Level Up

The next day, Mupalun had to make a commotion to greet the forest warriors who were arriving home in a row.

The little things were done by the maids and servants who run the mansion, but the warriors who came were guests, so at least they had to say hello.

It was never easy to greet more than one or two and to greet more than 500 people.

But I couldn't help it. Mupalun welcomed all the warriors with all his heart.

Current status and skills were meaningless. Now they will have the time of forced awakening.

‘By the way, how do you propose to force an awakening? ’

Mupalun hesitates when he first heard the word "forced awakening." Is that even possible?

And would it be so powerful to have an Awakening?

However, after seeing the shadows of the forest and seeing the whole city on the spire in the middle of Mediterranean, the suspicions cleared.

Everything Hyun-seok said was possible.

Then there's only one problem left. How do we get a forced awakening?

Mufalun has prepared lodging in villas for visiting warriors. I instructed the maids and servants to treat them with extreme care.

Perhaps we can spend some time without making too much noise.

Mupalun did it because he ordered it.

I don't know why, but Hyun-seok was postponing the period of forced awakening.

‘Now it's time to hear the answer. ’

He believed he had a right to know now that he had done everything he had to do.

Mupalun went to the stone while trying to calm his biceps beating heart.

Hyun-seok was meeting someone. Mufalun's eyes widen. Ryan sits in front of the stone, waving a smile at himself.

Mupalun smiles brightly as soon as he sees Ryan. I felt a lot of familiarity with the person I consider to be an enemy.

“What brings you here so suddenly? Hahaha. If you had contacted me beforehand, I could have treated you properly. I'm sorry. Hahaha.”

Ryan smiles as he feels better about Mupalun's hospitality.

“Thank you for saying that. We have to go back soon anyway. I came to say a few words. ”

“Are you here to deliver a horse? ”

Mupalun's eyes gleam. He just found the possibility to satisfy his curiosity.

“Can I hear what you're saying? ”

Ryan stares at the stone. Hyun-seok nods once and gives a pleasant smile.

“I've come up with some information from the Lyla family's intelligence. ”

“Information?”

Mufalun's eyes gleam. Unlike himself, who had a long history as if he had fallen from the sky, each noble family had its own information.

Mupalun was always jealous of that intelligence, so he was very interested.

“I have found my family. ”

“Your family? ”

“Malikun, Fukumun, Harbun, Mucapatun. ”

Mufalun frowns and tilts his head. It was hard to find the common ground between the four families.

They had nothing in common except that they were a large aristocratic family that exerted immense influence on Medina toons. What the hell did they do?

“So what did the families do? ”

“The owners of the shadows of the forest. ”

“What? Is that true? ”

Mufalun screams in a frightening expression. Then, he shook his head and said.

“I can't believe it. What are they missing...? ”

“There's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't want to make it worse. ”

“Well……. ”

Mufalun smiles bitterly.

A powerful man lays swarms when he doesn't want to lose the power he now has. If we abandon our greed and obsession, we may get more, but it was the nature of power that we never thought about.

“I watched the reserve forest shadow and backed them up through them. It wasn't that hard to see the four families. ”

Then I could see why Hyun-seok didn't touch them.

However, Hyundai's aim was one step deeper than Mupalun had just imagined.

“They're preparing for a forced awakening. ”

Ryan laughs and says:

“I checked a bit and found that the ingredients were enormous. ”

Mupalun was only the second time he heard that. He looked at the stone with an admirable gaze. There was also a slight blend of fear in his gaze.

The real target was the consumption of power and money. to leave them no other choice.

However, Mufalun looks at the stone with a slightly uneasy expression.

“But... are you sure you'll be okay? That's a lot of money, and there are not just one or two people on this side, but 500. ”

In fact, there were 512. Mupalun was worried that Hyundai would be able to afford it.

Ryan looks at the stone, frightened to hear Mupalun's words.

“500? 500 Awakened? Seems like you have over 1,000 gold dollars to evolve one by far. ”

That's just the cost of materials. Personnel entering it should be calculated separately.

We need a lot of good shamans, so we won't be able to afford a family to pay them.

Ryan knows how much gold this stone has. But it was the opposite of scattering it like this.

Hyun-Seok boldly said, taking the eyes of two people.

“Did you think it would cost me money to go out on my own? ”

“Of course. ”

Ryan smiles in relief.

However, Mufalun was unable to laugh.

Forced Awakening must have been a method that the four families had long studied and developed.

The best way to find it is to pay 1000 gold.

But you can just do it by yourself? You don't pay for that, do you? Does that make any sense?

Ryan looks at Mupalun's frightened face, and suddenly he remembers the old days.

‘I would have made that face every day when I first met him. ’

It's like a rite of passage you have to go through to be with Hyundai. Later, you just accept it naturally.

This is who he is.

Ryan taps Mupalun on the shoulder with a little sympathy.

* * *

There are over 500 warriors in a large clearing. They stand close enough to each other to reach their shoulders.

It was not uncomfortable, but no one complained. All of this was done by Mupalun.

Mupalun brought the warriors together because today was the day to force their Awakening.

Mupalun stands on a platform, gazing down at the warriors. The glare of the glittering warriors was overwhelming because they were all looking at themselves.

I thought you said today was the day to raise the shadows. ’

So I arrested their Awakening for today. To give up what they were doing and to keep them from playing any other tricks.

‘By the way...... All the top selectors are over there, so how many will they fight? ’

Mufalun knows that the squadron is about to leave Medina Toon.

Then you and Lyla need to take care of the rest, and 512 of the Awakening Warriors need to do their part today.

But I felt uneasy because I felt like I wouldn't be able to do it.

“Th-they 're all here. What do we do now? ”

Mupalun carefully asks the stonemason standing next to him. Hyun-Seok looks at the warriors standing in the open field without even looking at Mupalun.

“Tell me all about it. What they are, why they haven't been chosen, and what we're going to do. ”

Mupalun stares at the stone with a frightening look. However, I soon opened my eyes and nodded. You'd better tell me that for sure.

There was no reason to hide it. I don't know if I'll be disturbed later.

“But what are their chances? Honestly, wouldn't it be better to go deal with the new forest shadows now? ”

Mupalun's thoughts were like that. Now that they've begun the forced awakening, they won't be able to redeem it.

So it would be a lot easier to just ambush them now and clean them up.

In fact, I was hesitant to take the underpowered warriors and fight them.

“Honestly...... I'm worried that we'll just use them and throw them away. ”

“Why do you think that is? ”

I asked Mupalun, looking at him as if he was surprised. I didn't think you'd be thinking that.

“Won't it be hard for them to face the new forest shadow? ”

Hearing that, Hyun-seok smiled.

“Don't worry. That's not gonna happen. The shadows of the forest are fundamentally different. ”

“Different? What's different? ”

A stone raises a finger at Mupalun.

“You.”

Mupalun's eyes widen.

“Are you... talking about the Forest Martial Arts? ”

Hyun-seok nods.

“That, too. The rest...... I just watch and know. ”

Mufalun tilts his head.

‘You really have a knack for keeping people curious. ’

In the end, Mufalun told the warriors all about the choice of the forest and the Great Warrior.

Talking about the shadows of the forest. He also told me without a doubt that your family is casting a shadow over the forest and seeking the king's throne.

Mufalun also said he was going to support Lyla.

Finally, he said he was planning on forcing the warriors gathered here to awaken.

The reaction was intense.

Mupalun's expression shivers slightly. And the stone took its place.

Hyun-seok glanced at the left. Silence came at a time. Everyone was depressed by the momentum in the stare of Hyundai.

“Don't die. ”

A frightening word popped out of the stone's mouth. Everyone was surprised and my eyes turned to flashlights.

“It will be painful. Just like when you were chosen by the forest. The only difference is that we cannot give up. ”

Everyone swallowed dry stew in the horse.

“So until then, don't lose the pain and kill yourself. ”

Everyone's eyes widen as if they were tearing. At the very unexpected moment, a forced awakening began.

I wanted to scream. But I couldn't scream. Nothing pops out through your mouth.

I also couldn't struggle. My body didn't move with stiffness.

A corner of their brains flourished. Extreme pain reminded me of a memory I had forgotten.

It was a memory when the forest was chosen.

Their limits are swift. Everyone remembered how long they endured it. But I couldn't give up at the same time.

No, I couldn't give up even as time went by.

Then I understood why I told myself not to kill myself. I thought I'd rather die than endure this pain.

Besides, you never know when it's gonna end.

I wanted to take my own life. The problem was there was no way.

Everyone's gaze came together to Hyun-seok.

Hyun-seok stared at them silently with a dull look and expression.

The eyes of the warriors were filled with grudges and poison.

What the hell am I supposed to do? ’

No matter how much I shouted inside, it didn't work because it didn't burst out. It was not too stuffy. Even the stuffiness was eating away at my whole body.

Then they realized. The only option left for them is to just endure this terrible time of pain.

Mufalun stares at the boulders with dazed warriors, watching them all.

He could understand the other meaning of saying that Hyun-seok was different because of himself.

‘You're going to make it through the same time as me. ’

I don't know why. But I was confident it would.

The time of such a painful awakening was going on.

The End

kang-hyun Kim