Chapter 265

[Kieek?!] Beru was startled by the sudden change in the tide of battle.

SWOOSH—

The shadow soldiers' attacks were enveloped in sharp winds.

BOOM! CRASH!

Whirlwinds raged with every step they took. It was a similar effect to the attacks of the 'Wind Blade Crows' that flocked outside Elvenwood.

Kaboom—!

The spirits tried to scatter to avoid their attacks, but they couldn't escape being swept away by the giant ice hammer that Sirka wielded.

Hiiiiiik—!

Crack—!

The startled spirits screamed in surprise and froze on the spot, like sharp icicles, with shocked expressions. It was a spectacular sight.

[My liege!] Beru looked at Suho and exclaimed in admiration,

[How did you learn such a wonderful skill?!] Beru recognized the structure of the new skill Suho acquired at a glance. The ability to temporarily strengthen the attack power and defense of shadow soldiers!

"A buff skill?!" Cha Hae-In, who was striking lightning in all directions with the Demon King's Longsword, also widened her eyes at the sight of the shadow soldiers imbued with elemental power. Like Beru, she also recognized how valuable the buff skill Suho used was.

Buff.

It was an ability mainly used by support-type Hunters like Healers to assist their party members in battle from behind, and there were countless types of them. And the larger the raid party, The higher the difficulty of the dungeon, The more diverse buff skills needed to be utilized appropriately for a safer and more efficient raid. But among them, if one had to choose the most versatile and useful skill, all Hunters would agree on 'elemental buff.'

'A buff that adds elemental damage to allies! It's the most efficient buff in a situation like this!' A chaotic battle. Especially when facing various types of magical beasts like now, Elemental attacks, if used properly according to the attributes of the magical beasts they were facing, could inflict much greater damage with the same strike. 

But Beru had a different perspective from Cha Hae-In. He saw the advantages and disadvantages of the 'Spirit Armament' that Suho used more clearly and specifically. [Kieeeeek! This is truly amazing! To strengthen the soldiers by consuming spirits instead of mana!]

Advantage one.

It didn't consume mana. This was the most important because it meant that Suho could save mana, the core material for maintaining the Shadow Army.

Advantage two.

It was fundamentally different from Skill: 'Monarch's Domain,' so the effects stacked.

Advantage three.

The buff effect became stronger as more spirits were used as materials.

But there was a problem. The third advantage was also a drawback. A skill that required spirits as materials instead of mana. It meant there was a clear limit.

[It's a shame. It's quite a useful skill, but it can only use the spirits that the young elf personally caught as materials. And even that is a consumable that ends the moment the spirits disappear. In short, it's a much lower version compared to 'Monarch's Domain'.] In that sense, Beru could also quickly figure out who Suho received this skill from. He glared at Sirka, the Descendant of Frost, with burning eyes.

[Kieek! How outrageous! It's obvious that he will want the young elf to grow up quickly so he can use more spirits as materials!] This was why all the dead Monarchs were so cunning. They pretended to help Suho, but in the end, they wanted to take care of their descendants. Didn't the Fang Monarch also present Gray for the same purpose? Of course, Suho wasn't unaware of that fact.

"But it's a deal where no one loses. Let's think positively."

[In any case, you're too naive… Kieek?] Beru, who was grumbling, suddenly looked at Suho's eyes and realized something.

[…My liege, don't tell me?]

Suho's smiling face as he looked straight at Beru was very similar to Sirka's triumphant expression when she succeeded in imitating Sillad's power, albeit insufficiently.

"Yes. This will definitely help my father."

[…What a devoted son! Sob. Sob.] Beru burst into tears at that noble filial piety. Regardless, Suho sprang forward with his weapon.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash—!

Beru quickly followed Suho, who was slaughtering the enemies in Elvenwood alongside the soldiers, and continued to wail.

"Beru, you said it before, didn't you? That no matter how strong I become, I can never be as strong as my father. The same goes for my soldiers."

[Sob! Unfortunately, that's true! The shadow power you inherited, my liege, is just a 'skill' that can't even compare to the King's power!]

"It's not comforting at all when you cry with an expression that's not sad at all."

[But what can you do? It's an obvious fact.]

"Seriously." Suho chuckled and cut down the roots of Elvenwood that sprouted from the ground.

It was just a fact, devoid of any human touch or empathy. But even though he looked like that, Beru was always right. And it was something Suho often worried about. If he continued to grow stronger like this and finally met his father,

'How much help will I be to my father?'

'Will my shadow soldiers be of any use?' He was only at this level even on Earth, so how effective would his power be against the real outer gods that his father was facing?

"In that sense…" That was why Suho was only able to find the answer after recently receiving the power of destruction from the Dragon King and seeing Sirka's ability today.

"This is the only way. The most efficient way I can actually help my father."

Buff.

Suho chuckled and said,

"It's a war, right? War is a confrontation of power and power, but I also learned that you need to be able to create variables with various strategies and tactics. From my father."

Of course, it was something his father said while playing games together. But Suho had a truly refreshed expression as he said those words. Thinking back, to protect just one Earth, where not even Itarim themself but only their apostles were active, was a problem that could be solved by diligently accumulating experience points and becoming stronger like now. But Suho's ultimate goal wasn't limited to just that. After completely resolving Earth's problems, Going to space to meet his father who was at war with the outer gods. Fighting alongside him. Wasn't that the meaning of the name 'Woojin' Guild that Suho created? But the problem was, what if he went all the way there and wasn't of any help? Then Suho himself would only become a burden to his father.

'…Because I'm my father's only weakness.' But until when? How long did he have to live as a child who needed protection?

"My father already saved the world by himself at my age."

Suho, gritting his teeth, pulled out the roots of Elvenwood with his rough hand. Following those, the flames of destruction flowed towards the trunk of Elvenwood. He extended his other hand towards it and unleashed his power.

[Using Skill: 'Breath of Destruction'.]

KRAAAAA—!

Elvenwood was pierced by that powerful inferno. Seeing that, Suho recalled what he saw today. The lives of the elves who were raised by that Elvenwood. The history of struggle that Sillad, the Monarch who died after being defeated by his father, lived through. The noble Monarch of the elves who remained alone in the blizzard where everyone else fled and fought against the whole world with gritted teeth and won.

"Not only my father, but Sillad also fought and won against the bitter cold alone. And even Sirka…" Yes. Even that little Sirka was a child of frost who learned to walk in a blizzard from the moment she was born. Because all those conditions were met, Sillad chose Sirka as his successor as soon as he saw her.

'But what about me?' Suho never overestimated himself. He wasn't foolish enough to be intoxicated by the feeling of becoming stronger, no matter how much he leveled up.

– I briefly fought him, and your son was pathetic. Did the peaceful comfort dull the Shadow Monarch's blood? 

The words of the Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction, who was his father's rival. Those words were still etched in Suho's mind, Deeply embedded in the Dragon King's heart that was beating in Suho's chest.

Thump! Thump!

As long as this hellfire he received from the Dragon King boiled in his blood, Suho would never be mistaken.

'An extremely ordinary human who grew up in peaceful comfort. That is me.'

The only difference from others was that he was born to good parents. That he inherited special blood. But to be arrogant about that, Suho already knew too much. Look at Sirka right there. The reason She was chosen as the Monarch's successor wasn't because of Sillad's bloodline. It was because she proved her qualifications with her own life. In that sense, Suho squeezed this buff skill out of the Monarch of Frost.

"This ability not only strengthens my soldiers, but it can also buff my father's Shadow Army."

Beru's eyes curved into crescents. [That's right. Although it's limited, this skill is definitely applied separately from the shadow power. Ah, for your information, the King already buffs the soldiers with the energy of the dead Rulers' soldiers, even though they're not spirits.]

"…!" Suho's triumphant expression faltered.

"What? My father doesn't have spirits so he's using angels? You're saying he uses angels as sacrifices for buffs?"

[It's recycling. New angels aren't born from the World Tree anymore. But…] Beru just smiled at Suho, proud of him.

[It seems like the angel and spirit buffs will stack. In other words, it will be helpful.]

Suho smiled as he finally received Beru's approval. Yes he still had a long way to go. He was still his father's only weakness. But at the same time,

"I am a variable. The only variable in this war. I will definitely become that."

[…] Beru's eyes widened at Suho's confident declaration. He grinned, revealing his teeth.

"So just watch. I'll be helpful to my father by any means necessary."

Crackle—!

With those words, the giant tree Elvenwood finally collapsed under Suho's power. Engulfed in the flames of destruction.

Whoosh—! Flare—!

Tremendous heat. The green city turned into a sea of fire.

Rumble! Crash!

The White Flame lightning striking down from the sky.

Crack—!

And the high elves turned into ice sculptures below. It was truly a natural disaster. The city which maintained its beauty by using humans as fertilizer, perished overnight.

"Rescue the people."

[Yes!] At Suho's command, the shadow soldiers moved in unison and began to rescue the survivors trapped underground in the city.

[…] Beru silently watched them. And he was recalling a memory from some time ago.

– Master, wouldn't it be alright to return the power to the Young Master now? – It was a conversation between Sung Jinwoo and Igris about Suho's sealed power.

– We've done tests before, but this is the first time the Young Master has reached the level of the Monarch. I think it's a passing grade. – Sung Jinwoo firmly shook his head at Igris's words and said,

– If I had relied only on my power and fought the Dragon King, would we have won?

There was something Sung Jinwoo was most worried about as he tested Suho in his dreams over and over again. His recklessness. It could be disguised as bravery, but it was different from the perspective of a father worried about his son. Even if you have a lot of power, you need to be able to run away in situations where victory isn't guaranteed. 

– And Recklessly rushing at a strong enemy without any calculations is foolish.

"Recklessly rushing at a strong enemy without any calculations is foolish. We need a plan."

[…] Beru's eyes widened.

The words that Sung Jinwoo so desperately wanted suddenly came out of Suho's mouth as he was rescuing people. Of his own accord! But it wasn't because Suho was afraid of death. For him, who had lived with shadow soldiers since birth, death wasn't the end. Perhaps Suho's recklessness stemmed from that. Knowing that death wasn't the end, he wasn't afraid of it. But ironically, after seeing the life of struggle that Sillad lived, fiercely enduring to avoid death, Suho realized an important fact.

"It's okay to die. But I refuse a foolish death where I have regrets even after dying. We need a solid plan." With those words, Suho opened his inventory. And what he took out was the item he found after defeating the 'Mad Blooded Tyrant' Itarim's apostle, in the demon world.

[Item: Itarim's Stone Tablet]

[Acquisition Difficulty: ??]

[Type: Stone Tablet]

[A stone tablet engraved with Itarim's language.]

[A special spell is cast on it.]

Beru recognized what it was at a glance. [I know what this spell is. I clearly saw Itarim's army using this to communicate with each other during the war.]

"Communicating with a stone tablet?"

[Yes. The problem is that they come in pairs, and there's only one here…]

"The other one must be with someone else. The one who sent the Mad Blooded Tyrant here."

"Harmakan, thoroughly analyze this stone tablet." Suho's order fell.

"By any means necessary, we will track down the apostle from now on."

The true hunt had begun.