It was only after the Dark Soul As One skill expired that Jinhyuk regained his sight.

As expected, there was no one standing in front of him.

Tenchao had long since breathed his last, reduced to mere tatters.

Throbbing! Throbbing! Throbbing!

Jinhyuk furrowed his brows slightly at the pain throbbing throughout his body.

Using up to the eighth form was indeed too much for now.

Faced with the last stronghold leader, he had decided to test the higher forms of his sword techniques.

The power was undoubtedly overwhelming, touching upon a realm that was much too high compared to his level and proficiency.

It seems this is why not only software but also hardware is equally important.

No matter how exceptional the inside is, if the outside is lacking, efficiency plummets.

Muscle soreness is no joke. I must fully recover using breathing techniques before I go to bed.

Just as Jinhyuk was steadying himself, an alert popped up.

[You have acquired the skill Heaven-and-Earth Net (BB)!]

[Heaven-and-Earth Net]

Description: Meaning the net of heaven and earth, it refers to an inescapable encirclement network. This skill marks a targets location within a 10km radius and predicts the optimal route by analyzing their trajectory and possible variables.

Note: The efficiency of this skill increases with the number of allies present.

[The copied ability will be stored in Worlds Memory.]

The notification window signaling the successful condition for copying appeared.

Heaven-and-Earth Net.

He had obtained a skill that could be useful in pursuit or in following without being noticed.

Its a bit disappointing that I couldnt obtain Ricard Changs abilities too, but this haul is more than enough to make use of.

Considering that Eris had disappeared without even leaving a corpse, there was no choice but to give up on that lead.

Jinhyuk dusted the dirt off his body.

He had dispatched Sylvia to join up with Teslons group, so there shouldnt be any problems

The remaining rangers, familiar with the forests layout, would be able to pursue the remnants of the Central Guild without difficulties.

Yes. Regardless of what anyone said, this was the land of the elves.

With the stronghold leaders vanquished, there should be no variables to consider.

The battle was over.

***

Shanghai, China.

In this city where one of the branches of the Central Guild was located, an emergency had been declared due to a sudden and unexpected incident.

The reason for the gathering was simple: the battle group that had gone to the 6th floor, the Elf Forest, had been completely annihilated.

Within the heavy and oppressive atmosphere, about a dozen men and women sat around a table, conducting a meeting.

All three S-rank members and the five-hundred-member assault team were annihilated. We have a few surviving scouts sending information, but theres no doubt about the validity of their reports.

A man fanned himself as he spoke, despite the air conditioning set to a low temperature. The heat radiating from his body was more likely due to the stress of the situation rather than the temperature.

Even a First-Class Ranger is just at a mana level below 5000. Thats a level that even an A-class player can handle. But what kind of method did those damn elves use to subdue three stronghold leaders?

Now, a woman with short hair furrowed her eyebrows.

She too was one of the top rankers of the Central Guild, having received an S-rank assessment.

She could not accept that players of their caliber had been defeated by mere elves.

According to the scout reports, it was the work of Kang Jinhyuk. Yeah, that ranker whos currently on the rise in Korea.

Hah So it was that guy again causing trouble.

Damn it. Yeah, Ive seen videos of that guy too. A complete monster. No wonder they failed.

Why does that damned man keep meddling in our business? Even if the ones there clearly said they were part of the Central Guild, did he still continue to attack them?

The name Kang Jinhyuk brought out irritated voices from all over the place.

Complaints, grumbles, and jealousy mixed together in that room.

Then

State what cards we have to play. What can we do?

The man sitting at the center of the table, radiating a sharp aura and standing at 190cm with a sturdy build, was none other than Liao Wei, the second-in-command and Vice Master of the Central Guild.

The man who started the briefing immediately responded.

Tenchao, Ricard Chang, and Shu Hua had an early power level reading in the 10,000s. They were strong but ranked middle to upper within our guild.

Not all S-ranks are created equal.

Since the ranking system wasnt fully developed yet, anyone with a total magic and other ability level over 10,000 got lumped into the S-rank category.

Then

We only need to send rankers with similar or higher levels to deal with him. Those with mana readings over 20,000. In other words, any of our main assault team leaders or assassins from the executory division could easily suppress even the most arrogant ranker from the peninsula.

The Central Guild was not ranked among the worlds top seven guilds for nothing.

They had an immense pool of talent.

They had sent a force well equipped to subdue the elves, but now that things had turned out this way, they simply had to reorganize with more suited warriors.

Fortunately, there was still time until the date set by Namgung Cheon.

Is that enough to solve the problem? Liao Wei asked again.

Yes. The second assault team has just returned from a labyrinth raid. With your permission, we could even take Kang Jinhyuks head right now.

The second assault team, you say

Liao Weis eyes narrowed.

If it was the second assault team, which was known for its synergy within the Central Guild, they might stand a chance.

Unlike the hastily mobilized team sent to the elf forest, this team was a carefully crafted flagship unit.

No matter how rampant our enemy is, he wont stand a chance this time.

Yes.

Even if the opponent was nearly as powerful as a boss monster, it didnt matter.

This time, they would capture him and wash away this humiliation.

But then.

Technically, you all just babble like fools, gathering around here.

A sound interrupted as a man emerged slowly from a shadowy corner of the room, away from the table.

Every man and woman jerked and shuddered at the sudden appearance.

Liao Wei himself exuded a formidable presence, but this newly appeared man was on a whole other level.

A different level of inner strength.

With the opening of his mouth alone, the meeting room felt like it was being overwhelmed.

Mo Yong-su sir

Mo Yong-su, the head of the Mo family, was one of the five great families that had built up both martial arts and chivalry over the ages in [Moorim]one who shouldnt be present outside the tower.

Indeed. Originally, I had no intention of interfering in your affairs, but if left unchecked, it seems the same mistake will repeat itself.

A remark full of implication.

Liao Wei immediately understood its meaning.

Does that mean even the second assault team is insufficient?

Thats correct.

Understanding reality without needing a further explanation, Liao Wei accepted the situation coolly.

Anyone else might be mistaken, but he knew Mo Yong-su was never wrong.

However, not everyone shared that sentiment.

You, you cant possibly mean?

Youre not serious, are you?

Were talking about just one person! Its overwhelming to even send the entire main force of the Central Guilds second assault team and youre saying theyre still insufficient?

Perhaps their pride was wounded.

Like injured wild dogs, they barked louder.

Mo Yong-su snorted and turned his head away.

Earlier, there seemed to be a record of the opponents appearance. Show that to me. If your eyes arent mere holes on your face, youll see and feel something.

Ah, yes, sir.

[The recording will now play.]

The video of Tenchao and Jinhyuks battle started playing.

It had been taken from a distance, so the image wasnt very clear.

Nevertheless, the sight of Jinhyuk nullifying the Blood Demonic Formation and his opponents actions was unmistakable.

Hes quite skilled, but thats more our players fault for their errors.

The Blood Demonic Formation leans more on a violent, reckless array rather than precision.

Tch, I can handle that much myself

The evaluations that followed were more emotional than objective.

Just as I thought, these fools cannot see it.

Mo Yong-sus eyes twinkled with recognition.

Strong.

Overwhelmingly so.

The use of the Dark Soul Sword was interesting to him, not often seen even within Moorim.

But more captivating to Mo Yong-su was the depth of swordsmanship the opponent had shown.

Who would have thought someone could use the Dark Soul Sword up to the eighth form.

The completeness, the power, and the understanding of the swordseeing it was so impressive that he had to consciously hold back his exclamations of awe.

And if, by chance, what Kang Jinhyuk had shown was not all

If he could perform the ninth form of the Dark Soul Sword no, even beyond that?

Mo Yong-su felt a cold sweat running down his back.

I might even have trouble myself.

Maybe

He may have chosen the wrong successor to carry on Moorims name outside the tower.

Instead of Namgung Cheon, perhaps he should have selected that man.

And he may come to regret this misjudgment someday.

Mo Yong-su started to sincerely comprehend this.

Namgung Cheon will hear it from me directly. As for you, step back from this matter. Its unfortunate, but you are not equipped to handle this opponent.

***

Time flew in the hustle and bustle of trying to recover the corpses and restore the village.

Before he knew it, about three weeks had passed since Jinhyuk arrived in the Elf Forest.

The festival had been postponed, but in the meantime, Jinhyuk spent his time quite beneficially.

[Lv10 Glacial Sculpture is activated!]

[3-star Barrier Sevenfold Barrier is activated!]

Seamless coordination between the skill and barrier.

Jinhyuk was now mastering the technique of trapping opponents predicted to escape with the barrier while suppressing them with the Glacial Sculptureit all flowed as naturally as water.

Aaahh! My noble legs and wings Its so cold. I feel like Im really going to freeze to death!

Eris, whose thighs were frozen up to, screamed out in terror.

In exchange for helping with skill practice, Jinhyuk had promised her Carbonara spaghetti and fine wine.

But as payment for her assistance, Eris had to endure an extreme part-time job.

Hmm.

The noise is continuing; maybe I should freeze her mouth too?

Cold mosquitoes! Ice mosquitoes!

Goguma, playing around nearby, seemed to be full of cheer as he exclaimed.

His yellow eyes widened with joy despite his tail sporting an ice lump the size of a fist.

Ive grown quite familiar with it now.

Other than occasionally helping the elves, he spent all day immersed in practice.

Seeking a slightly more efficient combination.

Striving for a slightly more optimal configuration.

Diving into it madly.

Thanks to this, Ive discovered quite a few interesting things.

Jinhyuks lips curled up at the corners.

Other players would be spending 90 days hunting haphazardly or acquiring useless items.

But Im different.

He could feel every day passing with substance.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

And thats why he was excited.

To see how the gap now would have an impact later.

To see how much more it would connect him to better rewards and fateful encounters.

All of it.

Just then, as Jinhyuk was indulging in his imagination.

Uh hey, is there a chance you have a campfire or something?

Eris, her face ghastly pale, approached.

Cold?

What? Ha! As if! For a noble creature of the night like me, this level is merely refreshing! I am merely concerned that this reptile that resembles a roasted sweet potato might catch a cold, thats all.

Hmm.

His response was dubious, given her face looked more like a recruit in mid-winter training

Jinhyuk glanced over at Eris with suspicion.

Eris flinched but soon diverted her gaze.

Teasing her further and jabbing at her pride might lead to some disaster.

Fine, Ill trust you. As you said, we cant have our Goguma catching a cold.

Whoosh!

Engaging the Element of Fire, warmth filled the air.

Hah

Finally, Eris seemed to come back to life with a relaxed expression, warming up.

But then.

Whats that?

Something caught Jinhyuks eye as he was casually finding his place.