Chapter 722: The Sage’s Tower of Magic

After Minhyuk returned to his kingdom, he finally had the time to check the effects of the dish that the God of Mercenaries had given. He had not been able to confirm it before because it had been so hectic.

[You have eaten the Seafood Kal-Guksu.]

[Legendary Grade.]

[This Seafood Kal-Guksu was given by the former Food God Allen as a gift to his trusted friend, the God of Mercenaries!]

[Your acquired rewards have grown better!]

The results were quite unexpected. Only then did he realize that it was also quite unusual that the God of Mercenaries would give dishes to the Mercenary King. It seemed like this opportunity was thanks to the help of the former Food God Allen.

Minhyuk had also acquired the Bizarre Cauldron from one of the previous Food Gods, Ravier. After receiving the item, he had immediately asked Abel to investigate Ravier and was able to gain information about him.

‘Food God Ravier is known as the greatest Food God in history.’

In fact, Ravier was not only the Food God, but also the God of Cooking. This meant that Allen was not the greatest. However, Minhyuk thought that although Allen was not the greatest, he was likely the most influential.

‘Food God Allen has a lot of friends and connections.’

Allen knew a ‘Continental Emperor’, a ‘Monster Lord’, even a ‘Continent’s Greatest Swordsman’. In fact, even the notifications that he just received showed that Food God Allen had a close relationship with the God of Mercenaries. There was a high chance that he still had other connections and they were just hidden.

Then, the notifications continued to ring in his ears.

[You have gained a 1.1% increase in all of your stats.]

[Your physical and magical attack and defense will increase by 5%.]

[Your resistance to abnormal status will increase by 10%.]

[Two of your skills will receive a one time enhancement effect. Searching for two of your skills!]

The effects of the seafood kal-guksu that Minhyuk knew before could only increase all of the attack and defense of the one that consumed it by 3%, as well as a 0.4% increase in all stats. It could also only increase the resistance to abnormal status by 7%. As for the last enhancement effect, it could only enhance one skill.

‘Isn’t this a huge boost?’

The unexpected, yet very welcome notifications brought a smile to Minhyuk’s face.

Ring!

Once the search was finished, he heard another set of notifications.

[Your skill: Everyone’s Happiness has been enhanced to Level 9. This can only be used once.]

[The enhanced skill must be used within a week.]

‘Oh…!’

Minhyuk was extremely happy. When he first acquired Everyone’s Happiness, he also received the ‘Food God’s Praise’, which allowed him to use the skill at Level 9 once. Back then, he surprised the world by creating as many as 10,000 clones of the dish that he made. This was a truly unexpected harvest. The only downside was the fact that he had to use it within a week.

‘Where should I use it then?’

Finally, the search for the other skill had finished.

[Your skill: Sword of Absolute Death has been enhanced to Level 9. This can only be used once.]

[The enhanced skill must be used within a week.]

The Sword of Absolute Death was Minhyuk’s strongest attack skill and was a skill that combined the Exploding Sword, the Heaven Tearing Sword, and the Sword of Tempest. The power that the Sword of Absolute Death at such an enhanced level could display would definitely be shocking. Especially since his usual Sword of Absolute Death could already slaughter hundreds to thousands of people in one go, as long as the enemies were gathered in one place.

Minhyuk looked very satisfied after looking at the effects that he received. Then, he called out to the empty space in front of him, “Luo.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Luo appeared behind him the moment he finished speaking.

“…?”

“…What’s the matter?”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“No. I just tried to call you but you really appeared?”

Minhyuk was actually just imagining the scenes in the movies between the king and his shadow knight. It was unexpected that Luo actually appeared the moment he called him. From what he knew, Luo should still be teaching the soldiers in the training ground. So, it was shocking to see him suddenly appear here.

“It’s one of the powers I possess.”

“Ah…”

.

That was right. Luo had the ‘Ghostly Arts’ in his possession. Among the skills in the Ghostly Arts was one called ‘Ghost’s Stealth’. It was an amazing skill that could allow the skill user to choose one target. Once the target was chosen, the skill user would be able to hear their voice and move to where they were at any given moment. It was originally a skill used to kill their targets secretly. But its uses could also be changed and used in different, efficient manners.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“You can ask me anything.”

Minhyuk recalled Luo, as one of the Swords of the Gods, calling Brod the ‘Fallen Wretched Emperor.’ This made him curious about Brod. He was curious about Brod’s past, where he was, and what he was doing now.

Not too long ago, during the war in Masserati Kingdom, Minhyuk had summoned Brod after being subjected to the heavy onslaught of attacks from the Swords of the Gods. When Brod had appeared, he was already bloody and bruised. He even looked exhausted.

‘Was he training to become stronger?’

NPCs could also gain experience and grow stronger whenever they hunt stronger monsters. Especially for Brod. In Minhyuk’s eyes, Brod’s potential was limitless.

“What kind of person is Brod?”

“Sir Brod is…” Sword of the Gods Luo began to tell his tale.

There were two suns that existed in the sky, Absolute God’s Sword Brod and Absolute God’s Sword Nerva. The two had been fighting for the position of the Battle God for a very long time. At one point, both of them had already established their own empires, each of them reigning over their own lands in the Land of the Gods. Their empires were so strong that even the gods could only watch them by the sidelines.

‘Both empires were inhabited by humans.’

This was one thing that Minhyuk was certain about after looking through the information that he had gathered so far. When it came to their fighting strength on all fair terms, Nerva had always been behind Brod.

Finally, the day the final battle to determine who would become the next Battle God was decided. The battle was a scramble for Argard, a place located inside the Land of the Gods. The one that would come out victorious in this battle would become the Battle God’s Sword and descend upon earth to rule the world.

However, a day before the battle, Nerva had employed dirty tricks.

“He ordered the Swords of the Gods to kill Sir Brod’s knights that would compete with them.”

“…”

At those words, a shallow groan escaped Minhyuk’s mouth. He felt like his breathing had turned ragged as his hands clenched into fists.

“Were you there too?”

“…No, not at all.” Luo’s answer was brief. He also did not make any excuses. That alone was enough of an answer.

“Sir Brod was overcome with grief after seeing his entire knight order die. On that day, he gave up the competition and suddenly disappeared.”

Minhyuk nodded. This was probably the end of the story that Luo knew of. It must have been a long time before he met Brod again.

“How are the two of them?”

“Nerva is a very intelligent man. He is also someone that is well-versed in human behaviors. He is someone that knows what is the appropriate behavior to show to others more than anybody else. He is also someone that aspires to force all beings to prostrate and kneel by his feet.”

Minhyuk nodded once again.

“Sir Brod is also intelligent. However, he prefers to hang out and train with his men rather than fake his behavior and trick others. Because of his humanistic approach, many people followed him sincerely. Unlike Nerva, he dreamt of a world where all races lived in harmony. That was why he was fighting to become the Battle God’s Sword.”

“…Right.” Minhyuk nodded. The Brod that he knew was that kind of man. He was someone that would rather cry and laugh with others, than try to force them and show them who was superior.

“Is the reason why Brod is not staying here because he wants to become stronger?” Minhyuk looked out the window with a bitter look on his face.

Luo looked at him for a moment before shaking his head. “He’s not doing that to become stronger, Your Majesty.”

Minhyuk turned to Luo in doubt as he continued, “He’s doing it to protect you, Your Majesty.”

“…”

Minhyuk knew it well. Brod wanted to become stronger so he could protect him better. However, that was not what Luo meant.

“Your Majesty, there is no god that will be pleased if a human becomes a god. You must know that there were humans that became gods before too.”

Minhyuk also knew that. The gods that he met were all like that. They were petty bullies that tried to trample on the new gods and laugh at them.

“According to historical records, most of the humans that became gods would die within three years.”

“…!”

Minhyuk’s eyes grew wide as he focused on Luo.

“There was only one way for them to survive. They have to become a god that is powerful enough that even the other gods dare not touch them so easily.”

“An example should be Sword God Valen, no?”

“No. Sword God Valen is different. After sealing the entrance to the Demon World, Valen disappeared from the public view and lived as a ‘human’, not a ‘god’.”

It was probably just like Luo had said. It was more likely that Valen survived because he lived in seclusion and not because he was extremely strong.

“The humans that became gods could come and go between the earth and the Land of the Gods. However, when they are on earth, countless gods would send hardships and adversities toward them.”

Hardships and adversities? This meant that the gods would send their own apostles and envoys and allow them to use their own powers to kill those humans that became gods.

Minhyuk was very flustered. “What do you mean? The gods would send their apostles? I have never been attacked once…”

“Your Majesty,” Luo said, his voice calm and relaxed. “Sir Brod is stopping them for you.”

“…!”

Minhyuk felt his heart sink. To be honest, he resented Brod for leaving just like that. All he wanted was for him to stay by his side. But why was he not there? Of course, Brod was still as reliable as ever. He always showed up whenever he needed him and asked for his help to protect him.

All this time, Minhyuk thought that Brod left because he wanted to become stronger. No matter how much he wanted to become stronger to protect Minhyuk, there were still times when Minhyuk would think that it was a pity that he was not here by his side. But as it turned out, Brod did not leave simply because he wanted to become strong.

“He’s probably fighting against many gods in the Land of the Gods right now. As long as you’re here on earth, he is probably killing the apostles that the other gods sent. Their missions are to kill Your Majesty, destroy Your Majesty’s temple and priests, and slaughter Your Majesty’s kingdom and subjects.”

Luo’s words meant that Brod was doing this all by himself. The thought alone made Minhyuk’s heart throb in pain. Every time Brod appeared when he called for him, he would call out ‘Your Majesty’ with a kind and gracious smile. He did not even show any signs of having a hard time on his expression at all.

But he was fighting a lonely battle silently. Minhyuk was not even able to properly say ‘thank you’ to him.

“…Damn it.” Minyuk clenched his fists tightly. “Luo, is there any way for me to help Brod?”

Minhyuk wanted to do something, anything. Whatever it was, he was willing to do so. As long as he could do something for Brod.

“Most of the knights that followed Sir Brod had died back then. However, there were a few that survived. They are now living under a different name.”

Minhyuk’s eyes had already turned bloodshot as he looked at Luo intently.

“The Sage’s Tower of Magic. The master of that place, the man named Andeiro. He once was Brod’s Mage Order’s Commander. Perhaps he knows of a way to help Brod out.”

***

At the same time.

A man wearing the tattered cape that carried the symbol of the fork and knife crossed together staggered as he stood in front of a warp gate, his body bloody. This warp gate was the gate that allowed anyone from the Land of the Gods to descend to earth.

For days on end, this man stood still and killed the armies and the apostles sent by those gods to target

him.?

Hundreds of thousands of Divine Troops continued to charge at him and pressure him. But he still stood tall.

Even one of the Absolute Gods, the Battle God, was furious with him. This man once followed and served him. That was why he was furious.

‘How dare he serve another and block the other gods from getting to that person?!’?

So, the Battle God sent his troops over and over again.

The man continued to fight even amidst the bone-chilling cold.

“Haa… Haa…” His breath had turned ragged. He could not even remember how many enemies he had cut down since he started this. In fact, he did not even remember how many of them he chased after when they escaped from his grasp and crossed through the warp gate.

Exhausted beyond belief, he lost his grip on his sword. However, behind him was a mountain of corpses, the corpses of the soldiers of the Divine Troops that he had killed. However, there were still plenty of soldiers from the Divine Troops standing in front of him.

“Step aside!”

“You, who once was the Absolute God’s Sword, swear your allegiance to the Battle God once again!”

The soldiers of the Divine Troops could not understand why the Battle God wanted this person by his side so much. Perhaps he just wanted this man, who had a different power than Nerva, to come back to his arms?

“The Battle God has declared that he will forgive you as long as you stand down!”

“…”

But Brod did not say anything. He just picked up the cold and hard sword that fell on the ground while thinking,

‘Did His Majesty have his meal yet?’

My King, who loves to eat.

‘Does his head hurt?’

My master, who lives through several hardships and adversities.

‘This subordinate of yours is doing well.’

Brod smiled faintly.

‘Your Majesty, perhaps this subordinate of yours will not be able to see you anymore.’

Brod grabbed his sword tightly. There was a pang on his chest at the thought of the sad look on his king’s face if he truly died here. More than being sad, perhaps he would even hate himself for not being by Brod’s side.

Grab—

Brod held onto his sword as tightly as he could as he looked at his enemies.

“I…”

Brod, the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom’s commander-in-chief, ran toward the hundreds of thousands of Divine Troops with his sword in his hands and said, “…only serve one man!”