The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 64

Swish-!

The assassin was the first to strike. The clear difference in power he had felt during their previous encounter was still there.

But things were different now.

Thud-!

Focusing on the enemy's movements, Hanbit charged head-on at the precise moment. Reacting quickly, the assassin shifted his stance and swung his sword.

Clang-!

The clash of their blades produced a sharp, ringing sound. Overpowered, Hanbit was sent flying backward.

"Get out of the way!"

Whoosh-!

Seizing the opportunity, Barres charged in. Despite his earlier stumbling, his movements were incredibly agile.

Clang-!

Hanbit caught the sword in midair and redirected it, slowing down. He stopped in place, creating distance between them.

"I can feel a slight difference, but it's nothing special. Is that flame really the power of the Spirit King?"

The assassin felt a hint of disappointment and doubt. The remnant of the Spirit King was supposed to be an incredibly powerful force for the Holy Kingdom. But all he felt was an oppressive heat.

"It must be because it's not Norton's blood. You must have killed Liventia and taken it."

Barres had already come to a conclusion. Someone who wasn't of Norton blood using the power of the Spirit King. The power was much weaker than the information he had gathered. It was exactly the kind of situation that would arise if he had killed Liventia and taken the ring.

"Your sword looks damaged,” Hanbit said, reading their minds.

His gaze was fixed on their swords.

"The sword?"

"What are you talking about...?"

Barres and the assassin looked at their weapons simultaneously, confused by the sudden question.

But to their shock, parts of their perfectly fine blades were now blackened and damaged.

“……!”

Their eyes widened as they realized their mistake.

In that instant, Hanbit leaped forward.

Thud-!

He could feel the Sallion flames growing stronger with each passing moment.

He swung his sword at Barres with all his might.

Swish-!

"Aaargh!"

The attack cleanly severed Barres' left arm.

Another attack followed.

Whoosh-!

The flames that followed the path of his sword engulfed the wound. The power of the Spirit King, which had intensified in a moment, spread rapidly through the wound.

"Aaargh!"

Barres, who had fallen to the ground, screamed in agony as his body writhed.

His defensive magic tool had activated, but the flames burned through it and engulfed his body.

-Ouch;

-That must hurt.

-He deserves it.

-I hope he withers and dies.

"So you needed time."

The assassin straightened up, taking in the situation.

At the same time, a white light emanated from his sword.

It was brighter than before.

"Tsk."

The Sallion flames had damaged his sword, preventing him from fully using his power.

He gripped the hilt tightly.

"I'll kill you before the flames reach you. Your time is up..."

"Aaargh!"

Then, Barres' voice, which had been writhing in pain, changed strangely.

The assassin's eyes widened as he turned to look.

Gulp-

Barres' body, which had been burning with its severed arm, began to swell.

A broken glass vial containing dark red particles lay shattered on the ground.

"That is..."

It was a type of body enhancement drug sold on the black market. Made from monster corpses, it was an illegal drug with unpredictable side effects.

"Aaargh!"

Staggering to his feet, Barres was no longer human. His entire body was swollen and bloodshot.

Towering over two meters, he looked like a monster. His severed left arm was still on fire, creating a grotesque sight.

-What the?

-Oh shit, what is that? It's terrifying;

-He looks so freaking monstrous;

-Master, help me one more time.

-Leon, save me!

"GRRR!"

Barres roared and fixed his gaze on the assassin who was closest. As his body leaned forward...

Bang-!

With a tremendous crash, his body was sent flying.

“……!”

The assassin, reacting belatedly, quickly assumed a defensive stance with his sword.

But the enemy's strength was far beyond his expectations.

Crack-!

"Aaargh!"

Barres' fist pierced through the sword and into the assassin's chest. The assassin, having taken the full brunt of the attack, flew away, his body shattering.

Crash-!

Crash-!

Crash-!

He smashed through several walls on the outskirts of the clearing before finally coming to a stop. Without even being able to counterattack, the assassin met a meaningless death.

-No...

-He has to fight that thing?

-Can't they just be friends?

-I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

"GRRR!"

Ignoring the death, Barres roared at the sky.

He was a monster in every sense of the word.

"Well, at least he was less disgusting when he was just fat."

Seeing his grotesque form, Hanbit found the fat, waddling Barres less repulsive. Not that he wanted to see him again.

Whoosh-!

While Barres and the assassin were fighting, the Sallion flames, which Hanbit had been strengthening, reached their maximum power.

His stamina and mental energy were rapidly depleting due to the increased stats. The heat building up in his body was reaching dangerous levels.

Whoosh-

Sylph’s wind gathered around him, intertwining with the flames. It was a combination of attribute manifestation and wind swordsmanship, amplifying each other's abilities.

"GRRR!"

Barres, who had been roaring, turned his head towards Hanbit. His bloodshot eyes showed no signs of reason or intelligence.

Swish-

Hanbit gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and assumed a stance.

And as soon as he felt the wind filling him...

Thud-!

Bang-!

They both leaped forward.

Whoosh-!

Barres swung a huge fist, just as he had done when he killed the assassin. The attack narrowly missed Hanbit's head.

"This ends now."

Hanbit charged forward and swung his sword downward. The attack, infused with the combined power of both spirits, sliced through Barres' body diagonally.

Whoosh-!

Flames engulfed the wound, preventing the blood from spraying. The wind, mixed with the flames, spread rapidly throughout Barres' body.

"Aaargh!"

Thud-!

The wounded Barres collapsed to the ground. His red eyes stared blankly into the air as he twitched.

-Wow.

-Crazy. LMAO

-The spirit synergy is insane;

-One-shotted him?

-He's truly the spirit king.

-I always believed in you. ㅠㅠㅠ

[Master Swordsman has donated 100,000 won.]

[I'm blown away.]

"Whew."

Hanbit collapsed to the ground after deactivating the skill.

‘I've pulled enough firepower, but if it had gone on any longer, I definitely would have failed. I'll need to level up and increase my stats to use this properly.’

"Hyung!"

"Black Dragon!"

A moment later Lia and the others arrived at the clearing.

Asla and Leon, who had dealt with the other enemies, also appeared, and an alarm sounded.

Ding-!

[Main Quest #15 completed.]

[Maximum reward awarded for completing the hidden objective.]

[Received 500,000 gold.]

[Received 25 stat points.]

[Gained 200,000 experience points.]

[Level increased by 4.]

[Received 4 stat points.]

[Progress increases.]

[Main Quest #16: Epilogue]

You have safely protected Lia from the enemies.

You should share your thoughts with your companions and plan your next journey.

Objective: Reach the end of the story.

Reward: Episode complete

*Current progress: 99%

* * *

"It doesn't feel real."

In the upper floor of the Norton mansion, Lia sat with her chin resting on her hand, muttering.

"It happened so quickly, it's understandable if you feel that way."

Cowen, who was standing right beside her, also felt a sense of novelty.

Two days ago, the day the trial took place, had greatly shaken Edlen.

The fact that former mayor William had been framed and sentenced to death.

The rampage and death of Barres, the mastermind behind the incident.

The infiltration and death of the Holy Kingdom's assassin.

The confession and arrest of Brook, an accomplice.

Nothing about it was simple.

"How's the atmosphere in the city? Is the slum area okay?"

Lia had two main concerns.

One was how the city's atmosphere had changed due to the recent events.

The other was about the other precious family she had left behind in the slums when she returned to this house.

Knowing her thoughts, Cowen nodded and replied, "The city’s atmosphere is fine. In fact, most people were relieved, as they had been suffering from unfair taxes until recently. We've deployed troops and verified adventurers to maintain security in the slum area."

"...I see."

Lia breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, she was more worried about the people in the slums, including Flona, than about the citizens.

She hoped that the area would become a safe place.

"Black Dragon, are you okay now?"

Lia turned her gaze to Hanbit.

After the huge battle, his body and mind had been greatly drained.

Seeing Barres' monstrous form, she couldn't help but worry about Hanbit, who had faced him.

"I'm fine. I'm not injured. By the way, they found a passage leading from Barres' mansion to the temple, right?"

"Yes. When we searched the area marked by Camon, we found a hidden passage with multiple layers of security. They also found a lot of other things related to the Holy Kingdom."

Cowen nodded in response.

Following Barres' death, the Royal Knights had conducted an initial investigation of the mansion.

It seemed that the passage had been hidden in a very hard-to-find place, just like Barres' personality.

"Have you found out where he got the information about the remnant of the spirit king?"

"There was a small piece of a very old record. It seems that he bought it on the black market, just like the body enhancement drug he used. But the content itself was nothing special."

Barres was someone who frequently used the black market. Especially the body enhancement drug, which transformed people into something close to monsters. According to Leon, a separate investigation was underway.

Hanbit was also planning to help with the investigation as he progressed through the episodes.

"By the way, did Asla leave for another city?"

Cowen asked casually.

Asla, who had been protecting Lia until yesterday, had left the mansion without a word. Cowen couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"No, there's a spirit realm under the cliff on the outskirts of the forest. He'll be staying there for a long time because he has a lot to investigate."

"That's good to hear. I wanted to thank him properly."

"I want to thank him too. But isn't he going to come here anymore?"

Lia had figured out Asla's personality during their short time together. He would never come to visit just for fun, but if something happened, he would be the first to come running. He was a person with a strong sense of responsibility, after all.

“If you want to say hello, go to the cliff at the northwest end. He'll meet you there if you wait."

"...That doesn't sound very welcoming."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that."

He'll probably put on a really annoyed face, but Asla won't avoid meeting them.

If this happens a few times, he’ll gradually start talking more.

"Everyone's here?"

Just then, Henry appeared at the entrance.

Unlike before, his face was full of vitality.

Entering, he looked at everyone and said, "A message has arrived from Leon. I'm here to deliver the decision made in the royal capital."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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