Chapter 40 Part1 (1/2)

<chapter 40.=”” fake=”” hero=”” saga=”” -=”” 1=””>

[Seems like I've satisfied your curiosity.]

Zenon saw Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's relieved expression and said, his face brightening slightly.

He couldn't understand even half of what Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and his party were talking about, but he could at least tell that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was happy right now. Since he was happy, Sinea was also happy. Seeing the flow of emotions between them put Zenon in a daze.

”Yeah, mostly. I know what I need to do from now on.”

Now that he thought about it, ever since he came to this world, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo would act depending on the situation and focus entirely on survival.

He'd been swayed by the G.o.ddess and the undead; although he'd constructed an independent position for himself through his impeccable acting ability, he couldn't deny that he'd essentially been an actor acting upon another person's stage.

However, he'd gotten his hands on all the information he needed once he came to the surface. Now, he was on even footing with the ones behind the stage. It was time for him to pay them back for all the humiliation he'd experienced.

”Wait a minute. If you going wild and doing as you please is considered 'humiliation', then I can only imagine what you're going to do...”

”Zenon.”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had given Rem an order, but Jin didn't know about it, so he looked dumbfounded. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo ignored him, turned around, and looked at Zenon. Zenon was quietly watching them, or more specifically, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Sinea (who was latching onto him). He then said.

”Thanks for being kind enough to explain all of this to us, even though we came in all of a sudden. If there's anything I can do...”

[No... I'm just happy that I could see a spirit and contractor with such a good relations.h.i.+p. If there's something I want, then it's for you to care for and not discard that lady.]

”Hmm.”

Those words were unnecessary. There's no way he'd treat Sinea, who had unlimited affection for him, unkindly. Their relations.h.i.+p wasn't the issue right now, but Zenon himself. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo asked with a more forceful tone than before.

”You don't want anything else?”

[Mm...]

He could've done as he asked since Zenon had given him such valuable information, but... this and that were separate issues. His instincts as a Joker wouldn't allow Zenon to leave the stage like this.

”There should be something you want, Zenon.”

Then, he had to go for it. He would push Zenon in the direction he wanted him to go!

[Don't mock me. I'd rather not bare my fangs at guests.]

”Haha, what a joke. Your fangs are already worn, no?”

Zenon, who'd weakened from lacking a contractor, likely felt vicarious satisfaction from witnessing Sinea and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. But was that all? Would the fury from losing one's contractor truly fade into lethargy after several hundred years?

[What did you say?]

”If they weren't, then there's no way that the ones who killed your contractors would be living so peacefully outside.”

[...You!]

No way. When one loses a loved one, their anger may pa.s.s for a short time, but it would never fade completely. The reason Zenon and the rest of the spirits here were so lethargic was because they didn't have enough wood to feed the fire. Their anger would reignite with just a little more fuel.

”While you guys toiled away in here, unable to either live or die, the humans on the surface have lived peacefully, bore children, and advanced their civilization. Yeah. They live truly shamelessly, the humans who killed the ones you love.”

[Enough, Dryad Contractor. Stop with the pointless provocations. By staying here...]

”Do you know? Even now, the Emperor has spread golems all across the Empire and has ordered them to catch and kill any newly born spirits. If you don't believe me, then I can catch one for you and show it to you.”

[Shut up!]

Zenon couldn't put up with Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who ignored his warning and said whatever he pleased and spewed flames. However, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo blocked his attack by just drawing the greatsword strapped onto his back.

Although Zenon had lost his contractor, he was still a level 7 spirit. But Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had blocked it with one simple move!

[Impossible!?]

”I looked through all the memories you've all shown me. They were so clear that it felt like it happened only yesterday. But... do you think the humans who tried to eliminate you remember you? Would you even be able to recognize those they so cruelly trampled upon, be they spirits or their contractors? What do you think?”

[You went too far, Human!]

Then, the Spirits' Spring seethed once more. It wasn't just Zenon. The scattered spirits radiated light and surrounded Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and his party.

[Don't.]

[Don't say it.]

[Human!]

He wanted to say that they were full of vigor now, but their eyes didn't show such pure energy. Their suppressed hatred and resentment were forcing their bodies to move. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo looked around, witnessing their encirclement; tens turned into hundreds, and the hundreds into thousands. Then, he laughed fearlessly.

”You're too scared to fight your enemies, yet you bare your fangs at me, someone who's trying to help you. Haha, you're just rats who've escaped a battlefield once before. No matter how many of you gather, you can't beat a tiger.”

[I said, shut up!]

Zenon squeezed out every inch of his magic and the other spirits followed suit, focusing all their magic onto Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. Sinea was ready and quickly formed a wall of wood, but she couldn't stop thousands of spirits all by herself.

[Kyaa!]

”It's alright, Sinea. Thanks.”

The wall crumbled instantly, and the concentrated spell, comprised of various elements, annihilated Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and his party... or so it seemed.

[...He's not dead?]

[He's absorbing our magic.]

[He's not human.]

[How is he...!?]

”Hoo.”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo stepped forward so that his party would remain unharmed, and drew all the spirits' magic to himself.

First, he activated all of the elemental resistances he'd trained thus far; he could block the majority of the damage with his resistances. Then, he used his level 8 Absorption skill to take care of the rest.

Since Zenon was level 7, despite being weakened, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo hadn't been able to fully absorb his attack and was forced to use his greatsword to defend himself. But even after receiving thousands of attacks from the spirits, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's body... No, even his armor wasn't damaged in the least. Even if they kept attacking him, the result would be the same. He was the worst opponent they could've faced.

”As I thought, you really are too weak. You can't even consider taking revenge if you're this weak. Of course you'd turn tail and run. You've hunkered down for dozens of years... Ah, it's actually hundreds of years, isn't it?”

[You bastarrrrrd!]