Chapter 54

 

‘It’s getting dangerous.’

 

As time passed, Seo Woojin’s expression darkened.

 

Was it because he had already fought a battle once?

 

His mana was rapidly depleting.

 

Compared to other Heroes, Seo Woojin’s level was not that high, and his mana pool was limited.

 

If it weren’t for the increased stamina through training, he would have already fallen after the first encounter.

 

But even that now had its limits.

 

‘10 minutes? No, I’ll run out in 5 minutes.’

 

He couldn’t afford to conserve mana.

 

Burtal’s magical abilities were just too powerful.

 

It was impossible to block without using skills.

 

‘I don’t know if a sword would be good.’

 

The black sword given by Van Slaine was by no means a legendary weapon.

 

It was just slightly tougher and sharper than a standard sword.

 

If he tried to block that yellow blood with it, the sword would likely break.

 

So, he had no choice but to keep using the ‘Aura’.

 

‘Ah, it’s really draining away like crazy.’

 

Mana was being consumed like coins flowing out of a hole-ridden pocket.

 

‘I need to find a way.’

 

Ludian was fighting exceptionally well.

 

If time continued to pass, it seemed like they might actually be able to take down Burtal.

 

But the problem was that time was running out.

 

If he fell before that guy’s throat was cut…

 

‘Ludian won’t last either.’

 

Burtal was already a formidable opponent.

 

But now the demonic energy was targeting Ludian’s mana as well?

 

Then there was no chance of victory.

 

He had to find another way before he reached his limit.

 

*Crash!*

 

“Kuk!”

 

Was it because he had a momentary distraction?

 

He missed the sudden movement of the blood.

 

He was almost torn apart by the ‘Blood Spike’ rising from the bottom to the top.

 

But fortunately, his experience of forcibly taking hits helped him avoid it.

 

‘I-I’m alive!’

 

Seo Woojin sighed in relief, but the crisis was far from over.

 

Unable to withstand the force, Seo Woojin’s body floated in the air, and the blood was approaching like a stabbing needle.

 

Blocking was impossible.

 

No matter how quickly he swung the sword, it was not enough to stop it.

 

‘Evade?’

 

That was impossible too.

 

Floating in the air, Seo Woojin couldn’t control his body properly.

 

In martial arts novels or unless using magic, there was no way to avoid attacks in mid-air.

 

If that was the case, there was only one option left.

 

‘Destroy!’

 

There was no longer any time to waste time or save magic power.

 

He shouted the skill name as if spitting it out.

 

“Sword Of Uranus!”

 

The remaining magic power was completely drained.

 

However, to activate ‘Sword Of Uranos,’ it seemed that the remaining amount of magic power was insufficient.

 

A greatsword, not even half the size of the sword that destroyed the arena, was summoned.

 

Perhaps its power would also fall short.

 

But that was enough.

 

Seo Woojin had already anticipated it.

 

Yet, the reason for using ‘Sword Of Uranus’ was…

 

“Try piercing through this, you bastard.”

 

Kwa-a-aang!

 

‘Blood Spike’ collided with the greatsword.

 

And without reaching Seo Woojin, it was blocked by the greatsword.

 

Even though it had shrunk in size, it was enough to cover Seo Woojin’s body.

 

Not only that.

 

As the sword slowly descended, Burtal finally turned to look back.

 

A very small gap.

 

In that completely unexpected sight, he made a brief mistake.

 

But that less than a second of time was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ludain.

 

Suaaak!

 

The sword cut through space at a speed far beyond the current.

 

No, what it cut was not only space.

 

Whaat-?

 

Burtal couldn’t understand what had happened.

 

Simultaneously feeling a stinging sensation in his neck, the blood that had been flowing from his back lost strength and began to fall to the ground.

 

For a powerful but unintelligent bastard, he did not realize that it would mean his own death.

 

Until the moment when the head separates, falls to the ground, and the eyes close.

 

* * *

 

“This way!”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu quickly guided the way, moving his feet.

 

Behind him, dozens of knights were following with stern expressions.

 

‘It was definitely Woojin.’

 

Before losing consciousness, the last face he saw was Seo Woojin’s.

 

When he regained consciousness, there was no one else except for the Dark Elf’s corpse next to him, but there was no way that voice and face could have been an illusion.

 

However, he couldn’t go to the place where the battle was taking place.

 

It was because he realized how weak he was now in the chaotic situation while facing the Dark Elf just moments ago.

 

If he were in perfect condition, it might have been different, but in the current messy situation, he would only be a burden.

 

So, Kang Byeong-gyu turned around and got out of there.

 

With Seo Woojin’s skills, he could definitely hold his own against the dark elves.

 

In that case, what he needed to do now was to send a signal and guide the knights who gathered.

 

That would be much more helpful.

 

Fortunately, he soon encountered the knights who came to support.

 

Unfortunately, the Heroes were not in sight.

 

They, too, must be exhausted like Kang Byeong-gyu.

 

So, it was probably the knights who came to support.

 

Kang Byeong-gyu gave a rough explanation to the knights and guided them to where the signal had been raised.

 

The red smoke had disappeared for a long time, making it difficult to find the exact location.

 

But it didn’t bother Kang Byeong-gyu at all.

 

He was an ‘Explorer’.

 

By using his skills, finding that location was easier than a piece of cake.

 

How much had he run like that?

 

He guided more than 50 people, including the knights who joined in the middle, to their destination.

 

“Oh?”

 

“…It’s over.”

 

Even though he moved at the maximum speed possible, the battle was already over.

 

The knights who had requested urgent support were gathering the scattered Dark Elf corpses.

 

“What happened?”

 

One of the knights who came for support asked.

 

“As you can see, dark elves attacked.”

 

The knight explained the situation.

 

“What about Woojin? Seo Woojin must have come too, right?”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu urgently asked, joining the conversation.

 

He was supposed to be here, but there was no sign of him at all.

 

“If you mean Seo Woojin… Ah, you mean that Hero.”

 

A hero who suddenly appears, provides great help, and then disappears.

 

“He went to face Burtal.”

 

“Burtal?”

 

“Did you mean that accursed beast has appeared?!”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu tilted his head at the name he heard for the first time, but it wasn’t the same for the knights.

 

Their faces were mixed with tension and fear.

 

That’s how formidable Burtal of Demonic Realm Helldane was.

 

Kang Byeong-gyu’s complexion turned pale.

 

Seeing the knights, who remained unfazed even in the presence of dark elves, react like this, the monster they were up against seemed exceptionally dangerous.

 

But to go and face that?

 

He couldn’t help but feel worried.

 

“W-Where is it? Where?”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu asked with a trembling voice.

 

Even he, who had faced a Dark Elf, would be of no help.

 

But the knights were different.

 

If there were dozens of them, no matter how powerful the monster, they could rescue Seo Woojin.

 

Yet, the knights wore perplexed expressions at Kang Byeong-gyu’s question.

 

“Why is that?”

 

Feeling uneasy, Kang Byeong-gyu cautiously asked again.

 

“… We alone cannot confront Burtal.”

 

If it were an ordinary monster, they could still face it no matter how strong it was.

 

By using sacrifices as a foothold and continuously attacking, they would eventually bring it down.

 

But Burtal was different.

 

It wasn’t a creature they could capture just because there were many knights.

 

No, it is rather disadvantageous.

 

Kang Byeong-gyu, unaware of this fact, found the knights’ attitude frustrating.

 

“But we still have to go save him! It’s our duty to protect the Heroes!”

 

He had spent only three days with Seo Woojin.

 

An absurdly short time to form a deep friendship.

 

But during those three days, Kang Byeong-gyu received a lot of help from Seo Woojin.

 

Not only that.

 

Lee Ji-ah, Kim Da-hye, Yu Hong-seol, Jin Tae-sung.

 

The Heroes who were part of the team fought alongside Seo Woojin without exception.

 

He couldn’t just leave a comrade like that alone.

 

Moreover, hadn’t he even owed his life to Seo Woojin?

 

“Of course. However, if we try to provide support on our own now, it is obvious that the sacrifices will only increase. At the very least,Sir Ronain and Lord Ludain must join us.”

 

If those top-tier knights joined, they might be able to face Burtal.

 

But they were currently absent.

 

Seeing the red signal flare, they would arrive soon, but…

 

Until then, he couldn’t guarantee that Seo Woojin would survive.

 

Especially since their opponent happened to be Burtal.

 

Kang Byeong-gyu clenched his teeth.

 

If the knights didn’t help, he was determined to act alone.

 

“I don’t regret it……?”

 

As Kang Byeong-gyu spoke with gritted teeth, he sharply turned his head.

 

The knights did the same.

 

“Magic?”

 

A sudden burst of magic power came into view, along with a sword.

 

‘Woojin!’

 

It was quite a famous story at the academy.

 

D-class Hero Seo Woojin summoned a giant sword and destroyed the training hall.

 

Because of that, there was a trend of breaking-the-floor challenges.

 

As soon as Kang Byeong-gyu saw the big sword, he could recognize that it was Seo Woojin’s skill.

 

And a cloud of dust rose.

 

***

 

‘My level has gone up.’

 

And it went up by a whopping 3 levels.

 

He thought it was about time for a level-up.

 

In the past three days, Seo Woojin had killed quite a few monsters.

 

On top of that, he had defeated dozens of Dark Elves, so his experience points were almost full.

 

Hunting Burtal resulted in a three-level increase.

 

‘Now I’m at level 19.’

 

Compared to other Heroes, there was not much difference.

 

Of course, it couldn’t be compared to elite friends.

 

‘At this level, I won’t have any problems keeping myself safe for the time being.’

 

He gained three new skills, and thanks to leveling up, his magic and physical abilities had greatly increased.

 

‘But it’s strange.’

 

Seo Woojin tilted his head.

 

Unlike every other time he leveled up, the abyssal space did not appear this time.

 

“Maybe it’s because I fainted during Gerald’s time.”

 

An incredibly cozy space.

 

Not being able to go there, Seo Woojin was slightly disappointed.

 

But he didn’t have time to dwell on it deeply.

 

“We won.”

 

Ludian approached.

 

Thanks to the light emitted during the level up, apart from looking a bit messy, he was in perfect condition.

 

He expressed his gratitude briefly.

 

If Seo Woojin hadn’t created that opening, they might not have been able to kill Burtal.

 

It was natural to express gratitude to Seo Woo Jin for allowing him to avenge his colleagues.

 

“You really don’t look like a D-Class.”

 

The tone, which had become informal, returned to its original state.

 

“Well, I learned that rank and level aren’t everything.”

 

Ludian nodded at Seo Woojin’s words.

 

Maybe he would have laughed it off in the past, but not now.

 

“Is that so?”

 

When Ludian asked with a smile, Seo Woojin answered. 

 

“According to the gentleman who taught me, a Hero becomes stronger the more they train.”

 

With that single sentence, the academy life of the Heroes could become a bit more challenging.

 

However, Seo Woojin didn’t mind.

 

‘Because I can’t be the only one to suffer alone.’