NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33 - Graduation 3
“I’ve already promised the World Tree’s Guild Master.”
The guild masters sighed with regret and surprise. It seemed they had lost the candidate long ago.
Indeed, it was a skillful move befitting the World Tree, the number one guild’s master.
Upon hearing Doyun’s answer, Haineken tasted bitterness.
‘Was this a settled fight from the start?’
He had no choice but to withdraw his outstretched hand.
“Tsk. Even so, the fact remains that you’ll become a Hero, so contact me if you need help later. After this matter is settled and I’m free.”
“How reassuring.”
Although Doyun had declined for Eloah’s sake, Haineken’s proposal itself had been highly intriguing.
More than anything, he was quite taken by this Haineken’s aspiration for a greater cause. It would have been great to join him.
Doyun used his [First Guild Master] trait to view Haineken’s status window.
[Status Window]
Name: Heineken Athol Roxburgh
Race: Human
Affiliation: Panthera
Talent: Genius
Stats:
Strength – Lv.6
Agility – Lv.8
Endurance – Lv.5
Vitality – Lv.5
Mana – Lv.6
Innate Traits:
Acquired Traits:
[Talent Hunter]
[Stealthy Tracker]
[Războinic (Hero)]
[Spear and Body as One]
Skills:
[Dragon Tiger Clash Lv.- Rate.A]
[Thousand Li Ground Spear Lv.- Rate.A]
[Spear Arts Lv.9 Rate.B]
Expand 3 Sub-skills
[Revolving Heaven Lv.7 Rate.B]
[Spear Aura Lv.4 Rate.B]
[Concealing Intent Lv.7 Rate.B]
[Dual Wield Spears Lv.6 Rate.C]
[Vital Point Strike Lv.5 Rate.C]
[Acceleration Lv.7 Rate.C]
[Pursuit Lv.6 Rate.D]
[Status Window]
Name: Han Doyun
Race: Human / Divine Beast
Affiliation: –
Stats:
Strength – Lv.5
Agility – Lv.2
Endurance – Lv.8
Vitality – Lv.4
Mana – Lv.3
Innate Traits:
[Trauma (Satiation Compulsion)]
[Divine Beast]
[Post-Innate Genius]
[First Războinic (Hero)]
[First Guild Master]
Acquired Traits:
Skills:
[Hecleus’s Style – Orthodox Fist Lv.1 Rate.S]
[Localized Acceleration Control Lv.1 Rate.A]
[Swordsmanship Lv.2 Rate.A]
Sub-skills:
[Buske’s Style Swordsmanship Rate.A]
[Seventh Sense Lv.- Rate.A]
[Dual Wield Spears Lv.1 Rate.B]
[Războinic’s Willow Mana Meditation Lv.1 Rate.D]
It was the first time viewing the status window of one of the strongest individuals in this era.
Doyun couldn’t help but be amazed at Haineken’s window.
‘Incredible skills.’
His stats were below expectations. Excluding his level 8 Agility, his stats might be similar to that earthling guild member.
But his skills were incomparable. Particularly the level 9 [Spear Arts] could be considered a mastery, with 3 A-Rate skills.
Not only that, the [Spear Aura] skill renowned for its difficulty in leveling was already at level 4. He also had numerous high-quality traits.
A case of overcoming the human racial limits through rigorous training, similar to Enoch.
However, it seemed he had been born with particularly good human lineage. No wonder he could become a Hero through effort alone.
‘He’s learned a very high-quality [Spear Arts] too. His family’s heirloom spear arts, perhaps.’
His good lineage could be glimpsed through the [Spear Arts] skill’s high B-Rate rating.
Even for identically named skills, the quality could vary the rating. [Dual Wield Spears] exemplified this.
Doyun had inherited Zik’s [Dual Wield Spears] from 100 years ago – a highly skilled spear technique rated B.
But Dewshy’s [Dual Wield Spears] was rated F, a basic and common technique learnable from any street-side beginner’s manual.
Doyun’s [Hecleus’s Style – Orthodox Fist Rate.S] and [Swordsmanship Rate.A] were similar cases.
The Hecleus’s Style Doyun currently possessed was the complete 18th iteration version.
But the Buske’s Style sub-skill that determined the superior [Swordsmanship] skill’s A-Rating was an earlier version before the 18th iteration, adjusted in case anyone recognized it from the tournament.
Enoch’s influence in the later iterations had greatly impacted Hecleus’s and Buske’s martial arts, especially the 17th Great Demon War’s epiphany he had imparted, which had elevated the 18th iteration to an entirely different realm.
While the 17th iteration Buske’s Style would rank in the highest A-Tier, it was incomparable to the 18th Hecleus’s and Buske’s Styles.
From the very start, a mere martial art reaching S-Tier was fundamentally nonsensical if not a transcendent power. Enoch’s 17th epiphany on ‘willpower’ had been that profound.
‘I need to quickly manifest the S-Tier Buske’s Style and transcend Hecleus’s Style into its complete, unified form beyond separate techniques.’
By comparing Haineken’s window to his own, Doyun could reflect on his current standing – a truly excellent status window prompting much insight.
Which made it all the more regrettable that he couldn’t join this man in his grand vision.
But for stable growth, following Eloah was the right choice. What mattered now for Doyun wasn’t a mentor like a Hero, but a stable training environment to recover his past life’s prowess.
Haineken’s utopia sounded immensely appealing, but the process would likely be arduous. Joining him wouldn’t be a wise choice.
Perhaps in the future, after achieving sufficient growth, he could lend Haineken minor assistance as repayment.
“And don’t ignore me if I ask for your help. Come by the royal castle sometime and critique our candidates’ forms.”
“I will make a point to do so. …Ah.”
Doyun remembered to caution Haineken about something he had nearly forgotten.
“Be wary of curses.”
“Right, that was information you provided too.”
“If you are cursed, come find me.”
“Hmm. You mean that mysterious phenomenon from the other day?”
“…Not quite.”
That day, the Minister of Finance had cursed Doyun at the cost of his own life.
But for some reason, the curse had vanished without a trace – a phenomenon Doyun didn’t understand at all.
‘I should look into it carefully later.’
What Doyun meant was Sophie’s [Dispel] skill.
“The curse defenses have all been prepared thoroughly, so have no worries.”
“That’s a relief.”
Doyun and Haineken, the First Războinic and one who had inherited his will, briefly faced each other.
“I wish you success.”
“I wonder what kind of monster you’ll become by the time we meet again.”
They exchanged a brief handshake before Haineken turned around, his full-body armor clanking as he walked away.
The splendidly armed elite guild members marched in orderly formation behind him.
Instructors, students, guild masters, and Doyun – all silently watched and bid farewell as they marched forth for the alliance’s future.
“We march!”
Haineken’s warhorse reared up on its forelegs, whinnying loudly.
With his resounding command, the White Tiger’s army advanced, banners fluttering.
+++
Millaine noisily patted Eloah’s shoulder, whispering loudly,
“Master, Master! When did you manage to ensnare Disciple Han Doyun!? Jackpot! A real jackpot!”
“Ah, that was…”
“I can’t believe it! The third boss monster killer is joining our guild! Kyaaaaah!!”
Eloah was dumbfounded. She and Han Doyun had never made any promise. No, they had never even conversed privately.
Yet Doyun had spoken of a ‘promise.’ And when uttering those words while looking at her… he seemed to bear a meaningful smile.
‘Could it be…?’
Eloah felt her senses grow hazy. Her thoughts kept straying in an impossible direction.
No, at this point, it couldn’t be easily dismissed. The coincidences were too uncanny.
The same atmosphere, speaking mannerisms, and way of standing as that person.
Using that person’s techniques, bearing that person’s gaze, exuding that person’s mana color, and disregarding pain like that person.
And now, choosing the World Tree’s path in sync with her own thoughts, mentioning a ‘promise’ for no apparent reason.
‘…’
Her expectation was sheer insanity. Something impossible.
‘But… if it’s reached this point, could it really be…?’
Could a miracle have truly occurred? Could he have truly returned?
Such thoughts… kept arising within her.
Eloah felt her earlier dismissal of suspicions solidify into certainty.
Watching Eloah, Doyun thought,
‘…Once we arrive at the guild by carriage.’
It seemed a private conversation would be needed.
Just the two of them.