The Duke's Son :Re
Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Brain death.

From the day his father was effectively pronounced dead until now, in just eight years, South Korea had erased and distorted the Yaksha’s legacy, tarnishing the honor of the Kang family.

That wasn’t something just one- or two leaders could achieve. At the very least, dozens of people were needed.

Who were they?

It was impossible for a child trapped in a mansion surrounded by protesters to identify them.

All he could do was suspect those thriving in the news as the Kang family fell, and his only methods of investigation were surfing the internet and playing a game called Player Manager.

In the end, Jae-Hyeok decided to think simply. He would focus on training his body and mind to be as sharp as a blade. Then, no matter his enemies’ identities or numbers, he could cut them down.

***

[Wind Spirit’s Boots]

[Rating: Epic

Leather boots infused with the breath of the wind spirits.

It is lightweight and comfortable. It reduces leg fatigue and increases movement speed.]

Jae-Hyeok nodded. Good. A B-class player should carry at least one epic-rated item.

He had the Grand Justice Alus’ dagger, obtained from killing Yoon Sang-Ho, and now he also obtained a relic from killing the senior instructor.

A pair of comfortable brown boots.

He felt like they would be of great help in the future, but there was only one problem.

People will know who they belong to.

His White Snake Bracelet was easily covered with a wrist brace, eliminating the slim chance of encountering someone from that auction and being recognized. The boots, in comparison, were too conspicuous.

The boots reached just below the knee, and their pristine leather and intricate lacing hinted at their true value. They complemented Jae-Hyeok well, but they stood out all the more for it.

I’ll have to buy an item that changes their appearance... While remembering the various concealment items sold on the Community, Jae-Hyeok left the cave.

The snowfield’s blizzards and deep snow masked Jae-Hyeok well.

I should be fine so long as I keep an eye on my surroundings.

Bang!

Jae-Hyeok struck off against the ground and started to race across the ice.

He was moving almost ten times faster than when he had been accompanying the students, who were as slow as slugs.

The Kang family’s mana control technique synergized with the Wind Spirit’s Boots movement effect, allowing him to achieve a fantastic speed.

Moreover, there was no need to control his mana consumption, thanks to the White Snake's Bracelet, which reduced resource consumption.

Jae-Hyeok didn’t even slip on the ice.

Every time his feet touched the ground, they unleashed a burst of mana that crushed the ice. He didn’t hold back. No matter how deep his footprints were, they disappeared in the snow and ice in seconds.

I found them.

Jae-Hyeok witnessed a strange sight amid the rapidly changing landscape and stopped on a cliff.

A procession of nine groups of monsters moved across the vast snowfield.

From a distance, the mass of monsters looked like one giant snake. Most of the monsters were D-class, while C-class or higher monsters were rare. Leading at the front was a yeti without a mane.

The group of monsters at the eastern flank of the procession seemed to have the lowest average level.

I’ll target them.

Jae-Hyeok didn’t hesitate. He encased himself in mana and jumped off the cliff as soon as he made his decision.

Ever since he’d split the thunder tribulation, Jae-Hyeok’s mana had been gradually turning yellow, so the sight of him wreathed in mana and falling through the air looked like a thunderbolt.

Bang!

Kururung!

A huge crater formed on the ice where Jae-Hyeok landed. Brutal vibrations spread out in a concentric circle, causing quite a commotion.

However, the monsters didn’t look back. Entranced, they only continued moving forward. The lord’s dominance had completely taken control of the monsters in the snowfield; their only instinct was to protect their lord, so they had no motive to look around before reaching the lord’s lair.

It’s just like in the game.

The behavior of the migrating monsters was exactly as it was described in Player Manager. It’s worth it to continue spending from my aristocrat’s stipend on it.

He had drawn thousands of character cards to see the Skills of high-ranking players, even if it was only fragments. And to experience more gates and quests, he had tried to upgrade his character hundreds of times. He could only gain superficial knowledge this way, but as a non-awakened person trapped at home, Player Manager had been an important way to gather information about the world of players.

Bam!

Jae-Hyeok caught up with the procession of monsters and stabbed a dagger in the neck of a troll at the end of the procession.

Kiyaaaack!

The battle wasn’t as easy as he expected; after receiving his attack, the monster regained its sense of reason and fought back.

The monsters in the area also regained their senses after hearing the roar of their kin.

Jae-Hyeok remained calm despite four more trolls rapidly surrounding him.

Claaang!

The wildly swinging axes of the trolls clashed with Jae-Hyeok’s hwando, but they rebounded and were sent sailing through the air. The snow trolls were at least level 25, but they couldn’t handle Jae-Hyeok’s greater strength.

His high stats came from the many achievements he’d earned. He was level 26 but had 116 points in Strength, which was a number that most warrior-type players could only aim for after reaching level 50.

Jae-Hyeok delivered mana-enhanced kicks that shattered the trolls’ crude axes.

The trolls didn’t lose the fierce aura around them even after losing their weapons, but they couldn’t do anything about Jae-Hyeok with just aura. Their hands and feet couldn’t even touch Jae-Hyeok’s collar. Every time blood swirled around his Lion’s Castle uniform, another troll collapsed to the ground.

After killing seven trolls, Jae-Hyeok received a welcome notification.

[Your level has risen.]

His depleted health and mana were restored, and he returned to full strength.

He chased after another yeti walking in the distance and stabbed it in the back. It was a perfect surprise attack; however, Jae-Hyeok couldn’t help frowning.

His blade was dull and hadn’t pierced the yeti’s skin properly.

He pulled back his sword and hurriedly shook the blood from it, but it was useless. Thunderbolt Sword had activated, charring the troll’s blood and causing it to stick the blade.

Practice really isn’t the same as actual combat. Jae-Hyeok was forced to rub the blade against his sleeve while stepping back to dodge the yeti’s club. He used Two Scythes Block a Cart while escaping backward, and two auras flew through the air and pierced the yeti’s head and heart.

The more he used it, the more he appreciated the effectiveness of Skills.

He was sure that he would’ve suffered a disaster if those B-class players who’d targeted him had aimed to kill rather than kidnap.

They must’ve been frustrated about dying without a chance to use their Skills.Well, they shouldn’t have aimed at the Kang family in the first place. Jae-Hyeok’s eyes were cold as he started a second round of attacks against the group of yetis.

He coated his hwando’s dull edge with the Leech King’s poison, supplementing its killing power.

***

Why aren’t the monsters coming?

Park Joo-Bong, the teacher in charge of First Year Class A, anxiously checked the time.

The monster migration phenomenon occurred every time a Troll Lord was born. This was a valuable learning opportunity for the students that only came once per semester. The opportunity to fight against hundreds of monsters on a large scale wasn’t very common.

Did something happen to the monsters?

Park Joo-Bong and the Class A students set up an ambush along one of the nine routes to the Troll Lord’s lair.

The weakest of the nine monster processions, consisting of an average D-class monster, always used this route. But it had been thirty minutes since the monsters’ expected arrival time, and the students couldn’t see any trace of them.

The Class A students started to grumble. They had already wasted nearly an hour in this boring place. It was natural for them to be dissatisfied with the situation.

“I told you last time that the teacher has a face that looks like he is easily scammed. He has definitely been tricked by someone.”

“He’s been a teacher for many years. That can’t possibly...”

“A teacher is just a teacher, no matter how many years of experience. The fact that he retired because he couldn't level up anymore is proof of his incompetence.”

“I’ll take a moment to figure out what is going on, so you can stay here.” Park Joo-Bong got up and made a request to Shinra Kyeong and Loren. “If anything happens while I am away, you have to lead the children.”

Teacher Park Joo-Bong was famous for being tactless.

Shinra Kyeong and Loren had been uncooperative during the Leech King crisis, but he still believed in them even now. In the first place, he didn’t even know that Loren and Shinra Kyeong looked at each other as if they didn’t know each other.

Loren replied, “Are Awakened still considered children in South Korea?”

“Haha, that’s right. They are still children, so you need to take good care of them.”

“......”

Park Joo-Bong silenced Loren’s sarcasm with that absurd reply and left the scene.

The short-haired hippie perm girl scowled at Loren. “Isn’t it childish to compare South Korea to Austria? There’s no reason to be proud of a wartime country.”

The twin siblings also struck at Loren.

“That’s right. Is it because he is the aristocrat of a country that recruits child soldiers? His senses are twisted.”

“No. His personality is twisted.”

All three of them were vassals of Shinra Kyeong.

Loren didn’t care about them and turned his attention to Shinra Kyeong. “Don’t you find it a hassle to train dogs?

“Oh, do the aristocrats of Austria treat their vassals like dogs?” Shinra Kyeong replied expressionlessly.

Well, he was always expressionless. It was to the point where it somewhat diminished his angelic appearance.

Loren told him, “I like you even less than Kang Jae-Hyeok.”

“I don’t know why his name is coming out all of a sudden.”

The boy among the twins spoke out, “That’s right! How dare you mention a fallen aristocrat in front of the young master!”

His name was Oh Ja-Ha. He had many mood swings and a loud voice, so Loren thought he was vulgar.

“Are dogs in a position to use the word dare with me? Did you learn Korean incorrectly?”

“This seaweed-haired foreigner is teaching Koreans about speaking Korean!?”

The agitated Ja-Ha frowned and then suddenly shut his mouth. But that wasn’t all. Everyone gradually froze on the spot.

“T-this is bad... ” Ha Kyeong-Su—who had been living like a rat since being defeated by Kang Jae-Hyeok with a spear—spoke for the first time in ages.

“M-monster... ”

Da-Hee and Yoo-Jin’s usually lively faces turned pale, but their reactions were quiet compared to the others. Some students screamed or slumped down with weak legs.

“Is it a Named monster?”

Shinra Kyeong and Loren had stopped arguing and shifted their eyes to the forest entrance.

[What? Why are human children here?]

A large Death Knight appeared out of nowhere, the purple flames that served as its eyes flaring as it looked around the students.

Based on how its black armor was stained with blood, it seemed to have been slaughtering monsters.

“T-Teacher? Where is our teacher?”

Da-Hee came to her senses and screamed. She imagined the worst when she saw the red blood on the Death Knight’s chest.

The Death Knight snorted in disbelief.

[Lion’s Castle has fallen to the point where trash like you are running rampant? What a pity.]

Crackle!

The Death Knight’s longsword unleashed a majestic, flame-like aura.

[I’ll have to clean up here before reuniting with the sword-crazed demon.]

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