A Secret Meeting

When Kim Han woke, the mood of Rebound changed instantly.

The previously chaotic, disorganized atmosphere coalesced and sharpened.

The reason wasn’t simply that the person to be protected had regained consciousness.

It was because it was none other than Kim Han who had come to.

A being who could offer solutions in any situation.

A being who could defeat any powerful enemy.

A being whose mere presence guaranteed victory had awakened.

Kim Han, who had jerked up irritably, fixed his gaze somewhere. What was he looking at?

There was nothing in the direction Kim Han was looking. Yet he stared at that spot for a long time.

“Wait there. I’ll obliterate you.”

Who was he speaking to? Kim Han spat the blood of the monster that had gone into his mouth and glared at the main series—whose ferocity had somehow noticeably diminished.

“Damn it, you trash!”

Kim Han’s irritation was so rough that no one in Rebound dared greet the awakened Kim Han cheerfully. Not even his lover, Hazel.

“Sellaena, burn it.”

—Hoho. Leave it to me, friend.

『For an unknown reason, mental strength has increased. ‘The Gate [Ex]’ has advanced one level. Due to the effect of ‘The Gate—Stage 3 [Ex]’, an additional 33% of the sealed power of the four top-tier spirits and one pet currently summoned under Kim Han has been unlocked.』

Those whose demeanor changed with Kim Han’s appearance were not limited to Rebound members.

The presence of the four top-tier spirits had also changed completely.

A manifestation of power that made it clear why there weren’t many top-tier spirits and why a spirit master was chosen to oversee a region!

Sellaena, who flew forward swiftly, looked down arrogantly, displeased at the undead baring its teeth at her again.

—Disappear.

At the command of Sellaena, the fire top-tier spirit, flames rose.

A fiery storm? No. A very small flame slipped through the hollowed bones—about the size of a tiny candle.

Perhaps because of that, none of the main series specimens, which had been building up force, paid attention to that small flame.

But that was a grave mistake.

Had they paid close attention to the color of the little candle’s flame, would they have been cautious? It burned a pure white. A white radiance blazed, and for an instant dozens of tiny suns descended upon the ground.

When they drew back hands shielded from the dazzling light, only white ash remained where the undead had presumably been.

“W-what, even the spirits are monsters!”

At Arun’s shout, everyone nodded this time. The power was absurd even for top-tier spirits.

Are Kim Han’s top-tier spirits really special?

In some ways, yes. Kim Han’s top-tier spirits had grown alongside him, so they felt more attached to Kim Han than other spirit-contractors might.

But that’s not all. It’s because of Kim Han’s skill ‘The Gate—Stage 3 [Ex]’.

When a spirit is summoned from the spirit realm into another dimension, depending on the spirit user’s ability it usually uses around 10% of its power. Even that amount makes a top-tier spirit capable of causing natural disasters.

But under the effect of ‘The Gate—Stage 3 [Ex]’, an additional 33% of the lock was released.

Added to that was training in the conscious and mental realms.

Kim Han’s remarkably purified mind made the top-tier spirits’ power even purer and stronger. So makeshift undead were no match.

This is why the spirits’ presences changed so drastically the moment Kim Han woke and came to his senses.

Once everything settled, everyone gathered around Kim Han. Spirits, representatives, and even the Ja-ryong.

A silent pressure. No one asked what had happened or if he was all right. They simply stared, solemn and worried.

“…Just ask. By the way, know that I’m truly fine now, and actually better than before, then ask.”

“Ah… I was going to ask that.”

Arun’s grumble likely reflected everyone’s feelings. But unlike before, Kim Han’s complexion was normal and his face seemed to glow, so they didn’t press further.

The day after Kim Han woke, Rebound set out on the expedition in earnest.

They quickly traversed the wandering swamp.

Kim Han, almost as a show of force, summoned all four spirits, and any formidable beasts were nowhere to be seen.

Occasional foolish low-level beasts charged, but the spirits slaughtered them in an instant.

—Friend, you’re truly amazing.

—Certainly. Even in the long history of the spirit realm, there hasn’t been a spirit user like this.

—Well, it was strange before, but after this change he’s definitely become incredible.

—He’s gotten stronger. As expected.

That a portion of his power was locked meant, in other words, that it was sealed to that extent.

The top-tier spirits whose seals had been partly released roamed around Kim Han and the Rebound Legion with relieved expressions.

Rebound’s direction of travel was not north as initially planned.

They had annihilated beasts to the point of looking like a mall, and having belatedly realized the presence of the wind top-tier spirit Silestine, Kim Han asked Silestine to guide them.

With the wind top-tier spirit, Rebound no longer worried about getting lost and moved quickly, arriving at the entrance to the forest known as the Forest of Sorrow or the Wailing Forest much sooner than expected.

The second zone of the Deathlands, called the Forest of Sorrow, the Wailing Forest, or the Forest of Affliction, was a place both representatives and mainlanders avoided. It was full of formless monsters and beasts.

The most commonly appearing monsters were ghosts.

Yes. Those ghosts—the blurry forms. Exactly what you’re thinking of.

The ghosts in the Forest of Sorrow are uniformly black. White would be preferable. When a black, hazy something pounces, even men jump back in shock.

“Aaaah!!”

Like now.

“D-damn it! Why is it always me?!”

Arun used light magic to burn the ghost that had frightened him, but his resentment didn’t fade easily.

Arun’s complaint was justified; ghosts seemed to particularly favor Arun.

“Even ghosts can tell.”

“What? A handsome man?”

Arun brightened and answered to Naruan’s casual remark. But the words that came from Naruan were bitter and stung.

“Which among us is the biggest idiot.”

“…Tch. I don’t like you.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Listening to their chatter, he recalled the final words Sophia had said in the conscious realm.

“Kim Han, you are sufficiently strong. However, that strength lacks depth. It is natural for a representative, but also because you possess powerful skills thanks to your extraordinary luck. So seek as much help as you can from the elders.”

“Above all, the training here can be considered a top-tier reward. Strengthening one’s mental and conscious realm—what hermits or transcendent ones achieve through years of wall-meditation—can be achieved in mere days here. Moreover, you have a good guide.”

“…But I specifically said I have no talent for mental training. Well, I couldn’t even do a simple manifestation… And there was almost no change in the status window.”

“Huh?”

He shook his head at Lee Hyo-ju, who reacted to his muttering. She looked curious, but he couldn’t tell her. Lee Hyo-ju already knew too much.

No big changes on the status window. But there had been a significant change that didn’t show up on it.

Five heroes currently occupied one side of his consciousness, and he could meet them after falling asleep. That made it feel like a very secret meeting.

‘No, Sophia said it’s because I didn’t sleep yesterday.’

Last night.

It was none other than a drake and a basilisk. Beasts and monsters not easily encountered. Such precious materials had become undead or were burned to ashes.

‘Tch!! That tyrant bastard!!’

Even thinking about it again made his anger well up.

He heard laughter from somewhere and looked up to see Lee Hyo-ju and Hazel smiling at him.

The two women who had teased him into the morning by calling him ‘mother.’

He cleared his throat for no reason and pretended to look at the surroundings, when Silestine, the wind top-tier spirit, quickly approached.

We were currently passing the entrance to the Forest of Sorrow.

As soon as we entered the forest, he asked Silestine to find a tree that met specific conditions. True to a top-tier spirit, Silestine quickly located the tree’s position.

“Good job.”

—Not at all. Hoho.

They moved in the direction Silestine had indicated.

Changing course in the Forest of Sorrow—where fiend-level beasts frequently appear—not to find a road but for exploration and gains, was something another expedition party wouldn’t dare imagine.

We had four top-ranked top-tier spirits among spiritual beings, and a broken character named Shumix.

In fact, no beasts dared come near Shumix, and after wearing the talismans she made, even high-grade ghostly beasts could not inflict direct harm.

As if it were her duty, Shumix turned every ghost or fiend she saw into particles of light with a “Rest in peace”.

There was even a sense of mission in it, it seemed. So for three days no one spoke to her.

Only after traveling three full days did a huge tree—clearly different from the surroundings—come into view.

A colossal tree that created an illusion making the other giant trees of the Forest of Sorrow look skeletal.

It was time to take the first beehive.