Hyunsoo talked with Nell about the conditions for becoming a king.

He must command at least 4 million people, including soldiers and territory residents.

At least 5,000 knights.

At least 15 people like Bon.

Hyunsoo had a question.

“Four million is absurdly huge, but it’s still way less than the small kingdom of Goyard, isn’t it?”

Nell sharply pointed it out.

“It’s the natural course of things, but it’s impossible for a user to command a larger population than NPCs.”

Nell explained why.

“First, to them, a user is nothing more than an outsider. And there’s no reason for them to choose a user’s land as the place they’ll live their whole lives. So a user becoming a king is far more difficult than you’d expect. That’s why we set it at the minimum.”

“If it’s the minimum, doesn’t that mean we could get attacked a lot more by other kingdoms?”

“That’s right. But there’s no other way. We have to build with the minimum—smaller than even the small kingdom of Goyard—yet be reborn as a solid kingdom. And the most representative person of that has to be you, Hyunsoo.”

Nell’s expression was grave.

“Hyunsoo, you have to become very strong. Strong enough that the enemies fear a single king and can’t invade. We even changed our route.”

That “changed route” meant leaving Goyard’s shadow.

For that, Hyunsoo had to become strong.

Just like how Barad of Goyard was so strong that other nations couldn’t act carelessly.

Hyunsoo was already the owner of the greatest Transcendent sword, the Twin Dragon Sword, and his level had now surpassed 400, so he no longer had the same explosive growth as before.

On top of that, the massive sense of responsibility was suffocating.

Because he kept thinking: Am I really the user who can exert the strongest power, even excluding Bahala and Kabel?

The answer was no.

The only peak-tier user he had defeated so far was Pond from China.

Peak-tier users spread across dozens of countries, and the strongest who kept quietly growing while remaining unofficial rankers.

Thinking about them, he had agonized over how to become stronger than them—and had judged that, for now, there was almost no way.

But then came the Great Atlas War he had triggered.

When Pureum Co., Ltd. became the official host, the story changed.

High risk, high return.

In exchange for promising to craft twenty artifacts, if he won, he could obtain the best material that existed.

(Black Tortoise’s shell)

Grade: Divine

Restriction: Level 650+ master blacksmith

Difficulty: Highest

Special Abilities

·Defense increases by 420%.

·Magic defense increases by 380%.

·Total HP and total MP increase by 60%.

·Strength and stamina increase by 35%.

·Damage reflection chance 80%

·Defense can momentarily increase up to 5x.

·Area buff skill possible through the power of the Guardian Deity Black Tortoise.

Description: This is the shell of the divine beast Black Tortoise, who lives for guarding and protecting. It lets you protect yourself—and beyond that, imbue the power to protect allies as well.

It lived up to its name.

With twenty crafts on the line, he might obtain an utterly irrational material.

I monopolized a piece of information.

Only the Phoenix and the Hydra had been revealed among divine beasts—one of good and one of evil.

And now he had learned about Black Tortoise, a ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) being that embodied guarding and protecting.

If his guess was right, Black Tortoise—carrying the meaning of a guardian deity—could be favorable toward humans.

And on top of that, this was truly a ridiculous material.

What’s written means the maximum.

Even if it was the maximum, he had never seen defense increase by 420%.

Total HP or MP could rise by 60%, damage reflection could be 80%, and a momentary fivefold defense could be embedded.

And that’s not even all—just like Black Tortoise’s epithet, it can even apply buffs to allies.

Absolute invincible armor that guards itself—and even guards allies.

That became possible through this material.

And also—

A high maximum means that when a truly exceptional blacksmith handles it, it will produce the greatest efficiency.

In other words, the best existing armor material in Ares could meet the blacksmith who could handle it best right now.

Of course, that was assuming he led the Great Atlas War to victory.

And if he led it to victory, he could do linked things.

Make the best armor.

If he held that best armor along with the Twin Dragon Sword, Hyunsoo would gain a much larger foothold to go further.

And along with that, the foundation would be laid for what he and Nell wanted—building a kingdom even with small numbers.

His heart thudded.

Before the Great Atlas War, he hadn’t been able to look forward to anything.

Because even if he won, there wasn’t much to gain.

But now, he burned.

So Hyunsoo thought he might have to go find Luxiu again.

Three weeks remained.

If, during those three weeks, he earned Luxiu’s heart, Luxiu would be a huge force in the Atlas War.

But Hyunsoo shook his head.

That kind of approach wasn’t good.

It would be better to hope Luxiu naturally blended into Atlas.

Let’s think about the Atlas War while excluding Luxiu.

Right then—

[A vassal, Luxiu, leaves your side.]

“......!?”

He was hit with a shock like a hammer to the head.

He snapped back to himself and hurried outside.

Lucky Lump was sitting there, whining.

Even if pet owners couldn’t communicate directly, they could learn indirectly through notifications.

[Lucky Lump tells you why Luxiu left.]

[He left of his own accord for Atlas, because of the danger that is coming.]

“......Danger that’s coming?”

So much about Luxiu was veiled.

In the week he had stayed, the only thing Hyunsoo had learned was that Luxiu was someone who had walked Paewang’s Path.

Luxiu had refused to tell him anything at all.

Hyunsoo thought one of the reasons might be this coming danger.

“Woof, woof!”

Lucky Lump wagged its tail and took the lead.

It sniffed the ground, signaling him to hurry.

“Can you find where he is?”

“Woof!”

Hyunsoo started running after Luxiu.

Of course, the time Hyunsoo and Luxiu had spent together wasn’t enough to build a bond.

And the reason Hyunsoo was chasing him now wasn’t because Luxiu was insanely strong, or because he would shine in the Great Atlas War.

It was because of Luxiu’s status window.

Lords who could view a vassal’s status window could sometimes see special contents when the vassal’s feelings were complicated.

(Luxiu)

Grade: ???

Type: vassal

Level: 487

Attack Power: 6,040

Defense: 5,905

Special Abilities:

·Passive Skill: Commander’s Bearing

·Passive Skill: Absolute Training

·Passive Skill: Unconditionally Loyal to Brad

·Passive Skill: ???

·Active Skill: ???

·Active Skill: Demon Cleaver

Potential: ???

Current EXP: 86%

Emotional State: Wants salvation.

Description: He is a man with the greatest chivalry defined in Ares. For the king he served, he can do anything, and he is a knight with chivalry so powerful he can lay down his life.

Hyunsoo opened the detailed view of Luxiu’s emotional state.

[He has chivalry that is steadfast and admirable. As the content of the passive skill ‘Unconditionally Loyal to Brad’ suggests, for the king he served, he will do anything and walk any road.]

[However, in one corner of his heart, he is confused and crying. He is trembling in fear more than anyone of what will soon happen.]

[And though he has accepted it all as something he must accept, and has embraced all resolve, deep inside his heart, he is wishing for one thing.]

[That someone will save him.]

Yeah. Luxiu was trembling right now.

Hyunsoo didn’t understand all of his feelings.

But when you become an adult, there are things you can’t say out loud even if you’re hurting and sad.

You’re scared? Then hide behind me. I’m way stronger than you think!

Running after Lucky Lump, Hyunsoo gripped his Twin Dragon Sword.

He was stronger than Luxiu thought.

Recently, he was also the one who had killed the Legendary monster Fenrir.

So he believed he could protect Luxiu.

Hyunsoo sprinted.

And then, the vast forest that had filled his view suddenly cleared, revealing a scene.

“.......”

The moment he saw it, Hyunsoo realized it.

Just how many hills he still had to climb.

How hard it would be for him as he was now to protect a terrified Luxiu.

[You have encountered the Blood King.]

[The title First Legend shines.]

[The same legend cannot suppress another legend.]

[The Blood King is different from ordinary legends.]

[He is one of the five kings leading the present age.]

[You face the Blood King and the 300,000 troops he commands.]

[The two forces create synergy.]

[You are afflicted with Fear (status ailment).]

[You are afflicted with Confusion (status ailment).]

[All stats are weakened by 25%.]

[Movement slows by 30% and reflexes dull.]

[Attack and defense drop by 27%.]

“.......”

Hyunsoo, who had forced his way out of the forest, was facing something enormous.

[Blood King Brad Lv.542]

In the past, there had been three greatest kings who led an era, and in the present age, five kings existed who led the era.

One of them was Blood King Brad.

Crimson armor as if stained in blood.

A handsome man who looked around Hyunsoo’s age.

Of course, it wasn’t only because of Blood King Brad that Hyunsoo was afflicted with status ailments.

[Blood King’s Captain Sun Lv.481]

[Blood King’s Knight Karo Lv.467]

Knights in armor that looked stained entirely in blood.

At least ten thousand of them—and behind them, a massive army of two hundred ninety thousand stared at him.

Of course, those numbers were fewer than the Blood Ghoul Corps.

But back then, behind Hyunsoo stood an even larger Goyard army, solid and reliable.

And the levels of the soldiers in front of him now were higher than the Blood Ghoul Corps back then.

Right now, Hyunsoo was facing one of the strongest kings and a 300,000-strong army alone.

He’d be honest.

The gap in force was so large that Hyunsoo’s Atlas felt like a kindergarten.

The Blood King’s gaze observed Hyunsoo.

Those eyes looked at him like an insignificant insect.

Hyunsoo’s body flinched.

I can feel this much of a gap......?

His mouth wouldn’t open.

“......So that kind of thing was keeping you.”

The Blood King smiled bitterly.

His long, fine hand reached toward Hyunsoo.

In that moment—

Demonic power......?

Hyunsoo felt an enormous concentration of demonic power. That overwhelming force was about to shoot into Hyunsoo.

“......I will go quietly. He is the man who returned me to being human, so please spare his life. My first and last request.”

“.......”

The Blood King withdrew his finger.

“Fine. It doesn’t change that he saved you.”

The army began to turn.

Hyunsoo forced back the crushing pressure and shouted.

“Luxiu, where you belong isn’t there!”

The Blood King and Luxiu stopped.

For a moment, sorrow formed in Luxiu’s eyes—then vanished.

Blood King Brad slowly approached Hyunsoo and spoke.

“If you truly believed you were a vessel that could hold him, it was arrogance.”

His fingertip touched Hyunsoo’s solar plexus.

“More insignificant than I expected. My expectations shattered—because you woke Luxiu, I had them. A noble of a small kingdom who can’t even breathe before my army.”

“.......”

“Engrave it into your mind. Your army cannot even reach our feet.”

A massive explosion erupted from Brad’s fingertip and smashed into Hyunsoo.

KWAHHHHHHHANG—!

[HP drops below 50%.]

[You suffered a massive shock momentarily.]

[You are afflicted with Stun (status ailment).] 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Beyond his blurring consciousness—

“The reason I did not kill you is that I felt no need. So accept it. You are not a vessel that can hold Luxiu. Return to your territory and live forgetting it all, like the owner of a worthless territory.”

The Blood King turned and walked away.

Knights and soldiers followed, sneering.

“......He’s just some count, I hear.”

“Isn’t the nation called Goyard a small kingdom too?”

“Yeah. So that means he’s just a count. A fool who can only run a thousand soldiers. Hahaha!”

“And that kind of thing dared to take Sir Luxiu.......”

Amid that ridicule, Hyunsoo lost consciousness.

*****

Lucky Lump woke the stunned Hyunsoo.

“Woof-woof!”

Lucky Lump was worried about him.

It thought Hyunsoo would fall into self-loathing when he opened his eyes.

But he didn’t.

Hyunsoo pushed himself up.

It was true that he had been overwhelmed and unable to move until just now.

And he couldn’t deny that he had become the soldiers’ and knights’ object of mockery.

As he got up, Hyunsoo patted Lucky Lump’s head.

Yeah. Honestly, the desire to save Luxiu had been huge in him.

But something even bigger had been born.

I’m insignificant?

He wasn’t insignificant. A vessel that could hold Luxiu?

Who decided what a vessel is?

Hyunsoo looked at the place where the Blood King had disappeared.

“Lucky Lump.”

“Woof?”

Lucky Lump waited for his next words.

It thought he would say something like—

Let’s get stronger and bring Luxiu back.

Let’s hide ourselves to save Luxiu.

But he didn’t.

“Let’s call all our friends.”