But the summoned creatures’ interest in me was greater than I thought.
Just like when I tested ‘Gori’s’ performance, this time all the summoned creatures gathered around me.
In particular, the two Lizardman 1 brothers blew out big breaths and looked at me with intriguing expressions.
It was as if they were having a staring contest, trying to show that I was next.
“You can’t hide your excitement. If you had to choose between playing with you guys and spending time with Yeon-hee, what would you pick?”
I shook my head and stared ahead.
Rakan seemed so excited in that short moment that thin blood dripped from his nose.
“Khkehehek—”
“Oof… he really looks like a crazy wolf.”
And maybe I was going a bit crazy too. After defeating the Great Evil One, my once-clear mind felt murky again.
“Is it because I’ve been exposed to that filthy aura…? I feel an urge to tear Rakan apart.”
It had felt strange ever since that day I witnessed Bin Chi-seung’s wicked deeds.
“If this feeling grows stronger the more evil beings I defeat… I might need to control it a bit.”
Since my master understands such things well, I should ask him when I see him again.
No, he’d probably guide me without my needing to ask.
“Clap, Clap, Clap.”
I nudged the guy with my canine tooth to get started.
“Come on. If I move around a bit, I might feel better.”
The gap between me and him was significant, but it wasn’t hard to give him a few minutes to adapt to his new body.
“The energy I feel is definitely stronger than the Lizardman 1 brothers.”
The level of ‘Alpha Rakan’ was already far beyond that of ‘Tooth’.
So that means he’s at least mid-B rank.
Whoosh—
Without any signal, Alpha Rakan vanished from my sight in an instant.
Shweeet—pit-pit—
Only the grass where Rakan briefly stood quivered, revealing his movement.
His nimble footwork stirred up a wind of mana, which vividly registered in my mind, drawing an intangible line.
His movements darted about without any apparent pattern.
“To not use any skills and still move like that… his physical abilities are amazing.”
I was genuinely surprised, and I quickly focused my senses around me to engage in battle more seriously.
As the head of the summoned creatures, I couldn’t afford to look pathetic.
“Kyahh—!!”
“Rawr—!!”
As Rakan began to dash around me, the summoned creatures roared in excitement.
In their hands, they each held a piece of jerky that Yeon-hee had given them.
“Looks like they’re just thrilled when I fight, huh?”
Still, having an audience did liven things up, and then Rakan’s razor-sharp claws effortlessly grazed the spot where I had just been.
Whoosh—whoosh—
“Nice. His attack power is top-notch. With this, he should perform well in the Dire Wolf boss battle.”
Dodge once, dodge twice, and it turned into dodging twenty times.
His attacks were rough but fluid, showing gaps while not allowing any openings.
“His movements are bizarre. Is this what wild movement looks like?”
But he’s based on a human; how could he move like this?
Ting—titi—ting—
After several minutes of dodging and blocking his attacks, I reached one conclusion.
“Alright. Let’s use this guy for practice.”
There couldn’t be a better training partner for my companions, who were anxious about the gap with Yeon-hee.
We had tacitly agreed to take a break once a week, so I thought it’d be good to have everyone over for practice on our rest day.
“In any case, that was impressive.”
Pachin—!
“Kurrr—?!”
I used the absolute evasion technique, [Bran], to completely nullify his attack, and then I tightly grabbed the neck of the off-balance Alpha Rakan with [Toxic Scale].
“Success.”
“Kurr—krrrk…”
He tried to pry my tail off with both arms, but it was futile.
“The centipede hell’s hooked tail couldn’t even be easily undone by an ogre.”
It would have been better for him to cut off my tail with his proud claws.
He realized this too and tried to chop my tail with his claws, but the flame armor tightly wrapped around my tail didn’t break easily.
Whack—
I pulled his tail to knee him in the abdomen.
Crunch—
The sounds of several ribs cracking could be heard.
“Kwaah—!”
“Huh? That broke so easily?”
Given my strength was over 500, it seemed my destructive power exceeded my expectations. Or maybe my mind had just slipped into chaos.
Soon, foam began to spew from his mouth, and I used [Chain of Flame] to bind him and tossed him away like a trash bag.
Thud thud thud—
“Hey, take it easy.”
Yeon-hee muttered as she watched Rakan rolling while clutching his belly.
“Hmm…”
After slamming against the stone wall, Alpha Rakan thrashed for a while before losing consciousness, and seeing this, Yeon-hee sighed deeply and released the summoning.
“But Rakan is better off combined, right?”
Nod—
“It’s better to carry Rakan like this even if he loses some experience points. But wow, to subdue such a strong one so easily without using any special skills, Il-wol has really gotten strong?”
“Clap, Clap, Clap.”
“Wow— now there’s no denying it.”
I shrugged my shoulders at Yeon-hee, and caught up in the crescent-shaped curve of her eyes, I unconsciously brushed her face.
“Ah… huh?”
“Clap…?!”
Had I momentarily forgotten that I was in a skeleton state?
Snapping back to reality, I carried the blushing Yeon-hee inside the house.
At that moment, desire surged, but I quickly calmed my heart and laid her down on the floor.
“What a crazy guy—thinking like this in skeleton form.”
After absorbing the energy of the Great Beast, I had grown calm and bold, yet perhaps my balance had shattered.
“I shouldn’t take the transition between monster and human lightly. My mind is more delicate than I thought…”
I shook my head and carefully touched her ear and head resting on my knee.
And soon, Yeon-hee fell asleep.
Having pushed her limits today, I came in to put her to bed.
Yeon-hee immediately lost consciousness the moment her head touched my lap.
“To think of such a young girl…”
Looking at her youthful and beautiful face, I felt contempt for the previous me who had considered testing my new skill.
“Ah, Dark Space. I need to see my master.”
I gently woke Yeon-hee for a moment and requested to release the summoning.
“Ugh… I thought you might skip a day or two.”
‘……’
She rubbed her eyes as she released the summoning.
Despite her grumbling and feeling somewhat disappointed, Yeon-hee waved her hand cheerfully.
“Ugh… the pang of conscience…”
Upon entering the Dark Space, I immediately ran to Rainy.
Today wasn’t the day for my master to come.
But I fervently wished for him to arrive as I unleashed skills all around.
(Oh! Il-wol~! You came again today!)
Rainy greeted me as if we were meeting for the first time.
“Hmm, you haven’t grown that much this time?”
The effects from my previous efforts to maintain distance were quickly apparent.
(Of course, you only grow as much as you eat, right?)
“Well, that’s true.”
And soon, the long-awaited master appeared.
With more direct movements than usual, my master approached us, scrutinizing me before speaking.
[What kind of commotion did you cause to be making such a ruckus? And what have you been up to that’s got you covered in all that weird stuff?]
As expected, my master quickly sensed my oddities and pressed me on it.
I briefly explained the emergence of my new powers and the story of how I had defeated a certain man labeled as an evil-being.
[Hmm… I sense something’s off with the cost-benefit ratio.]
What could he mean by that?
[If the ‘guide’ designates someone as a Great Evil One, they’re not an ordinary villain, are they? You must’ve inherited that burden, having taken down that evil being. Not to mention, you’ve even inherited that villain’s skills; there may be rewards for overcoming the ‘big step.’ Hmm.]
My master often uses words that differ from our usual vernacular, and this wasn’t translated directly.
[The guide refers to the System… ‘big step’ refers to job changes. So, I made a trade where I come out at a loss? I felt like I had an advantage here. Hmm…]
As I scratched my head in confusion, my master looked at me for a moment, then softened his tone and spoke again.
[You needn’t worry too much, my disciple. Since you’ve split that evil being’s lifetime of dark deeds into your own Deed of Killing, your presence must’ve grown significantly, and you should be able to bear it well.]
[Oh… is that so?]
[But you will inevitably have to bear more from here on out. Fate will test you. A lonely battle has begun.]
[…… my Deed of Killing? Fate? I thought of it simply as recouping the skills of a villain. It seems it holds greater significance.]
I found myself staring blankly at my master, feeling a little overwhelmed.
[Simply put, this matter will resolve itself as your body and mind train. Of course, it won’t be an issue that can be solved by solitary meditation.]
[Understood. Ultimately, it’s about training and real-life experience.]
[Right, do your best. That’s all the talent you possess. Now, I must head back.]
[Wait, you’re leaving just like that?]
Is he really about to leave after only a few minutes of meeting?
[I just came to check on the mess you’ve made. I need to refine my secret art further, and thanks to you, it’s suffered a setback.]
[Um… I’m sorry. Still, thank you. Master.]
I bowed deeply, and my master left me with one final word.
[That dark energy dwelling in your body may prompt perspectives that differ from your usual thinking; so, whatever thoughts arise, weigh them carefully and avoid making careless mistakes. This energy is distinct from the stagnant qi that was once in you. It won’t be easy to solve quickly by traditional methods.]
After finishing his words, my master began to head back, but added one more thing.
[Now is not the time to be engrossed in dealing with evil beings. My disciple, now is the time for you to listen to your own voice and polish your skills. Never assume the guide’s suggestions are always correct. His intentions are… in any case, you must moderate yourself.]
[… Yes, understood.]
What could be the intention of the System?
I gazed longingly at my master’s retreating form as if looking at a person.
While contemplating my master’s words, I continued my routine training and supplied Rainy with mana before being called out a little early.
Because I had promised my companions to advance the boss battle a bit earlier than I had failed to do yesterday.
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