The World After the Fall
chapter-53

"Master!"

When he walked in, someone was working on the documents seated at the desk of the Master. Euren walked up, and when he approached, the person sitting on the Master's chair was not Jaehwan.

"…Why are you here?"

Golden hair with one silver wing at the back. It was a different man, but not the one who belonged on the seat. That was when Euren remembered Jaehwan's annoyed face looking through the documents.

-What are all these laws? How can I read all this? How about you do this?

-The only ones who can process the documents are the Master or the Secretary of Law.

Jaehwan brightened up.

-Who's the Secretary of Law? Bring him here.

-You killed him a few days ago.

-Ugh.

Jaehwan then asked,

-…Who knows most about the law in this fortress?

It was a hard question. Euren started to think, but Jaehwan seemed to have found his own answer.

-Wait, he can probably do it!

And Euren knew who was 'he' now.

"…Chancellor."

It was Karlton with linen bandages all over his head and body, working on the documents.

'I hope he's doing well.'

Jaehwan thought about Karlton who he left at the office. He wasn't going to make him the Secretary of Law from the beginning as Karlton was hospitalized a few days ago.

-Wow, Karlton, you are so handsome.

-So handsome for sure!

-My next work is [Tentacle Dead Man Karlton]!

If Jaehwan did not visit the hospital room that day, Karlton would probably still be in his hospital room, enjoying his time with beautiful sculptors working on sculptures. Jaehwan thought as he stabbed the [Dead Man Karlton] sculptures that he confiscated using his rights as the Master.

'It's about time I get the feeling.'

Jaehwan was concentrating on training to stab. In the corner were the powdery debris of the various Karlton sculptures. Chunghuh spoke as he looked at the debris.

"Kid, do you know how much those cost?"

"Who cares?"

"A Master who don't have any sense of money."

Chunghuh reached down and began picking up the unharmed sculptures and putting them into his pockets.

'Fools! Young girls are crazy over these Karlton collectibles!'

Jaehwan then turned to Chunghuh and spoke.

"Old man."

"What?"

"My new skill is finished."

"…Really?"

The reason why Jaehwan and Chunghuh were at the ceremony was to create a new skill. After he had faced Catastrophe, Jaehwan felt the need for a new skill. His [Strong Stab] was powerful but its range was too large that it wasn't good to be used against an individual target.

It was the fifth day that Jaehwan and Chunghuh traded their skills with each other.

"But is it okay not to spar today?"

"It's okay now."

"Huh? Why?"

Chunghuh seemed disappointed. It had been a good time for him, as his [Slash] had also become much stronger in just a few days of training with Jaehwan.

"I've seen enough of your slash."

"Oh, really? So you can slash like your stab?"

Chunghuh spoke sarcastically, but Jaehwan nodded.

"Yeah, a bit."

Chunghuh scoffed.

'You've stabbed all your life! Slash isn't that easy!'

Jaehwan spoke.

"I can't do that strong slash, but-"

"It's not strong slash! It's 'POWERFUL' slash!"

Jaehwan continued, ignoring Chunghuh.

"I can do [Slight Slash]."

"It's not slight, it's normal slash- what?"

"It's this, your slash."

Jaehwan stepped back and slashed his sword in the air. Powerful energy ripped the space in front.

"It's not strong as yours though."

Chunghuh could not speak. It was weaker than his slash for sure, but it was a really small difference. His slash was something he earned after countless years. But this man had acquired it in just five days.

"…How did you do it?"

Jaehwan did not answer, but Chunghuh could have guessed what it was. He had felt Jaehwan changed recently. He wasn't like sharp, pointy nails anymore, but a sharp blade. Maybe Jaehwan was practicing slash against the world even now.

"Anyway, I used this slash to create a new skill."

"New skill? What kind of slash is it?"

"It's a stab."

Chunghuh became confused.

"You learned slash, but made a stab?"

"Yeah, it's something like this."

Jaehwan moved his hand casually. It was a stab but had a slashing movement. It was just a gesture but Chunghuh could feel the powerful potential in it.

"Wait! Did you name it already?"

"No."

"You stole my slash to make it, so isn't it natural for me to name it?"

"To what?"

"How about, Chunghuh Stab?"

Jaehwan narrowed his eyes.

"Do you want to me stab you first instead?"

Chunghuh frowned. He too, was proud, just like Jaehwan. He knew Jaehwan was powerful but was still too proud of himself to cower at such a threat.

"You, young fool, are crossing the line! Okay, I'll teach you a lesson today and become the Master myself!"

However, Jaehwan was faster in pulling out his sword. The stab that had the movement of a slash. Chunghuh ran at the storm of blades created by Jaehwan.

"UGH! RESPECT YOUR ELDER FOR ONCE!"

The storm blew out, destroying the training ground. Chunghuh looked at the skill in shock.

'What kind of 'single target' skill is that!'

The warriors who were training in a corner were swept away and yelled in shock. The problem did not end there. His storm did not end and put a hole in the ceiling and flew up.

Then they heard someone screaming.

In the darkness of the inner keep, Adapters wearing clothes that had the words 'Thunder King' were trying to infiltrate the basement of the keep.

[Is the Master below?]

[Yes, sir.]

It was the men from the Thunder King Clan, the 9th ranked of the Ten-Clan. The one in the center was the Leader, Yong.

'Today, I will become the Master.'

Three days ago, Yong had arrived in Gorgon. The other clan leaders should have arrived as well, but it seemed none of them had fought against the Master of Gorgon.

'Cowards.'

His elder had told him that the Master was 'Non-Adapter' for sure. Yong quickly realized that it was a trap.

'Gorgon will do something cowardly for sure.'

The Chancellor was blocking entry to everyone who wished to fight the Master. That's why Yong came by himself.

'I will attack first before they plan something.'

The Master had stated that it just needed to be a one-on-one fight.

'I will make you regret that you didn't specify how you fight.'

The Thunder King Clan, along with the Dark Forest Clan, were clans that used assassination skills. And he was the Leader of such a clan. If he tried to assassinate him, the Master of the Fortress had no way to avoid it.

'One can call me a coward, but assassinations are my true power!'

And that was how he was swept away by the storm that erupted from the ground. It was so quick that he could not put up any of his defensive skills. All of the Thunder King Clan, including the leader Yong, were knocked unconscious as they were thrown out by the storm.

Right after that, when two figures appeared. Chunghuh pulled out Yong, who was stuck in the wall and said, "Isn't this the leader of Thunder King?"

Yong's legs were trembling. Jaehwan nodded.

"So, we have the first member of the Expedition team."