Chapter 140: Evolution (6)
"That's incredibly small."
"It's not small!!! It can grow!"
"What good is sothing tiny growing... Tsk tsk."
"It'll grow huge, you'll see!"
High voices echoed through the training ground inside the temple. The conversation seed sowhat childish, yet the speakers were more serious than anyone.
"Grow huge, my ass. Even if it grows... If you're going to brag, do it properly—"
"It'll grow up to 2 ters!!!"
"2, 2 ters?"
Silence fell. At the unexpected declaration of 2 ters, Nishida Ryo stopped speaking.
"Nishida, it's not like you took offense at being called small. Why are you fighting with the kids?"
During that pause, Park Chang-ho scolded Nishida Ryo. After that, Park Chang-ho looked at the line of little children in the training ground.
'What on earth is Lord Riferoze thinking?'
Riferoze had first conducted death adaptation training. The Possessors suffered and died in various ways, then ca back to life. There was so resistance, but,
"Erik went through even harsher training. He grew up on the battlefield. If you want that too, I'll personally take you to conflict zones."
At those chilling words, everyone chose silence. After completing the adaptation training, Riferoze brought so kids and told them to spar... but.
"Hmph!!! We're not like that chubby yellow old man—we'll grow up to 2 ters!"
They were genuinely around ten years old. From their speech patterns to their mannerisms, they were truly young children—except they held swords. Park Chang-ho cald the child and asked,
"Who told you that?"
"Big Brother Erik!"
At that, Park Chang-ho imdiately accepted the children's words.
"So you'll grow up to 2 ters."
"If the Divine One said so..."
Nishida was the sa. Though internally, he had so doubts.
'If that cute girl who looks like a magical girl grows up to 2 ters... that's a bit...'
But since it was the word of the Divine One, the children would certainly grow to 2 ters.
"You believe that right away?"
anwhile, the children thought differently. When Erik had told the children they would grow to 2 ters.
"That's kind of..."
Lewell, as well as Erik's fellow orphanage workers who had taken on teaching roles, all had denied it in shock. As the conversation continued, Riferoze stepped forward.
"Is that all Erik told you?"
The children tilted their heads, then shouted as if rembering sothing.
"Oh! He also said to beat them up if they look down on you for being small!"
Only then did Riferoze nod with satisfaction.
'Erik, you've inherited my will well.'
She too had suffered in her younger days with her small stature, and Erik was the sa. That teaching was passed down through generations to these young children.
"Hoo."
However, Erik's teachings didn't stop there. Riferoze admired them, looking at the children.
"Co at us then."
Children just over 1 ter tall, or thereabouts, began flicking their swords and provoking the Possessors.
"...Even so, this is a bit much with kids."
The Possessors had common sense. They'd completed mandatory secondary education, so it was natural. It was strange enough that children were carrying swords, but were they supposed to spar with such little ones?
"No matter what, aren't these just young children?"
"Ha ha! If things go wrong, I'll step in, so don't worry."
At Park Chang-ho's question, Riferoze made a bold declaration.
'No matter how much the kids provoke, there's no way anyone would fall for it...'
But fighting with children seed like a mistake. That's when it happened.
"Chicken?"
The children asked.
"Ch-chicken?! I'm not scared!"
At those words, Nishida bristled. He adjusted his shield and activated his Taunt skill.
"You little brats!"
Park Chang-ho was startled. Nishida Ryo's [Designated Taunt] skill from his 2nd Class Change forced the target to attack him.
Whoosh!
Red light rippled over Nishida's shield.
"Wha, suddenly."
One child's consciousness snapped toward the shield. In an instant, the child's sword blazed with aura and crashed down on Nishida Ryo's shield.
Clang! Crack!
"Ugh!"
Nishida's arm bent backward. His shield fell to the ground and he tumbled across the floor.
"This fatty's trying to surprise us?"
The child pursued the rolling Nishida, striking down repeatedly with the blade.
Swish! Thud! Whack!
"Agh! St-stop. Aaaaah!"
Screams echoed. From the mont the small child demonstrated monstrous strength, to chasing down the bouncing opponent and beating him—it was terror itself.
'Is this... one of the children that Lord Erik raised with Priest Lewell?'
Kang Pung-ho shivered as she watched. Glancing beside her, Park Chang-ho showed similar shock. Only Riferoze beside them had her brow deeply furrowed.
"Tsk tsk, you have a long way to go. Stop!"
Riferoze clicked her tongue sharply. The small girl stopped beating and returned to her position.
"Well? How was it?"
All eyes focused on the white-skinned woman's movents. She looked at the swollen Nishida and asked. Then ca the response.
"I-I gained experience and stats again!"
Nishida's eyes displayed clearly:
[Training has ended.]
[Experience 0.15]
[Pain Resistance 0.01]
At those words, the white-eyed gaze turned toward the front of the temple. A World Tree the size of a sapling was visible.
"World Tree, what manner of power is this?"
At that question, the tree trembled. Then white lightning spread, and Riferoze, who had been in the training ground, appeared before the sapling.
"Not content with coveting my disciple Erik, you act uncooperatively—"
She stomped on the budding tree repeatedly. Then.
Whoooosh!!!
The water stream flowing from the dinsional gateway grew stronger. Holy water filled with divine power poured down on the temple like rain. The raindrops healed the wounded Possessors in the training ground.
"A mad tree that won't listen to reason."
Riferoze held her head, looking at one corner of the temple.
"Kyaaaah!"
Lewell, hiding in Erik's Sacred Throne, gasped in fright.
"Yes, Lewell. Now it's your turn."
Lewell's cyan eyes blinked. Then the white-skinned girl appeared right before him.
"Try shooting in that direction."
There was one thing Riferoze didn't understand most about this training. It wasn't the Leveling of the Possessors, nor the abnormal combat abilities of the orphanage children.
Swish!
Lewell extended her finger like aiming a gun at the distant sky. And she shouted with vigor.
"Hyah!!!"
Playful voice, gestures devoid of any seriousness. But.
Kaboom!!!
The divine power blooming from her fingertip was not. Golden divine power pierced through the temple's sky and flew away, and that power punched a hole through the clouds—perfectly.
The remaining divine traces lingered in the air like contrails. And at that sight, Riferoze's white eyes widened as if they would burst.
'What manner of power is this?'
It was an incomprehensible force.
***
"Unfortunately, the results were..."
Erik's eyes turned toward Jang Du-sik's ex-girlfriend. Clear golden eyes and iridescent pupils. Eyes inhumane, the woman's body trembled. Then ca a deep, low voice.
"...not her biological child. She probably wanted to squeeze so money from adult Du-sik, but unfortunately it didn't work out."
Erik smiled darkly.
'Trying to freeload off Du-sik, are we?'
Erik felt worried that the chestnut-haired child the woman brought might be biologically related, but reality was different. The sowhat relieved Erik was not to be underestimated, but Jang Du-sik's ex-girlfriend was formidable.
"B-but Du-sik should still take responsibility!!!"
Despite the revelation that she wasn't biologically related, she maintained her shaless deanor. At her shout, Janson stepped forward.
"Do you doubt the will of the Divine One?"
He grasped his sword's handle and exuded threatening pressure.
'On top of trying to use brother Du-sik, now she doubts the boss—'
At that pressure, the woman grew frightened. Jang Du-sik blocked her.
"Everyone, please don't be like this! First, since it's my matter, shouldn't I hear her out?"
Then the woman quickly recited the reasons why Du-sik should support her and the child. Hearing this, Jang Du-sik tilted his head.
"But didn't I destroy the brothel and save the won? And provide safe shelter for the old n in the back rooms? What's wrong with that?"
He seed unable to understand her words at all. But Erik thought differently.
"Right. So Du-sik destroyed the brothel and took away your job, and he shut down the broker organization where the old n worked, cutting off their livelihood too. Is that right?"
"Ye-yes!"
"And on top of that, because Du-sik is following around so brat calling him brother, you got dumped. Is that the story?"
"Yes!"
The woman's expression brightened. Then one more statent was added, and the woman's face turned pale and froze.
"That brat is . Did you know that?"
The 1-ter tall kid who dragged that greatsword around... Had beco a towering Paladin exceeding 2 ters? The woman's mouth fell open in shock.
"Du-sik, what do you want to do?"
"W-well, she's still my ex-girlfriend, so I should take care of her, right?"
A gentle smile crossed Jang Du-sik's face as Erik flicked a chestnut on his head.
Thwack!
"Ow! Wh-why'd you hit suddenly?"
"Du-sik, you almost beca soone else's kid's father and you still say that?"
Erik's eyes narrowed. He was concerned about Du-sik's gentle heart.
'That bastard acts like a thug but has a soft heart. He's completely defenseless.'
Once the situation settled sowhat, the woman shouted again.
"Still! You're responsible for destroying everything and making my life miserable!"
Erik felt heat at her shaless attitude, but internally agreed it was fair.
'Du-sik probably destroyed everything without thinking.'
He likely never thought about what would happen to the remaining people. He genuinely believed he was doing good and didn't doubt it. As expected.
"But you should be grateful I stopped you from doing bad things. Since you were living off that anyway, what's the difference?"
"...The destroyed brothel had fewer custors and lower prices. So it went under!!!"
"The child?"
"I don't know who the father is! Isn't it because Du-sik destroyed everything and disappeared?"
At this point, Erik decided he needed to organize the situation. So he made a proposal to the woman.
"How about taking refuge in the Astia Religious Order? You and the child would beco apprentice priests."
The woman hesitated.
"If I go there... I heard we have to do 5 years of faith training—"
This wasn't a negotiation or proposal.
"Then stay here."
It was an ultimatum.
"Du-sik, take her directly to the Order."
Erik smiled coldly. His gaze turned toward the Peran slums overflowing with black magic.
***
"Sending her to the Order makes her seem like a decent person."
"Janson, as you know, slum people are like that because they lack education, not because they're fundantally rotten." "Honestly, I thought you'd discard the woman, even if not the child, Boss."
Janson's words made Erik burst out laughing.
"I'm soone who beca a Divine One myself. I need to have at least this much compassion."
At Erik's words, Janson nodded. It clearly looked like Erik was just dumping her on the Order, but Janson saw it as an act of rcy.
"Khrm. Still true to yourself."
Janson's eyes visible between the helt beca mysterious. Erik tilted his head.
"Is there sothing you want to ask?"
For Erik. If Jang Du-sik was the one who trusted and followed him most—
'Janson is the one who understands best.'
So it sotis felt awkward.
"Boss, why did you send Du-sik away with the task of guiding her, and now we move separately?"
"What would happen if you let a helpless woman and child cross the conflict zone alone?"
"They'd die. There are so many monsters flowing from the Demon Realm..."
Yet Janson suspected Erik had so intent.
'Just giving her a Divine Blessing would be enough to reach the Order safely.'
He could have used teleportation instead. The fact that he specifically entrusted the guidance to Du-sik ant there was definitely intent.
"So what's the real reason?"
At the repeated question, Erik shrugged.
"Janson, where are we going?"
"To the Garcian Kingdom, sir."
"We'll hide our appearance, but do you think Du-sik can act?"
"Ah, that's a point."
Erik continued. According to Erik's investigation, all materials raised in the conflict zone are sent to the kingdom. Now he was going to turn over the kingdom, and if Du-sik shouted 'Hey! I'm Jang Du-sik!' there, it would cause chaos.
'The boss has aning in every small action.'
Erik has strong practical sensibilities. So Janson asked another question.
"What did you loot from those fake nobles in the conflict zone?"
"Janson, you know too well."
Erik drew a fresh smile. Then he pulled several items from his [Inventory].
"Guild Ho Transfer Tickets. Aren't these too common now?"
"Common is the problem."
He'd heard that the last Possessors to possess grabbed plenty of [Guild Ho Creation Tickets] and [Guild Ho Transfer Tickets] from cash items.
"Even so, seems like there's a separate way to obtain these."
The numbers were far too many.
"Since everyone's carrying these around..."
"Boss, that's not the end, is it?"
"Right."
Erik pulled out another item.
[Item Disassembler]
An item that turned useless equipnt into materials through breakdown.
"Isn't that similar to the Auction House function?"
It was more 'function' than 'item.' So Janson brought up Erik's [Auction House].
"Exactly. Why this is circulating as an item, I'm not sure... but I understand why the Extractors and Combiners disappeared from the Auction House."
Erik pointed toward the distant Garcian Kingdom.
"Janson, there are 500,000 Possessors. Currently about 470,000 since so died, but—"
He simply couldn't understand.
"It's been quite a while since the Empire said it would provide cities for Possessors."
Places like Lu-Solace or the Coalition were too far away, they said.
"But nobody cos, even though you only need to cross the conflict zone to reach the Garcian Kingdom. Sothing's wrong there."
Erik, the owner of the [Auction House]. Plus, now having obtained the [Auction House's] convenience function [Extractor]. Once people gathered, the ideal structure he dread of would be created. But he lacked custors, didn't he?
"Definitely, the kingdom is exercising strict control." "Garcian couldn't manage that—"
As they talked and walked, the Border Marquis of the Garcian Kingdom appeared before the two. The land had been devastated by the previous Holy War declaration, but...
"Since when is there a castle here?"
Before Janson's eyes stood a massive fortress wall. Its length evoked the Great Wall, and its height seed to pierce the heavens.
"Is it a Descender?"
Erik narrowed his eyes, looking at the overwhelming fortress wall.
Goooooooo!
The bricks of the black fortress wall emitted an ominous feeling. Between those bricks wafted a foul stench, and an eerie aura made skin turn cold.
'I'm feeling dread?'
But that wasn't the end.
"Boss, do you see this too?"
"Yeah, I see it clearly."
Status window notifications appeared before both their eyes, and their aning was singular.
Splash!
[You have entered the Necromancer's domain.]
[Field effect 'Land of the Dead' is applied.]
"The kingdom is completely consud."
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