NOVEL NEXT Chapter 193
Chapter 193: The Colossal Strength
“I’ve always been big since I was a kid.”
Po-ahim began to reminisce.
‘You didn’t have to say that, but…’
Lee Si-hyun thought while eyeing Po-ahim’s massive frame.
To put it simply, everything about Po-ahim was big and thick. His height, arms, thighs, neck, hands, and feet.
Si-hyun had seen giants like William and Max before, but they seemed relatively average compared to Po-ahim.
The sheer enormity radiating from Po-ahim was overwhelming.
“So, growing up, I always played the role of the leader among my peers. Everyone around said so. The most suitable candidate for a general. Becoming a knight later on was a given.”
Si-hyun listened quietly to Po-ahim’s story. However, he still couldn’t grasp the intention behind such words.
“But reality was cold.”
“What?”
Cold?
Si-hyun shot a bewildered glance at the unexpected words from Po-ahim.
Considering his devious face and his intimidating size, it didn’t seem like the world would be harsh to him.
“You might have already guessed, but I’m constitutionally incapable of properly accumulating magic power.”
“…Magic power?”
With that question, Si-hyun recalled how his magic stats had been stuck at 101 for so long.
His other abilities were steadily rising, but his magic stat remained static.
He had thought it was strange, but it seemed there was a reason after all.
“Right. And that is a death sentence for a martial artist. To reach the Expert level and above, you need to accumulate magic using magic cultivation techniques. You must have magic to transcend the limits of the body and unleash superhuman strength.”
“I see….”
“The strength of a body made of bones and muscles has its limits. A clear limit. On the other hand, the power of magic drives humans to the very extremes. Compared to the infinite power of magic, physical strength is nothing more than grains of sand. Everyone said that. I felt that truth painfully. Those who were physically inferior to me used magic to turn me into a mess. Again and again, I was miserably beaten to the ground.”
“….”
There was a tinge of bitter frustration in Po-ahim’s voice from that time.
So, Si-hyun had no choice but to listen to him with a heavy expression.
“I felt tremendous humiliation. I wanted to get back at that humiliation somehow. So I traveled the world, desperately working to accumulate magic. As a result, I was able to gather a bit of weak magic within me. But that was far from enough. I was a third-rate martial artist, just a big idiot with no real skills. I had to worry about my life even among second-rate martial artists.”
Honestly, it was surprising.
It was as if the current Po-ahim seemed like he was born to be strong.
With such a rugged face and enormous size, along with the overwhelming pressure crushing the spirit of any human.
…But Po-ahim had such a difficult time in the past.
Si-hyun once again stole a glance at Po-ahim’s fierce face, waiting for his words to continue.
“I had to admit it. I was wrong. It was a mistake to try to be like others with a constitution incompatible with magic from the start. But the funny thing is that realizing this didn’t give me any special means. It was, in short, a situation with no answers. Yet even in that situation, my stubbornness burned fiercely.”
Si-hyun nodded slightly, as if understanding Po-ahim’s feelings.
Just looking at him, he seemed the type who hated losing more than death.
“Yeah, damn it.”
“Ugh….”
When a curse suddenly escaped Po-ahim’s lips, Si-hyun gasped.
Honestly, there’s no way not to be frightened when such a fierce curse comes from that face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t do anything!”
Si-hyun waved his hands in a hurry.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll continue.”
“Yes, please do.”
Si-hyun unconsciously straightened his posture.
Po-ahim continued his story.
“Yeah, I had an obsession to become strong with my bones and muscles, just like you brats underestimate.”
“….”
“What?”
“…Nothing. Please go on.”
When he said “you brats,” the intensity in his voice made it feel like he could bite down on bones.
It seemed like the memories from a long time ago brought back a rather unpleasant feeling.
“I resolved to surpass human limits with just my body. It was a crazy resolution that would make everyone laugh. But I believed that this robust body was a gift from the gods.”
Saying that, he clenched his fist, and the surrounding muscles bulged as if they might pop.
‘A divine gift… I agree.’
Si-hyun inwardly continued to agree with that statement.
“I needed training to surpass my limits. However, I felt that training alone was useless. Training in comfort by myself couldn’t keep my mind sharp. No matter how strong-willed I was, the stimulation was terribly lacking. And when the mind isn’t sharp, the body naturally loses tone. Training in that state was nothing more than a meaningless waste of time.”
So, low risk leads to low return.
To get a high return, you need high risk.
It seemed Po-ahim instinctively understood that.
“So, I decided to venture into the Eternal Forest with just my bare body. That place is filled with monsters. Most monsters can’t use magic. They hunt purely with their innate physical abilities. Of course, their physical abilities far exceed those of humans. So, it was the perfect place to train and break through human limits, right? I resolved to clash physically with the monsters there. With my life on the line.”
“Yes….”
Indeed, Po-ahim was a rare breed.
Si-hyun recalled the monsters he had faced at the Gate so far.
And to do that against such monsters, without magic, and with just his bare hands?
It would be almost impossible for anyone to do that.
No, maybe it was completely unheard of.
“I boldly ventured into the forest teeming with monsters. At that time, I had only one thought. The thought of coming back alive? Such thoughts only weaken a person. I only focused on getting stronger day by day. From the first day, I charged into a Goblin-infested area and crushed the necks of all the goblins. Even weak monsters were completely new when faced bare-handed. I sustained quite a few injuries. On the second day, I faced slightly stronger monsters. The injuries increased. On the third day, slightly stronger monsters again. On the fourth day….”
Po-ahim’s stories continued endlessly.
“I intentionally ate monster meat for every meal. I didn’t even use fire. I tore at it raw. Insisting on human tastes even in such a place was downright embarrassing. Eventually, I even chewed on bones….”
“….”
“…Injuries kept increasing, and I felt like I might die from the pain. Healing potions were a luxury completely unrelated to that place. So, I decided to use herbs. Of course, I knew nothing about herbs. I had to test them one by one on my body. When I accidentally applied poison herbs, it made me curse. But it turned out that even that was something that trained my body like crazy….”
“….”
“It was fortunate that the stronger the monsters were, the deeper I went. If I had encountered strong monsters from the start, I would have been finished before getting strong. While battling the various monsters on the outskirts, I became stronger. I could certainly feel the change. My senses sharpened crazily, every muscle in my body seemed as solid as iron. I grew stronger and more agile. But this level was far from satisfactory. So….”
“….”
Si-hyun’s expression became completely drained as he listened to Po-ahim’s story.
Is he really human…?
If he were human, he should have died countless times over.
For Po-ahim to survive through all that was no different than penetrating the odds of a miracle.
No, even if there was a miracle, a typical human would have likely perished.
Indeed, Po-ahim was clearly different from other humans; he was evidently chosen.
When coupled with the life-risking efforts, he had turned into a monster.
While Si-hyun was lost in such thoughts, Po-ahim continued to speak.
Si-hyun was left in awe of Po-ahim’s tale, hanging onto every word.
“…That monster was undoubtedly the lord of the forest. Just standing there made my skin tingle with pain. But I believed in the strength I had madly built up. It was a monster, but I was a monster too. It was the perfect opponent to finally push my body beyond its last limit. I let out a roar that could shake the forest and charged. Then that beast….”
The story finally reached its climax.
With the beast monster known as the lord of the forest defeated, Po-ahim’s tumultuous life story came to a close.
“How’s that? Now you understand where my strength comes from, right?”
“I understand well.”
Si-hyun nodded vigorously.
Truly the limits of the body.
Po-ahim’s entire physique was an extraordinary weapon in itself. And now it made sense why Po-ahim’s mental strength was so formidable.
Surviving through such madness could only mean his mental fortitude was nothing short of superhuman.
“Good. But there’s one more thing to tell you. The extreme of the body isn’t merely about maximizing strength or agility. Such things can also be achieved with the power of magic. The unique strength that those trained to the limit possess isn’t that.”
As he spoke, Po-ahim extended his arm like a thick log.
To Si-hyun, who looked on with curious eyes, Po-ahim spoke again.
“Take out the Acureruts.”
“The Acureruts?”
“Yes.”
Tilting his head slightly, Si-hyun pulled out the Acureruts.
To him, Po-ahim said, “Now, strike my arm with it.”
“Huh? What do you mean….”
Si-hyun’s expression suggested he might have misheard something.
The Acureruts is the legendary sword capable of clashing against the strongest energies.
He was well aware of its insane sharpness from experience.
And yet, to strike against a bare arm…?
“It’s fine, just swing it down.”
Po-ahim spoke nonchalantly.
“But….”
“It truly is fine.”
At those words, Si-hyun cautiously lifted the Acureruts.
“With all your strength.”
Seeing Po-ahim say such things with an indifferent face, Si-hyun made up his mind.
‘Whatever, I don’t care anymore.’
Si-hyun tightened his grip on the sword.
Then he slammed the Acureruts downward.
Clang!
‘Clang?’
Si-hyun’s eyes went wide.
It was just flesh and bone.
Yet the blade of the Acureruts rebounded upward as if it had struck something incredibly tough.
“Now, you can feel it yourself.”
Po-ahim said as he grabbed the blade of the Acureruts and quickly pulled it from Si-hyun’s grip. Then, he twirled it once in the air and gripped the hilt.
“What, what is this?”
Sensing an unusual atmosphere, Si-hyun cast a wary look.
“You need to experience it to truly grasp it.”
Held by Po-ahim’s gigantic hands, the Acureruts appeared to be a mere toy.
He raised it high.
“Wait a moment!”
Si-hyun hurriedly stretched out his hands.
But Po-ahim ignored him and struck Si-hyun’s shoulder powerfully with the Acureruts.
Swoosh!
The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang ominously.
And then.
Slam!
‘Slap? Phew… thank goodness…’
Si-hyun thought that for a fleeting moment.
An immense pain rushed into his shoulder.
It felt as though it would break right off.
“Ah! Ah! Ah! It hurts! It hurts! What the heck?! Why does this hurt so much?!”
Si-hyun doubled over, clutching his shoulder as tears welled up in his eyes. His body trembled uncontrollably.
“It’s only natural to feel pain as a human.”
Po-ahim said nonchalantly.
“No, you should have told me that in advance!”
“Now my true power has reached you.”
“….”
“Right now, most attacks you face won’t even tickle you.”
“But why…?”
“However, the truly powerful attacks from real monsters will hurt like hell if you take them bare-handed.”
“Then what can I do…?”
“Just endure. That’s what I wanted to imply.”
“…So, are you saying I can block any attack, but it’s just going to hurt?”
“Of course, avoid any attacks that look deadly. Are you going to take a 9-class magic attack from Hyris directly?”
“…Huh?”
“Don’t make that ridiculous face. Right now, your body is invincible. Well, nearly invincible. Among the Awakened Beings, just be cautious of nine individuals. Actually, is that person even around? Maybe just eight?”
“…That leader I saw earlier seemed pretty strong….”
“I was just giving you an example of the level to be careful with. There might be strong ones of that caliber in the Demon Realm too. But, you know.”
“…Yes.”
“You can definitely defeat them. So stand tall and face anyone without fear.”
Once again, Po-ahim handed the Acureruts back.
His voice was laden with resolute power.
“Understood.”
Si-hyun replied, putting strength into his words.