Chapter 578

The battle between Katan and Howlka ended soon after it began.

“This is boring.” Katan lost interest and left the area.

Howlka dusted off his axe and then approached Kang Oh.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“There are some places in Noah that house dangerous people like him. I’ll tell you where they are, so stay clear of them.”

Kang Oh had been exploring Noah, and had unknowingly entered a dangerous area.

“Understood. Thank you for saving me.”

“I just did my job.”

The two stood side-by-side and discussed various matters.

“I heard the Ruman Orcs became a major faction.”

“Yes. All orcs have been assimilated by the Ruman Orcs.”

“Is that so? In my time, the Ruman Orcs were a tiny tribe.”

“Which tribe do you come from, Mr. Howlka?”

“The Gurabashi Tribe. It was made up of the orcs’ bravest warriors,” Howlka said proudly.

“The Gurabashi…”

Mumugul, the Orc Great Chieftain that succeeded Asuka, was originally a Gurabashi Orc. There were also several renowned warriors that came from the Gurabashi Tribe.

“I apologize. I don’t know much about them…”

“That’s alright. What happened to the trolls?”

“They’re called the Ingrit Trolls…”

“Looks like they’re still the same.”

After conversing with him, Kang Oh realized that Howlka was an ok guy. Contrary to his wild and boorish face, he was extremely knowledgeable, and was also quite funny.

He was also able to learn several western secrets that couldn’t be obtained through books or the internet from him. For example, Howlka told him a story of how a Black Dog and a White Cat fell in love.

It was Arth’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. The only difference was that it had a happy ending.

“I’ll see you later. Remember to avoid those places I told you about.”

“Yes.”

Howlka departed. His back was as wide as the vastest plains.

Kang Oh had met all sorts of legends here, which included Grande Loxia, Hero Javen, Kunta, God of Fighting Khan, the legendary blacksmiths, and Acasus. He had even encountered Arth’s worst criminals here too.

Without a doubt, this was the most interesting place in all of Arth.

Moreover…

He hadn’t met all of Noah’s residents yet. His heart pounded, excited at the prospect of meeting more legends, heroes, or criminals.

* * *

“You don’t have enough combat experience,” Javen said.

“I don’t?”

Kang Oh couldn’t accept that.

“You can’t call beating those weaker than you experience.”

“I haven’t been doing that.”

Kang Oh strived to fight those who were stronger than him. After all, that was the fastest way for him to grow.

“You haven’t?” Javen had seen right through him. He stared at him, causing Kang Oh to avoid his gaze.

“Well, I suppose that has happened recently…”

Kang Oh had become one of the strongest warriors on the continent, so there weren’t that many people who could challenge him.

“Sparring doesn’t have much meaning once you become a Grandmaster, but to become one, you need to fight as many people that are stronger than you as possible.”

Javen summoned Noah’s powerhouses one at a time, and had them spar with Kang Oh.

All of them were at least Masters.

Some of them were even Grandmasters.

Dragon Knight, Valdes!

The Reaper, Sylar!

The Pioneer of Magic, Lacia!

They were as strong as the Soul Guardians.

Kang Oh wasn’t able to beat a single one of them, but he gained something invaluable from them.

What was the best way to put it?

It was as if he’d realized that he wasn’t perfect, and that he had a long way to go.

“You fought well,” Javen said.

“Fought well? I got completely destroyed.”

“Well, you didn’t die.”

‘He’s not wrong there.’

They were more like death matches than spars. He’d been on the cusp of death dozens of times during those fights; one small mistake and he’d have been dead.

‘I won’t die no matter what!’

The underworld.

He couldn’t come back here, so there was no way he’d die and waste his opportunity!

“Just in case… Why don’t you leave the soul cutter here? That’ll let us use it even if you die,” Javen said, sporting an impish expression.

“I won’t die no matter what!” Kang Oh said firmly.

“Let’s go and eat.”

Noah only had one restaurant. However, it was extremely large and magnificent.

It was owned by the God of Cooking, ‘Alain’.

He was the chef who’d opened a store in Correa, which changed it from a bland, boring city to the Gourmet City.

However, Alain’s restaurant had one rule and one rule only: there was to be no fighting within his restaurant!

Countless heroes, villains, legendary figures, dragons, monsters, etc. lived within Noah. Some of them knew each other and continued their relationships after death, while others met their killers here.

There was no shortage of conflict.

However, most of the residents here didn’t intervene in other people’s fights, nor did they form large groups, so the fighting didn’t spread.

Most of the fights ended like Katan and Howlka’s. One side would lose interest and the fight would end rather quickly.

Anyhow…!

Alain believed that even mortal enemies could share a meal within the confines of his restaurant. That was why he had established this rule.

If a person violated this rule, then they would never again be welcome into his restaurant. Thus, Noah’s residents never violated this rule.

That was why Katan, who sat at a table next to Howlka, sat quietly with his arms crossed.

Howlka was sitting at a table with Khan and Nile.

At that moment…

Kang Oh and Javen entered the restaurant.

“Over here.” Khan raised his hand.

Kang Oh and Katan stared at each other.

Katan licked his lips and smiled wickedly.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Kang Oh just ignored him.

“Here you go.” Nile passed them a menu.

However, the menu was as thick as a phone book. Every cuisine that existed in Arth was written on it.

Kang Oh and Javen didn’t look at the menu.

“Two of today’s special.”

“Yes!”

Fairies the size of children did various jobs within Alain’s restaurant. For example, they took the customers’ orders and quickly came out with the food.

It was rice, soup, and some side dishes.

He was getting a chance to eat Korean cuisine in a game!

“Mm!”

“Mm!

Alain put everything he had into his cooking. That’s why his food always surpassed one’s expectations, no matter how high they were. It was the type of taste that made you remember it deep down for the feelings that it evoked.

Kang Oh ordered twice and ate until his belly was about to burst. ‘Damn! I won’t be able to eat this when I leave the underworld!’

“Burp!”

He even rinsed his mouth with fruit juice made out of Arth’s fruits.

Then…

The restaurant’s doors opened and a new customer came in.

It was a man with hair and eyebrows as red as blood, and a woman with long, golden hair that touched the floor.

They scowled in disgust when they saw Katan, but did a 180 when they saw Javen.

“Javen!”

“Lord Zepharius, Lady Merius,” Javen beamed and said.

Kang Oh instinctively knew what they were.

‘Dragons!’

They gave off the same vibe as Divine Dragon Gainus when he transformed into an old man.

Based on their hair color, it seemed likely that they were a Red Dragon and a Gold Dragon respectively.

“I haven’t seen them before,” Zepharius said, looking at Kang Oh and Nile.

“They were brought here by the goddess. They’re here to help us defeat the Mamonas.”

“I see.”

That was where his curiosity ended.

Zepharius and Merius passed by, and sat at their own table.

“They’re dragons, right?” Kang Oh asked.

“Yeah.” Javen nodded his head.

“How many dragons are here?”

“Only those two.”

“Excuse me?”

He thought there’d be more than two. How unexpected.

“It’s very rare for a dragon’s soul to come here.”

Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t heard of a dragon being slain in the last 100 years.

Then there was Akite, who transformed himself into a Bone Dragon in order to stay alive.

“Why? You want to fight a dragon?”

“No.” Kang Oh shook his head.

‘I have my hands full already with the Evil Dragon, Inarius.’

However, he couldn’t help but stare at the dragons.

‘Will the Red Dragon know anything about Inarius?’

Inarius was a unique case. Its wings were black, yet its body was red.

It, like Waryong, was a mutant. He also heard rumors that it was a mixed blood, the offspring of a Red Dragon and a Black Dragon.

‘Inarius, huh…’ Kang Oh tapped his finger on the table.

Kang Oh had come to the underworld in order to heal Valan. But would they be able to defeat Inarius even with Valan at full strength?

He wasn’t so sure.

But two had to be better than one.

Kang Oh decided to remain in the underworld, even after he procured the Resurrection Stone. After all, there was no better place to become a Grandmaster than here. That’s also why he couldn’t afford to die.

While he was busy thinking, new customers came in.

It was Loxia, Asu, and Tasha.

“Oppa!”

Kang Oh smiled once he saw her.

* * *

When he heard that the demon swords were finished, he visited the three blacksmiths right away.

“I’m here. Where is it?”

Kang Oh came to Max’s smithy first.

“Here.” Max passed him an object, which was wrapped in white cloth.

Kang Oh gulped and removed the cloth.

‘Hoh?’

It was a giant sword.

However, its design was quite strange.

The transparent blade was shaped like a long triangle. There was also a horn stuck in the middle of it.

“Is this a demon’s horn?” Kang Oh asked.

“Yeah, this is my demon sword!”

“It looks quite strange.”

“It’s not strange, it’s unique. It’s a work of art that allows you to draw out the demon’s power, while simultaneously eliminating any risk to the user! Moreover, I installed five mechanisms that will increase the demon’s power.”

A demon’s horn would always be the source of their power. Max didn’t seal the demon within the sword, but rather incorporated the demon’s horn into it.

Rather than infuse the power of darkness into the sword and seal a demon within it, he had chosen to go halfway.

Kang Oh tried to use Devil Trigger.

Although it didn’t have a demon within it, the horn’s power began to change his form.

“Oho.”

He couldn’t know for certain until he tried the sword out, but he found it extremely beneficial that there was no demon trying to wrest control of his body.

Moreover, Max had designed the sword to amplify the demonic power housed within the horn, so its power was actually stronger than the original demon’s.

In exchange, he couldn’t use Demon’s Descent on the sword.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

Kang Oh left Max’s house and entered Bargo’s smithy. It was right next to Max’s.

“I’m here.”

“It’s over there.” Bargo pointed at the display stand. His creation sat atop it.

He had kept his word. It was indeed a sword spear.

The blade was like a long drill, which made it more like a spear than a sword. However, its shaft was much too short for a normal spear. It was barely long enough for a two-handed grip.

Kang Oh approached the demon sword, but he felt an ominous energy coming from it.

“The sealed demon is…”

“Karadin.” Bargo grinned.

“Mm.”

He’d heard that name before. That was the demon he’d used, huh… Bargo had constructed quite a wicked demon sword indeed.

“There’s no better demon sword than this,” Bargo said confidently.

“We’ll see.”

Kang Oh grabbed the second demon sword, and then headed for Sun Lei’s smithy.

“Here.” Sun Lei passed him a giant, feather-shaped sword.

“Don’t use it with another demon sword. This sword is enough,” Sun Lei said.

“I’m sure it will be. The blade is so large that it’d be hard to use with one hand.”

‘Haha, a man always dreams of using a huge, two-handed sword.’

Kang Oh, who always dual-wielded swords, actually dreamt of wielding two giant greatswords in either hand.

Swish.

Kang Oh extended his hand, but the sword unleashed a fierce wind. It was as if a fierce beast was growling at him.

“It is what I think it is, right?”

“A Monster Bird,” Sun Lei said curtly.

“I’ll use it well.”

“You better.”

With this, Kang Oh had gained three new demon swords.

However, he would only be able to use them during his stay in the underworld. After all, the materials that were used in their creation were based on memories. The demons were the same.

Plus, the weapons’ information clearly stated that they would disappear once he left the underworld.

‘That’s why I’ll use them to my heart’s content.’

‘Ubist, Sarahoff, Blood. You guys are on vacation for the time being!’