The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 293

[Using Absorption Grand Art.]

[You have gained experience points.]

[All stats have increased.]

The Absorption Grand Art could still be used even after a monster had died.

Of course, it only worked on those that had just recently perished. So, after finishing the subjugation, Jeong-hoon took his time using the Absorption Grand Art on everything, starting from the boss and working his way down to the regular monsters.

[You have completed the quest.]

[You have gained 30,000,000 experience points.]

[You can now proceed with the next quest.]

The quest was completed after Jeong-hoon had eradicated 17 additional dungeons.

With the dungeons significantly reduced, they had stabilized to the point where one had to go deep inside to even find them.

"Thank you! His Grace the Grand Duke will be truly pleased!"

Jiron embraced Jeong-hoon, unable to contain his joy.

Well, when the barrier had shown signs of cracking, he must have been preparing for the worst.

But they had overcome the crisis without a single casualty—how could he not be overjoyed?

"Yes. At this rate, there shouldn't be any monster appearances for the time being."

"I see! Then let's head back at once!"

"Yes."

Now that the quest was over, Jeong-hoon returned to the Grand Duchy with Jiron.

However, even after returning, there was no new quest to be found.

'The next quest only triggers after some time, right?'

That was correct.

To undertake the next quest, another crisis had to arise.

A dungeon that couldn't be cleared at present.

When an issue occurred in that dungeon, Delphos would once again fall into danger.

Only then would the next quest be assigned.

'That will be the final quest.'

Jeong-hoon was guided to a guest room where he could rest.

"If you find anything uncomfortable, please let us know at any time."

A servant kindly explained everything before stepping out.

"Phew, hyung-nim. Can we finally get some rest now?"

Bong-Goo had already flopped onto the bed.

"Hey, wash up before lying down."

Hajin reprimanded Bong-Goo’s behavior.

"Can't I rest just for a bit first? We haven't had a proper break since we got here."

"That's true, but..."

Hajin trailed off, seemingly in agreement.

"Wash up first."

Of course, Jeong-hoon wasn't going to let that slide.

"Yes!"

At Jeong-hoon's command, Bong-Goo sprang up like a spring.

Only after washing up properly could they finally get some rest.

'Haa, I can finally catch my breath.'

Lying on the bed, Jeong-hoon closed his eyes.

How long has it been since he last rested like this?

In pursuit of ultimate power, he hadn't slept for over two months.

Even after that, he kept moving without rest in search of fortuitous encounters.

Although divine healing had soothed his physical and mental fatigue, in truth, he had reached his limit.

Perhaps that was why.

As soon as Jeong-hoon closed his eyes, he fell into sleep.

“He must’ve been really exhausted.”

Lying on another bed, Ha-jin muttered as he looked at Jeong-hoon.

Hearing that, Bong-Goo added a comment.

“Well, considering how busy he’s been, of course, he’d be tired.”

“Shh, don’t wake him up for no reason. Let’s get some sleep too. Who knows when we’ll get another chance to rest.”

“That’s true.”

Once Jeong-hoon woke up, they’d have to move again, so they needed to sleep as much as possible now.

Bong-Goo hurriedly got into bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

By the time Jeong-hoon woke up, nearly a full day had passed.

“That was a long sleep…”

He stretched as he got up.

[Master, do you feel less tired?]

‘The ones who were in the room with me stepped out quietly. I’m alone here.’@@novelbin@@

As Anima said, Ha-jin and Bong-Goo were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed that after waking up, they had left to avoid disturbing him.

Yeo Sunwoo was alone, while his mother and Yeo Min-Ji were likely in another room. Hopefully, they were all getting a good rest.

Feeling curious, he opened the door and stepped outside.

In the hallway, a servant was diligently cleaning.

“Oh! Did you get a good rest?”

The servant stopped cleaning and greeted Jeong-hoon.

“Yes, thanks to you, I was able to rest well.”

“That’s a relief. Just in case, we’ve prepared a meal in advance. Would you like to eat now?”

He had gone a full day without food.

His stomach felt like it was sticking to his back.

Jeong-hoon nodded.

“I’d appreciate it.”

“Everyone has gathered in the dining hall, so please head there.”

Guided by the servant, he arrived at the dining hall.

As the servant had said, everyone was seated and engaged in conversation.

“Son! You’re here?”

His mother waved when she spotted him.

“Yes.”

Jeong-hoon walked over and sat in the empty seat next to her.

“Ha-jin told us not to wake you, so we left you alone. Did you sleep well?”

Now he understood why no one had come looking for him.

When Jeong-hoon glanced at Ha-jin, he quickly spoke up.

“You were sleeping so soundly that we just let you rest.”

"Yeah. Thanks to you, I slept well."

Jeong-hoon let out a small laugh.

It wasn’t yet time for a quest to be assigned.

If he didn’t take a break now, when else would he be able to rest without worry?

"Hyung! The food here is amazing!"

Bong-Goo raised his thumb as he popped the last piece of meat into his mouth.

Before long, food was placed in front of Jeong-hoon as well.

[Wow! Master is finally eating something delicious!]

‘It’s a wonder I managed to hold out without eating for so long.’

Jeong-hoon started with the soup, slowly taking a spoonful.

It was warm and delicious.

He then picked up a baguette.

Unlike a typical baguette, its outer layer was incredibly soft.

He tore off a piece with his hands, dipped it into the soup, and took a bite.

‘Nice.’

How long had it been since he last enjoyed a meal in peace?

Jeong-hoon picked up his knife and fork and began cutting the meat.

But his moment of peace was short-lived.

The dining hall doors burst open as Grand Duke Delphos hurried inside.

"A disaster has struck!"

Jeong-hoon, just about to take a bite of his meat, rose from his seat.

A blinking question mark hovered above Grand Duke Delphos’ head.

[Episode Quest: Fall of Delphos]

- Requirement: Investigate the Darkness Looming Over the Grand Duchy (2) – Completed

- Reward: ??

- Description: A colossal being is stirring, ready to devour Delphos. Eliminate it swiftly to restore peace.

The final episode quest.

James Marcus' party failed this quest.

More precisely, they gave up right before attempting it, leading to their failure.

‘They said a level 1,600 entity was lurking, right?’

Level 1,600.

At the time, that was an impossible opponent for them.

Judging by its level alone, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a Sovereign-class being.

Hunting down such a creature—there was no need to mention the difficulty.

But it had to be done.

‘The reward. I need to know what it is.’

A quest to eliminate a level 1,600 entity.

The grand duchy would undoubtedly offer its most valuable reward.

And he also had to complete his collection.

Fleeing wasn’t an option in Jeong-hoon’s mind.

As he accepted the quest, he asked,

"What happened?"

"A problem has arisen in one of the dungeons beyond the barrier! You must leave the grand duchy at once!"

"If that happens, the grand duchy will be completely devastated."

"…Yes. That would be the case."

Grand Duke Delphos couldn’t hide his despair.

"Then we’ll take it down."

"Pardon?"

"If we subjugate it, won’t that resolve everything?"

"That is true, but… that dungeon is unlike any other. They say just facing it was overwhelming."

Jiron must have been the one to conduct the investigation.

For a Sword Master like him to feel overwhelmed just by confronting the dungeon meant even Delphos had lost his will to fight.

"Don’t worry too much. I’ll return after subjugating it."

"Is… is that truly possible?"

"Yes."

* * *

After Jeong-hoon and his companions departed, Grand Duke Delphos sat in his office.

Before him stood three knights, including Jiron, the knight commander.

"Your Grace, wouldn’t it be best for you to evacuate?"

Jiron asked cautiously.

Bang!

Grand Duke Delphos slammed his fist on the desk.

"You’re telling me, the lord of this land, to run away?"

"……"

Jiron remained silent.

"A hero has gone to subjugate the threat. And in this situation, you expect me to abandon the castle?"

"My apologies."

"Jiron, lead the knights and evacuate the citizens to safety."

"What?!?"

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

"How can we evacuate while leaving Your Grace behind? Please reconsider!"

The Seivro Knights are the protectors of the grand duchy.

And Jiron, as their commander, is sworn to serve its ruler.

How could he possibly flee while leaving his liege behind?

It was an order he could never obey.

"Then are you saying we should just abandon them?"

"They will succeed in the subjugation!"

"Can you guarantee that?"

"Yes. I guarantee it."

Jiron was one of the few who had witnessed Jeong-hoon’s strength up close.

That’s why he could be certain.

Jeong-hoon would succeed in the subjugation.

* * *

[Master of the Great Forest]

A dungeon where only the boss exists.

More precisely, a Great Forest inhabited by a Transcendent.

They entered the Great Forest.

“Hun….”

“I feel like I’m going to suffocate….”

“What kind of energy is this…?”

Jeong-hoon was fine, but the others were not.

The overwhelming aura of the Great Forest made it difficult for them to even stand.

“That’s why I said I’d go in alone.”

Before entering the dungeon, Jeong-hoon had stated his intention to go alone.

However, they didn’t want to let him bear the burden alone, so they had come in together.

Of course, Jeong-hoon had expected this outcome, but he hadn’t opposed it.

The pressure had been palpable even from outside the dungeon.

Thinking about the future, his comrades needed to be able to endure at least this much pressure.

‘That way, they’ll be able to face even stronger foes.’

Jeong-hoon took a step forward.

Swish—

At that moment, the undergrowth shifted, opening a path.

‘Is it telling me to enter?’

How confident must it be to act so relaxed?

‘Fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll oblige.’

The corner of Jeong-hoon’s lips twitched.

“W-Wait, we’re coming too!”

“Is it really okay to just walk in like that?!”

They all stepped forward to follow Jeong-hoon.

Swish—

But then, the undergrowth moved again, blocking their path.

“What the hell?!”

Hajin swung his sword, but with a dull sound, his attack was repelled.

It seemed like a barrier was preventing them from proceeding.

“Everyone, stay put. It looks like I’m the only one allowed to enter.”

Jeong-hoon raised a hand to stop them.

“Son, will you be okay?”

His mother looked at him with deep concern.

Jeong-hoon smiled and nodded.

“Of course. I’ll be done soon, so just wait here for a bit.”

“…Alright. Be careful.”

With his mother’s reluctant approval, the others also nodded.

Jeong-hoon turned forward once again and stepped ahead.

Swish—

Each time he moved, the undergrowth parted before him.

Thanks to that, it took only fifteen minutes to reach the center, where the master of the Great Forest resided.

“Is it you? The master of this place?”

Jeong-hoon raised his head.

A massive tree stood before him.

More precisely, embedded within the tree was an eye.

A green eye.

“Yes. Human, you carry a scent similar to ours.”

“Ah, so that’s why you called only me?”

Jeong-hoon had transcended limits—reaching the pinnacle beyond the heavens.

In terms of power, he was at least equal to the master of this Great Forest, if not superior.

“Human, your struggle must be exhausting.”

“……”

“But your struggle is meaningless. You already know, don’t you? No matter what you do, you cannot change the fate given to you.”

“Shut up.”

Jeong-hoon raised his middle finger.

The green eye distorted in displeasure.

“I pitied you and offered you wisdom, yet your attitude is most displeasing.”

“Enough talk. If we’re going to fight, let’s get it over with.”

“Puhuhu, human… Know your place.”

In that instant, the forest itself began to resonate.

As expected of the master of the Great Forest, the battlefield was overwhelmingly in its favor.

Even so, Jeong-hoon’s expression brimmed with confidence.

‘It’s powerful enough to be considered Sovereign Class. But that thing isn’t a true Sovereign Class.’

A true Sovereign Class would be someone like Baal.

The master of this Great Forest fell just short of that—a mere Demon King Class.

That’s why he had no doubt.

He would not lose.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]