Chapter 681

A shadow appeared.

What had been a small circle gradually grew larger, then revealed its true form and slammed into the ground.

It was Hyman’s hand.

The collision of fists.

More precisely, Su-ho had struck it aside from the side with the edge of his hand.

As a result, Hyman’s hand was severed and fell to the ground.

Of course, losing one hand did not break his tempo.

Without even realizing his hand had been cut off, he immediately threw a combination with the opposite hand.

The problem was that the opposite hand followed the exact same path.

Only when he finally realized that both hands had been severed did Hyman stop moving.

Blood sprayed from his wrists like fountains.

The spraying blood once again moved toward Su-ho and was absorbed into him.

Hyman blankly watched that entire sequence of events.

Then he let out a faint laugh.

“I lost.”

“Good work.”

Hyman’s body shrank.

Su-ho reduced his size along with him.

Fortunately, when both of their bodies returned to their original size, Hyman’s hands were perfectly fine as well.

“Ta-da.”

He spread out both of his intact hands and made a mischievous expression.

“That’s a relief. I was already wondering whether I’d have to treat you.”

“This is the power of a genuine Titan Body. In that sense, congratulations.”

When Hyman held out his hand, Su-ho clasped it as well.

His grip felt so heavy that it was hard to believe those hands had been severed only moments ago.

“Thanks to you, I’ve realized something. From the beginning, the position of Giant King wasn’t something an ordinary man like me could hold. Only chosen people like you could become one.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“It’s the truth. Because while fighting you, I ended up feeling a wall I could never overcome. Something like blood magic, for example?”

Instead of answering, Su-ho responded with a smile.

Well, if nothing else, something like blood magic was probably something that could never be learned without the System’s help.

“Then I suppose it’s time to give you what I owe you.”

He reached out his hand, clenched it, then opened it again.

Then a rune resembling the Rune of Giants appeared in his palm.

“It’s the Rune of Titans.”

“The Rune of Titans?”

“There are countless kinds of giants in the world. But among them, those who inherit the primordial bloodline and reach the realm of true giants are no longer called giants. They are called Titans.”

“Because they’re divine beings?”

“Something like that. And only power on the level of a Titan can turn someone who wasn’t born a giant into a true giant.”

The Rune of Titans moved from Hyman’s hand to Su-ho.

“Accept it.”

“......I’m not sure why, but I have a feeling this is going to hurt a lot.”

“Heheh, are you scared?”

“I remember suffering badly when I absorbed the Rune of Giants.”

“Heh heh, don’t worry. Back then, your very foundation had to be changed, so that was unavoidable. This time, at most, it’s only a process of changing the outer shell, so you’ll be fine.”

“Then.......”

Trusting Hyman’s words, Su-ho grasped the Rune of Titans.

[ Absorbing the Rune of Titans. ]

And then.

Thump!

His heart beat.

At the same time, his blood began boiling and terrible pain erupted throughout his entire body.

“Uh...... uh......!”

As Su-ho’s expression grew increasingly serious, Hyman grinned.

“Sorry. Actually, I was joking.”

“You son of a......!”

“Hahahaha! It wouldn’t be any fun if I just gave it to you, would it? I lost both of my hands!”

Thud!

Su-ho dropped to his knees.

Then.

Thud!

He fell again, his body pitching forward.

- Oof.

Jack came over to check on him, then pointed at him and asked.

- Is this okay?

“Of course. You know what kind of guy he is.”

- True.

“Let’s drink.”

- Sounds good.

The two of them headed toward the campfire with broad smiles.

***

How much time had passed?

“Huuuuugh!”

Su-ho got up like someone who had fallen into water and had only barely been pulled out.

Jack and Hyman watched him while chewing on meat, then spoke.

“Hmm, you woke up faster than I expected.”

- See? I told you. Drink up.

“Damn. Can’t be helped.”

Jack snickered while Hyman lifted a large cup of alcohol and gulped it down.

It was a penalty drink.

By then, Su-ho had finally come fully to his senses and frowned.

“What are you two doing?”

- We made a bet. On how many days it would take you to wake up.

“And?”

- I said three days. The old man said four. Whoever was closer to the actual number would win. But thanks to you waking up after two days, I won.

By then, Hyman had emptied his cup. He grimaced and let out a long, “Khh.”

“Geniuses really are different. To think you’d assimilate the Rune of Titans in only two days.”

“Ha...... I thought I was going to die.”

“You don’t die that easily from something like that. Especially now that you’ve obtained the body of a Titan.”

“Phew.”

Su-ho looked around with a tired expression.

But something that should have been visible was nowhere to be seen.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“I don’t see a System notification.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“I absorbed the Rune of Titans, but there’s no notification saying I finished absorbing it.”

“Is that important?”

“Of course it is. I’m still under the System’s authority.”

“Actually, I know. But you probably can’t see it right now.”

“Why?”

“Because you still haven’t received full acknowledgment?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You changed your foundation with the Rune of Giants and changed your body with the Rune of Titans. But you still haven’t received complete acknowledgment, so you can’t receive the System’s guarantee either.”

“......?”

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

If he had absorbed both the Rune of Giants and the Rune of Titans, wasn’t that the end of it?

But Hyman shook his head.

“You haven’t forgotten that you’re still in the middle of a trial, have you?”

“That’s true, but...... is there still something left?”

“There is. And it’s a very important process at that. So in that sense, why don’t you come over and eat first? You’ve been lying there for two days.”

“Why bother.......”

“Hey now, your senior says we’re eating. Are you going to refuse?”

“......Understood.”

Reluctantly accepting the invitation, Su-ho went over and sat beside them.

Then he drank the medicinal liquor Hyman poured for him and ate his meal.

Accepting the invitation itself was a good thing.

Because sitting there and eating with the two of them gave him a strange sense of peace.

Then, just as the meal was nearly over.

[ The trial has ended. ]

[ Hyman fully acknowledges you. ]

“......?”

A notification suddenly appeared saying that the trial had ended.

Su-ho, who had been eating, stared blankly at it.

Then he looked at Hyman.

His expression clearly asked what this was supposed to mean.

Hyman responded with an expression that seemed to say, Why, what’s the problem?

“No, who suddenly ends a trial in the middle of a meal?”

“What? You already beat me and absorbed the Rune of Titans, so I’m ending it according to procedure. What’s the problem?”

“No, then you should’ve done it earlier. Why end it in the middle of a meal?”

“I’m the examiner. I can do whatever I want, can’t I?”

“Good grief.......”

“Hehehe, you really are fun to tease. That expression of yours is really nice to look at. Here, have another drink.”

Hyman poured him some medicinal liquor.

In truth, he had not suddenly ended the trial merely to tease Su-ho.

Once the trial ended, the next trial would begin immediately, and if that happened, he felt like he would have to send Su-ho off without even feeding him a single meal, so he had deliberately delayed ending it.

And more than anything.

‘I really like this human side of him.’

Graul had said so.

Showing petty affection was not a virtue of a king.

But Hyman did not think that way.

A cold-blooded ruler was certainly a kind of king needed depending on the era, but rather than that, a kind and human king was a far better image of a king.

Therefore, Hyman hoped that someone like that would become the new Giant King, and in that sense, Su-ho was exactly the right person.

Before long, the meal ended and Su-ho rose from his seat.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“As long as you ate well.”

“How much is left now?”

“Not much. So keep going. The summit is right in front of you.”

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“I don’t joke about things like this.”

“Understood. But do you think we’ll meet again?”

“What, now that it’s time to part, you’re going to miss me?”

“There’s no meeting I don’t regret seeing end.”

“Heheh, no comment on that part. It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance, would it?”

His cheerful answer naturally made the corners of Su-ho’s mouth rise.

The two shook hands, and before long, another notification appeared.

[ Beginning transfer to the location of the next trial. ]

His vision began to fade.

Through it, Hyman waved goodbye.

And when his vision changed completely once again, what Su-ho saw was darkness.

Pitch-black darkness.

But strangely enough, he could see ahead.

Normally, if it was dark, he should not even have been able to see his own body, yet strangely, even though there was not a single source of light, it felt as though he could see in front of him.

Fwoosh!

At that moment, a wave spread from above as though rippling through water.

As the wave rippled outward, a scenery like the Milky Way formed across the pitch-black darkness, as though blue paint were spreading through it.

Sources of light resembling stars appeared as well.

Could this really be outer space?

That was when it happened.

- You’re here.

A familiar voice.

Even a benevolent one.

It was Seolmundae Halmang.

“Ma’am!”

- Haha, yes.

She welcomed Su-ho with a warm smile.

Giving off a faint glow in the darkness, she looked almost like a divine being.

- You worked hard getting this far.

“Judging by the way you’re talking, it sounds like I’m practically at the final stage.”

- Hehe, in truth, that’s essentially correct.

The final stage.

At those exciting words, Su-ho looked around.

A scenery like the Milky Way stretched across the sky, but everything around him was still filled with darkness.

He looked at her again and spoke.

“What am I supposed to undergo this time?”

- Rather than undergoing something, it’s time for you to meet someone.

“Who?”

- The being who will acknowledge you, and furthermore, the being who created this trial.

“You mean.......”

His eyes widened.

Because there was only one existence that could fit that description.

“The First Giant King.”

- Yes. You have absorbed both the Rune of Giants and the Rune of Titans and acquired every qualification, so the time has finally come for you to meet him.

“I see. But if that’s the case, couldn’t he just come out himself? Why are you here, ma’am?”

Even Hyman had appeared personally, so why would the First Giant King be unable to?

At those words, Seolmundae Halmang smiled.

- He is already here. Furthermore, you have already met him once before.

“I have?”

That happened?

I don’t remember anything like that.

Even if he searched through his entire Library of Memories, there was no such memory.

- This place you are standing on right now.

With those words, Seolmundae Halmang pointed downward.

- This very being is the First Giant King, Gestark.