The Hero Returns

An achievement rate of 100 percent.

It needed only one more point to reach that figure after Ouroboros’s death, and by killing Raeng and the dark magicians, Su-hyeun managed to fully achieve his goal.

It was unknown why Raeng was counted as that single percentage point of remaining threat despite Ouroboros being dead, but nevertheless, Su-hyeun should have been celebrating the fact that the trial of the 30th floor had been perfectly cleared.

“Can you stand?” Malcolm asked as he supported Su-hyeun’s body.

Even then, the old man continued to sneak several glances at the gigantic monster’s corpse. This whole thing must’ve been too mystifying for him even now.

“I was feeling momentarily dizzy, that’s all. You don’t have to worry about me, sir.”

“That’s good to hear. By the way, that thing just now….”

“It’s the power I acquired after killing Ouroboros.”

“Can you safely handle it?”

Malcolm, the foremost expert on Ouroboros, was asking that question.

Indeed, Su-hyeun had to experience some real hardship during the process of acquiring Ouroboros’s power. Thankfully, he managed to absorb the monster’s magical energy through the transfiguration skill, but even now, utilizing this power remained a tough prospect without resorting to his trait first.

It was obvious that you’d have to pay a hefty price when acquiring great power.

“I can,” replied Su-hyeun confidently.

It wasn’t going to be too difficult.

<<I’ve possessed an even greater power than this before, after all.>>

Su-hyeun used to be the best. He had wielded power several times greater than this one in the past, and not only that, he was in perfect control over it, too.

Indeed, the newly-acquired power that happened to be resistant to his control didn’t even pose a problem. No, he wanted to start dancing in happiness from the fact that he could get stronger so much quicker now.

Malcolm seemed relieved by that reply as he began nodding his head. “Well, then. That’s a relief. Huhuhuh.”

After helping Su-hyeun up, the old man must’ve lost his own strength instead as he plopped down on the ground. Then he stared at Ouroboros’s corpse and opened his mouth. “Thank you.”

“Sir, it was nothing much.”

“Saying that it’s nothing much…No, you’ve achieved a truly amazing feat.”

It was unimaginable that the mighty Ouroboros was killed off. To think that the karma he “created” had been exorcised, just like that.

“Thank you. Truly, I’m grateful. I can’t even fathom how I should repay this debt….”

“Sir.” Su-hyeun lowered himself and held Malcolm’s hand as the latter remained squatting on the ground. “I’m also grateful.”

“Mm? What do you mean, grateful? I haven’t done anything.”

“A small goodwill shown to someone can be a great act of kindness to that person. The hospitality you have shown me is exactly that, sir.”

For the past few days, Malcolm treated Su-hyeun well without expecting anything in return. He provided a place to sleep and food to eat to an unknown foreigner. That stranger with an unknown background was permitted to read any book he wanted, too.

Hell, Malcolm even taught him information regarding Miru, as well.

Even if they were all down to his guilty conscience, Su-hyeun still thought of them as an act of kindness.

“It can’t be.”

“It is. The killing of Ouroboros was my own act of kindness to you, sir.”

Su-hyeun’s words caused Malcolm’s eyes to tremble greatly.

“Please don’t be too burdened by this, sir.”

“Young man, your body, it’s….”

Su-hyeun’s body was gradually getting fainter.

Not too long after that, even the hand holding Malcolm’s felt like a mirage without a physical form. The old man reached out with his other hand to grasp Su-hyeun’s shoulder.

However, his hand simply wandered in the empty air.

Su-hyeun had completely vanished into thin air.

“Huh-uh….”

This was like a waking dream.

A man named Su-hyeun who used to stand right before his eyes had disappeared.

For a long while, Malcolm remained sitting on the ground, quietly ruminating on what Su-hyeun had said.

* * *

[You have acquired 500,000 achievement points.]

[You attained the maximum attainable achievement level.]

[The 30th floor’s trial has been perfectly cleared.]

[Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

[You have reached first place.]

[Stamina has increased by one…]

[….]

[Acquired the Trait Ouroboros’s Third Eye. It will be recorded as a new permanent trait.]

[Your new trait is overlapping with the Transfiguration Skill: Third Eye. You can now acquire a new trait by using the transfiguration skill.]

Messages popped up one after the other in his head.

The first thing to catch his attention was the enormous amount of achievement points, as well as the acquisition of a brand new trait.

<<The third eye has been recorded as a permanent trait?>>

A permanent trait was a term denoting a special attribute that an awakener could possess. In other words, this trait was exactly like a passive skill engraved into one’s body.

The transfiguration skill allowed him to temporarily use such traits. Although him having to acquire a trait to use first was slightly inconvenient, it was still undoubtedly a cheat skill that let him use any trait he desired.

Normally, an awakener possessing a trait was a rare thing to see. It was not something that could be purchased through achievement points, so traits were deemed to be exceptionally difficult to acquire.

Even only a small handful of S-Ranks was lucky enough to possess a trait. Awakeners with traits of the dragon-like Hwang Jun-peong used their gifts to make a name for themselves.

“Ouroboros’s trait, is it…”

Seeing how it won against the transfiguration skill’s version, the pure third eye of Ouroboros must’ve been a higher-rated trait of the two. When considering the fact that both should have been the same “third eye,” the pure version was most likely the more complete of the two.

<<In any case, this will now let me use two different traits, won’t it?>>

The third eye alone was a truly excellent trait already. He was sure of it since he had experienced its effect first hand.

Sure, it was a wee bit inconvenient that he now had to hunt for a new trait, and for some reason, it kind of felt like he didn’t get any special reward for his troubles, either.

<<Well, it’s still not bad, considering.>>

Su-hyeun decided to look at it positively.

Regardless, the third eye was destined to be swapped out in the future, anyway. He had already made up his mind a long time ago on which trait he wanted to acquire through the transfiguration skill.

So, the rewards he received today would get the chance to shine brightly when he finally acquired that trait he wanted while still retaining the third eye.

“Besides all that…” Su-hyeun glanced at the surrounding scenery and muttered to himself. “Been a long time since I came here.”

“Here” was a noisy, lively center of a city. A world where bright lights sparkled everywhere while music and people’s laughter continued to flow by in endless streams.

<<Fantasia.>>

That was the name of the world found on the 31st floor.

Su-hyeun walked on the streets and took a look at the surroundings for a little while.

This world was the closest to the modern Earth he had been living in. Although the scientific advancement in this place wasn’t much to speak of, the residents’ sentiments and living habits were so similar that many awakeners chose to reside here, and some even went as far as to give up on their original world outside to make a living in this place.

<<Which means this city is full of criminals, too.>>

A city with good living conditions inevitably had another facet to it, a hidden face if you will. It was especially more so with the world found on the 31st floor.

If only one knew the process involved in creating a world like this one, then one would never be able to look at this place in a favorable light ever again.

<<Well, that’s something to worry about later on….>>

Su-hyeun sought out an inn. It had a boisterous pub on its first floor, but thankfully, the noise didn’t reach the room as if the establishment employed excellent soundproofing techniques.

“For the time being, let’s just take a break.”

After renting and entering the room, he immediately returned to his home. Su-hyeun collapsed on the bed right before his eyes and sunk deep into a restful slumber.

* * *

Su-hyeun remained in slumber for a long while. For an entire day, as a matter of fact. The battle had been intense enough to trigger the Immortality skill, and as a consequence, his fatigue had built up to a very high level.

“…I sure slept for a long time.”

Su-hyeun got up from the bed and walked out to the living room while yawning grandly.

Grrng, purrr—

Miru was lying on its belly on the living room floor.

Su-hyeun rubbed his eyes and washed himself.

It had been quite a while since he felt so refreshed like this after leisurely cleaning himself with warm water in the comfort of his own home.

Rrrrring—

While drying his hair with a towel, he picked up the phone to make a call. He wanted to talk to the guild master of the Reaper Guild, Ji-yeon.

<<The subscriber can’t answer the call right now. Please leave a message after the—>>

“…Maybe she’s not on this side?”

He tried to call several times but seeing how she didn’t answer at all, it was quite likely that she had entered the tower of trials. The majority of S-rank awakeners rarely stopped climbing the tower, so it was only obvious that the time they spent inside that place would be longer than the time spent outside.

<<It’d been nicer if I got in touch with her, though.>>

Su-hyeun muttered to himself and dialed a new number this time.

“What can I do for you?”

He then happily greeted the voice he hadn’t heard in a while. “It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

The person on the line was an awakener affiliated with the awakener’s association, Kim Do-ui.

* * *

After receiving Su-hyeun’s call, Kim Do-ui hurriedly left the association’s building.

The former had been out of reach for a while. No, it’d be more correct to say that they didn’t have much of a reason to contact each other frequently.

There wasn’t a link that connected Su-hyeun to the association. If there was a relationship between the two, then it’d be the association one-sidedly accommodating Su-hyeun’s needs.

<<He apparently knows the director’s weakness, or so I hear.>>

Kim Do-ui climbed into a taxi and while watching the scenery pass by outside the window, and he began thinking to himself.

<<He certainly has big balls, that’s for sure.>>

He only got to learn it at a later stage, and he still wasn’t any wiser to what that weakness could potentially be.

However, he knew for certain that the association had been paying Su-hyeun very close attention. No, it’d be more correct to say that not just the Korean association, but the entire world was keeping their eyes on that man.

<<The outbreak of Anyang city, the raid on the blue-colored dungeon, the annihilation of the Dump Guild, the elimination of Hwang Jun-peong….>>

Was that all?

He was the sole challenger of the tenth level trials, too.

Su-hyeun had already accomplished numerous feats when your regular S-rank would’ve found it hard to achieve just one. Only a short while ago, he was seen as an awakener with a bright future ahead of him, but now, he had already become one of the greatest in the world.

“But, why does he want to meet me…?”

Could it be that he had something to ask for, a favor perhaps?

Kim Do-ui’s taxi stopped in front of a small cafe located in Yeouido Island. He spotted Su-hyeun already waiting for him inside this small cafe with only a handful of tables, found in an obscure corner of the island.

“You’re here,” Su-hyeun offered his greeting first.

“It’s been a while.”

Kim Do-ui extended his hand towards Su-hyeun. After the handshake, the former hurriedly ordered his coffee and asked the latter. “What’s going on? Did something happen out of the blue? You probably didn’t call me here to see my face, am I right?”

“You’re still straightforward, I see.”

“Not a fan of beating around the bush, myself. And I also suck at humoring others, too.”

“That’s why I wanted to speak to you. I’m also kind of like that, personality-wise, so talking to you is more convenient for me.”

Su-hyeun slotted a bookmark on the pages of a book he had been reading and closed the cover. Kim Do-ui saw what’s on the book’s cover and asked, sounding somewhat puzzled, “Do you enjoy reading?”

“If only I could, I’d like to stay in a place like this for a whole day, doing nothing but just reading books. Since I have enough money, I can buy as much coffee as I want, too.”

“Why can’t you?”

Kim Do-ui formed an even more puzzled expression.

Most people could do what Su-hyeun had said just now. And someone with his financial wherewithal as well as his authority should be able to do something that simple, surely.

“Well, I’ll make sure to enjoy it much later.”

Su-hyeun shook his head slightly as if he didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

The quick-witted Kim Do-ui nodded his head and shut his mouth. His coffee arrived just then with excellent timing.

“Actually, I just passed the 30th floor.”

Kim Do-ui’s hand lifting up the mug came to a brief halt. “That means…you have reached the 31st floor.”

“Yes, I have.”

“It’s a nice place. In more ways than one.”

“Is that what you really believe?”

Kim Do-ui was unable to pick up his coffee mug after hearing Su-hyeun’s question. After withdrawing his hand from the beverage, he quietly asked.

“How much do you know, exactly?”