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5. Midterm Exam

“Before starting the midterm test, I want you to clearly recognize that the goal of this test is not to measure how strong you are when you have just started walking. So do your best, but don’t overdo it to the point of leaving scars that can’t be washed away for a lifetime. Understood?”

“Yes!”

At first glance, the instructor’s demand to do their best while not overdoing it might sound contradictory.
However, his words were a clear fact.
It was because there were sometimes cases where children with no talent or skill would go overboard to the point of throwing away their lives in order to survive at the academy.

“Sigh, is it starting now? I’m nervous. Right?”

“Not really.”

“Well, I’m the fool for asking.”

Seong Yu-ra tried to confide her nervousness to Han Seol next to her, but the moment she looked up at his face, she could realize how foolish a question she had asked.

“The 1:1 mock battle test that will start first is a test of whether you properly understand the position you have chosen now. Those who think they only need to focus on defense because they are a tanker, those who think they can neglect defense because they are an attacker who sticks to close-range attacks, those who fantasize that they can attack safely because they are a long-range dealer – they will all taste bitterness. The opponents are class versus class, and no one knows which classes will face each other, including the instructors. We’ll decide that now.”

The instructor began selecting the classes that would be the opponents for the mock battles through a draw.
Han Seol’s class was Class 1, and the opponent was chosen to be Class 5 as a result of the draw.

Then, murmurs began to flow among the children of Class 1.
It was closer to worry and concern rather than excitement.

“The atmosphere doesn’t seem very good.”

When Han Seol read the atmosphere, Seong Yu-ra was slightly surprised, but soon nodded and explained upon realizing that the other person was Han Seol.

“You didn’t know? Well, you’re someone who’s not interested in even your own classmates. Still, you know about Han Ji-woong from Class 5, right? Even if you don’t know his name, you must have seen the kid who was the largest at the entrance ceremony.”

“The big kid? Come to think of it…”

It vaguely remained in Han Seol’s own memory as well.
It was ingrained in his mind because the kid boasted a height and size larger than adults among 15-year-olds.

“From what I hear, he’s aiming to be a tanker. I don’t know for sure, but I guess the result won’t be good for whoever faces that guy.”

“…”

Han Seol didn’t reply at all.
However, one thing he could be sure of was that no matter who he faced, there would absolutely be no bad results for him in the current 1:1 mock battle.

* * *

After the class draw was over, the training ground was divided into sections, and the opposing classes drew their match opponents.
Since no one knew who would face whom, the students had no choice but to be extremely nervous.

It would be comfortable if the same types were matched, but as the instructor mentioned, an attacker could face a dealer, or a dealer could face a tanker.
This also meant there was a possibility of an attacker facing a tanker.

‘Please, Dangun-nim, God, Buddha! I’m praying like this, so please let me face the same dealer. At least not a tanker, please…!’

While Seong Yu-ra was earnestly praying to every god next to him, Han Seol checked the matchup table with his usual expressionless eyes.
Gradually, the empty spaces on the matchup table were filled, and soon, each other’s opponents were determined.
The same went for Han Seol.

However…

Murmur murmur.

The moment Han Seol’s match opponent was determined, the gazes of the Class 1 children focused on Han Seol.
In their eyes, there was no encouragement or cheering, but pity and sympathy.
Even Seong Yu-ra, who thought they had become somewhat close.

“What do we do… I guess my loose tongue brought bad luck. I’m sorry, Han Seol…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Han Seol’s randomly determined opponent was none other than Han Ji-woong.

Soon, according to the matchup table and order determined through the draw, the students took to the arena one by one.
The weapons used were the training weapons they were accustomed to.

Eventually, with the instructor attending as the referee, the matches began.

“Hyaaa!”

“Haah!”

The instructors called the first-year midterm test ‘threshing’.
Just like threshing grains from wheat or barley ears, this was the time when they could filter out the most untalented troublemakers and pick out useful talents.

Clang, ta-dang! Ta-da-dat, swish!

The other students watching their peers, who were trying their best to target each other while holding the same or different weapons, and the referee were also observing with eagle eyes.

Especially the students who thought of their positions one-dimensionally, as the instructor said, struggled without fail.
Tankers who only thought of defense often missed opportunities for counterattacks even when they saw them, getting beaten and ending up like that, while attackers, on the contrary, focused only on offense after approaching close range and got hit by counterattacks they could have easily avoided, leading to absurd results.

Dealers trying to attack from long range were even more pathetic.

“Uwaah!”

“Ah, um, wait…”

“Class 5, Kim Nam wins.”

When Kim Nam, the attacker from Class 5, deflected the incoming arrows with his sword and approached point-blank, Ju Min-hwa, the dealer from Class 1, finally sat down on the spot and burst into tears.

“Take a good look. That’s the most fatal mistake an archer can make.”

“Huh? Why? I think that Kim Nam kid did well to go up. Min-hwa’s arrows had power and good aim too.”

At Seong Yu-ra’s words, Han Seol shook his head.

“That’s under the condition of being protected by others. For an archer, losing ‘distance’ is the same as sticking your neck out and asking to be killed. No matter how good the power and accuracy, arrows flying from the front are relatively easy to deflect. And it’s easy to approach after deflecting.”

“Does that mean Min-hwa will fail?”

“Didn’t the instructor say at the beginning? This test isn’t about seeing skill, but potential. The kid named Ju Min-hwa that I saw will become quite a useful archer if he learns to use his feet. At least much better than you are now.”

“I feel like the last part was unnecessary!”

While Seong Yu-ra blushed and puffed her cheeks, the referee called out the next contestants after the arena was cleared.

“Han Seol from Class 1 and Han Ji-woong from Class 5, step forward.”

At the call, Han Seol got up from his seat and headed to the arena.
However, no one paid attention to Han Seol.
It was because the presence of Han Ji-woong approaching from the opposite side was too immense.

“Is that physique possible with the same nutrition capsules? Amazing.”

“Shh! He’ll hear you.”

“If a guy like that tanks for our team, it would be really reassuring.”

“I know…”

Everyone looked at Han Ji-woong with gazes of awe or ridicule, but Han Ji-woong didn’t care at all.
His mind was solely focused on Han Seol in front of him.

Han Seol also felt like it would be an interesting match as soon as he faced Han Ji-woong.

“Begin!”

When the teacher signaled the start of the mock battle, Han Ji-woong put forward his tower shield matching his physique and lowered his posture to ensure stability.
Only Han Ji-woong’s gaze was revealed from behind the shield.

“Crazy! How do you break through that 1:1?”

“That guy is the only one who’s pitiful.”

“But that guy named Han Seol, was he in our class? When did he transfer?”

Seeing that iron wall-like appearance, the students were shocked and everyone predicted Han Seol’s defeat.
Realistically, it seemed like the practice sword Han Seol was holding alone couldn’t even scratch Han Ji-woong’s tower shield.

However, the reason Han Seol found Han Ji-woong interesting was different.

‘It’s not easy to remain this calm in such an overwhelming advantage. Impressive.’

Despite having an overwhelming advantage, Han Ji-woong never rushed.
He slowly pressured Han Seol while carefully observing his movements little by little.

‘If he didn’t learn this, then this guy is a genius. A genius of tanking.’

Pressure wasn’t something that could be achieved by simply rushing without giving a break.
Like Han Ji-woong now, slowly reducing the opponent’s path of action and cutting off their retreat while cornering them mentally.
This was the highest form of ‘pressure’ a tanker could exert.

However, the opponent was none other than Han Seol.
And Han Seol was the apex predator who had subdued countless stronger opponents with defense on a different level from Han Ji-woong.

That predator finally finished analyzing his prey and began to move.

Pat!

…!

The moment Han Seol moved, the eyes of the Class 1 and Class 5 students doubled in size compared to usual.
Some students even opened their mouths or stammered because Han Seol’s movement was unbelievably fast.

Of course, this was not acceleration using mana.
It was just that his way of utilizing his body was different from the students.

‘Phew…’

Han Ji-woong, who became tense, deeply exhaled and relieved his tension appropriately.
The opponent was rushing at an unbelievably fast speed, but it was fine.

‘As long as he only charges from the front, I can deflect him as much as I want!’

For Han Ji-woong, the tower shield was both a shield and a weapon.
Just extending the tower shield forward with elastic force in his arm was enough to become an excellent charging attack.

However…

Swish!

‘He disappeared…!’

The moment he reached the range of the charge, Han Seol disappeared from sight.
The shield extended out almost instinctively because he had already entered the charging range.

It was proof of thorough training, but that thorough training caught his ankle this time.

‘I don’t feel it!’

If the charge had succeeded, he should have felt the opponent’s body colliding with the shield.
But his shield felt nothing, as if it had struck empty air.

No, there was a sensation.
The sensation of ‘pain’, different from charging, tingled up from his ankle.

‘Ugh!’

Han Ji-woong swallowed a groan and immediately twisted his body in the direction where he felt the pain.
Han Seol had to give up his follow-up attack and distance himself, finding it hard to believe that Han Ji-woong could change direction while holding a tower shield weighing over 40kg.

‘His waist strength is good. His response was quick too. Above all, even in the face of an unexpected ambush, he became calmer than before, let alone getting excited. It seems it will be difficult to end this quickly.’

While Han Seol inwardly analyzed Han Ji-woong’s response, the children couldn’t close their opened mouths, and even the instructor who attended as the referee was so surprised that he didn’t notice a drop of cold sweat flowing from his forehead.

‘A-are these guys really first-years?’

Although Han Ji-woong was impressive, the real reason the instructor was surprised was none other than Han Seol’s ambush.

The opponent was covering his body with a tower shield and was taller than him by two heads even when standing up.
Yet, not only did he charge from the front, but he also analyzed the charging distance in an instant and rather lowered his body to slip into Han Ji-woong’s blind spot. It was something that couldn’t be attempted with ordinary guts.

If he were to be hit by a weighted charge while in a lowered posture, his bones could break, let alone being pushed back.

‘But that guy did it like it was nothing and accurately attacked the ankle ligament. They say the bending part of a joint usually has weak defense, but there are only a few among third-years who can accurately aim for that. Moreover, someone who can strike with power even in such an unstable posture…’

Objectively analyzing, there were none even among the third-years.
Meaning, a ‘monster’ capable of such a feat.

4.  Outsider

‘Hmm…’

Break time.
After briefly looking around the classroom, Han Seol could realize that the situation was more serious than expected.

‘When did they get so close?’

Even if it’s ‘suddenly’, it’s already been half a year.
Rather, at this very moment, Han Seol’s gaze, which looked at his classmates as if seeing them for the first time, could be said to be stranger.

‘This is troublesome.’

If it were just passing the midterm exam, it would be no problem doing it alone as it is.
As long as he passed the 1:1 evaluation match and mock battle, he would surpass the cut-off line.

However, after hearing about the privilege for the top 3 from Yoo Jun-sang, his goal changed.
Unconditionally first place in the year.

The value of a D-grade skill book ranged from a minimum of 1 gold to a maximum of 5 gold per book.
1 gold had a value equivalent to 1 million won in old currency. If there were three books, it meant a product worth a minimum of 3 million won to a maximum of 15 million won.

If he could get it just by being first place, there was no need to give it up, right?
He expected that with the skills he had trained so far, being first place in the 1:1 evaluation match and mock battle wouldn’t be difficult.

The problem was the 3:3 group match.
Han Seol, who showed up on the training ground instead of the infirmary for the first time in a while, could see students already gathering in threes and focusing on training.

‘That guy is…?’

While looking around at the students training like that, one child caught Han Seol’s eye.
It was a kid who couldn’t participate in the training and was just sitting far away watching what the others were doing.

The number of people in one class was fifty.
If they formed teams of three, two people would be left in the end, so one of them was Han Seol, and the remaining one was that child.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

Perhaps because Han Seol spoke too overbearingly, the student who was just spectating responded using honorifics without realizing it.
Of course, Han Seol didn’t care about that fact at all.

“Are you alone?”

“Well, that’s… yes.”

‘Was it a girl? I couldn’t tell because the body was too skinny.’

Han Seol, who realized through the voice of the responding… no, her voice, that she was a female student, not a male student, asked her.

“Couldn’t find a team?”

“Well… I have a weak body and actually didn’t enter this academy because I wanted to become a hunter…”

She was also a case where her parents forcibly put her in the academy.

“So you have no regrets about going back home like this?”

“I can’t do anything anyway. I’ll just be a burden to the other kids.”

“I’m the one who decides that, not you. Stand up.”

At Han Seol’s sudden order to stand up, the female student looked up at him with surprised eyes.

“Why all of a sudden…?”

“It means I’ll test whether you’re really a useless person here.”

The female student couldn’t understand what Han Seol was saying.
However, she could clearly feel that Han Seol was serious right now.

The female student reluctantly stood up from her seat.
She thought that once he got to know her, he would give up on his own.

“Position?”

“I’m not confident in close combat, so I’m currently learning the bow…”

“Shoot.”

“Huh?”

“I said shoot at me. Don’t worry about me.”

Just because he said that, it wasn’t easy to pull the bowstring.
Wasn’t she the one who always compared herself to others because she couldn’t even properly hit the target in the first place?

“In the first place, you won’t die from being hit by a blunt training arrow, and before that, I have no intention of letting your arrow hit me. So shoot without worrying.”

“But still…”

The female student, who was fidgeting, had cold sweat forming on her forehead.
Her gaze, which was looking around, was conscious of others.
Although no one was paying attention to her as they were focusing on training, she alone was extremely conscious of others.

“This won’t do. Let’s change locations for now.”

“Change locations? Huh…?”

Han Seol quietly observed her and then grabbed the female student’s hand, leading her behind the school building.
This was the place where Han Seol did his personal training at night, and no one passed by here during this time when classes were in full swing.

Naturally, the female student became anxious when an unfamiliar man brought her to an unfamiliar place.
Nevertheless, the reason she didn’t run away was not only due to her timid personality but also greatly due to Han Seol’s mature gaze and serious atmosphere.

“What, what are you trying to do here…?”

“There’s nothing to look forward to, so don’t imagine weird things.”

“Are you crazy? Who’s looking forward to anything…!”

When Han Seol suddenly spouted nonsense with a serious face, the female student shouted with a blushing face, but Han Seol went to the wall, leaned against it, and stood facing her, not caring either way.

“This distance should be enough. As you can see, there’s no one around except you and me. It should be fine here, right?”

“What do you mean it’s fine? Don’t tell me you want me to shoot you here?”

“Are you crazy?”

If such a timid girl says this at the first meeting, this situation must really be absurd.
But Han Seol wasn’t someone who cared about such things.

“As I said before, it’s a training arrow with near-zero lethality. Even if it hits me, which I don’t intend to let happen, it will only hurt, not kill me. Above all, in the test, you’ll only encounter guys who won’t let you hit them even if you shoot to kill, so if you don’t have the guts to shoot even at someone who’s willing to be hit, it’s better to drop out here. I’ll take responsibility for bringing you here and accompany you to the faculty office.”

“That, that’s…!”

Han Seol’s words were reasonable and irrefutable.
But she couldn’t abandon the faces and expectations of her parents who believed in and waited for only her to drop out and return.

In the end, she had no choice but to make up her mind.

“I’m really going to shoot. Even if you get hurt right before the test, I don’t care.”

“Got it.”

‘Phew…’

The female student seemed to have made her resolve.
She took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, then picked up the bow and nocked an arrow.
Then she pulled the bowstring far back and aimed at Han Seol.

Twang!

The elastic bowstring’s tension burst out, and soon, one arrow rushed towards Han Seol at high speed.
She shot the arrow aiming at his chest, not his face, to avoid injuring Han Seol as much as possible, but…

Tak.

“What the…”

The female student let out a dejected sigh as the arrow was limply caught in Han Seol’s hand.

“Keep going.”

At Han Seol’s request, she continued shooting at Han Seol until the quiver was empty.
At first, it was a mix of worry and fear, but later, she became motivated and didn’t hesitate to shoot even at his face.
Of course, not a single arrow hit as she intended among them.

When she reached back and found no more arrows to grab, the female student shouted at Han Seol in a shocked voice.

“No way! Don’t tell me you caught all of them? This isn’t catch ball…!”

“I wish it were a joke too. It’s my first time seeing arrows flying so weakly.”

At the sharp evaluation without a single word of encouragement, she lowered her head, feeling discouraged.

“Sorry…”

She didn’t know why she had to apologize, but the peer in front of her instinctively had an atmosphere that was difficult to deal with.

‘Is it because of the way he speaks?’

“Still, don’t be too disappointed. It’s not completely hopeless. Although lacking in power, your grouping wasn’t bad. As for the rate of fire, if you learn the knack from now on, you can train it to a usable level. The biggest problem is indeed confidence…”

“Wait, wait! Why are you evaluating me and worrying about me in the first place?”

Her question was valid, but Han Seol’s expression looking at her as if she was saying something out of the blue.
Because of that, she was even worried that she might have asked a strange question.

“Isn’t it natural for a team leader to worry about a team member?”

“So when did I become your team member…?”

“You probably don’t want to be expelled here either.”

“Why are you deciding that on your own…?”

Instead of answering, Han Seol grabbed her hand and flipped it over so that her palm was facing up.
Then, her hand, which had calluses and peeled skin with blisters from just half a year of practice, was revealed.

“It’s the hand of someone who practiced until blood soaked the bowstring. You can proudly think of this hand at least. And being able to do it and wanting to do it are clearly different questions. My answer to that is you seem to be both. Any objections?”

Something welled up in her chest.
She was always lacking.
Both physically and mentally weak, she was always told to do things moderately first.
So she was more stubborn, but no one said she could do it.
So at some point, even she had given up on herself, but…

“You’re a strange one.”

“From my perspective, you seem stranger than me.”

She wanted to be of help to Han Seol, who told her that even someone like her was needed, one last time.

“Let’s say that’s the case. But when did you transfer here? I don’t remember anyone transferring to our class…”
Huh? Why do you have that expression? Like someone who bit into poop.”

“…”

* * *

The name of the girl he learned after half a year was Seong Yu-ra.
She was also quite surprised to find out that he was not a transfer student but an enrollment peer named Han Seol, but she coolly brushed over that part.
In the first place, if it weren’t for this situation, it wouldn’t have been strange if she didn’t know until graduation, not just now.

“By the way, how do we find the remaining one?”

Seong Yu-ra’s concern was extremely natural.
Currently, Han Seol’s team only had Seong Yu-ra, so they had to find the remaining one quickly.
Everyone had already formed teams and finished training according to their positions, so there was no way anyone would change teams. Naturally, it would be difficult to find someone.

“Team leader, do you have any good ideas? At this rate, we might get expelled without even taking the test.”

“I won’t be expelled even if I can’t participate in the group match. But this is certainly a tricky situation.”

“Seriously, even when I’m talking…”

As Han Seol looked around the classroom, ignoring Seong Yu-ra’s sharp gaze, a boy who was gathered with his teammates discussing strategies caught his eye.
Excluding Seong Yu-ra, he was the only classmate he had exchanged names with.

“Come to think of it…”

“What? Did you think of a good idea?”

“I heard that if the number of students in a class doesn’t match, duplicate participation is also possible.”

“Ah, that! Right, in cases like our class where the number of team members doesn’t match, it’s possible for one person to join another team as a duplicate. In this case, for the team member who chose to participate in both, the best score is selected as the result among the overlapping teams. But I heard it’s not common because it’s too tiring. Honestly, it’s already exhausting to match breathing and practice with one team, so it’s difficult to do it twice. But where is he going without even listening to the end of the story?”

The person Han Seol went to find, leaving Seong Yu-ra’s words halfway, was none other than Yoo Jun-sang.
As Han Seol had never approached anyone first before, Yoo Jun-sang and his teammates were quite surprised when he appeared.

“Oh, Han Seol? Do you have business with me?”

“I heard duplicate team members are possible.”

When he brought up the topic of duplicate team members, the atmosphere of the place suddenly changed.
Yoo Jun-sang’s teammates implicitly signaled him to refuse.
It would be putting the cart before the horse if participating in the other team’s training hindered their original team.

Yoo Jun-sang also wanted to refuse, but it was difficult to refuse easily due to Han Seol’s unique atmosphere.

“I know your situation too. But I’m not particularly good either… I’m sorry. I’m already struggling with just training in my current team.”

“I don’t mean to ask you to match our training. It’s fine if you take the test with your team first. Just come to our team during the test and fill the headcount. That much shouldn’t be an unreasonable request, right?”

“Even if you say that… Do you really just want me to fill the headcount? You don’t care about the rest, really?”

If it was just that much of a request, Yoo Jun-sang couldn’t refuse.
So he made it clear in front of his teammates.

“That’s enough. I’ll take care of the rest.”

And so, the midterm exams were approaching.

3. My Secret

Morning classes ended and lunchtime arrived.

In an ordinary school of the past, students would have headed to the cafeteria, anticipating what side dishes or soup would be served today, but now it was different.

What was provided was solely a tube and a capsule, each containing concentrated essential nutrients.
Even considering that lower-class families had to get by with one capsule and water per meal, the academies that provided tubes could be said to be in a better situation.

‘Can you choose the flavor of this too?’

Han Seol was slightly surprised.
It was his first time eating from a tube as well.

Unlike capsules that you put in your mouth and swallow, tubes that you squeeze out could have their flavors selected.
Han Seol chose a strawberry-flavored tube and a capsule, put the capsule in his mouth, squeezed the tube into his mouth instead of water, and swallowed it together with the capsule.

With that, lunch was over.
As supplies and food were so precious, ordinary meals were a luxury that only those with money could enjoy.

Because of that, many of the students attending this academy and their families had never eaten a “cooked meal” in their entire lives.

After this simple lunchtime ended, the afternoon training session arrived.
For Han Seol, it must have been the time he had been waiting for.

However…

“Teacher, I have a headache, so I’ll rest in the infirmary for a bit.”

Surprisingly, Han Seol, who seemed to have been waiting for training time more than anyone else, was the first to use the excuse of a headache and headed to the infirmary.

“If you’re sick, you should rest.”

For a training instructor who already lacked motivation, there was no reason to stop a student who voluntarily left.
It was because for him, rather than the student’s future, it didn’t matter as long as he passed the time and fulfilled his quota.

Han Seol, who glanced at the students who had to learn from such an instructor with a slightly pitying gaze, went straight to the infirmary.

“What did you come for?”

“I have a bit of a headache. I’ll rest for a moment and then go.”

Han Seol chose the darkest bed with the least sunlight there, put on the eye mask he had prepared in advance, and fell into a blissful slumber.
And so, Han Seol’s afternoon passed with a long nap.

-Ding dong dang dong.

As the bell signaling the end of the afternoon training schedule rang, the students packed their bags and belongings and headed to the dormitory.
Han Seol also woke up around then, washed his face, and headed to the dormitory.

As the finances were not sufficient, while the number of students overflowed, the situation of the dormitory was also not very good.
The rooms, reminiscent of old military barracks, were divided into upper and lower floors, and about forty students had to sleep together in one room.

Of course, the dormitories for males and females were separate, but the situation was the same for both, so it couldn’t be said that one side was better.

“Ah, move over a bit!”

“What are you saying, you pig bastard. Why are you blaming me for you being fat?”

“Ah, fuck! This bastard farted!”

“Aaargh!”

After making a fuss like that, even when roll call was done on time, the exhausted students fell asleep as if they had never been noisy.

And this quiet midnight when all the students were asleep was the very time Han Seol had been waiting for.

“I have business and came to see the instructor. I want to do voluntary night training.”

Han Seol, who quietly got up from among the sleeping children and found the on-duty instructor, requested his business to the on-duty instructor.

“Voluntary night training? A first-year? My, what an unusual fellow…”

Voluntary night training was most commonly requested by third-years about to graduate, and there were quite a few promising second-years who did it as well…
But first-years rarely applied.
It was because afternoon training was already hard, and many were physically exhausted from not yet adapting to group life.

“If you want to do it, you should. First, write your name in that ledger and go.”

Since he wasn’t teaching it himself anyway, the on-duty instructor just pointed to the ledger with his finger and turned his gaze back to the TV.

Han Seol wrote his name, year, and class in the ledger and went outside.

The gym was out of the question for now.
It was because the third-years were already occupying it, so using it was possible, but it was noisy.

‘That’s why I have a place I checked out in advance.’

Han Seol had looked around the academy appropriately during breaks and found a suitable place.

The location was near the storage behind the academy building.
It was a fairly large open space for one person to use, and it was far from the gym, so no one passed by at this hour.

Above all…

‘The concentration of mana is very slightly higher than other places. This should be called unexpected luck.’

Han Seol attached the magic circles he had drawn on paper in advance during class to various places according to the directions.
The magic circles he drew were ones that drew the surrounding mana and concentrated it in one space, which matched very well with the characteristics of this space, where the mana was slightly higher than other places.

‘I often used this method to gather mana in my previous life too.’

To become stronger, he utilized all available means.
It was no exception even if those means were the teachings of the emperor and empress who were like mortal enemies.

They were not opponents he could win against by upholding his pride.

The magic circles reacted to the mana in the air and activated.
However, because it was underground, it was murky, and the amount was extremely minute, but the minimum basic conditions were met.

“Phew…”

In the space where mana was concentrated, Han Seol, who took deep breaths, began to move his body.
The tip of Han Seol’s training sword sharply pierced the air, and his body naturally moved like flowing water.

Han Seol had been secretly training his body steadily since he started walking.
His level was different from his peers who were learning how to use their bodies only now.

Bang! Swoosh! Ssasak…!

Soon, sweat flowed from his forehead, heat surged through his whole body, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
Nevertheless, Han Seol’s breathing did not falter at all, and surprisingly, with each breath, the concentrated mana continuously entered and exited his body.

This was an extraordinary feat that couldn’t be explained in words.
The mana breathing technique was originally a very difficult breathing technique even for skilled mages, even when they lay still and focused their minds calmly.

In contrast, Han Seol’s current movements were so intense that even someone without knowledge of swordsmanship would be stunned.
It was a situation where it was impossible to do the mana breathing technique.

Naturally, this was entirely thanks to his experience from his previous life.
At first, he also trained the mana breathing technique and swordsmanship separately, but as he went through real battles, the boundary between the two gradually collapsed.

Especially for him, who had lived a life so intense that he had to simultaneously recover mana and fight, skills like the current one were essential for survival.

Concentrating on swinging his sword like that without realizing the passage of time, the day began to brighten before he knew it.

‘It’s already this late?’

The day brightening meant that the artificial lighting embedded in the underground ceiling was slowly turning on.
The ceiling was designed to resemble the sky as much as possible, but the sense of alienation was unavoidable.

“Phew…”

With a deep breath, Han Seol settled the heat raging inside his body, removed the papers containing the magic circles, and headed to the dormitory.
It was because he had to wash up and attend morning classes.

* * *

Han Seol’s life rhythm was generally as described above.

He studied hard in morning classes, but it was not studying the subjects, but reviewing and reciting the magic he had learned in his previous life.
From the beginning, the teachers’ words didn’t even enter Han Seol’s ears.

He boldly skipped the unnecessary afternoon training sessions.
Rather than learning from unmotivated teachers, it was better to sleep during that time.

After recharging his energy like that, at night, he alone trained the swordsmanship of his previous life and gathered mana.
At first, he felt nothing in his dantian, but after half a year, he began to feel mana the size of a bean.

However, as they say, a needle in a haystack?
Han Seol soon faced a series of events where his name became widely known.

The first of those was the midterm exam.

‘Midterm exam?’

“It’s already been half a year since you enrolled. It’s still far too short a time to demand you to be worth your salt, but I believe you can at least show your potential. Since whether you stay at the academy or go back home will be determined by this test, face it with the resolve to die. Understood!”

“Yes!”

Han Seol heard it for the first time, but the other students answered loudly as if they already knew.
Come to think of it, judging by the fighting spirit emanating from their bodies, their resolve seemed different from other times.

“Hey.”

“Huh? Me?”

“What’s the midterm exam?”

Han Seol’s seatmate was surprised that he spoke to him for the first time in half a year, but first informed him about what he was curious about.

“Ju-, midterms are literally academic tests. In the case of our Cheongsol Academy, you can score 0 on subjects and it’s fine as long as you take supplementary lessons, but if you fail the practical test, you get expelled immediately. But, didn’t the instructor tell us this?”

“I was sleeping.”

“Ah, is that so…?”

“So what do we have to do for that practical test?”

“Before that, let me ask you one thing.”

Han Seol’s seatmate stared at him with a serious expression.
Han Seol also expected it to be an unusual question judging by his expression.
Perhaps he would ask the reason why he left the dormitory alone every night…

‘For now, I’ll have to make something up…’

“When will we do our self-introductions?”

“…I’m Han Seol.”

“Nice to meet you! So your name is Han Seol. That’s quite an “expensive” name. I never imagined that I would hear my seatmate’s name after half a year, of all people. Ah, I’m Yoo Jun-sang. My friends call me Jin-sang more often though.”

Although Han Seol had an inkling as to why they called him that, he focused on the conversation for now since he had information to obtain.

“So what were we talking about earlier?”

“You asked about the content of the practical test.”

“Ah, the practical test! The practical is divided into three parts: first, a 1:1 individual mock battle between students. Then, a 3:3 group mock battle where students form temporary parties. Lastly, there’s a 1:1 evaluation match between a student and a teacher. If you pass two or more events, you pass. Conversely, if you fail two or more events, you fail. As the instructor said, if you fail, you have to pack your bags.”

‘Nothing special.’

Han Seol’s interest in the midterm test vanished in an instant.
As long as he safely passed the 1:1 individual mock battle and evaluation match, even if he failed the group mock battle, there was no risk of expulsion.

‘There’s no way I can’t keep up with the level of these greenhorns…’

Just as Han Seol was about to bury his head in his desk and fall asleep again with well-founded confidence, it was that moment.

“Ah, right! I forgot to mention this. The top 3 in the test rankings for each year can receive a ‘D-grade skill book’ from the school. I heard 1st place gets three books, 2nd place gets two, and 3rd place gets one. Well, I definitely won’t be able to, haha!”

“…”

It seemed that Han Seol couldn’t take this midterm test lightly.

2. Another Beginning

It had already been 15 years since Rohan was born as Han Seol in Seoul, South Korea.

‘He said an eccentric god? This world’s god is certainly not in his right mind either.’

Seoul, South Korea.

To be precise, he had been born and lived in underground Seoul without ever setting foot on the surface.

It was not Han Seol’s fault.

Simply put, the surface was dangerous, so civilian access was controlled.

Not too long ago…

A large-scale invasion of monsters, the likes of which one would only see and hear about in fantasy, suddenly began.

Where they came from, what their purpose was, how to deal with them – the people at the time knew nothing.

However, modern weapons were not very useful against them.

Firearms were effective only against small monsters similar to humans, but for those with even slightly thick skin or hard shells, not even heavy weapons like bazookas had much impact, let alone firearms.

Of course, it was possible to push them back with firepower weapons like tanks, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, and missiles.

If human casualties were taken into account as well…

But even that all-out offensive that took human casualties into account only bought time.

No matter how many of them were killed, they kept appearing from somewhere.

On the other hand, modern weapons, which were just consumables, steadily decreased in stock the more they were used.

Even the United States, called the world’s largest arms market, surrendered and raised the white flag, shocking even the people of the world.

In the end, people had no choice but to abandon the surface they had settled on and take shelter underground.

Around that time, the being called God gave humans a glimmer of hope.

He created a system for humans that allowed them to purchase desired skills or stats.

However, the currency that could be used for this system was not ordinary money.

Only currency obtained by hunting monsters could be used for this system.

Using skills obtained with this currency, it was possible to easily hunt with arrows monsters that were difficult to catch even with firearms.

Shells too hard to cut even with a chainsaw could be easily sliced with a sword using skills.

The currency earned this way could even be converted and used for other resources.

By using an item called a resource converter, the currency could be used as needed resources such as light with heat, clean oxygen, soil rich in nutrients, clear water, etc.

Naturally, the money used until then became scraps of paper rolling around on the streets.

And the occupation that could hunt monsters and simultaneously acquire this currency soared to become the occupation that could gain the greatest popularity, fame, and wealth.

The people of this world called this occupation ‘Hunter’.

“I’m sorry, Seol. Your mom and dad don’t have the ability…”

Before leaving, Han Seol’s mother hugged her son tightly one last time with tears in her eyes.

“No, Mother. Just giving birth to me like this and raising me all the way here, I am already grateful enough.”

Han Seol’s words were sincere.

For him, being born again like this and being alive in this moment was the biggest opportunity and luck above all else.

Only by being alive and becoming much stronger than his past life could he have a chance to take revenge on that man.

“One thing I always felt while raising you is that this father never once thought of you, Seol, as the same as ordinary children. From now on, although we’ll be living apart, I believe you can definitely achieve what you want. You can do well, our son, right?”

“Father…”

Han Seol’s eyes reddened.

The warmth of a father he had never felt once in his past life.

He didn’t know then that it was this warm and reliable.

Although Han Seol’s parents were kind and good people like this, to speak coldly, their family was in a very poor situation.

The rich-poor divide in South Korea was severe even on the surface, but as people moved underground, that gap became even more serious.

It was due to the limit of resources and supplies people could use being reduced.

Because of that, even those who were middle class on the surface often fell into poverty underground.

So, whether their children wanted to or not, they hoped for their children to become hunters.

If their children became hunters, it was only a matter of time before the parents turned their lives around.

Thanks to that, a new educational institution called an ‘Academy’, which had a department specializing in teaching practical combat integrated into middle and high school, popped up like mushrooms after rain.

There were also many parents who enrolled their children straight into academies after completing elementary school to forcibly raise them as hunters.

However, Han Seol’s case was different.

Although his parents strongly opposed it, saying it was dangerous, Han Seol himself persuaded the two to enroll in the academy.

‘As long as I can obtain a hunter license, it doesn’t really matter which academy I choose.’

Although he could train alone at home, the reason he chose the academy was to obtain a hunter license.

For Han Seol to become strong, the existence of skill books was indispensable.

But in order to hunt monsters, earn money, buy skill books, and become strong with the purchased skill books, he first needed to be able to freely go back and forth between the surface and underground.

And there were largely two ways to go from underground to the surface: become a soldier or become a hunter.

Here, Han Seol had no intention of belonging to the military, so naturally, he planned to become a hunter, but in order to become a hunter, he had to obtain a certificate proving he was a hunter… a hunter license.

And the most basic way to obtain a hunter license was to graduate from a hunter academy.

So Han Seol chose Cheongsol Academy, a public school that was far from home but had dormitories and very low tuition.

If selected as a scholarship student, he could even attend for free, so the conditions were even better.

“If there’s anything dangerous, avoid it if possible, and if you must do it, make sure to contact us first. Understand?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll come to see you often. Then I’ll be back.”

With that, Han Seol left his parents’ side, with whom he had been for 15 years, and headed to Cheongsol Academy after completing his enrollment.

* * *

Cheongsol Academy.

It was one of the public academies that popped up like mushrooms after rain, riding the boom of hunter academies.

The number of public academies was increasing every year under the pretext of nurturing talent, but the national budget support invested in each academy was decreasing year by year.

Cheongsol Academy was also such a case.

Because of that, it was a place where people without money or backing enrolled their children with the mindset of a last gamble.

‘Incredible.’

Han Seol naturally looked around at the entrance ceremony.

According to the principal, the number of new students enrolled in the academy this year had broken records.

Even without the principal’s words, it seemed obvious, as there were quite a few new students standing because there weren’t enough chairs prepared.

However, the appearance of the faculty lined up on the podium that Han Seol scanned did not seem particularly motivated.

‘Although they say they’re former hunters, they’re all just dregs who were active on the outskirts and then retired. They probably had no choice but to scrape together to fill the increasing number of academy faculty.’

Students desperately clinging to their last hope by enrolling in this academy and unmotivated teachers.

It was unknown what they could accomplish by gathering, but it didn’t matter.

From the beginning, the enrollees and teachers had nothing to do with him, so there was no room for any particular interest to arise.

In the end, Han Seol lowered his head and fell asleep while half-listening to the principal’s boring speech.

A while later.

The tedious entrance ceremony ended and class assignments finally began.

“Congratulations on your enrollment at our Cheongsol Academy, little greenhorns. If you don’t want to die without even knowing it after going out into the field, learn with all your focus without letting your guard down for even a minute or second here. Just keep this one thing in mind. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Fifty new students, including Han Seol, became the same class.

A whopping fifty students per class, with ten classes.

This year alone, five hundred new students had enrolled at Cheongsol Academy.

After the somewhat rough homeroom teacher’s admonishment ended, a short break time arrived.

The new students gathered in twos and threes and chattered away, getting to know each other.

It was the typical appearance of students during break time that could be seen anywhere, but Han Seol had no particular interest.

He simply laid his head on his desk and fell asleep.

Like that, from the beginning of the school year, Han Seol made himself an outsider.

* * *

The academy’s morning education taught ordinary school subjects. The teachers were also ordinary teachers who would be found in any middle or high school.

And from the afternoon, practical combat training began under the instruction of teachers who were former hunters.

“First, new students should each apply for the branch they want. I think many students already know, but for those who don’t, magic skills are affected by mana force, action skills by aura force. And holy skills like healing or buffs are affected by divine force, that is, divinity. However, once you choose a force and master it, you can never physically master another force again, so choose with utmost care. Understood?”

“Yes!”

Whether magic skills or action skills, an applicable force was essential to use them, and if one didn’t have the applicable force, related skills could neither be learned nor used.

In other words, no matter how much mana one has, action skills cannot be used, and no matter how overflowing with aura, holy skills that use divinity, such as healing or buffs, cannot be used.

The price of force skill books varies greatly depending on the grade, but force skill books are usually classified according to the total amount of the applicable force, the force recovery speed, the reduction in force consumption when using skills, etc.

However, families affluent enough to prepare force skill books and related active skills before enrolling in Cheongsol High School were extremely rare.

Especially divine force… Divinity was different from other forces, so most students were deliberating over their specialty while choosing between mana and aura.

Of course, Han Seol was also pondering such a dilemma.

‘The element I lack…’

Even in his past life, Rohan was a magic swordsman who had mastered the sword and magic to the point where it was difficult to find a match except for the emperor and empress.

However, his abilities were ones he was able to possess thanks to bone-cutting efforts and pouring support.

He couldn’t come close to a true genius of swordsmanship or a monster blessed with mana.

‘Swordsmanship and magic alone are not enough. Something else…’

At that moment, something among the many branches caught Han Seol’s eye.

Han Seol raised his hand without hesitation and asked the instructor.

“Instructor!”

“What?”

“If one masters divinity, is it possible to simultaneously learn healing and buff skills?”

At Han Seol’s question, the gazes of all the classmates except him turned towards him.

‘Healing and buffer skills together?’

‘Is money rotting…’

‘If that were possible, they wouldn’t have come here in the first place. There are always these absurd guys.’

‘Let’s not get involved with that guy.’

The reason Han Seol specifically had divinity in mind was that mana and aura skills were not of much help to him anyway.

Most mana skills would be magic, and Han Seol had already learned magic from the disciples of the empress, who was an 8th circle archmage in his previous life.

Even if he increased his mana capacity and learned a few more spells here, it would not be easy to go against the empress.
A 1-on-1 battle with a high-level mage was not a fight of quantity but of the mind.

For the same reason, aura skills were also similar.

For Han Seol, who could convert mana into aura, aura itself had little meaning.

Even if he learned a few more aura skills, it was difficult to think that they would work against Jebius, who was already a genius of the sword.

But divinity was different.

In particular, buff skills using divinity easily allowed one to transcend lacking physical limits.

Also, in urgent situations, various healing skills were no different from carrying extra lives.

The students immediately ignored him and began to earnestly ponder their own futures again, but as a teacher who had received the question, he had no choice but to answer.

“It’s not impossible, as a result. However, divine force skill books are ten times more expensive than other force skill books of the same grade. Because the quantity is low. The same goes for additional skill books related to divinity recovery and reduction of divinity consumption when using skills.”

Even if it’s expensive, it’s not impossible!

That was the teacher’s answer, and Han Seol’s heart also started to flutter at the positive response.

‘Perhaps the Grim Reaper also sent me here hoping for this.’

“And that’s not all. Healing skill books and buff skill books are also very expensive compared to other active skill books of the same grade because the quantity is low. Moreover, divine force skills don’t have particularly outstanding combat abilities compared to mana force or aura force skills, so reliable comrades are essential.”

This was the second reason Han Seol specifically had divinity in mind.

Buff skills using divinity strengthen not only oneself but also allies.

‘In my past life, I spent more than half my stamina just reaching the front of Jebius. But if I can strengthen my allies through buff skills and augment our forces, it’s not impossible to fight him with full stamina and in top condition!’

“For the above reasons, divine force is usually chosen by talented individuals who can receive the full support of large guilds, but I know there aren’t many of them. After all, divine force, which can only be chosen once in a lifetime and forces one to sacrifice for others, is not something many people can easily choose. Anyway, that’s all I can explain. Any more questions?”

“…”

The instructor’s warning no longer reached Han Seol’s ears.

That’s because the answer that it wasn’t impossible was enough.

In the world of his previous life, one could not become a priest unless chosen by God.

Even the emperor, a genius of the sword, and the empress, blessed with mana… could not encroach upon the domain of priests.

‘Those bastards must not even be dreaming of my current situation. Wait for me, Jebius. And Elysiel! I will become much stronger than you guys here. And I will definitely return and make you pay for your sins.’

A world where even divinity could be bought with money.

That place was the world Rohan was reincarnated into.

0. The Oath

That person was my teacher who taught me everything.

That person was my lord to whom I dedicated my everything.

That person was my father who made my everything.

That person was… my everything.

If only I could kill that person…

I pray that if I could have just one more chance for revenge, I would gladly sell my soul to the devil with a smile.

1. An Opportunity That Comes Once in 999 Years

“I sincerely respected you, sincerely followed you, and sincerely believed in you.”

The dazzlingly beautiful grand hall of the massive imperial palace.

Instead of courtiers big and small, only the corpses of knights and soldiers occupied that formal and dignified place.

In the midst of it, a lone knight stood, staring straight at an old man.

The knight’s body was already a mess of blood and human entrails, without a single unscathed spot to be found.

His body was full of wounds and he seemed to have difficulty even standing, but the gaze with which he glared at the old man was hotter than an active volcano and colder than a glacier.

On the other hand, the emperor, whose physique was so robust that it was hard to believe he was an old man, was wearing platinum armor without a speck of dust and a crown decorated with countless jewels on his head.

Even though so many people had lost their lives to protect him, not a shred of emotion could be felt in the emperor’s eyes as he looked at their corpses.

The knight’s eyes, staring at such an emperor, were filled with a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to describe.

“For someone like that, you thoroughly investigated my background. Meticulously over a long period of time so as not to leave any traces. I didn’t teach you those skills to use them for such things. Well, now that you know the truth, do you feel a bit refreshed?”

“You! It’s because I wanted to believe that at least you were not like that! Why on earth did it have to be you who killed my subordinates… my family… my friends… and even her? Why!”

“What I desire from you is demon-like strength and an indomitable body tempered on endless battlefields. Subordinates bonded by camaraderie? A loving family? Chummy friends? Not to mention a beloved fiancée, how absurd! Those things are all just poisons that make you weak! Shouldn’t poison be quickly removed before you die?”

At the emperor’s excessively cold tone, the knight felt a pain as if his heart was freezing.

In the end, unable to contain his rage and resentment, the knight uttered words that should never be spoken.

“Did you never think of me as your son even for a moment!”

“Don’t get cheeky. You are merely a new set of clothes I made. How dare a measly object like you suggest that I should be your father even for a moment? Keep your delusions in check. Tsk tsk…”

Only now did I realize it as though I were a fool.

Why mother had so concealed father’s existence, why we had to live in hiding like criminals even though we weren’t.

And yet why I had to become strong…

Even though our home was penniless, swordsmanship instructors who were former imperial knights or magic scholars who were former imperial mages secretly visited every day to teach me.

At the time, I didn’t know how such a thing was possible.

I simply learned what they taught me, became as strong as they taught me, and lived the life they taught me without any doubts.

I was happy, at least in those moments.

But the time it took for that short-lived happiness to turn into hell was truly just a moment.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. If you would, please enlighten this lowly one on just one thing. Why did you kill my mother as well? She was the one who gave birth to me and lived her whole life in hiding. Even amidst those hellish days, she lived each day longing for you. So why…”

“That’s why I took her life. The only woman who can occupy my heart, and the only woman allowed to hold me in her heart, is solely my wife the empress. How dare a mere seamstress who made my new clothes commit the impiety of harboring feelings for me – what else but her life could atone for it?”

‘So that’s how it was? No matter how hard we tried, it seems we were fated from the start to never be happy, Mother…’

Rohan used his sword as a cane to lift his body, which had become as heavy as water-soaked cotton, from where he was.

The only difference from water-soaked cotton was that the liquid absorbed by his body and armor was not water, but blood.

The corpses of numerous elite imperial soldiers, imperial knights with immense skills, and handpicked elite imperial mages attested to the path he had walked.

Although he alone had broken through the imperial capital and the imperial palace to stand before the emperor he had so longed for…

No matter how hard he tried, the tip of his blade could not reach the emperor’s neck.

The emperor, called the strongest in the continent and the greatest of all time, stood as an insurmountable wall before Rohan.

“The armor you wear, the sword you hold, the magic you use, the swordsmanship your body has mastered, the countless battles and wars ingrained in your very bones… Who do you think put them all in your hands?”

It was only natural.

The author would have given him only what was necessary.

For someone like Rohan to do anything to the emperor before him was an impossible feat from the start.

Perhaps even being able to come this far was part of that man’s planned scenario…

“One last question. Have you, Jebius, ever felt a shred of remorse towards me and my mother even for a moment? Have you ever thought you were sorry even once!”

“I’m tired of listening to any more of your foolish nonsense. Now go and fulfill your original role.”

For Rohan, that answer alone was enough.

‘I’ll kill you! No matter what happens, I will kill you with my own hands for making my and my mother’s lives so miserable!’

The fact that the emperor was the greatest grand sword master of all time, the fact that the empress by his side was one of only three 8th circle archmages in human history… Those facts were of no importance to Rohan now.

He simply had such deep resentment towards that man that he could not die even if he wanted to until he killed him with his own hands.

“Aaaaaah!”

Rohan let out a scream-like shout and drew out every last bit of energy remaining in his body.

“Ooh…!”

However, even faced with the storm-like spirit hostile to him, an exclamation burst from the emperor’s mouth.

A young and fresh body.

A mighty vessel not lacking to contain his soul.

This was the entirety of how the emperor saw Rohan.

“Is it to your liking, Your Majesty?”

The empress, who had approached the emperor’s side at some point, clung tightly to his body as she acted coquettishly.

Despite being hundreds of years old, her beauty was second to none.

“Of course! You did very well, Empress! That boy will become the greatest gift you have ever given me!”

“I am so pleased you say so that this maiden hardly knows what to do with herself. Your Majesty, please happily receive your ‘new clothes’.”

“Indeed I shall! Yes, indeed!”

I don’t know how many “Rohans” they created and discarded in this wrong way.

However, for an emperor who desired “immortality” above all else, this was not a sin.

Rather, it was the greatest honor bestowed upon those lowly beings.

They should be endlessly grateful to him.

Bang!

Rohan’s body, which struck the floor, rushed at the emperor like a storm.

But it was impossible.

Even for him, who had achieved victory on countless battlefields and reversed countless impossible fights, the wall of the greatest of all time was too high and mighty.

“Begone from my clothes, lowly soul.”

Hearing the emperor’s cold voice tickling his ears, Rohan slowly closed his eyes.

‘No! I can’t end it like this! Not so absurdly… I can’t die like this leaving that bastard…’

At that moment, the person who entered Rohan’s fading vision was, ironically, not the emperor but the empress.

More precisely, it was something huge, ominous, and sinister that looked like the empress’s shadow.

However, Rohan passed away like that without even having a chance to know its identity.

* * *

“Welcome, friend. First time dying?”

‘Who…? And where…’

“Ugh!”

Rohan groaned and grimaced at the frivolous voice ringing in his head.

His head felt so dizzy and painful, as if someone had stuck a ladle in and stirred it around, that he felt nauseous.

“I know. I know it must be very painful and difficult. Normally, the memory of the deceased would be completely erased and divine reward or punishment would be determined according to the karma accumulated in life, but the situation is very special right now, so I brought you here as is.”

“Who are you? And again, where is…”

“Think carefully. If you organize your thoughts, you’ll understand.”

As the man said, Rohan tried to organize his jumbled mind while suppressing the pain as much as possible.

Then, amazingly, just as the man said, he naturally came to understand where this place was and what the man’s identity was.

“Grim Reaper? Are you really saying that you’re the Grim Reaper who presides over death? Why would someone like you, to a human like me…”

“Well… The situation here has gotten a bit complicated, so we suddenly need a lot of manpower.”

According to the Grim Reaper’s explanation, the souls of those who committed heinous crimes in life, unlike other souls, suffer in hell while retaining their memories and sense of self.

They suffer for anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand years, but with heinous souls pouring into hell every day, the number of souls suffering in hell could be called astronomical.

The problem was…

“Due to an administrator’s mistake, an error occurred in hell’s system. In the meantime, damn it, all the souls escaped. We’re short on manpower with just us, so we were in the middle of offering conditions to skilled souls like you to request your help.”

“By conditions, you mean…”

“I’ll grant you a wish. Since you remember your past life, I’m sure you roughly know. The weight of the karma you’ve accumulated.”

The price of the sins Rohan had accumulated living immersed in death in war was certainly not light.

However, the hell confinement sentence the Grim Reaper revealed exceeded Rohan’s imagination.

“3,000 years. That’s the weight of the sins you must wash away by suffering in hell.”

“…”

Rohan couldn’t refute it at all.

Even if he were to suffer in hell for 3,000 years, he had massacred so many soldiers and knights on the battlefield that he couldn’t make excuses.

He couldn’t even count their total number.

However, Rohan’s interest was not in the punishment he would receive in hell.

“If I fulfill the request you mentioned, can I make a wish in addition to absolution? Perhaps…”

“Well, that’s possible too, but I wouldn’t recommend it. No matter what wish you make other than absolution, the karma you’ve accumulated won’t decrease. But if that’s really what you want…”

“I don’t care. Then what should I do first?”

Thus, the contract between Rohan and the Grim Reaper was established.

After that, Rohan relentlessly pursued the escaped souls.

No matter how much of a soul they were, as long as they had a sense of self, they were bound to feel mental fatigue.

It was unknown whether Rohan didn’t feel that, or if he felt it but endured it, but he pursued the souls without rest and shoved them back into hell as he encountered them.

“Wow, that tenacious bastard…”

That’s how much even the Grim Reaper who entrusted him with the request and his fellow Grim Reapers stuck their tongues out at Rohan.

Among the souls, some were weaker than Rohan, but there were more who were stronger than him.

Rohan challenged them endlessly while suffering pain worse than death, and eventually achieved results.

After all, once dead, there was no second death.

After achieving greater results than any Grim Reaper in this way, the soul Rohan succeeded in returning all the souls to hell as promised.

“To finish in 999 years a task expected to take at least 3,000 years… You’re really the one I chose, but you exceed my imagination.”

“The request is finished. Keep your promise.”

During the past 999 years, ironically, the face that never left his mind for a moment was not his mother’s, but the emperor’s.

His mother’s face had faded so much that if he neglected the effort to recall it, he felt he would forget it…

But damn it, the more he tried not to recall the emperor’s face, the more vividly he remembered it as if he had just seen it.

Thanks to that, he was able to endure the past 999 years.

Solely to behead that bastard with his own hands.

“Of course I’ll keep my promise. But I think just reincarnation won’t be enough.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“As you know, thanks to you, we finished in 999 years a task everyone thought would take at least 3,000 years. Thanks to that, I can end this damned millennium-long grim reaper job and get promoted. Do you know what that means?”

“It means something good for me too?”

The Grim Reaper raised his thumb and curled the corners of his mouth upward.

His teeth seemed unusually bright that day.

“Of course! Plus, your goal is to kill Jebius von Tristan, right? Actually, that guy was a troublesome long-term resident even in our industry. His accumulated karma is already so much that our ledgers are running out of space, but he has no intention of dying, so we’ve been having our own headaches over him. If you take care of him for us, we’d only be grateful. So I was thinking of making a proposal…”

“Please speak.”

“It’s nothing else, but it seems the higher-ups also judged that there’s no one more suitable than you to handle that troublesome long-term resident. So they specially promised you alone one privilege and one reward.”

The Grim Reaper unfolded the index finger of his left hand and the index finger of his right hand one by one, grinning.

“A privilege and a reward, you say?”

“The reward is, literally, that if you succeed in killing Jebius, we’ll grant your wish to the extent our abilities allow. Well, other things are possible too in this case, but absolution would be best if you’re going to wish for something anyway. The privilege is nothing else than giving you the opportunity to become even stronger than you are now. That way, you’ll be able to kill Jebius.”

“What does that privilege specifically mean?”

“Even if you return as you are now, there’s no particularly good way to kill Jebius, right? Isn’t that so? In that case, it might not be bad to go to another world, gain strength, and then come back and kill him. Fortunately, we’ve already found a world that’s perfect for that goal. Actually, the god there owed us a bit of a debt, so he readily accepted.”

It was as the Grim Reaper said.

For Rohan, who had lived only on the path the emperor had laid out for him from birth to death, there was no particularly good way even if he were to reincarnate now.

It was just that if he didn’t do at least that much, his resentment towards that man was so deep that he couldn’t die even if he wanted to.

“If that will help me take revenge on him, I will gladly accept it.”

“Good thinking. Although it’s not the world you lived in, depending on your efforts, you can become incomparably stronger than you are now. The god there is a bit of an oddball.”

“Huh? What does that…”

“You’ll know when you go. Good luck. And if possible, don’t accumulate any more unnecessary karma. The 3,000 years already assigned to you is plenty long enough. And I’ll leave a mark on your body so you can return to your original world, so use it when you’re done with what you need to do there.”

At the same time, Rohan felt the sensation of his consciousness being sucked somewhere and his consciousness fading away.

As Rohan disappeared, the Grim Reaper took a cigarette out of his pocket, put it to his mouth, and lit it.

As he looked up at the cigarette smoke trailing upward, the Grim Reaper muttered to himself.

“This feels really iffy, like I unintentionally deceived an earnest friend. Should I have just told him the truth? That the enemy he really needs to worry about isn’t some emperor… Eh, well, he’ll figure it out. Knowing in advance would only make him more despairing anyway.”