Skill of the Absolute (2)

Han-bin felt so tired he didn’t even have enough Aura to continue experimenting.

After giving up on further trials, Han-bin and his group set up lodging on one side of the Clean Area.

They set up a tent, started a bonfire, and had preserved food for dinner.

Han-bin grumbled, chewing the soaked jerky.

“Is it just an error?”

When considering the Guideline’s reliability, there was a strong possibility that the skill name had just been shown.

“But that consumed Aura. I feel like I’m doing something.”

Leon Hart gave an explanation.

“I don’t think you don’t need to rely on that skill anyway.”

“How come? Maybe it’s a great skill to use against the Top Three.”

“I don’t know what the skill is like. Maybe it could be a powerful one, as you said, Han-bin.”

But that was the skill of the Guideline.

It must be a force derived from the Devil Omphalos.

“Can we believe in that kind of ability?”

Being able to give strength to someone meant being able to take it back.

“What if Omphalos takes away your Guideline? What if the power you’ve got disappears in a day?”

Leon Hart was straightforward.

“Only the power you can acquire by yourself is truly reliable.”

Ryu Han-bin made an ambiguous expression.

“It’s not that I haven’t thought about it. But this physical ability is also gained by the power of the Devil.”

Then Kibie intervened in the conversation.

“That’s a little different, Han-bin.”

Ryu Han-bin’s formidable body was made thanks to the Guideline.

Without the Guideline, how could an ordinary Earthling absorb a monsters’ spirit and boost his physical abilities?

But even if the Guideline disappeared, he would not return to his former incompetence.

“The Guideline is a guide. It just leads you in a new direction.”

If the guide disappeared, he wouldn’t find a new way.

However, the fact that they had already walked wouldn’t disappear with it.

It was like getting a personal trainer at an Omphalos gym when put in an Earthling reference.

Just quitting the gym, where he had used to go, didn’t mean that his muscles that he had gained would disappear in an instant.

Skills, on the other hand, were used through the Guideline instead.

“It’s a kind of weapon from the Devil.”

Weapons could not be used if they were taken away.

“Is that so…”

Han-bin nodded.

Thanks to that, he managed to organize his thoughts.

“I must ignore the skill ‘Lord throughout Heaven and Earth.”

Leon Hart was right.

Rather than paying attention to the unidentified skill leaning on the Omphalos’s power, he had to focus on increasing the proficiency of the Valtara Fighting Spirit.

It was the right path for Han-bin to become stronger.

Leaning back, Han-bin grumbled.

“Oh, I have a long way to go. I haven’t even touched the Heaven Sword yet.”

The completion of the Valtara’s Fighting Spirit was the prerequisite for the Heavenly Sword Diastima.

Han-bin still controlled only about 70% of the Valtara’s Fighting Spirit. That made him wonder when he’d acquire the Heavenly Sword and fight against the Top Three.

Leon Hart soothed him.

“You don’t have to be in a hurry. You’re progressing fast enough right now.”

It was not just Ryu Han-bin.

Effir and Kibie were also growing faster than Leon Hart had expected.

It was quite a satisfactory result for him to teach them.

“Well…”

Leon Hart was surprised when he thought of an absent red-haired young man.

“I don’t know where he is and what he’s doing.”

It had already been 20 days since Artis disappeared, saying there was something he had to do.

* * *

Artis returned the next day.

As soon as he joined the group, he grabbed Ryu Han-bin and demanded him.

“I want you to give me energy!”

Han-bin wondered.

“Well, that’s not that hard, but… Why all of a sudden?”

He hadn’t given energy to Artis lately.

As his level had increased, the amount of absorbed energy had also increased, so it took longer to digest them.

Rather, Artis was efficient in hunting down monsters himself and absorbing the energy step by step.

Why was Artis asking Han-bin to give a lot of energy to him suddenly?

“There’s something I want to test.”

Leon Hart, who was watching from the side, smiled.

“You look different.”

He didn’t look as blue as before.

He looked as if he found his’ way.’

“Then I’ll do my best to help you.”

* * *

Dungeon Heppel was to the west of the Ice-Flame Forest.

A giant warrior was running wild among dozens of monsters.

“Wow!”

He swung his Gigant with a loud shout.

With each swing, the limbs of the monsters soared away as they spilled blood.

However, there were only a few dead monsters.

He intentionally injured them while avoiding their vital points.

“It’s been a long time since I fought in good condition.”

Ryu Han-bin grinned as he put the fallen monsters away in one corner.

Ever since he came to the Ice-Flame Forest, he hunted monsters with the Valtara’s Fighting Spirit skill.

His goal was to learn how to control it properly in actual combat.

However, his current goal had changed to turning the monsters into immobile beings and deliver them to Artis.

‘Instead of focusing on practicing the Fighting Spirit skill, quickly filling Artis’s core would save time since we’d be able to return to training fast.’

Leon Hart also gave permission, so there was nothing to be worried about.

He relieved all his stress.

“I shall bring death upon all!! No, you can’t die. Don’t die!”

The screams of the monsters echoed across the place.

Argh!

Argh!

The situation was similar on the other side.

Effir and Kibie were also using their weapons to turn the monsters into half-paralytic ones.

The dungeon’s average level was around 70. If the two people joined forces, they could hunt them down efficiently.

-Magic Swordsmanship: Blast of Destruction!

-Aura Splash!

Of course, Leon Hart didn’t remain on standby either.

-Ectoplasm Sphere!

They decided to drive energy to Artis as a team.

With everyone joining forces, the hunting speed became insanely quick.

Less than an hour later, a huge mountain of monsters had risen in the corner of the dungeon.

“Artis! I’ve set the table!”

“It’s been a long time since I last heard that.”

With a bitter smile, the large Fire Dragon settled in front of the mountain of the monsters.

He then breathed fire out.

Boom!

Mana influenced the Breath of the Fire Dragon, so the higher the Mage’s level, the higher the power.

A ruthless Breath, which surpassed even a simple adult Dragon’s one, burned the mountain of monsters.

The monsters could only scream.

Argh!

Argh!

Kibie was impressed by the waning monsters of the other world.

“No matter how many times you say it’s a monster from the other world, I am not sure if I can do this? I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

It didn’t really feel right or merciful.

They didn’t kill them nicely, but they made them half-paralytic, and the Dragon burnt them to death all at once!

Ryu Han-bin asked back in absurdity.

“Are you saying killing the existence of the other world is beyond you? Is that what you’re saying, Goddess?”

“That’s what I have to say. Even so, they’re still meeting Death in the worst way possible.”

Of course, she had no intention of letting the monsters go because she felt sorry for them.

Han-bin’s group once again swept through the dungeon.

Once again, a huge mountain of monsters was placed in front of Artis.

The second Breath was intense as well.

Boom!

The grand orchestra of screams rang out.

Arghhhhhh!

Artis looked uncomfortable in front of the mountain of a pile of charcoal.

“Well, is this it?”

“Why? Have you reached your limit?”

“Yes, Han-bin. I think we’ll have to go back today.”

The next day, Artis called Ryu Han-bin again.

“I ask you to give me energy today as well.”

“Already?”

The amount of energy Han-bin had given yesterday was huge.

It usually would’ve taken 5 to 6 days to digest.

Han-bin suddenly looked surprised.

“Huh? Artis, you…”

Apparently, until yesterday, Artis was a level 75 wizard.

But the number in the guidelines was…

[Race: Human Mage lv. 77]

The level went up even by two levels!

“How did you digest all the energy in a day?”

Artis nodded as if it were nothing.

“Please do it again.”

* * *

Ten days later.

Artis and Effir were looking at each other in a clearing outside the Ice-Flame Forest.

It was to fight at the request of Artis.

Holding her twin blades, Effir asked cautiously.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Artis?”

In a confident tone, Artis replied.

“Yeah, come at me with everything you’ve got.”

Effir looked worried.

‘Oh, my God, I think you’re making a mistake…’

Her current level was 92.

But Artis wasn’t what he used to be.

He had raised his level to 85 in just ten days.

They were just sparring, so if considering the level, he was enough to face Effir.

She already knew how Artis had raised this level so much in such a short time.

‘Tha’s too reckless! I can’t believe you’ve sealed every attribute except for fire.’

That was why it didn’t mean anything, even if his level was high.

‘You won’t be able to do anything if I just use Magic Swordsmanship that has water and fire attributes…’

Other attribute magic spells below level 75 were still available, but he could be crushed by force if he was above level 90.

Regardless, Artis wanted it, so she had to do her best.

Gripping on her swords tightly, Effir charged forth.

“Hap!”

As if he had been waiting, Artis picked up his staff.

“Heatwave Spear! Ragnar Blast!”

The level 83 ultra-high heat split the air.

As expected, the level of his power was extraordinary.

Feeling nervous, Effir used a technique.

-Magic Swordsmanship: Frozen Winter Sky!

A shroud of cold air reflected the heat rays and scattered them all over the place.

She immediately delivered an extra attack.

-Magic Swordsmanship: Flood of Thunder Dragons!

“Ballers to Polarization, Prominence Shield!”

Artis also used defensive magic to stop the offensive.

Seven thunder attacks collided with the flame shield, and all of them were extinguished.

Boom!

Effir’s expression became even more strange.

‘Well, that could be prevented by flame magic, but…’

-Magic Swordsmanship: Frostbite!

That time, she performed Magic Swordsmanship against fire magic.

Indeed, dozens of blades tore the prominence shield relentlessly.

“Taah!”

The silver-haired girl came rushing through the scattered flames.

Artis quickly continued his magic.

“Slippery walk in the air, Wind Walking!”

Artis’s foot slightly rose and stepped back for several meters.

Wind walking was still available because it was a level 50 wind magic.

However, Effir caught up and narrowed the distance again.

Wind walking wasn’t enough on its own to lose the pursuit of the Magic Swordsman, who was above level 90.

What if he used Blink, a Level 80 spatial magic?

Her expression grew darker and darker.

‘It’s not right…’

She was even more convinced when she was directly sparring with Artis.

‘It’s the same when you stopped growing at level 75.’

At that moment, Artis disappeared before her eyes!

‘Oh!’

Before she even felt embarrassed, she was pushed back with a strong shock.

“Ugh!”

Facing up in a hurry, Effir felt shameful.

Before she knew it, her whole body had been frozen solid.

‘… What just happened?’

Artis took his left hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Phew, fortunately, it worked as I thought it would.”