Woojin stood in front of the building that was the center of the Colony.

It was a tower made out of steel, and a green light was surging forth from the top of the tower.

“Occupation?”

Was this choice given to him because the Dimensional lord was dead right now?

For a brief moment, Woojin thought over the additional option he was given.

“Master! Give this to me. Please give me this castle.”

Bibi stamped her feet, but Woojin came to a decision.

“It’ll be meaningless.”

“Peee.”

What was his goal?

Was he like the other Dimensional lords, who were focused in raising their rankings?

The Colony and the numerous Dungeon buildings were important in gaining the currency called Energy. Energy was important in determining the ranking, and he would be able to plunder this place endlessly...

However, his goal wasn’t to conquer other planets.

“I’m going to destroy it.”

Woojin chose the Destruction option.

Koo-roo-roo-roo, kwah-ah-ahng!

The steel tower fell over, and it exploded.

Additional explosions occurred as the entire city was destroyed.

The randomly looted items were automatically deposited into Woojin’s Inventory. Woojin shook his head when he saw the enormous quantity of Items.

“That is a lot of stuff.”

While one was dead, the system was set up where one could be taken to the cleaners.

Woojin now understood what Liah had been trying to say.

She had said one couldn’t raise one’s ranking through Duel. It had to be done through Dimensional battles.

The risk of dying in a Duel was too high. The Dimensional battles was the more prudent option.

If one didn’t have a decent strategist, one would have to give up entirely on the Dimensional battles like Liah. Or else one had to go all in on increasing one’s skill at Dimensional Battle.

It was best to gather Energy while minimizing one’s risk. Moreover, if one allowed the Domain Residents access to hunting grounds through Dungeons, one would make a pretty good amount just from collecting taxes.

“I just have to stay alive.”

Woojin smirked.

Maybe the simple act of not dying would lead to a much bigger gain.

If one fought while worrying about death, one was already fighting a losing war. He had no choice, but to win. He’ll clear all the Colonies and Dungeons. He’ll seal the link from the source.

If Woojin couldn’t do it himself, he would form a coalition on earth to bolster his force.

There will be a time when others would have to do their part to share in the burden.

“I wonder if he is doing well?”

More time might be needed for Jaemin and his party to gel.

“I wonder if Jaemin will get along with them.”

Woojin was slightly worried about Jaemin’s sneakily timid nature. In the end, Jaemin had to overcome his timidity on his own.

***

Koo-koo-koong.

Baek-jungdo’s fist finally crushed the ogre’s head. When it fell, everyone turned to look at Jaemin.

“.....”

“Hurry up and drink from it. Then we can move on.”

At Chae-haesol’s words, Jaemin put on a tearful face. In the end, he approached the ogre, and he bit into its throat.

Gulp, gulp.

Unlike the repulsion he felt, the blood tasted sweet. It couldn’t be compared to a human’s blood, but he still felt a good amount of pleasure.

“Oooohhhh.”

He felt an uncontrollable power surge up within him. He felt the power of an ogre. Jaemin’s body shook before his body calmed down.

“Ha-ah. I’ve had my fill.”

“Let’s go. Let’s head over there.”

A considerable number of monsters were already following Haesol around. There were flying type beasts like the small bird that could see far, and they alerted her of any danger. Then there were the predatory animals like wolves that could be used to track down her enemies.

However, her true ability was displayed when a battle suddenly started.

Kwahhh!

A mole type monster suddenly surged out of the ground, and Haesol used her Telepathic ability.

This was the result in progressing in her ability.

[Thought Sharing.]

Haesol didn’t have to bother with consulting back and forth with her party members with words. Her ability allowed the party to share their thoughts in real time. Any plan she came up with was shared with the party members.

“Hoo-ahp!”

Baek-jungdo struck a mole with his fist. Blanka took out a staff he used for self defense, and he casted a Speed and Strength Buff on everyone.

The mole’s sharp claws shot towards Jaemin.

Jaemin bit into its arm.

Gulp, gulp.

Kyahk, kyahk!

When he started to drink its blood, the mole struggled as it swung its limbs. The struggle created wounds on Jaemin, but the wounds quickly closed from the effect of drinking the mole’s blood.

The struggling monster’s movement slowed, and in the end, it shriveled up as it died. Blood was dripping from his mouth as Jaemin dropped the mole.

Jaemin’s body shook.

“Ooh ooh ooh.”

He could feel it.

He felt the power of the mole’s strong hands!

His fingers moved in the air as if he was playing a piano, and the sounds of joints cracking was heard.

Haesol’s Telepathic ability allower her to project her thoughts.

[Jaemin should take the front.]

This was like a simulation where everyone’s role was clear.

It would be great if everyone carried out their role, but..

“Koo-ooh-ooh.”

Jaemin’s eye turned red, and Jaemin ran forward to slaughter the monsters.

“Ha. He is going berserk again.”

Haesol shook her head from side to side as she gathered the party members.

“Let’s hurry up and catch up to him.”

“Let’s do this.”

It seemed Jaemin earned power and saveragery when he drank the blood of the monsters. Once in a while, he would act out while being drunk on the blood. The number of monsters in front of them had increased suddenly, so it would be dangerous to leave Jaemin alone.

Do-jaemin wasn’t Kahng-woojin.

The party quickly ran forward to give assistance to Jaemin.

Jaemin was in the midst of his berserk state. The party worked in concert with him, and their surrounding was filled with the corpses of monsters.

“Hoo-ooh. Aren’t there too many of them now?”

“We are in trouble. Look toward the front!”

At Blanka’s words, Che-haesol looked around her surrounding. She shared in the hawk’s vision...

“Oh no.”

A green pillar of light was rising up into the sky. It indicated where a Dimensional lord’s Colony was located at.

The number and variety of monsters were increasing, and it seemed they had traveled closer to the location of a colony.

“I think it’ll be too dangerous for us to get any closer.”

Melody gave a stern warning, but Blanka shook his head from side to side.

“We are too late. Look over there.”

His finger was pointing at a large flock of airborne monsters flying towards them.

“Shouldn’t we call the president?”

“We should call him even though he is in that state? ”

Baek-jungdo pointed at Jaemin, who was still in his berserk state.

“Koo-roo-ooh-ooh-ooh.”

Jaemin’s eyes had turned red, and he wasn’t showing any signs of recovering his right sanity.

Haesol made a decision as she looked at the large flock of airborne monsters.

“Let’s bounce for now.”

“I think that would be wise.”

Baek-jungdo grabbed Jaemin.

“Koo-ahk, koohk!”

Jaemin instinctively pit down on Baek-jungdo’s forearm, and his fangs broke.

Baek-jungdo’s arms had turned black, and his skin wasn’t weak enough to allow the fangs of an undeveloped vampire to pierce it.

Baek-jungdo was an extreme physical Roused.

“Let’s hide first. Then we can lure the monsters from near the Colony in small numbers, and we can get rid of them.”

“All right..”

The party moved faster after they came up with a plan of action.

***

He was dying.

He was really going to die with the way things are going.

“Hoo-ooh.”

Sunggoo focused all his senses to track the Lich’s staff.

[Does this mean lashing on an idiot like you is useless ?]

Hwah-roo-roohk, kwahng!

Sunggoo gritted his teeth as he avoided the flame attack.

No one in their right mind would think such a large fireball was equivalent to a lashing. If he got hit by it, he would burn to death.

[How long are you going to run away like a coward?]

Hwah-roohk, kwah-kwahng. Kwahng!

The Lich’s attack wasn’t like consecutive rockets exploding. It was more like an endless stream of firing coming out a flamethrower. It didn’t matter if he was far or close. The flame kept coming towards Sunggoo, and the Lich didn’t give him any time to rest.

‘What am I suppose to learn from this?’

He was told the Lich would make him into a top Flame Magician, yet it just seemed like the Lich was impatient to kill him. Sunggoo took stock of his surrounding as he rolled on the ground, and he picked up a wooden branch.

“Hooooooooh.”

He detonated the magical energy within his body to create fire. Sunggoo charged towards the Lich, while holding a sword made out of flame.

[Goo-ha-ha. Do you finally feel like attacking me now?]

The tree branch had turned into a Flame Sword, and Sunggoo swung at the fireball that was flying towards him.

“Chaaaaah!”

Hwah-roo-roohk.

Sunggoo ran forward as he cut apart the flame. The Lich was right in front of his eyes. This was the first time he had gotten this close to it.

“Die!”

Sunggoo used all the enmity he felt to fuel his sword swing, but the Lich just reached out its hand to stop the blow. Its bony hands grabbed the tree branch.

It was as if the Lich didn’t feel the heat as it didn’t even move an inch from the attack. The flame around the Flame Sword was sucked into the Lich.

[Your fire can’t distinguish between allies and enemies.]

“....?”

The words were too unexpected, so Sunggoo dropped his guard for a moment. This was when an explosion occurred.

Ggwahhhhng!

He was surrounded by flames as he was sent flying into the air.

“Ooh ooh.”

He felt a sense of vertigo as he lost consciousness for a brief moment. He was in a daze when he recovered his senses. His body was plummeting to the ground.

“Dead...”

He would die if he proceeded to fall like this. He desperately flapped his arms and leg, but he couldn’t fly.

Puh-uh-uhk!

Sunggoo was jammed into the ground. His eyes bugged out as he felt an incredible amount of pain.

“Shit!”

The incredible pain awakened his other sluggish senses. It felt as if he was about to die, but he wasn’t dead yet. Sunggoo’s body had been in a freefall for about 10 meters. However, his body had become strong and sturdy. His body was able to take that damage.

It was the result of him consistently taking Reinforcement Stones that increased his Strength, Agility and Stamina.

“Hoo-ooh.”

He didn’t have the strength to twitch a finger, but he was at peace. He had given it all, yet it hadn’t been enough. It seemed this would be the end of today’s training session.

Sunggoo looked towards the sky. An enormous storm of fire was falling towards him.

[Did you give up? Do you dare give up your life on a battlefield?]

Hwah-roo-roohk.

“Shit!”

Crazy. This Lich had lost its mind. It was really trying to kill him.

This was all absurd, and he felt a sense of urgency. This sense of urgency allowed him to move his body.

A handful of magical energy responded to him, and he sucked in the flames from his surrounding.

Hoo-ooohng.

From the outside, it looked as if the flames surrounding Sunggoo was burning up his body, but the opposite was occurring.

Sunggoo was using Flame Absorption.

The magical energy that had bottomed out was recovering. It revitalized his body.

He quickly stood up, but the Fire Storm was too close to avoid it.

‘Will I be able to do it?’

He thought about the method used by the Lich when it absorbed the his Flame Sword.

The Flame magic was a phenomena that occurred when magical energy was burned.

The magical energy possessed by Sunggoo was different from the magical energy possessed by the Lich.

Even if both of them were using fire, the character of the fire was different. It would be extremely difficult for him to use the Lich’s flame. It would be impossible unless one had an incredible amount of control over one’s magical energy.

‘Shit.’

It wouldn’t benefit him to think about the probability of his success.

“Ooh-ah-ah-ah.”

Sunggoo spread both his arms.

He didn’t resist against the flames as he accepted it.

His two hands were getting hot, and he was trying very hard to feel the magic.

Hwah-roo-roo-roohk.

The fire looked as if it was about burn Sunggoo’s hands. However, it was being rapidly sucked into his hands.

[Goo-ha-ha. You were barely able to learn the basics.]

The energy from the flame filled Sunggoo’s body, and his body didn’t know what to do with it. He felt his chest being overwhelmed by the surge of energy.

‘This is Jaenis’ magical energy.’

He had absorbed the magic that had been detonated and sent out as a flame. Jaenis’ magical energy was bucking like a caged wild beast.

His life had been threatened, but he had learned something valuable.

“Thank...”

Hwah-roo-roohk.

He was about to give his thanks, yet a smaller flame was sent towards Sunggoo. It was smaller in size, but it held an explosive power.

Kwah-ah-ah-ahng!

[When did I say it was the end?]

“Shit!”

Sunggoo’s hair was singed from the flame. He gritted his teeth.

In the end, the Lich was trying to push him until his died!

Sunggoo was filled with fighting spirit as he prepared for a proper fight.

However, Woojin stood in his way.

“Let’s do this after we eat.”

“..when did you arrive?”

“When you were sent flying into the air.”

“You should have save me.”

“Are you a child?”

Even if he wasn’t a child, Sunggoo felt as if a rescue was in order.

“Let’s have a quick meal. Then we are moving.”

“Yes.”

Maybe it was because the flow of the battle had been interrupted, but Sunggoo welcomed the break.

“Ooh-oohk?”

Was it because the tension dissipated? He felt the magical energy inside him boil. It felt as if he was about to cough out blood. He sat down, and he tried to gain control of his magical energy.

‘Ah. Hyung-nim knew what would happen, so he stopped it.’

When Sunggoo opened his eyes, Woojin was sitting next to a fire eating some unknown meat skewered onto a stick.

“Eat.”

Woojin tossed one to Sunggoo.

Sunggoo bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

Woojin smirked as he turned his gaze away.

“Hmm.”

The flames had died down, and the fighting on the battlefield had settled. Woojin had unsummoned his Familiars, and he was sitting next to the fire with only Sunggoo by his side.

Did they look beatable? New enemies came into view.

A group of humans were approaching them from a far distance.