‘Finally...!’

Suho’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

*Hogong-ryu.*

This was one of the skills he had come to acquire in this gate.

‘It’s also why I absolutely needed the Nameless Sword.’

When Suho first developed his swordsmanship, he thought he had glimpsed the pinnacle of sword techniques. However, as time passed, he came to realize that the Suho Sword was just one of countless human-made techniques, unable to contend with the world’s most powerful beings.

Then he discovered the existence of the Nameless Sword, and from that point, his swordsmanship began evolving to an inhuman level. The first supernatural technique he mastered was *Hogong-ryu Style One: Slash - Steel Cutter.*

[ You have achieved a remarkable feat, earning 10 bonus stat points from the system. ]

With the mastery of Steel Cutter, the system granted him 10 bonus stats.

Yes, *Hogong-ryu* was indeed a great achievement. 

In his lifetime, Suho had never encountered anyone else who wielded this technique.

‘I got it sooner than I expected.’

In his previous life, it had taken Suho years after acquiring the Nameless Sword to master Steel Cutter. But this time was different. He had already fully understood the intricacies of Steel Cutter, and all he needed was time to prove it to the system.

Suho invested all his newly earned bonus stats into strength, then looked over at Maleyon with a slight smirk.

Maleyon seemed visibly shaken.

And it was no wonder, as he could feel the surge in Suho’s power even as they fought.

- What trickery are you using now?

“Trickery? It’s the culmination of pure effort.”

- What?

“Watch and learn.”

- Nonsense!

In a fury, Maleyon extended his hand, and a dozen Sogwaebalgu tendrils shot toward Suho like arrows.

Suho clicked his tongue.

“Seems you don’t learn very quickly.”

He didn’t dodge. Instead, gripping his sword with both hands, he swung it with all his strength just as the tendrils closed in.

[ Steel Cutter activated. ]

*Slash!*

A red line blazed through the air. When the glow faded, there was nothing left in its wake.

*Thud!*

The heads of the Sogwaebalgu tendrils fell to the ground, cleanly severed. Suho had purposefully swung wide to cut down each tendril in one strike.

Maleyon’s eyes widened in shock.

- How... how did you...!!

“What do you mean, how? I cut them with a sword. Are your eyes just for show?”

With that, Suho stepped forward toward the lake.

“You planning to just stay there?”

- Hmph!

Instead of responding, Maleyon raised his hand.

The ground began to shake.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Heavy footsteps reverberated, and Suho turned around.

“Groooooo...”

Emerging from the forest were massive golems.

Suho observed the status above their heads.

- Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest Lv.96
- Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest Lv.98
- Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest Lv.97

They weren’t one-star monsters, but their high levels suggested they would be tough to handle, especially with their considerable defense.

Suho sighed.

“Typical of a cursed druid to summon such abominations.”

- Let’s see how long you can keep that smug attitude!

At Maleyon’s command, the golems charged at Suho simultaneously.

In a swift motion, Suho pushed off the ground and leaped high.

[ Leap activated. ]

With his Leap skill, he soared into the air, raising his enlarged blood sword above his head with both hands.

“Ha!”

Letting out a short breath, he swung the sword downward.

[ Steel Cutter activated. ]

*Slash!*

A massive red arc traced down the golem, slicing it cleanly in two.

[ You have defeated the Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest. ]

The system notification appeared.

Maleyon couldn’t see the system message, but he sensed the sudden disconnect in the golem’s consciousness and widened his eyes even further.

- How... how could you take down a golem in one strike...!

“If I can cut steel, why wouldn’t I be able to cut through some rock?”

Steel Cutter wasn’t just named for show; it was truly a skill capable of slicing through steel. That’s why Suho had spent all his time practicing without any enchanted assistance, wielding the sword day in and day out to master Hogong-ryu Style One.

Suho swung his sword again.

[ You have defeated the Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest. ]
[ You have defeated the Twisted Golem of the Murky Forest. ]

After dispatching the additional golems, he pointed his blood sword at Maleyon.

“Anything else?”

- Silence!

Enraged, Maleyon launched his full assault.

---

- This is absurd...

Time had passed, and Suho had held his ground at the lake’s edge, enduring all of Maleyon’s attacks.

Maleyon had thrown everything he could muster: Sogwaebalgu, Ents, golems, even summoning corrupted spirits and faeries when necessary.

But nothing could stand against Suho’s blood sword.

One by one, Suho tossed the defeated golems and Ents into the lake, creating stepping stones. He used them as a bridge, gradually making his way toward Maleyon.

“Time to end this.”

With all the information he had, Maleyon wasn’t a difficult boss in Suho’s eyes.

In fact, the Twisted Forest itself wasn’t challenging by Suho’s standards. 

After all, unlike the Blood Swamp, Maleyon had no second phase or aerial monsters to complicate things.

‘At most, this place was challenging due to the number of field monsters and Maleyon’s tendency to summon creatures. But…’

For Suho, these weren’t major obstacles.

He raised his sword and charged toward Maleyon.

[ Leap activated. ]

As Suho approached, Maleyon summoned another wave of Sogwaebalgu tendrils.

But—

*Crack!*

The tendrils no longer posed a threat.

After cutting through them, Suho followed through with his momentum, kicking Maleyon into the lake.

*Sploosh!*

‘Typical of a summoning druid—his main body is weak.’

Though Maleyon was a one-star boss monster, Suho knew he wasn’t the only one-star monster in this world, nor was he particularly special.

Soaked like a drowned rat, Maleyon didn’t flounder. Instead, he summoned Sogwaebalgu again and rose to the surface.

Suho summoned Guiyeongchang, imbuing it with holy power, then threw it.

[Spear Throw activated!]

*Thud!*

The spear struck Maleyon’s shadow precisely, and Suho closed in once more.

[ Steel Cutter activated. ]

*Slash!*

This time, the blade struck directly, beheading Maleyon with a clean slash.

[ You have defeated Maleyon, Master of the Twisted Forest. ]

[ Gate has been conquered. ]

[ MVP of the Gate Conquest: Suho Ahn. ]

[ As MVP, you are awarded additional experience points. ]

[ As MVP, you receive one bonus stat. ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ All stats increased by 1. ]

[ You have received 1 bonus stat. ]

As Maleyon died, system messages poured in.

Suho grabbed the monster’s head and body as they floated in the air, hauling them out of the lake and laying the corpse on dry land. A moment later, Maleyon’s body disappeared, leaving behind a murky red gem.

Suho picked it up to examine it.

[ Cursed Druid’s Dominion Gem ]

- Rank: S

# The power of Maleyon, the druid cursed and shunned by the gods.

# Maleyon’s druidic power wasn’t one of harmony, but of dominion.

# His dominion corrupted pure spirits, driving him to be exiled from his home forest, forcing him to settle in the Twisted Forest where no ordinary druid could survive.

The Dominion Gem.

This was the primary reason Suho had entered the Twisted Forest.

Though he had intended to master Hogong-ryu, the Dominion Gem had been his ultimate goal.

It would allow him to gain what he needed in the next gate.

Suho stowed the gem in his inventory and invested all earned stats into strength.

“Status Window.”

[ Suho Ahn ]

- Lv: 64
- Class: Healer
- Trait: New Blood
- Strength (R): 55
- Stamina (R): 26
- Mana (R): 26
- Perception (R): 26
- Bonus Stat: 0

His progress felt swift.

Satisfied, Suho closed the status window and headed toward the exit.

---

**Outside the Gate**

As the gate was cleared, it began to tremble, signaling its conquest.

Bang Dueok, having heard the news, rushed outside, frowning deeply.

“Damn it…”

He hadn’t expected Suho to actually conquer the gate.

Choi Yun was equally stunned.

‘He really cleared it…’

They had already conducted a thorough investigation on the Twisted Forest. Bang Dueok had sent a team to assess its risks, concluding it was S-rank in difficulty.

Inside were numerous high-level monsters, including one-star creatures like Ents and golems, making it nearly impossible to clear for anyone without substantial power.

‘And the entry limit was only eight people…’

Yet, Ahn Suho had managed to clear the entire gate alone.

Watching Bang Dueok’s twisted expression, Choi Yun commented, “It’s been cleared.”

“I can see that, so shut up.”

Owning a gate was a rare opportunity. Not only did it require discovery and secrecy from the public and government, but also the power to manage the gate’s shocks independently.

But despite all these risks, people sought gate ownership because it was an incredible source of wealth.

The Twisted Forest was like a newly opened business that had just received its first customer.

Only for that customer to have fully cleared it.

Bang Dueok’s face contorted with rage as he muttered, “Damn it. Do you know how much I invested in this place, and he clears it for a measly hundred million? Not a chance. Boys!”

“Yes!”

At Bang Dueok’s command, his men drew their weapons.

Choi Yun frowned and asked, “Are you really doing this?”

“Hell yeah, unless you want to pay the difference.”

“Can you handle the consequences?”

“Oh, please. Your precious Union, can you call them right now…?”

At that moment—

*Thud!*

A spear shot through Bang Dueok’s face, instantly killing him.

The one who had thrown it?

None other than Suho.