouth.
It tasted a bit burnt, but the flesh within was fine, so it wasn’t bad.
“…What’s he doing?”
“He’s eating some kind of fruit.”
“…In this situation? Is that guy crazy?”
“Seems like it.”
The villains approaching us seemed confused as I suddenly started eating a fruit.
It was a good thing for me since it gave me time to slowly eat the fruit.
The true value of an Ent fruit was realized through alchemical refinement, but eating it raw also had similar effects, albeit short-term.
“So, did you enjoy your last supper?”
“He has some taste. It’s fine to have some fruit before you die.”
Extra specialty: Trying to act tough and getting beaten up afterward even when they could have won.
An Ent fruit temporarily affected the talent of the person who consumed it.
It could be considered similar to my Enhancement in that it could draw out power beyond one’s current level.
Although there was the drawback of its short duration if eaten raw without alchemical refinement, it was enough.
Enhancement.
The light of Enhancement enveloped my body.
Enhancement.
And then, another wave of Enhancement, normally impossible, enveloped me again, making me shine even brighter.
“Uh, that bastard suddenly…!”
“…Stop him.”
“What?”
“Everyone except those blocking the spear guy, stop him…!”
Haha, you extras.
Struggling in vain.
The next stage of Kang So-hyun’s Enhancement was simple.
S-rank talent, Multiple Enhancement. Being able to use Enhancement multiple times on multiple targets simultaneously, instead of just one at a time.
You might ask what was the point of being able to use Enhancement multiple times when it was already burdensome to use it once, but I had Resurrection.
Enhancement.
Three layers of Enhancement in total.
It was the maximum stacked enhancement I could achieve with my current innate Qi.
And my body, having surpassed its limits three times, was no longer that of an ordinary person.
My vision brightened.
The movements of those approaching me were slow.
I could even completely grasp Cheon Yoo-hak’s movements, which I could barely follow with my eyes before.
As I punched the one at the front in the solar plexus, he collapsed with a delayed reaction, writhing on the ground without even being able to scream.
Yes.
I was currently on the same level as Cheon Yoo-hak and Lilac.
Although I couldn’t maintain it for long, only about a minute, it was enough for now.
I assumed a stance and put strength into my legs.
-It’s important to practice accurate form, even if it’s slow.
I recalled Professor Cathy’s lesson and adjusted my posture.
Superhuman violence, beyond the realm of humans, was unleashed upon them.
“Th-this bastard…!”
With a single, clumsily imitated low kick, a villain screamed while clutching his leg, which was twisted in a strange direction.
Haha! These villains were like trash!
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Woo Jae-hee woke up at this moment, and immediately gave up on trying to understand the situation.
Kang So-hyun, whom he had called a weakling, was now displaying power comparable to Cheon Yoo-hak, defeating the villains who had defeated him in one blow.
“…I picked a fight with that guy?”
And this was the first incident where he instinctively felt fear towards Kang So-hyun.
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T/N – There’s the story correction. Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as the last time. A bit of a waste for the Ent fruit though, and the MC is certainly going to be hurting after this is all over, but it’s not too bad of a correction overall.
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
