After Returning, My Abilities are Infinite - Chapter 74

Episode 74. My Hyeong (3)

“That way, that way!”

Kim Seung-hyun chose to flee for now. It was a wise decision even though it made him look silly. What was he supposed to do against a monster literally as big as a mountain? Tank? It wasn’t something a person could fight. The way to deal with it was to increase the distance, find its weakness, and slowly attack.

Booom!

“Gasp!”

Kim Seung-hyun, startled at the loud noise like a fallen meteorite, moved hurriedly.

Sung Hyun-woo and I strolled along as we followed him as if we were watching a movie. Oh, so this is how the Traveler feels. I was angry when I was the victim, but it wasn’t so bad.

“Since it’s huge and there are trees, it won’t be able to move freely. Let’s observe from a distance and find a way to kill it, or find a route that goes around it. I don’t need to kill the monster to pass the test, right? We… we just have to reach the destination.”

“That’s right, Hyeong. That’s right.”

He was right. Perhaps because he knew it was a test, he spoke all of his thoughts out loud as he ran hard.

Hm. Objectively speaking, it was the right decision. But….

Boom! Boom!

“What, another?”

Only if there was one monster.

Kim Seung-hyun felt the ground shake again, and his face paled.

It was a terrible monster that was hard to see even on the internet. Seeing it in person would be overwhelming. And to think that another one was coming would make him feel hopeless.

“Ajusshi, you’re so mean.”

“I said be quiet. He can hear you.”

I poked Sung Hyun-woo as I spoke. An ordinary dangerous situation wouldn’t do.

Two things were needed to awaken Kim Seung-hyun’s characteristic. -Overwhelming danger-, and the person he was protecting had to be -someone he cared for-.

If those conditions were met, the special power deep inside him would soon appear.

‘I hope he cares for me.’

Before coming back in time, Kim Seung-hyun was the person I relied on and trusted the most. Of course, we had a bond built up over a long time back then, but…….

I wasn’t sure this time. I might still be somewhat like a stranger to him. But I remembered how he staunchly risked his life for me on the front line. I trusted that man who still lingered in my mind.

“Si-woo, what are you doing? Come on! Come on!”

It looked like the condition of overwhelming danger was fulfilled enough. Kim Seung-hyun was shouting like the main character of a disaster movie.

Sung Hyun-woo and I were still calm as we walked the forest after Kim Seung-hyun. Although he wasn’t a skilled hunter yet, he was excellent at instinctively finding a safe path.

‘I would have gone this way too.’

Kim Seung-hyun’s route was flawless. He avoided all the places where the small monsters I sneakily placed in addition to Han Yeon-soo’s troops might be hiding.

And he also avoided all the places where traps would have popped out if this had been a trap dungeon. It wasn’t a coincidence. Kim Seung-hyun’s instincts were sharp enough to surpass most experts.

“Oh… don’t go there, big Ajusshi.”

“Huh?”

“There’s another giant monster over there.”

Another good thing was that Sung Hyun-woo did not keep silent even though it was a test.

Hyun-woo was looking through the area with X-ray vision, and he offered a bit of advice. Upon hearing it, Kim Seung-hyun lowered his head and brought his ear to the ground. He listened to the vibrations a few times and then changed direction.

He seemed to have also noticed that there was a monster over there.

“Ugh.”

Kim Seung-hyun put his shield back in and pulled out a dagger. He cut away the branches and created a path.

He still looked a bit awkward when he used weapons other than the shield, but his movement was quite precise. With a bit of correction, he could seem like a master.

But Chun Myeong-suk had been terrible at using weapons other than a shield.

“Did your mentor also teach you how to use other weapons?”

“No. I trained by myself, thinking about shield techniques. Hahaha… I’m a bit clumsy, right?”

“It’s not bad.”

So, he improved Chun Myeong-suk’s martial arts, which was a weak in offense, and also developed a new field. Kim Seung-hyun’s weapons mastery I saw before coming back in time was his achievement.

The Kim Seung-hyun I remembered was the best at using not just the shield but also all weapons. In line with his reputation as a Martial God.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Oh, this is nuts. What kind of test is this difficult?”

“Well, I’m making a big guild, after all.”

“Big guilds usually have easier tryouts.”

“… It’s going to be the best, so.”

Kim Seung-hyun looked at me in disbelief. Then he continued to break off branches and created a path heading into the forest.

The two giant monsters were wandering around, unable to find us yet. The sound of their footsteps echoed and heightened the tension.

It was going quite well so far. Yeah, so far…….

There was no direct danger.

Thwack!

“Argh!”

Kim Seung-hyun stepped into a bush and was instantly flung into the air. He flew to the back, rolling several times on the ground, and thick clouds of sand dust rose.

I looked at Kim Seung-hyun and turned back to the front. Inside the bushes, a snorting animal was looking at us.

“Sniff… snort.”

A big horn was sticking up from its nose, and its narrow eyes looked menacing. It was a ferocious-looking bull.

[Name: Thunderbull]

[A monster that is said to charge like a storm.]

[They say the Thunderbull’s horn can smash anything, and legend says you can hear thunder whenever it charges.]

[*This monster is under the control of the ‘Queen’.]

[*It receives ‘Military Adjustment’ by the ‘Queen’.]

[*The Thunderbull’s physical abilities have increased dramatically.]

[*The Thunderbull’s physical durability has increased dramatically.]

[*The Thunderbull’s magic resistance has increased dramatically.]

[*The Thunderbull’s horn is filled with thunder and lightning mana.]

[→ High probability of ‘paralysis’ occurring.]

[→ High probability of ‘electric shock’ occurring.]

“Ugh… Aaah….”

Kim Seung-hyun groaned and retched. Fortunately, it looked like the monster had controlled its force, and Kim Seung-hyun didn’t cough up blood. Normally his body would have burst into pieces along with the sound of thunder.

‘I should never ask Han Yeon-soo to do this again.’

She didn’t know what ‘going easy’ meant. She said she felt sorry for Kim Seung-hyun, then she sent one of the strongest monsters in her Queen’s Army. She had no conscience.

“Kr… Krrrr.”

The snorting Thunderbull watched us as it kicked the ground with its feet. Grains of sand bounced up, and dust clouds rose. It was getting ready to charge. It was snorting instead of saying, “I’m going to blast you all away.”

“Back… Come to the back.”

“Hyeong, it looks like you’re struggling. Hyun-woo can teleport. So let’s get out of here first….”

I spoke to Kim Seung-hyun, who was having trouble speaking. He probably knew because Sung Hyun-woo received a lot of attention on the internet thanks to his mysterious nature. But this was just bait.

Swoosh, crack!

“…Huh?”

The Thunderbull rushed like the wind before I could say anything. The speed of the highly dangerous monster was ridiculously fast, way faster than a sports car. Kim Seung-hyun blinked once, and Sung Hyun-woo was flying in the air.

“Ajusshi, I’m good at acting, aren’t I?”

He was acting, of course. Sung Hyun-woo, who mouthed as he was flung into the air, was also pretty crazy. Wrapped in a barrier that was sturdier than ten Tankers put together, Sung Hyun-woo flew away, closing his eyes and pretending to be unconscious.

Kim Seung-hyun stared at the sight with his mouth open and trembled.

He was probably thinking something along these lines.

That a major accident had occurred.

“Krrrng…!”

The normally gentle Thunderbull had become a perfectly brutal beast at Han Yeon-soo’s command.

The ferocious sight even made me cringe. Not to mention Seung-hyun Hyeong.

“Kr…krrr!”

The Thunderbull stomped again. Now Kim Seung-hyun also noticed that it meant the Thunderbull was about to charge.

“Oh….”

His eyes shook violently.

[Your ‘bond’ with ‘Kim Seung-hyun’ becomes stronger.]

[Your ‘bond’ with ‘Kim Seung-hyun’ becomes stronger.]

[‘Outstanding Insight (S)’ has been activated.]

And I could read exactly what he was feeling.

‘What should I do? Should I shout for help now?’

‘This is an artificial dungeon, and people might be standing by. These two are important people, so they’re bound to have some security.’

‘No, maybe they don’t. Besides, it’s already right in front of him. Who could help now? I’m the only one.’

‘But I’m just a 3rd class hunter. Wouldn’t I just die a useless death if I intervene? Si-woo might be able to handle it alone.’

‘No, no, no. Remember what he said? And you saw those scars……!’

[You have achieved the strongest ‘bond’ with the target individual.]

[Weak ‘Link’ is activated.]

[Instead of the target’s ability and physical strength, you can read their psychology and emotions.]

Tap. Tap.

Sand grains flew one by one. Along with the smallest movements, dozens of thoughts rose and sank in Kim Seung-hyun’s mind.

He struggled between choosing the hero’s path or the layman’s path over and over.

“Krrr.”

The Thunderbull put its feet on the ground and prepared to charge with its heavy body.

And at that moment.

All of the thoughts that were flowing in suddenly vanished.

“You. Ahhhhh!”

Kim Seung-hyun, who had been limping, grabbed the shield on his back and rushed forward blindly. He approached me so quickly for an injured man and stood in front of me. He slammed his shield into the ground and stood right behind it.

Even if he managed to block the charge, all of his bones would break. Even if he were lucky, he would be severely injured in some part of his body. But behind him, I would be hurt a little less.

However, in the face of real danger, Kim Seung-hyun did not hesitate.

At the critical moment, he simply chose sacrifice.

-I don’t want to lose anyone again.

At the same time, Kim Seung Hyun’s back story flowed in.

-I don’t want to lose someone from hesitating.

-I would rather choose to damage myself than watch someone I was just talking to die before my eyes.

-That’s why I grabbed a shield, and that’s why I became a Tank.

-Maybe that’s why God gave me a stronger body than others and a heart that can endure.

The story rushed in like a wave.

In the faint memory, I saw a young Kim Seung-hyun and a child who looked like him.

Trampled by something, the child slowly died. I could see Kim Seung-hyun’s blank face, staring at the body for a long time, unable to cry.

-Brother.

The young Kim Seung-hyun muttered the word ‘brother’ clumsily.

[The dormant characteristic awakens upon fulfilling the requirements.]

[The high walls blocking off his heart start to collapse.]

[You have assisted the ‘blossoming’.]

[Your Soul level rises.]

[Your Soul level rises.]

“Goddaaaaam itttt!”

Shouted Kim Seung-hyun. I had never heard him swear in either my past life or my present life.

Hearing his roar, I looked at Kim Seung-hyun.

His back was as wide as the Martial God I remembered.

It looked wide and reliable as if it could endure anything in the world and even shoulder the sky.

Boom!

The Thunderbull’s charge smashed the shield, and pieces of metal shattered everywhere. But there wasn’t a single scratch on Kim Seung-hyun’s body. In fact, the Thunderbull’s eyes were shaking.

Kim Seung-hyun was single-handedly withstanding the monster’s strength, and his dense muscles had blocked the charge.

-What… is this?

I heard Han Yeon-soo’s surprised voice over the receiver. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either when I first saw it. And I couldn’t help but admire the fact that a person awakened this type of characteristic.

The name of the characteristic was still deeply rooted in my mind.

-Loyalty-

[Those who protect the people they care for will become stronger.]

Kim Seung-hyun clenched his teeth and tripped the Thunderbull, knocking it down.

Thud…….

The sound of the heavy body hitting the floor echoed.

[When you protect someone you care about, your physical ability increases exponentially.]

[When you protect someone you care about, your physical endurance increases exponentially.]

[When you jump in front of someone you care about to protect them, you will never be pushed back.]

[*When you sacrifice yourself, you can completely block any attack once. (Cooldown: 1 day)]

I knew it. He was my Hyeong.

“Ha, haaaaa…….”

Kim Seung-hyun breathed out heavily and looked at me. I nodded in admiration with my thumbs up.

“This time, I blocked it…. huuuh, hmfff.”

Kim Seung-hyun sobbed for a long time, sitting on the ground. Then, he carried Sung Hyun-woo, who had flown far away, on his back, and arrived at the destination in a total wreck.

Thanks to Sung Hyun-woo’s barrier, his suit was barely intact. And as soon as I told him he had passed the test, Seung-hyun Hyeong collapsed on the spot and fell asleep.

“…I should apologize when he wakes up.”

I had unintentionally found out something I didn’t know. I had taken a peek at the weakness of a man I thought was invincible.

Suppressing the guilt rising in my heart, I walked slowly towards the lodgings, carrying Seung-hyun Hyeong, who was asleep, on my back.

I felt sorry.

But if he had gone through the test knowing his ability, the characteristic may have stayed dormant forever without ever waking up. To save more people, Seung-hyun Hyeong needed to awaken it more quickly.

I glanced at Kim Seung Hyun, who had fallen asleep looking exhausted.

‘I’ll apologize when you wake up.’

‘But now, you won’t ever lose anyone in vain, Hyeong.’