Chapter 25

Chapter 25: [Knight Soul] Is This Really That Hard? (1)

Hartan clutched his red, swollen nose and shook his face violently as if it were twitching.

“Didn’t Halkenburg already say it earlier? Not to speak carelessly. Yet you’re still doing it.”

“You...”

“Please- watch what you say.”

“.......”

However, separate from that, Ju Seo-jin merely continued responding the same way as always, with the same expressionless face.

He was calm.

“If I make a mistake and kill you for no reason, it’ll be my loss.”

??

Madman lololololololololololololol

Myangbangwool talked until her mouth went dry telling him not to fight earlier, and he just completely ignored it lololololol

“If I kill you for no reason, it’s my loss, so don’t get cocky” and shit lololol What kind of guts does he have, fuck lolololololololololol

Fuck, that sudden escalation is legendary lololololololololololololololololol

A surprise attack.

At the words delivered so calmly that they could hardly be considered a warning, Hartan clenched his right hand tightly in rage.

As if he were about to fight at any moment.

“Ha! Fuck...! You... Old Man Halkenburg accepted you as his disciple, so I must look like a complete joke to you, huh? You bastard, are you really trying to have a go at me here? Huh?”

“Not particularly. That wasn’t what I meant... I don’t know how you heard what I said. I don’t want to quarrel with you. I don’t intend to, either.”

“...What? Have you really gone insane? Then you’re saying you did this kind of bullshit and still didn’t mean to quarrel with me? You-”

“Quarrel? That wouldn’t be enough. I really was talking about killing you... and I called it a loss because killing you for no reason would make things troublesome.”

“.......”

For a moment, Hartan started to say something, then froze as if his breath had caught in his throat.

He had no choice.

Because... Ju Seo-jin had not hesitated in the slightest, as if he were stating an utterly obvious fact.

In other words, it was not a threat or bravado, but a genuine expression of intent that he would kill Hartan.

It was no joke.

He meant it.

“So... watch what you say. I have no intention of listening to you run your mouth however you please.”

“.......”

Wow lololololololololololololol

The battle flag has been raised properly. 

Holy shit, I’m shaking;

He’s charging in with no brakes;; fuck;;;;;;

What do we do now? 

This is impossible to fix, isn’t it????

lololololol

What was it called again.. It’s popcorn time, popcorn time lolol kya lololololololol

= Um- O-Oppa? 

Why, why are you doing this? 

Why are you so angry all of a sudden? 

If you start a fight here, it’s over, over. 

It’s game over...!

Ju Seo-yoon, who had been standing behind him, jumped in surprise and carefully shook Ju Seo-jin’s shoulder, but there was no particular response.

Regardless, he maintained a stubborn stance that said he would keep his word.

...Without a doubt, it was an expression of his will to truly kill Hartan if Hartan spoke rudely one more time.

Swoosh───

Fuck lolol

We’re fucked!

Combat mode on lolololololololololol

Wow, look at that bastard Hartan frowning because he’s pissed off lololololololol

However, unlike the viewers, who were making a fuss and expecting the start of a battle... 

Hartan only frowned and did not move hastily.

“Fuck.... You crazy bastard, you’re serious. Even though you haven’t properly completed a single Rune, you’re going to kill me...? Now I see why Old Man Halkenburg liked you so much. You’re insane. Completely.”

Whoosh- Clatter───

[Nebula Knight’s Pendant]

A Soul Artifact created long ago by the Order of the Star for the ‘One Who Reclaims the Light,’ recognized as a Nebula Knight.

Durability: 15,000/15,000

When equipped: Additional Soul Power +10 / Total Soul Power +2.5% / Additional Defense +4 / Total Defense +0.4%

Hartan threw a blue star-shaped pendant made of metal chains from inside his clothes onto the round table and spoke.

“...Unpleasant bastard. Take that and get lost. I won’t speak carelessly to that woman anymore either, so don’t pick a fight. Leave.”

Oh?

Kya, look at those item specs?? 

That’s insane, isn’t it????? 

Is that really an early-game item??

I thought he’d get furious and just charge in.. That’s unexpected;

Lol, Ju Seo-jin got a Disciple Quest from Halkenburg.. Hartan has to hold back, yeah;

The cult leader has turned from anger-management issues into good anger management in front of a real rage monster...

He realized it.. He realized this wasn’t WWE, it was UFC..

Ju Seo-jin silently looked at Hartan for a moment, then picked up the “Nebula Knight’s Star Necklace” hanging over the edge of the round table. 

Hartan clicked his tongue and gave an order.

“Grandis. Go to the chapel and bestow the Rune’s Blessing on those two. And... the Knight Soul you said was recovered from Trinex- give it to that bastard once the baptism ceremony is over.”

“To him... you mean?”

“Yeah. And for the time being, it would be best for you to hold onto the one you have... but when the time comes, hand that Knight Soul over to Ju Seo-jin too.”

“Cult Leader. Do you mean...?”

“One Who Reclaims the Light... On top of that, he’s the one that Old Man Halkenburg said with his own mouth he could turn into his finest masterpiece. He’s insane, but one thing is clear.”

“.......”

Hartan looked at Ju Seo-jin with a strange gaze in which all kinds of emotions were mixed together and spoke in a peculiar tone.

“As Old Man Halkenburg said earlier... that bastard is a lunatic who thinks he can kill me even without the Rune’s Blessing. If he has that kind of exceptional talent, he’s worth placing our hopes on.”

Swoosh—

“...If what that dead prophecy-monger said was right, whether we like it or not, we have no choice but to stake our fate on that madman.”

In that displeased gaze flowed hatred toward someone and a slight sense of expectation.

“...In the first place, that is what the Knight Soul is for- and that is what the ‘One Who Reclaims the Light’ is for.”

***

The Temple of Twilight.

After leaving the round-table conference room, they followed Grandis without much conversation and arrived at a large chapel prepared within the temple.

Unlike the old chapel at the initial starting point, even though musty dust still drifted through the air, the scenery gave the sense that someone had been maintaining it.

Ju Seo-yoon poked her head out, looked around, and muttered.

“Mmm-? Rather than a chapel... how should I put it? It also looks like a spacious room? The altar is one thing, but there’s even a bed over there... It’s strange.”

For real lolol

Compared to the Order of the Sun’s chapel, this is so shabby..? 

What is this..?

It’s so poor-looking..?

Info) The Order of the Sun’s chapel uses an entire building, and Sun Knights guard it all day in shifts.......

This is.. an Order..? 

This is... a chapel..?

Ju Seo-jin also nodded in silent agreement. 

At the same time, Grandis, who stood in front, flinched and let out an uncharacteristic ahem.

“It is both a chapel and... my residence.... I do have a personal room, but I spend more time in the chapel than there... so, somehow, I ended up living here. Yes.”

?

Huk

Fuck lolololololololololol I’ve never heard before that a Saintess lives in a chapel, fuck lolol

Smash recommend if you’ve decided to camp out and live in the chapel from today onward lolol

Nnng.. Is this big sis’s room?? 

I want to live here.........!!!!!!

(Message deleted by manager)

ㄴ You fucking Myang mods, seriously!!!!!!!

ㄴ Fucking legendary Myang mods lolololololololol

For a moment, several viewers wrote vulgar comments in the chat window and heated up, but only briefly.

Ju Seo-jin looked at Grandis as if none of that mattered and moved his lips.

“I’m not interested. More importantly, I’d like you to proceed quickly with that Rune’s Blessing...? -and the baptism ceremony.”

(No reaction)

Ah lol He can only think about learning Virtual Energy quickly lol

Great Seo-jin.

For some reason, I suddenly feel like I understand why a face like that is forever single........... yeah;;

Since he caught Trinex, caught the fake knight, and killed a fucking ton of Skeletons too, I feel like he’ll have a crazy number of bonus stats once the Rune system opens?

For real, in the Normal Route, the tutorial stage takes 10 minutes, but he dragged it out for so damn long.. Now let’s finally see the status window lol

Following Ju Seo-jin’s request, Grandis also nodded and approached the altar.

Then... Grandis placed her left hand over her chest and called him in a calm voice.

“Ju Seo-jin... One Who Reclaims the Light, I shall bestow the Rune’s Blessing upon you─── and through the baptism ceremony, I shall deliver the Knight Soul to you. Please come here.”

Step—

“Now... please kneel on one knee and close your eyes. I shall gather the Soul Pieces that exist within you, complete the Rune, and release your Soul Power.”

Swoosh—

He moved according to her instructions without saying anything.

Well, he did not know why he had to kneel on one knee, but if she said it had to be done, there was no helping it.

Then, the moment Ju Seo-jin closed his eyes, a cold touch reached his left cheek.

The feeling of a cold palm that did not seem human.

A tender, almost affectionate movement of the hand that did not match that coldness.

Within it, Ju Seo-jin felt the sensations of his body float away.

「Rune’s Blessing」

The Player Character’s status window has been unlocked, allowing the power of ‘Runes’ to be used. 

Through the Saintess’s Prayer, Rune’s Blessing can be used, and Soul Power is released.

It is possible to use Rune’s Blessing without the Saintess’s Prayer, but a slight penalty will be applied when consuming held Runes to increase stats.

The hologram window.

At the same time the system message appeared... Ju Seo-jin suddenly sensed a strange feeling rising inside his body.

───.

Should he say it felt as if one more body part, or organ, had formed?

An alien sensation, as if the diagram of his body were being newly constructed.

It was a strange feeling.

‘Is this... what Virtual Energy is...?’

Virtual Energy.

In the setting of [Knight Soul], it was a power called Soul Power.

He felt a virtual energy race throughout his entire body, as if blood were circulating through blood vessels.

Unlike the circulation of blood that spread according to the heartbeat, the flow of Virtual Energy formed in an irregular-seeming rhythm.

However, in some way, it felt familiar.

‘Interesting.’

Because......

‘This- doesn’t it feel similar to Divine Energy?’

Virtual Energy.

That was because it resembled the function of “Divine Energy” that Ju Seo-jin possessed far too much.

***

Meanwhile.

Ding-a-ling—

At the same time.

While Ju Seo-jin, who had grasped Virtual Energy─── Soul Power, was feeling intrigued... the viewers watching the streaming window were spamming question marks.

?

Huh?

??????????????

What.. the fuck????????

What is that?? Am I seeing this right? What is this??????

What is it.. Is it a bug?? Is this a bug?? What the hell is it really?? What is it???

Ju Seo-jin himself was too interested in Soul Power, a kind of Virtual Energy, to see it... but his vision was being shared with the viewers.

《 Ju Seo-jin 》

Origin / Knight’s Descendant

Level: 27 (12.9%)

Equipped Title: ‘Halkenburg’s Last Disciple’

Knight Soul: ───.

Soul Aptitude: ‘Patience’ · ‘Temperance’ · ‘Diligence’

Personal Traits: ‘Oath of Bond’ / ‘Temptation of Madness’ / ‘Impulse of Rampage’

Bonus Stats │ Held Runes: 81

Status

Strength: 37

Vitality: 31

Agility: 31

Endurance: 34

Technique: 39

Soul Power: 31 ( New! )

Nobility: 12 ( New! │ Bonus stat distribution unavailable )

.........

......

...

Fuck;

What.......??

Did you turn on cheats?? 

What is this???????

What the hell is this, fuck lololololololololololololololololol

Starting at level 27 this early in the game is already fucking insane, but 81 held Runes, fuck lolololololololololol

There was a reason Halkenburg gave him a Disciple Quest. 

Fucking legendary lololololololol

?? What’s with the level? 

What’s with the held Runes? 

No, before that, what the hell is with that stat growth rate?? 

It makes no sense;

Teacher Seo-jin.. Your stat growth rate per level.. is going fucking berserk??; What kind of bug-like phenomenon is this..?

...The chat window began burning before that unprecedented, overwhelming talent.