Chapter 19 : Transformation of the Young Slayer

All sorts of strange things happened.

Yuseong dragged the massive Steel Buffalo all the way to a nearby riverbank to dismantle it.

It was truly a crazy act.

If the site had been at a high altitude and the riverbank wasn’t downhill or nearby, it would have been nearly impossible to haul that huge body there.

But Yuseong displayed superhuman determination and brought the Steel Buffalo, hanging it from a tree.

He was so happy that he sang the Bulgogi Bowl Song as he began dismantling it. Then, suddenly, a huge figure appeared.

“Poor thing.”

“Tr-transform?”

Yuseong’s hesitation was understandable.

Jang Dojin was transforming like a boy’s robot toy.

The armored frame completely covered Jang Dojin’s arm.

His already huge fist grew even larger, and unconsciously, Jang Dojin slammed the ground with his double fists.

Kueng.

The armor kept growing.

It didn’t take long before the armor spreading from his arm covered his upper body.

Udeudeudeuk.

“Wh-what is this, ugh!”

Soon, the armor even covered Jang Dojin’s face.

The sight of Jang Dojin’s entire body encased in armor was overwhelming.

Originally, he was a giant at 198 cm tall.

Now, despite crouching on the ground with both hands down, his height was comparable to Yuseong’s.

All thanks to the armor that had grown so much.

“What is this?!”

Jang Dojin was flustered and confused.

He probably had no idea how he looked.

Hurriedly, he went to the river to see his reflection and then let out a panicked scream.

“Waaah!”

“Huh…”

Seeing Jang Dojin like that immediately reminded Yuseong of someone.

The lord of strength.

The most powerful primate.

“Robot gorilla…”

[Condition satisfied.]
[The target is granted the special Blessing ‘Armored Great Ape’.]

Armored Great Ape.

As the name suggests, it meant a huge ape clad in armor.

A special Blessing? That was the first time Yuseong had heard of such a thing.

It was somewhat different from the Blessings of Icarus, Samson, and Whirlwind that he had encountered so far.

What made it different?

That was somewhat explained by Jang Dojin’s next actions.

“Guaaaah!”

With strong thighs and long, thick arms, Jang Dojin, now confirming his gorilla-like form, slammed the river water with both hands as he wailed.

At that moment, his armored hands sparkled.

Peurung!

A literal column of water shot up.

A few oddly shaped Mosaic Fish splashed out and flailed in the river.

Jang Dojin, who had caused this, was left dumbfounded.

“Oh, they’re edible.”

Yuseong gathered the flopping fish.

Jang Dojin stared at his own hands in shock.

Though naturally strong, he had never exhibited such monstrous strength before.

“I-I was always strong, but what is this? Does eating these monsters do this to you?”

“That can’t be.”

Yuseong dismissed Jang Dojin’s suspicion and examined his body.

True to the name of the Blessing ‘Armored Great Ape’, Jang Dojin’s form had transformed into something like a gorilla wearing armor.

Armor, or rather, it was filled densely with magical energy.

This explained why Jang Dojin had just displayed inhuman strength.

When it emitted light, magical waves were clearly felt.

“Hm, that’s amazing.”

“Amazing, huh.”

From memory, Jang Dojin’s Gift was ‘Cheonghad Aejangsa’. Back then, this level of strength was only ever shown off occasionally.

But that was far later—after gaining various special powers and much growth.

This was not a power Jang Dojin could wield yet, with his Gift still underdeveloped.

“Is this… affinity?”

There was definitely a distinction between Jang Dojin and others.

A message had just come through regarding Jang Dojin’s unique condition.

‘The target’s affinity resonates with the Gift holder.’

And it said the Blessing had evolved.

Yuseong’s Tammijuui had matured further, and Jang Dojin’s Gift seemed compatible with Tammijuui.

“It’s because of my Gift. Tammijuui.”

“Tammijuui?”

“Yeah. I think this is because of the bulgogi I made.”

It was the first time Yuseong had said the name of a Gift out loud to someone.

Jang Dojin hesitated.

“3 minutes 21 seconds.”

“What?”

A timer appeared before his eyes. It showed 3 minutes 17 seconds remaining.

“The duration is about 5 minutes?”

“So it’ll revert back eventually?”

“Of course. How do you feel?”

“At first, I was shocked and scared. But honestly, I feel fine now. I don’t feel any pain.”

Jang Dojin finally calmed down.

He clenched his fingers and, despite walking awkwardly with both hands and feet, he looked unmistakably like a gorilla.

Yuseong said nothing.

“The details are a bit complicated, but my power is related to food.”

“Food? Bulgogi…”

“So, if I feed someone something delicious, I can cast a Buff. For someone like you, it’s the first time.”

“For someone like me?”

“This strong Blessing is my first time, too.”

“Is it really that amazing?”

“Hey, ever heard of a pig hanging from a tree?”

“Uh, that sounds kind of gross.”

Yuseong stared intently, and the fainthearted Jang Dojin meekly obeyed.

Using the Aramid Rope he’d brought in his Preservation Backpack, Yuseong hung the Steel Buffalo from the tree.

“Careful!”

Jang Dojin grabbed the Steel Buffalo’s horn and pulled.

The rope tightened and creaked as a nail broke.

“Is it really that heavy?”

“Hmm, I think I can lift it.”

“How much can you lift in the ‘Big Three’?”

“Huh?”

“Strength training, like the Big Three lifts.”

“Oh, I can do 1000 in the Big Three.”

“Three hundred something?”

“My Gift is Cheonghad Aejangsa. It makes me strong and sturdy.”

It was unheard of for a high school student to hold such records before receiving a Gift.

But now, it wasn’t exactly miraculous.

Many with physical enhancement Gifts displayed monstrous strength.

“The beef probably weighs at least 200kg. You’re holding it like a feather.”

“Really? No way…”

“Try lifting the Preservation Backpack.”

Yuseong slung both his and Jang Dojin’s Preservation Backpacks onto Jang Dojin’s back.

“Okay?”

“Yes…”

“Run over there and back.”

“That far?”

Without protest, Jang Dojin ran toward the tree Yuseong indicated.

Gwa gwa gwa gwa gwa.

Running along the riverbank, his footsteps kicked up strong splashes.

Though his running style was a bit clumsy, his speed was surprising.

Carrying the Steel Buffalo’s carcass and two 100L Preservation Backpacks while running was unbelievable.

“Hoo, hoo.”

He didn’t even lose his breath despite sprinting at full speed.

“Good, excellent.”

Yuseong smiled.

There was a reason he had finally told Jang Dojin the name of his Gift, which he had kept secret until now.

“Try releasing the Blessing.”

“How do I… Oh, it works.”

Like Shin Jia, Jang Dojin instinctively knew how to remove the Blessing.

The armor covering his body disappeared, revealing his original form.

He collapsed to his knees, exhausted. But the dark purplish discoloration from his earlier poisoning had mostly faded.

Yuseong placed his hand on Jang Dojin’s shoulder.

Though Jang Dojin was kneeling, Yuseong wasn’t much taller.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

Yet Jang Dojin felt an unexplainable authority from Yuseong.

Though they were supposedly only two years apart, Yuseong seemed much older.

“Aren’t you still hungry?”

“…Huh?”

It was a sudden question, but when Yuseong asked it, Jang Dojin realized he really was hungry.

One cup of ready rice and a few pieces of bulgogi hadn’t filled him.

Originally, Jang Dojin consumed more than ten energy bars a day—twice as much as others.

“Yeah, yeah. A little…”

“I’ll give you food. Follow me.”

What kind of tough offer was that?

For a moment, Jang Dojin wondered if Yuseong literally meant “Follow me, and I’ll give you food” or if this was the famous party recruitment proposal.

But before clarifying, Jang Dojin instinctively nodded.

Yuseong smiled brightly.

***

The Black Temple swept by Yuseong.

The bodies of Kill Monkeys were scattered haphazardly on the temple’s characteristic black tiles.

Because the Masok weren’t dismantled, over time the flesh would decay and only the Masok would remain.

The Black Temple was built from black stone, befitting its ominous atmosphere.

Temples were often found on various Abyss floors, but no explorer dared enter their interiors.

The Snake Temple and Black Temple on the 4th floor were no exceptions.

There were two reasons for this.

First, even if the temple was conquered, there was nothing special to gain.

Second, the Guardians inside the temple were quite powerful.

The Black Temple was no different.

Inside, there were powerful monsters serving as Guardians, far stronger than Kill Donkeys.

The few explorers who had drifted to the temple front were very few indeed.

The Steel Buffalo, the first Guardian, had never been caught, so naturally, no one had ventured inside.

And today, that record was about to be broken.

Kong, kong, kong.

A loud noise came from one side of the forest surrounding the Black Temple.

Birds of all colors fluttered in panic, and even the fiercely charging Kill Monkeys scattered and fled.

Finally, they burst through the forest.

Gwaang.

It was Jang Dojin, activated with the Armored Great Ape Blessing.

And Yuseong, riding on his shoulder.

Nails and leaves were stuck all over Jang Dojin’s face.

“My face stings!”

“That’s natural, running through a few trees! Run faster!”

Jang Dojin was carrying not only Yuseong but two Preservation Backpacks.

Considering those backpacks were filled with the dismantled Steel Buffalo meat, the load must have been astonishingly heavy.

Still, Jang Dojin’s speed toward the Black Temple wasn’t slow.

He looked like a tank barreling forward.

“How is it? Feeling stronger because you’re full?”

“Y-yeah, kind of.”

“Koreans get their strength from rice.”

Yuseong cooked all sorts of dishes using the Steel Buffalo meat for Jang Dojin.

Even Shin Jia had a strong stomach for her build, but Jang Dojin’s was stronger.

Yuseong wore a gentle smile as he fed Jang Dojin until he surrendered, hands raised in defeat.

And this was the result.

“There’s a stone gate ahead!”

“Just bash it!”

“That’s different from a tree! A-ah, it’s going to hurt.”

On the path he was running, a thick stone gate blocked the way.

But Yuseong forbade stopping.

“Think of that stone gate as just a tree.”

“W-what? U-ugh!”

It was already too late to stop.

Jang Dojin squeezed his eyes shut and thrust both hands forward.

Sparks flew from his hands like before.

The frame collided with the stone gate.

Ka-aaang.

Jang Dojin succeeded in breaking the stone gate.

The combined weight of the cargo, Yuseong, and Jang Dojin exceeded 300 kilograms.

No stone wall could have survived such an impact.

Yuseong explained the temple to Jang Dojin afterward.

Then they searched for the awaited Guardian.

“W-was it gone?”

But inside the temple, no one was there.

Just then, Yuseong muttered behind Jang Dojin.

“Up.”

Right after saying that, Yuseong climbed onto Jang Dojin’s back.

Jang Dojin lifted his head and looked up at the temple ceiling, then let out a scream.

“Kkuheeeeek!”

Above hung a giant bat, bigger than a human.

Without fear, Yuseong stabbed the Rose Knife into its wing.

Hududuuduk.

The foul-smelling blood dripped onto Jang Dojin.

“Kiieeeek!”

The bat-like monster, Crowbat, screamed shrilly.

Yuseong and the Crowbat tangled and fell to the ground.

The monster slashed with its sharp talons at Yuseong, but Yuseong narrowly dodged every attack.

Pak, pabak.

Meanwhile, the Crowbat’s body was accumulating more wounds.

“A-ah, I’m falling apart!”

Jang Dojin, who had been frozen in shock, finally moved.

Unable to harm Yuseong, the Crowbat thrashed to escape.

Jang Dojin was in its path.

“Be careful.”

“Guaat!”

Jang Dojin swung his massive fist, but the Crowbat was faster.

The monster dodged the blow and swung its talons.

Ka-ga-gak.

The armor that had shattered the stone gate was now scarred on the face.

Jang Dojin’s spine chilled at that moment.

Because Yuseong dodged so well, it hadn’t seemed too bad, but the Crowbat was an extremely dangerous and swift monster.

Without the Armored Great Ape Blessing, Jang Dojin’s bare face would have been half gone.

He finally realized just how dangerous the temple’s monsters were.

And when the Crowbat was flustered from failing to land attacks, Yuseong stabbed the Rose Knife into its back.

Puk.

The Crowbat couldn’t even scream and thrashed helplessly.

It died quickly.

Yuseong wiped the dark red blood off his face.

“That’s enough. Let’s go inside.”

“I-in, inside?”

“Of course. Why would we break the entrance and turn back?”

Yuseong spoke casually, but Jang Dojin hesitated.

“But… there really wasn’t anything inside the temple before… Is there any need to go in?”

He was scared after seeing the Crowbat but wasn’t wrong.

The temple was dangerous with no worthwhile loot.

Even if they caught a powerful Guardian, there were no Masok.

That contrasted with other monsters that had Masok embedded in their chests.

Yet Yuseong said incredulously,

“Who said that?”

“…Huh? Well, because there’s no Masok…”

“Oh, so that’s why.”

Yuseong finally understood Jang Dojin’s reaction.

In the past, even skilled explorers avoided temples.

Until the secret was revealed.

“How can Guardians move without Masok?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Masok were the life force of monsters.

Not only that, but they also acted like hearts, allowing monsters to surpass physical limits and use strong abilities.

“Follow me.”

Then, there must be the origin of some force inside the temple that moves the Guardians without Masok.