novelraw Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99 - The Hatchling’s Outing
“Unit Leader, are you really okay?”
Choi Ho-joong quickly followed behind me.
“What’s there to not be okay about.”
“The bracelet setting is at level 5, isn’t it! I think it’s about time your head would be spinning and you’d feel nauseous……”
“That’s your story.”
A little while ago, when Ho-joong first wore the Stupeo, he had very gallantly started from level 3.
And then, not long after, he was seen grabbing a tree on the forest path and dry-heaving, with tears, snot, and even drool pouring out.
His hasty adoption of the virtue of humility and lowering it to level 1 was an expected scenario.
Though it seemed it hadn’t been easy even then.
“From your walk, you seem perfectly fine, but it still doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m very comfortable.”
“Are you perhaps in a situation where your pride is dominating your body and mind?”
What kind of a line was this.
“Stop with the nonsense and just follow me.”
I walked quickly, chasing the Orc’s presence.
In fact, the functions of the Stupeo that disrupted the senses could not impose any restrictions on me.
Because I had already normalized all my senses through mana.
In fact, it was something anyone who had reached the level of a Sword Master could do.
Overcoming the incompleteness of the senses through the operation of mana.
Even if Stupeo had not just 5 levels but 99 levels, it would not be a problem at all.
In that sense, this item was not directly helpful to me.
‘Then I should use it to foster the Chamryongdan.’
If used well, it was an item that could definitely be a special remedy for raising the sword unit.
Of course, one important premise followed.
The unit members would have to endure tremendous pain and willingly wear the Stupeo to train.
Since it was not a problem by my standards, I could only believe that everyone would follow.
“Unit Leader, but do you have a destination in mind as you’re moving?”
“Why. Do I look like I’m just walking aimlessly?”
“I know that you sense the presence of monsters remarkably well, Unit Leader. But I asked because I was curious if that is still valid now.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The place where the Orc was was not that far from here.
At our current walking speed, it was a distance where we would encounter it in 1 minute.
By the way, it seemed that the Holy Sword Bastian was a bit bothered by Choi Ho-joong right now.
Friend! But that guy named Choi Ho-joong seems to talk too much!
‘Well, that’s true, but why?’
Wasn’t that the type you detested back in your days as Johan Raven?
‘Come to think of it, that’s also true.’
Then why don’t you get rid of him! I even heard he’s your right-hand man now!
Me, getting rid of Choi Ho-joong?
It was an unimaginable thing.
Although he was not the type of subordinate I preferred during my time as Johan Raven, Choi Ho-joong was the most trustworthy person I had, including before my reincarnation.
Besides, his skills seem to be terrible!
As for his skills, it was a problem I could solve by raising them.
That was why I had brought Choi Ho-joong to this dungeon.
“Unit Leader! An Orc is really running towards us from the front!”
“There’s another one coming from the 2 o’clock direction.”
“……Huh? That’s right!”
Saying that, Choi Ho-joong stared intently at the bracelet on my wrist.
“It’s not broken, so stop with the useless thoughts and watch carefully. How my sword cuts down the Orc.”
“Sir? Yes! Understood.”
Chiiiiik!
Chiiiiik!
The Orc’s unique roar and disgusting smell were rapidly getting closer.
The creature was in a stance to ram me with its huge body.
I infused mana into the Holy Sword Bastian.
The Stupeo reacted violently to my mana and tried to cause a disturbance, but its energy was immediately suppressed by my mana control.
Swaaaaaaaak!
A long arc adorned the space.
A fountain of blood scattered.
The Orc’s head, cut by the tip of the sword, was severed and fell to the ground.
The Holy Sword Bastian grumbled that its first debut was against a mere Orc.
“Unit Leader!”
“Don’t make a fuss, and watch carefully. There’s still one more left.”
“Yes!”
The second one, regardless of its kin’s death, rushed at me like a moth to a flame.
Swaaaaaaaak!
As if it were a reenactment, this one also lost its head and collapsed.
After the blood of two had soaked the forest path, I took off the Stupeo.
Choi Ho-joong looked at me with a face full of admiration.
“Did you see it well?”
“Yes. I saw it well!”
“What did you see?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking what you saw.”
At my question, Choi Ho-joong tilted his head.
“Cutting off the Orc’s head with an elegant strike…… Wasn’t that what you were trying to show me?”
“Then, can you do it as elegantly as I did?”
“I cannot.”
“Then, do you think I showed you this to brag about something you can’t even imitate?”
“W-well, I don’t think so, but……”
“You were just admiring the wrong thing instead of seeing what you were supposed to see.”
Since Choi Ho-joong was at a loss, I followed up with a new question.
“The Stupeo’s setting was at level 5 just now, do you think my swordsmanship was any different from usual?”
He seemed to be recalling the memory from a moment ago, furrowing his brow to the fullest, and then a moment later, his mouth dropped open.
“It’s unbelievable, but I think it probably wasn’t different.”
“It’s not ‘probably.’ It was actually like that.”
From the minor details of the forms to the operation of mana, I had shown perfectly identical swordsmanship to usual.
“Then let me ask you one thing here. Why do you think I did that?”
“……D-don’t tell me.”
“I showed you that this is possible. Because if you don’t see it with your own eyes, you’ll think it’s impossible.”
“It’s unrealistic! You wouldn’t have had time to adapt to the bracelet, so how is this possible from the very beginning!”
“It’s the first time I’m wearing the Stupeo, but it’s not the first time I’m using mana, is it?”
At my words, Choi Ho-joong just stood there blankly, as if at a loss for words.
The way to overcome the all-around disturbance caused by Stupeo was to use mana properly, in short, to operate mana perfectly.
And if this became possible, it meant that the level of a Sword Master was also getting closer.
I handed the Stupeo back to Choi Ho-joong.
“What I said a moment ago, surely you haven’t forgotten?”
If I cut off the Orc’s head with one strike while in Stupeo level 5, all the Orcs in this dungeon would be Choi Ho-joong’s share. If he wasn't a goldfish, he would remember.
“I have not forgotten. However.”
“However, what.”
“Just thinking about putting on the bracelet again makes me feel like throwing up just from the imagination!”
Since it was something I couldn't experience, I didn't know how painful it was.
But, I could only guess from his pained expression, the occasional moans I heard, and the movements that looked like he was about to empty his stomach.
“In times like that, try to dominate your mind and body with pride.”
I patted his shoulder and set the bracelet to level 1.
***
11 hours and 48 minutes.
That was the time it took to clear a low-level dungeon that would normally take less than 2 hours.
This was not much different from the total time Choi Ho-joong had been wearing the Stupeo, and it was an experience that was not insufficient to draw out his limits.
Today’s achievement was much more satisfying than my expectations.
Although Choi Ho-joong’s awkward posture was not corrected until the dungeon was cleared, he had become able to operate his mana a little more stably through the Stupeo.
Since he had made a noticeable change in just one day, I could look forward to more development in the future.
If Choi Ho-joong could train like today every day, he would be able to graduate from the level 1 setting within a month. But I didn’t want to push him that far.
Because not everyone in the world was like me.
‘Would every other day be okay?’
Choi Ho-joong had collapsed as soon as he returned to the family, so I couldn't ask for his opinion.
But if it were my words, he would willingly follow.
The thought that I could grow my right-hand man at a fast pace exhilarated me.
‘Come to think of it, if we do it every other day, I can also use Shin Ah-yeon without restrictions.’
Since she wanted to be treated the same as Choi Ho-joong, she would surely be happy.
The explosive growth of my right and left arms.
When my thoughts reached this point, it felt like the future of the Chamryongdan was being drawn.
Just as a satisfied smile was blooming, the Holy Sword Bastian changed the mood.
Friend, a nasty presence is approaching!
What Bastian was talking about was none other than Rosie.
Although she was a Hatchling, she was a dragon, so Bastian was always wary of Rosie.
“You don’t have to be like that. She has no relationship with that creature other than being part of the dragon race.”
Still, a dragon is a dragon! I still grind my teeth just thinking about that day.
As if to prove it was an ego sword, Bastian created its own killing intent, and I immediately put it into the inventory.
Because nothing good would come from them having a war of nerves with each other.
A moment later, Rosie appeared in front of me.
“That’s strange? I’m sure there was something here.”
“Rosie. I told you to knock when you come in.”
“I’m sorry, Unit Leader Ji-han. I forgot because I was contemplating how to start the conversation about what I have to say to you right now.”
Rosie scratched her head and made a foolish expression.
“What is it. Go ahead.”
“I’m thinking of going on a trip.”
“A trip?”
“Yes, I felt like I wanted to leave your embrace for a while.”
In the end, it meant she would leave the Haewon Sword Family for a while.
I had thought that a day like this would come eventually.
In fact, Rosie had been very patient.
All this time, she had followed my control without complaint in this place, the Haewon Sword Family, which was even smaller than a Hatchling’s Nest.
“I’m still a bit worried about letting you go out without me.”
“Still, I want to see more of the human world. As you said, Unit Leader Ji-han, I’ve learned a lot of human etiquette now.”
I could acknowledge that to some extent.
In fact, Rosie had not caused any trouble so far.
“Alright. I’ll allow it.”
“Really?”
“But there are conditions.”
“Hmph! Of course!”
“They’re not difficult conditions. There are two things I want to ask of you.”
“What are they?”
“One, wander freely, but do not leave Seoul. Can you do that?”
I wanted to keep her within my sight, at least spatially.
If Rosie was in Seoul, I could hear news of her from time to time, and depending on the situation, I could also go find her immediately.
“Okay. It’s small, but I think I can see a fair amount of the world in Seoul. So what’s the second condition?”
“That you must never kill a person.”
“Even if they are rude?”
“People don’t kill other people for being rude. You said you’ve learned etiquette all this time, so what happened?”
“But you also killed people in Abyss a while ago, Unit Leader Ji-han. Isn’t that too much of a double standard?”
“You’ve only gotten better at talking back. The reason I killed those guys in Abyss was……”
“Alright, alright! I can’t win against you in an argument anyway, Unit Leader Ji-han, so I won’t kill people when I go out. Okay?”
“Alright.”
“Instead, allow me to beat them up. While traveling, I might need to beat someone up.”
As expected, it was difficult to fully understand a dragon’s way of thinking.
Still, I thought I could concede this much.
“Alright.”
“Thank you, Unit Leader Ji-han. I’ll come back stronger.”
“How much stronger are you planning to get.”
“Not magic, swordsmanship.”
What on earth was she planning to do.
A slight sense of unease crept in, but since it was a problem out of my hands now, I decided to think comfortably.
After all, I had tamed the unruly Hatchling quite well.