Ch.81EP.22 – The Knight Seeks Growth (4)

“You’ve endured that pain quite well, truly.”

Derrick had felt it himself while handling the medicine.

The Demon King’s heart possessed a potency far beyond any ordinary medicine.

It wasn’t just strong in the conventional sense.

‘In terms of poison, it would be more deadly than even the Zhen bird’s venom.’

The legendary Zhen bird, said to possess lethal poison.

Its venom was reportedly so powerful and terrible that no antidote existed, and while in the original world it was merely a legendary poison recorded only in historical texts, in this world, the Zhen bird actually existed.

He even knew where they lived.

However, despite knowing their habitat, Derrick didn’t dare attempt to acquire one.

Acquisition difficulty: ‘Unknown.’

Trying to obtain one would almost certainly result in death, so how could anyone possibly acquire it?

And the Demon King’s heart was comparable to or even more powerful than the Zhen bird.

In reality, consuming it raw would have been unthinkable.

That’s why he had planned to find ways to reduce its potency before consumption, but he never imagined someone would take the medicine immediately after he passed out.

Despite leaving instructions to wait…

…Nevertheless.

‘Still, the fact that he endured it carries great significance…’

Derrick knew.

Consuming an Unknown-grade elixir without shortcuts could certainly generate new characteristics.

‘He essentially fought and won against that vicious potency. The evidence is that he absorbed all the medicinal properties within just a couple of hours, which makes it clear.’

Originally, he had planned to administer it with anesthetics and other safer methods, but somehow, he had fought against the pain with his entire body and successfully absorbed the medicine’s properties.

This achievement was worthy of being called an “accomplishment” without exaggeration.

‘[The Enduring One], [Madman], or [One Who Enjoys Pain]. He must have gained at least one of these characteristics!’

‘His [Poison Resistance] level must have increased as well…’

‘…Other characteristic levels might have risen too!’

It might seem like his expectations were too high, but conversely, one could say:

Surviving the “pain of the elixir” was that remarkable of an achievement.

So Derrick trembled unconsciously as he speculated how steeply the man’s growth curve might have risen.

It was a shudder of anticipation.

‘Level 7 characteristics wouldn’t have increased, since Level 8 is on a completely different level… But gaining new characteristics and increasing the levels of existing ones is already an incredible achievement!’

Adding a characteristic meant something different from simply gaining a new skill.

It meant that the person’s growth potential had become immeasurably deeper.

In his instructor’s terms, he had essentially received a [Blessing of the Heavens].

“…If all goes well, he might reach Level 8 within this year…”

[Aura User], [Wielder of the Demon Sword], or [Successor of the Dark King].

Those who reached Lv.9 or Lv.10 were monsters beyond comprehension, reclusive beings who rarely moved, watching over the mortal world from mountains and skies like “immortals.” In other words, they were living strategic weapons who wouldn’t move unless absolutely necessary.

Conversely, ‘Lv.8 warriors’ were like mountain lords who actively roamed the mortal world, reigning as symbols of fear and power!

‘Though their strength may not be absolute, they’re capable of fighting and defeating a thousand knights alone.’

One against a thousand.

Heroes of the highest caliber who could single-handedly change the tide of battle and turn defeat into victory…!

That was no exaggeration.

And the “weakened Demon King” he had seen just yesterday was Level 8-.

‘…In his normal state, he would have been Level 9 or 9.5.’

Nevertheless, even at Level 8, it was undeniable that the creature ranked among the highest within that level.

That’s why he was so excited.

A single level difference was absolute.

Yet before him stood a knight who had risen above that level gap and managed to face off against a top-tier Lv.8 boss monster.

‘If he’s already this strong, what if he actually reaches Level 8…?’

If all goes well…

‘Could he become a Level 8 capable of… PvP against Level 9s?’

Derrick looked at his instructor with anticipation for a future yet to come, curious about how much he would grow.

* * *

‘It feels light?’

His body felt light.

Not just light, but with a lightness reminiscent of returning to childhood.

You know that time in life?

When your body was so light that you could run and run without your knees hurting, staying fresh, when you could abuse your body however you wanted and wake up perfectly fine the next day—those teenage years. That’s how his body felt now.

Whoosh!

Ihan was surprised as he lightly launched his body into the air.

He had merely pushed off the ground lightly, yet he seemed to have jumped about 50cm.

How high could he jump if he used his full strength?

Swish!

A lightly executed kick sliced through the air.

This wasn’t just a figure of speech—it truly cut through the air with the sound of a blade.

Now he felt he could easily cut paper in half even with his foot—that’s how sharp he felt.

This was something he had never been able to do before.

‘I’ve always lacked finesse in delicate techniques…’

Whether due to shallow talent or temperament, he had never been confident in precise techniques.

Since he tended to rely solely on intuition when executing techniques, lacking theoretical understanding, his techniques tended to be rather simplistic.

But now, his previously lacking technical capacity had suddenly improved, enabling precise and elaborate movements.

He had instantly mastered techniques that his former self would have succeeded at only once after a hundred attempts.

‘Wow, what’s happening?’

To accurately describe the phenomena occurring in his body, there were two main changes.

First, his body had become lighter, like an old man returning to his boyhood.

Not just lighter, but with vitality perhaps ten times greater than his teenage years.

This was a physical condition far exceeding his pre-injury state.

And second was precision.

Where before he had used his body recklessly, now there was finesse.

Though just a guess, he thought perhaps his increased potential had resolved his lack of delicacy.

‘Has my body become so healthy that I no longer need to overthink things?’

Normally, countless trials and errors and sweat-inducing theoretical organization would have been necessary, but now his already healthy body had become even healthier and more powerful, giving him technical finesse that defied theory….

It was fortunate, but how had it happened?

‘Ah, this isn’t right.’

He seemed to be growing increasingly unrefined.

‘…This is bad.’

Just taking the elixir had nearly killed him with his reckless behavior.

Ihan wanted to avoid such experiences in the future and wished to use his brain more.

But as his body improved further, it seemed he would need to use his head even less, which was troubling.

“Hmm, should I start studying from now on?”

He wondered if reading books might raise his intelligence.

Ihan didn’t want to be called ignorant or uneducated.

“Sigh, my fate.”

He sighed contentedly, lamenting that even having a body that was too good could be problematic.

‘And even if it improves…’

…It’s not like he could use it anyway.

Ihan checked his still unresponsive avatar and wore a different, sadder smile than before.

Perhaps even the Demon King couldn’t cure an incurable disease caused by a curse…

‘Even the monk wouldn’t be this quiet.’

A desolate melancholy filled his eyes.

* * *

“In-Instructor, do you feel anything different?”

The boy, who had been waiting patiently for him to check his physical condition, asked about his state, and Ihan nodded.

“It couldn’t be better.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Hmm, specifically speaking, or rather, let me show you—”

Crack.

“Now I can even do this.”

“…?”

“What do you think? Quite an interesting sight, right? Hehe.”

“…”

…Despite his cheerful question, Derrick couldn’t answer and just stared blankly.

In fact, he wondered if what he was seeing was real.

‘A-Air walking?!’

Derrick’s soul nearly left his body as he watched Ihan climb up through empty air as if ascending stairs.

What in the…

‘Could it be that he’s not from my homeland, but the reincarnation of a genuine martial arts master?’

He might have been a former abbot of Shaolin.

Finding that explanation more reasonable, Derrick momentarily lost his senses.