< New Garden (1) >
Kieeek— KUNG!
A heavy thud resonated as something weighty hit the floor.
In a spacious area filled with all sorts of exercise equipment, there was enough room for dozens to train simultaneously, yet there was only one person using it.
And that was only natural.
This place was originally created solely for me—a personal space, after all.
Hoo.
Setting down the specially designed massive barbell, I wiped the sweat off my face with the towel hanging around my neck and reached for a bottle of drink nearby.
Gulth— Gulth—
Khuh!
A refreshing coolness instantly relieved my thirst.
Not only that, but new energy began to permeate every single cell that had been overworked, and my stamina, which was nearly depleted, started to rise rapidly.
“The effects are definitely impressive.”
It would have startled others, but to me, this was no big deal.
After all, this had long become a part of my daily routine.
“As expected, the leaves of the World Tree. It’s no wonder they say it’s used as an ingredient for elixirs.”
I set down the drink made from the leaves of the World Tree and twisted my body a little.
Not only elixirs but also the high-grade potions made by elves always contained this ingredient, so its recovery effects were unquestionable.
“Of course, I adjusted the concentration to tamper with its efficacy.”
No matter how good the ingredients, relying too much on such substances for physical refinement wasn’t a good idea.
Just boosting my own “Sturdiness” and maximizing “Super Recovery” to an extreme was enough to aid in my training.
“This might be a luxury, though.”
An unintentional snicker escaped my lips.
That such a precious ingredient as the leaves of the World Tree was used just for a sports drink while exercising.
If the elves of the Elven Kingdom found out about this, they might clutch their necks and collapse.
“Eh, with what I’ve done, would they really complain over something like this?”
If I were to consider it, even raiding the entire warehouse where the byproducts of the World Tree were stored wouldn’t be excessive.
Though, I was already collecting piles of stuff just like I did when fetching my items.
I tried to ignore the whispers of the World Tree gardeners buzzing in my ears and scanned the indoor gym.
In fact, the extravagance I displayed for my training was not limited to just that.
“Hmm, quite splendid.”
The multitude of practical yet aesthetically pleasing exercise equipment filled this wide space.
Everything here was hand-crafted by the dwarf Howard, each item meticulously made.
Based on the principles of modern exercise equipment, he designed them to his specifications and poured in all sorts of rare materials, creating unique treasures that could only be found here.
This place was truly a paradise that all fitness enthusiasts dreamt of.
“The training effect is better compared to before, too.”
Feeling satisfied, I nodded slowly.
This was definitely not just my imagination.
Howard’s “Spirit of a Craftsman” maximized each item’s inherent potential to the limit and elevated them to the realm of magical equipment.
It was only natural that the workout gear he made would be incomparable to mass-produced ones.
“That’s it for today.”
Having completed today’s training routine, I stood in front of a mirror.
My naked upper body was covered with sculpted muscles.
With low body fat, the visible muscle fibers flexed, proudly showcasing their existence.
“Of course, this amount wouldn’t stand a chance against our reliable Harley or Heinrich.”
Those two were, after all, beyond mere comparison.
How could my home workouts compete with two physical monsters born as mutants and the pinnacle of gym enthusiasts, the Knight?
However, even my physique now was not something to be easily dismissed.
With substantial physical enhancement through immense karma and consistent hard training since gaining “Super Recovery,” I had far surpassed the realm of an ordinary human.
Adding to that the powers of skills like “Great Strength” and “Hyper Sense,” I could easily knock down low-tier returnees with just my bare hands.
“Still, that’s not enough.”
Those returnees weren’t just ordinary folks; they had returned with the mysteries of various worlds stored within them.
In contrast, I had no energy accumulated within me after not crossing over to another world, making it normal that I couldn’t use specific “Energy.”
Clench!
I clenched my fist.
Feeling the immense strength in my grasp.
It wasn’t just physical might.
Woo-wong—
Scarlet flames ignited from my fist.
This supernatural ability, “Biotic Aura,” ignited my biotic energy and unleashed explosive destructive power.
But I didn’t stop there.
Brilliant platinum holy energy enveloped my grasp as the crimson flames died down.
Moments later, black magic seeped around me like a haze.
The metallic scent of blood magic wafted out, and natural energy spread softening the surroundings, becoming a heavy presence of internal energy.
After alternating between various powers within just a few breaths, I nodded with satisfaction.
“Wonderful.”
It was indeed rewarding to have consistently trained the passive enhancement from the “Entity Projection” side effect.
While it might not be as effective as the avatar itself, being able to draw the desired energy at any moment was an impressive perk.
Plus, since I wasn’t actually using the energy stored within my body, no one could guess I was an Awakened One until I unleashed it.
“And if I use Heinz II’s ‘Existence Denial’ to hide any discomfort, no one would suspect me.”
With no remarkable energy in my body and no detectable discomfort?
At that point, even the Heavenly Demon, who had caught onto Hugo’s identity, wouldn’t perceive me.
“Plus, if needed, I can also use ‘Entity Projection.’”*
As long as I didn’t put myself in dangerous situations, I should be safe.
Of course, given my nature, I wouldn’t be in such places anyway.
After showering to wash off the sweat, I settled into a massage chair, relaxing.
“Hoo.”
I savored the pressure of the state-of-the-art massage chair working on my whole body while calmly organizing the thoughts that floated in my head.
Even at this moment, situations in other places were smoothly progressing.
Not just in Auterica, which was my original garden, but also in the Ganghwan Realm, which had recently gained my attention.
I focused my attention on the recent completion of the tasks.
“The Demon Cult is more or less taken care of. Of course, there are still remnants left, but now that the main force has been captured, dealing with them shouldn’t take long.”
Hans, who had invaded the Demon Cult alone, had finally succeeded in completely engulfing it.
With overwhelmingly thick black magic paired with brute force, he effectively seized it.
Of course, the Demon Cult tried to resist, but at that moment, no one was left capable of leading counterattacks.
“The guys who ambushed the Shaolin Temple with the Heavenly Demon haven’t returned yet either.”
Not just them, but other elite troops dispatched across the continent to secure the Dragon’s children were also missing.
Even the Demon Cult’s vice-general, the military Kwakgima-sun, was absent, making it almost akin to an empty house.
Though they seemed to have sufficient defensive measures, such as Jiangshi and various techniques, it appeared they were still focused on protecting their main base.
“But that’s only useful against standard enemies.”
Unfortunately, the Demon King of the other world who descended upon the Ganghwan Realm wasn’t exactly a ‘standard’ opponent—Hans.
Rather, because of him, everything they had prepared, including Jiangshi and formation techniques, fell straight into his hands.
“Hmm, well— I can leave that side to Hans. While he specializes in dealing with those involved in magic, it’s also true that those Demon Cultists are beings of magic.”
Dealing with such beings was precisely Hans’s expertise!
Having led an army of immortals for years without a hitch, he was essentially an experienced rookie.
“Surely he’ll wipe out all the remnants before they can even notice any sign of danger.”
“As for Gonmudo… it’s looking good too.”
Perhaps due to the Demon Cult’s ferocity, they were actively supporting Horus.
The focal point of Horus’s recent activities was how to use the Dragon Pearl in conjunction with the Dragon Heart.
It was terribly inefficient to use those two immensely powerful cores separately.
“The total amount of energy is already sufficient. The most effective method would be a dual-core system.”
However, right now, my understanding of sorcery was far inferior to my knowledge of magic.
To resolve this, I would need to balance both sides in some way.
Ultimately, it was a problem requiring time.
“… Time is still on my side. With Hans having seized the Demon Cult, Gonmudo has gained more leeway than expected. Plus, securing the Dragon’s children remains the top priority.”
As expected, the Heavenly Demon Church, upon investigation, found no living Dragon’s children.
The Demon Cult had been steadily searching for and abducting them before this event, sacrificing everyone they caught to strengthen their own power, thus ensuring that they’d never resurrect the Dragon Heart.
The reason the Heavenly Demon could use the Head of the Buncheon Society’s holy power without major loss and why the Murim warriors’ internal energy felt unnatural when facing the Demon Cult was all due to that process.
“These beings were designated from the get-go to reconstruct the Dragon Heart, the greatest mystery of the Ganghwan Realm. They were the optimal sacrifices for use in other ways.”
I clicked my tongue lightly, frowning.
It dawned on me that the current situation was more challenging than I had thought.
I didn’t know how many Dragon’s children existed in this world, but their numbers couldn’t have been that large.
“Considering how weak they were born, if they were born in a poor household, they probably died before reaching adulthood. In the end, the number of those who have survived until now would only be a handful, and with the Demon Cult’s interference…”
I had no idea how many Dragon’s children would be needed for the ritual to rebuild the Dragon Heart.
However, while nothing had been decided yet, it was only natural that more would be better.
What if I managed to find an alternative solution, only for their number to be insufficient for me to even attempt it?
“I need to move more proactively. Although their basic policy is to take them back to the main base to sacrifice, some might change their minds along the way.”
In that case, it would be ideal for Harley, who was currently wandering around Gonmudo.
Honestly, I had been looking for opportunities to create some disturbance and gnaw at the youkai’s meat, having heard that he had completely overwhelmed Do-ol in combat.
Now that everyone was secretly hiding away, fearing his prowess, it only made sense.
“I’m fine with that side. I discovered lots of inner treasures filled with the youkai’s essences in the Demon Cult’s laboratory.”
These two groups had been hunting each other, engaging in skirmishes for some time.
The main base of the Demon Cult had amassed an astonishing number of byproducts, including parts from the top-tier supernatural beings known as divine beasts.
“A tortoise shell of a black tortoise, a qilin horn, and even the Dragon Pearl… It’s literally a gold mine.”
Having reached this conclusion, there was no need for hesitation.
I directed Harley to inspect the last avatar located in the Ganghwan Realm.
With Hugo and the Zhuge family’s companions hurriedly returning home, thanks to Harley defeating most hostile sects along the way, the journey back was surprisingly pleasant.
If it weren’t for that, those defenses might have been quite vulnerable as they hastily moved.
“At this rate, we should arrive soon.”
To be honest, it was already quite late, but information gathered from them would be quite useful in tracking the enemy.
I momentarily refocused my attention before turning away again.
Anyway, I had now gathered all the situational awareness needed, leaving just one important task.
This was, in fact, the most important thing to do.
“Settling accounts.”
Without realizing it, the corners of my mouth turned up.
The karma supplied from Auterica was as stable as always, but given the recent significant events in the Ganghwan Realm, there was some anticipation for what was to come.
“… Oh?”
Before attending the Murim Alliance meeting, I checked my karma right after acquiring skills through a ‘random draw’, including “Imitation.”
It stood at around 360,000 karma…
『Current Karma – 6,212,830』
Indeed, the endeavor to establish a new garden was a tremendous success.
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