The Hero Returns

Raeng, his arm still extending towards Malcolm, quickly turned his head.

With his hands supporting himself against the huge fangs of Ouroboros, Su-hyeun was emerging from the creature's huge maw.

"Kim Su-hyeun…"

Raeng's brows shot up high.

Su-hyeun, suspected of dying alongside Ouroboros, instead walked out from the dead creature's slack mouth. That could mean only one thing.

<<He fought it not from the outside, but from the inside?>>

That was a gamble with his life on the line. The poison found within a monster of Ouroboros's caliber would be indescribably dangerous, after all.

<<Did he realize that he could never win if he fought it from the outside?>>

If that was indeed the case, then he made a rather wise assessment. There wouldn't be any method to bring down that massive Ouroboros from the outside. Of course, there was still no guarantee that the outcome would be any different just because you decided to fight it from the inside, either.

As the word implied, it was a gamble.

However, the odds of "zero percent" and "one percent" were two completely different things.

"What kind of trick did you resort to?"

Raeng's glare was fixed on Su-hyeun. It was the same story for his hand previously reaching towards Malcolm. A dozen or so dark magicians also encircled Su-hyeun and spread out, as well.

"Just how did you hunt down Ouroboros?"

"Is how really important?" Su-hyeun replied.

"…No, you're right. It's not important."

The truly important thing was the death of Ouroboros — and with that, the dark magicians potentially losing their grip on power once more.

<<No, it's not the end yet.>>

Raeng's gaze shifted over to Ouroboros's corpse still resting on the shore. In a way, this could have very well been a blessing in disguise. The corpse of Ouroboros wasn't something you could come across even if you searched high and low for it.

Not to forget, he had in his possession a tome related to Chimera research. The field of study related to Chimera could be seen as the peak of dark magic itself, and research had been carried out on the subject for a very long time, as well.

The corpse of Ouroboros, plus Malcolm's wealth of knowledge…

<<I might be able to possess the power of Ouroboros for myself!>>

If so, his aged body could become young once more.

Raeng ended his train of thoughts there, and while reining in his anger, formed a deep grin.

He was about to turn a dangerous moment into an opportunity. And that opportunity was standing right before his eyes.

<<This bastard is probably exhausted right now.>>

Even a casual glance made it obvious. Su-hyeun's complexion was ashen and dark, and although hardly noticeable, his strides were wavering ever so slightly. The differences were slight, but the fact that he failed to even hide them meant he had to be really fatigued right now. If it was in the past, the situation might have been different, but with how things were, the dark magicians had high enough odds of victory.

"You know, I can already sort of tell what you're scheming in your head," said Su-hyeun.

Swiiish—

His sword was viciously yanked out from its sheath.

"This is perfect, actually. Ideal for experimenting, and also, things won't get too drawn out, which is good."

A rather deeply meaningful smile floated up on Su-hyeun's lips.

The ominous foreboding was the first thing to assault Raeng; disregarding Su-hyeun's fatigued complexion for a moment, his expression showed how alive he currently was.

Raeng had to catch himself from stepping back in fear. He forced his body to take a step forward, instead. "You and your pathetic bluffing attempt…"

Rumble—

Raeng spread both of his arms wide. At same time, dark currents suddenly enveloped the area with Su-hyeun as the center. Not too long afterward, his figure was completely covered up by the swirling dark currents of air.

Ku-gugugugu—

Massive pressure began crashing down on Su-hyeun. Raeng, believing that this wasn't going to be enough, opened his mouth with his arms still wide open. "Kill him."

Splaaash—

Ten-plus dark magicians fired their magic in Su-hyeun's direction. Thick chains were sucked into the dark currents, while black drills flew towards Su-hyeun's various vital spots.

He possessed a considerably high resistance against magic. So, rather than relying on usual dark magic, Raeng made sure to use those few spells that had actual, tangible physical forms.

As for these ten dark magicians, they were the best of the best dark magicians currently residing in Moros.

Clang—

Right in that instant, all the chains and drills flying towards Su-hyeun were deflected upwards by an incredible burst of power.

Thud—

Chains and drills cleanly sliced through soon lost their strength and fell down to the ground. Su-hyeun, thought to be unable to lift even a finger while trapped inside the gigantic dome of pressure, actually managed to swing his sword around.

"But…"

"H-how did he…?"

That wasn't the end, however.

Slaaaash—

The space of black current Raeng had created was chopped down. At the same time, the dark magicians surrounding this space took retreating steps.

"Create some distance and get ready for the next round of attacks!"

"Sir, the next magi—"

Whoosh—

The dark magician requesting Raeng for the next magic suddenly felt pain in his chest and looked down.

<<B-but, when?>>

Splaaash—!

Every dark magician's chest had been slashed wide open, and they fell to the ground while fountains of blood exploded from their wounds.

Raeng, too, patted his chest down with his fingertips. Dark crimson blood stained his hand. If it weren't for the robe enchanted with defense magic protecting his body, even his heart could've been sliced through just now.

"You're one seriously resilient fellow, that's for sure," said Su-hyeun.

"You…you…"

Su-hyeun tore the space apart and revealed himself, causing Raeng's eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets.

A third eye was revealed on his forehead, and soft-looking black scales were covering his entire body. And most importantly, there was the concentration of magical energy that could be sensed emanating from him.

There was no mistaking it.

"O-Ouroboros?"

"You recognized it pretty fast."

"But, that power, how could you…."

Su-hyeun had acquired Ouroboros's power. That was the power Raeng yearned for the past dozen or so years. Not only that, but Su-hyeun didn't just acquire the gigantic snake's bodily abilities. The gaze of the leader of all dark magicians met with the small eye located in his opponent's forehead.

It was a third eye, with a snake-like thin slit in its iris.

That was basically the symbol of Ouroboros's true authority, something that could never be acquired through research on Chimeras alone.

Raeng felt as if all his lengthy, difficult research up until now was all for nought.

"For sure, it's an incredible power, alright." Su-hyeun left open his newly acquired trait, the third eye, and glared at Raeng. "If you can handle it, that is."

"Give it back!"

The ground Su-hyeun was standing on turned black and very malleable in an instant. And the more he tried to move forward, the deeper he got sucked underground.

<<Just like this, I shall bury him underground.>>

Raeng gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. The pressure grew stronger, and Su-hyeun's feet got sucked more and more under the ground.

Poo-wook—

Even though he was being sucked below, Su-hyeun's feet still strode forward slowly. It was as if nothing had happened. Not a shred of hesitation could be seen.

"How ironic this is," said Su-hyeun.

Raeng watched Su-hyeun gradually get closer and began stumbling backward.

Perhaps due to his concentration breaking, the effect of the magic trying to suck Su-hyeun below became that much weaker. And that, in turn, caused his steps to become much faster.

"Those who used this power to oppress a city are about to get wiped out by this very same power instead," said Su-hyeun.

"You, you…Just what are you?"

Su-hyeun had no thoughts of answering Raeng's question. Who or what he was wasn't important at all.

"Did you know who they were when you killed them?"

The "they" in his question referred to those people who got served up as sacrifices to Ouroboros.

"You haven't even seen their faces before, have you?"

"So? What about it?"

Ku-wuwuwuwu—

Su-hyeun's foot sunk in really deeply.

Cold sweat ran down Raeng's entire body. He was squeezing out every ounce of magical energy reserve still left in his body to force Su-hyeun down.

"Do you have any idea the level of discrimination we had to suffer? Those bastards despised us without even bothering to know who we are just because we were dark magicians! In that case, what's so wrong with killing them all?"

Dark magic. The field of study that had become the object of scorn, disgust, and contempt.

Raeng had spend his entire life in this field of study, and therefore, carried a massive chip on his shoulders towards all the other magicians who had looked down on him.

He lived on with the promise to punish those magicians by acquiring great power. And about a dozen or so years ago, he got to acquire that very power he had been searching for.

The power called Ouroboros.

"You asked me if I knew who they were, right? Yes, I knew them! I knew those eyes filled with disdain, those words that mercilessly dug deep into my heart! So, do not run your mouth off when you don't even know anything!"

"You know, that's just too bad."

Split—

The half-closed third eye in Su-hyeun's forehead suddenly opened up wide.

Giiiii-iiiiing—

The third eye's power began to gradually force back the space Raeng had created.

Raeng was stunned by an event that had never happened before, and hurriedly increased the output of his magic. However, no matter how hard he tried, the destruction of the space he created simply couldn't be prevented at all.

"W-what is the meaning of…"

He was completely flabbergasted.

Raeng stared at the third eye in Su-hyeun's forehead. He wasn't sure what its exact ability was, but at the very least, he could tell what was happening right now.

The magic neutralization.

It was one of those abilities that neutralized your opponent's magic, something that could be used only if your opponent's skill level was far, far below yours.

<<My magic…but how?>>

He just couldn't accept this. Neutralizing his magic as if it didn't even exist in the first place — that also meant his decades-long life was now being unjustly denied.

It simply couldn't be allowed to happen.

"Unfortunately for you, I know a lot about dark magic." Su-hyeun's gaze shifted over to Malcolm in the distance. "And that's why I also know the reason for Sir Malcolm over there deciding to give up on it, too."

He got to deal with these bastards calling themselves dark magicians numerous times before while experiencing various trials in the past life. With the exception of someone like Malcolm and a handful of others, the rest of that lot were always made up of seriously evil people.

Actually, one had little choice but to go through a training that harmed the sanctity of human life if one wished to reach the highest peak of dark magic. As this field of study was designed to be like that from the onset, it was not something any sane person would want to learn.

However, people that did were seduced by the dark magic's charm that allowed you to become stronger much sooner compared to regular magic, and would gradually become corrupt as a result.

"You got discriminated when no one knew who you were? And that's why you simply got back at them? Even your premise is wrong from the start."

Su-hyeun walked towards Raeng, and looked down at the old man with a bent back. "You see, it's not that hard to figure out why you lot were discriminated against."

His sword was now approaching the target.

Raeng didn't close his glaring eyes even as the sword reached his neck. He certainly didn't become the greatest among Moros's dark magicians with half-baked determination, after all.

"I…was not wrong." Raeng turned his head and looked at Malcolm. "I….!"

Swish—

A very thin bloody line was drawn on Raeng's body.

"…Was not…wro…"

He couldn't finish what he wanted to say as his body split in half and fell to the ground. Su-hyeun, now unable to hear the man's last words, looked at Raeng's body with a slightly rueful expression.

This man lived by his own set of beliefs. If only his beliefs didn't stray down the wrong path, he could have been someone truly great.

"I pray…." Malcolm looked at Raeng's body before closing his eyes. "…That you reach a good place, my friend."

He then shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun. When the third eye closed and the scales covering his body disappeared, Su-hyeun immediately began tottering unsteadily.

"Are you alright?" Malcolm asked.

"…Yes, I'm alright."

He did push himself a bit too far.

Right after the battle against Ouroboros had ended, he engaged Raeng and ten-plus dark magicians in another round of fighting even before his body had a chance to recover.

Sure, it might have been a rather one-sided affair, but using a newly-acquired trait with a worn-out body was still taking things one step too far.

<<Did I get too carried away?>>

Still, he now had a rough idea of what the effect of the new trait might be.

Although he would need a little more time to fully acclimate himself, he definitely didn't feel short-changed at his decision to discard the Imoogi's trait in exchange for Ouroboros's.

<<And now…>>

[Achievement rate: 100%]

[Will you end your trial here?]

Su-hyeun stared at the achievement rate and thought to himself.

<<…It's finally ended.>>