The Swordsman Genius Returnee Even Swallows Immortality

2

Drip, drip.

The sound of dripping water echoed on Habell’s cheek.

When the water dripped down on his cheek to the floor,

Habell barely opened his eyes.

Thud!

He raised his body, scattering his silver hair that was almost white.

His head was throbbing.

A slight headache is reported in the elderly.

He quickly looked around.

There was a lush forest around him.

The lush forest had unusually large trees and grass.

“…This place is.”

Habell covered his forehead.

It was because of the slight, throbbing headache.

As he searched his memories, something strange entered his eyes.

[Achievement ‘Master of the 10th Floor of the Devil’s Palace’ is registered.]

[ Havel Vanphelion ]

[ Held achievements ]

Master of the 10th Floor of the Devil’s Palace

Status: Time Return, Immortal

Strength: 694 Agility: 701

Tenacity: 801 Aptitude: 649

Skill: 530 Misfortune: 1

Achievement? Strength? Agility? Tenacity, aptitude, skill, misfortune?

‘What is this?’

It sounded like gibberish.

In particular, the fact that misfortune was significantly lower than the other statistics bothered him.

All the other stats were in the hundreds, but misfortune alone was 1.

The ratio was too unbalanced.

‘And clearly, I.’

He soon thought of the Devil’s Palace.

At the moment he hurriedly looked around.

In front of his eyes, the huge stone door he had seen appeared a long time ago.

The door was open as if welcoming him to enter at any time.

Havel remembered this door.

“Entrance to the Devil’s Palace…”

This place was none other than the entrance to the Devil’s Palace.

“Ha, haha.”

He suddenly burst into laughter.

Outside.

This place was outside the Devil’s Palace.

After 64 regressions, he had finally obtained immortality and crawled out.

“I did it. I did it…”

The master of the 10th floor of the Devil’s Palace and the incomprehensible words bothered him.

But Havel savored this moment.

So much so that tears of joy welled up in his eyes.

“Why, so.”

But his joy was short-lived.

Havel quickly calmed down.

It was time to review the current situation one by one.

It was a habit he had developed from living in the Devil’s Palace, a way to quickly extinguish emotional ups and downs.

‘I can’t even be happy alone. I’ve become a bitter person.’

He had finally cleared the Devil’s Palace, but his joy was short-lived.

In retrospect, he had been this way even before entering the Devil’s Palace, though not as much as now.

And it was because he was this kind of person that he had not lost his mind in the Devil’s Palace.

‘The place where the Devil’s Palace appeared was clearly the most developed capital in Aharan.’

At that time, the capital where the Imperial Palace was located was devoured by the Devil’s Palace.

‘And it was left desolate.’

But now, there’s a very dense forest.

To the extent that the trees have grown to an abnormal size.

‘How much time has passed since I’ve been in the Devil’s Palace?’

Repeating regression, I lost the concept of time long ago.

Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t estimate the amount of time that had passed.

‘I can’t even understand the situation if I come here.’

First and foremost, Habell felt the need to meet people.

Starting with whether the lineage of the Imperial Palace continued.

There was so much I was curious about, like how much time had passed.

Above all, his family, the Banpelions, worried him the most.

Of course, including himself, the Dawn Knights, the pride of the Banpelions, had also gone to the Devil’s Palace together.

‘The absence of me and the Knights must have been huge.’

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken the Knights.

But at that time, there was no other choice to save His Majesty the Emperor.

‘While inside, all I thought about was getting out.’

Now that I’m out, I can’t help but worry.

Habell’s gaze fell on the entrance to the Devil’s Palace.

A place he had repeated 64 times in regression.

Now, it was a place that made him sick to his stomach.

I wonder if the same goes for the Devil’s Palace.

The wind blowing from the inside tossed his hair.

As if to say, hurry up and go.

“I’m sick of it.”

He muttered those words very briefly and turned around.

It was time to return to reality.

* * *

Somewhere on the path of the forest where the trees were so tall they reached the sky.

An old man was hunched over, digging up a few bundles of medicinal herbs.

The old man who dug up the herbs looked around with his dull eyes.

“Why is the forest so chaotic today?”

The old man felt uneasy about the energy flowing in the forest.

“Is Fenrir rampaging?”

The old man clicked his tongue as he thought of the master of the Forest of the Devil.

This forest, where the terrain itself had changed because of the magic leaking from the Devil’s Palace, was one of the world’s restricted areas.

No one could dare to count the number of people who had disappeared after unknowingly entering the Devil’s Palace.

That was the story that always followed when talking about the Forest of the Devil.

But how could the old man be walking around this forest?

The reason was simple.

Although he had once made his name widely known,

He was now a recluse who had given up everything.

“Whew.”

The old man nimbly stepped over a tree root that was ten times his height.

Then he began to walk through the trees as if nothing had happened.

He was the only one who could walk through the Forest of Bewitchment.

The herbalist, Penacian.

‘If I were just a little more skilled, I would have gone inside.’

Penacian looked at the interior of the Forest of Bewitchment with regretful eyes.

‘There must be a mountain of medicinal herbs there.’

However, even though he was the only herbalist in the Forest of Bewitchment, the limit to how far he could go was the outskirts.

If he went any further, he would surely touch Fenrir’s nerves.

“Tsk, tsk, I still have a long time to live.”

Just as Penacian was about to give up his regrets and move on,

Snap!

Suddenly, someone burst out from the grass.

“Ack?!”

For a moment, Penacian thought his heart had stopped.

There stood a man with silver hair that was almost white.

‘A, a person in the Forest of Bewitchment?’

He never imagined that there would be someone in the Forest of Bewitchment besides himself.

And soon, goosebumps broke out on Penacian’s back.

‘…I didn’t feel his presence?’

No matter how often he visited the Forest of Bewitchment, this place was forbidden.

Of course, Penacian was always on high alert here.

But how could he not feel the presence of someone like that?

The situation was too strange.

Penacian naturally reached for the sword at his waist.

‘That guy.’

He might not be human.

At that moment, a strange aura flowed.

“Human, are you human?”

The man suddenly made a strange sound.

He looked somehow delighted.

‘What the heck, is he just a lost person?’

Penacian made a puzzled expression when he saw that.

It seemed unlikely that there would be a lost person in the Forest of Bewitchment.

He recalled the old rumor that bandits would abandon people in the Forest of Bewitchment.

Could that be the case?

“Hmm, have I gotten old?”

I can’t even sense human presence anymore.

Perhaps I should refrain from entering the Forest of Temptation in the future.

“Are you lost? How long has it been since you lost your way?”

“I’m not lost, but I don’t know the way. I’ve been wandering around for about an hour.”

“That makes you lost. Follow me. I’ll guide you.”

Fenacian nodded in agreement upon hearing the man’s words.

If it had only been an hour and not several days, it was understandable that he was still alive.

He must have been lucky enough to avoid the evil spirits during that hour.

‘It seems like he’s come quite deep in for just an hour, though.’

But it’s easy for one’s sense of time to get messed up when they’re lost.

Fenacian decided to guide him with peace of mind.

“Thank you. Old Man.”

“Old Man? Hehe, young people these days use old-fashioned terms. What’s your name?”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying his name.

Judging by his reaction, it seemed like there was a reason.

Of course, just by looking at the fact that he had gotten lost in the Forest of Temptation, it was obvious that he had some difficult circumstances.

Eventually, after a brief pause, he seemed to make up his mind and spoke.

“…Havel Vandelion.”

Upon hearing that name, Fenacian calmly smiled.

“Hmm, so you’re a noble.”

He had judged that Havel had been thrown into the Forest of Temptation after being caught up in a family feud.

“I don’t know what your circumstances are, but don’t worry. I won’t go around selling your name.”

Fenacian aided him with consideration.

However, this time, it was Havel who was taken aback.

How could he react like this after hearing Vandelion?

Vandelion was one of the empire’s three great families.

And although the old man seemed to be hiding it, Havel could tell from his bearing that he was of noble origin.

Even if he was an old man who seemed to have lost interest in the world, if he was a noble of the Arahan Empire, he shouldn’t be reacting so indifferently after hearing that name.

Could he think it was a lie?

Have decided to confirm it again.

“Excuse me, Old Man? I really am Vandelion.”

But even at this time, Fenacian only showed a puzzling reaction.

“Hmm? It’s not that I don’t believe you. Ah, is it perhaps a famous family? I apologize. It’s been quite some time since I left the secular world.”

This wasn’t something you could just call leaving the secular world.

Havel felt that something was strange, but he followed the old man for the time being.

“You’re more persistent than I thought. The Forest of Temptation is known for its perils.”

Indeed, the forest was treacherous to Habel’s eyes.

Mushrooms and flowers are bigger than people.

Bugs the size of beasts.

It felt as if he had become a dwarf.

“Elder, may I ask you something?”

“Hmm, go ahead and ask.”

“Wasn’t this place originally the capital of Arahan? There shouldn’t be a forest like this…”

As he asked the question he had always had, Penacian blinked.

“When are you referring to?”

Habel realized from the old man’s reaction that considerable time had passed.

‘Has it been about 10 years?’

He himself had become a body that is no longer aged.

But the time he had spent in the Devil’s Palace was not short.

He began to worry about Banpelion even more.

“This place was the capital of Arahan over 100 years ago. You speak strangely.”

But the moment he heard the following words, Habel’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“…What did you just say?”

“Huh? That…”

Thud!

It was the moment Penacian was about to answer again.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the depths of the forest.

At the same time, Penacian’s face turned ghastly pale.

It was because an overwhelming murderous aura sent shivers down his body.

And there was only one being who could emit such murderous aura.

“Why, why is Fenrir here in the outskirts?!”

Fenrir, the master of the Forest of Temptation.

The bastard had come all the way to these outskirts.

“We have to run now!”

For some reason, Fenrir was rampaging all the way to the outskirts.

As Penacian inspired in a hurry, Habel stood there in a daze.

“…100 years?”

That much time had passed?

‘Didn’t I regress?’

During the repeated regressions, his perceived time may have been long, but the time outside would not have changed.

Then why?

‘It’s true that a considerable amount of time passed after I entered the Devil’s Palace.’

It took several years for everyone in the Devil’s Palace except him to be wiped out.

The time he spent going up to get the Immortal Fruit on his 64th regression was also quite long.

The time he spent at the Devil’s Palace after he finished the regressions and became an immortal was longer than all the other times combined.

‘Even excluding the regression, it’s clear that a lot of time has passed.’

But, considering everything, at most, it must be about 30 years.

‘Has my concept of time been distorted to this extent?’

Or, could it be that the time inside the Devil’s Palace was distorted compared to the outside?

Kwaang! Kugugugugung!

While Habel was thinking blankly, several trees were smashed into pieces and smoke roses.

When Fenacian reflexively drew his sword.

There, a wolf as big as a tree stood.

Its fangs protruded from its black fur,

and the deep blue light scattered from its eyes made my teeth chatter.

Would it really be possible to kill that with a sword?

It was a monster to the extent that such a thought arose.

“Dammit!”

Fenacian realized that he had to run away.

It was because Fenrir had been eyeing only them from the beginning.

“You escape! I’ll buy some time!”

He may be retired now, but he was a warrior too.

A fierce aura began to pour out from Fenacian’s body.

Along with an aura strong enough to shake the surrounding bushes, a blue aurora formed on his sword.

Soon, his figure was blurred.

He thrusts his sword toward Fenrir’s neck, sinking the ground to the point of making a dent.

He succeeded in landing the first blow for sure.

It was a sword imbued with all his power with the sole thought of success.

And that attack definitely pierced Fenrir’s nape.

Kudeuk, Chaenggang!

That was until the sword was reinforced with the aurora broke.

“Huh?”

The moment a short exclamation of astonishment escaped his lips.

Kwwaang!

Fenacian was rolling on the ground at some point.

“Keuk, cough.”

Even though he was once called Iron Wall in the past.

Could it be that he was nothing in front of a real wolf?

He was attacked by Fenrir in an instant and blood poured out of his mouth.

Habel was belatedly reflected in his dimly opened eyes.

For some reason, he still wasn’t running away.

“Wh, what are you doing!”

He was shouted at angrily, but Habel remained still.

“Urrrrrrrrrrrr!”

At that moment, Fenrir straightened its mane and let out a roar.

The sight was like looking at a terrified beast.

Fenacian realized belatedly.

‘Could it be that Penril was after…’

That man?

After a while, Penril bared his teeth and charged.

As he did, the ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck, and the trees swayed.

Just as Penril was about to swallow Havel…

“…Noisy.”

His voice echoed ever so briefly.

And before anyone knew it, Havel was holding his sword high in the sky.

Fenacian’s eyes widened.

He definitely hadn’t seen him even draw his sword.

Clang!

That was because Penril, who had been charging just a moment ago, was now split in half.

Fenacian stood there blankly, staring at the horrifying sight.

[You have defeated the ‘Penril’, Lord of the Enchanted Forest.]

[The achievement will be registered in the Tower of Magic.]

And Havel looked at the words that appeared before his eyes.

His head was already hazy from 100 years, and now words were appearing again.

‘Unless I’ve lost my mind…’

This was definitely the influence of the Tower of Magic.

At that moment, a jet-black energy flowed out of Penril’s body and into Havel.

[Absorbing ‘Penril’s’ malice.]

[Your rank as the Lord of the 10th Floor of the Tower of Magic rises.]

-Strength increased by 5.

– Agility increased by 7.

– Tenacity increased by 4.

– Aptitude increased by 3.

– Proficiency increased by 5.

– Malice increased by 3.

The words he had seen at the entrance of the Tower of Magic poured out in a torrent.

Of all of them, Havel was most concerned about Malice.

The value, which had been 1, had increased by 3.

‘The part that’s changed is…’

He couldn’t feel it.

He just had a vague feeling that if this value continued to rise, he would eventually know the answer.

‘…Am I still human, absorbing malice like this?’

He didn’t know what the significance of the Tower of Magic was.

In the first place, it might be ridiculous for him, who had already experienced regression and became immortal, to call himself human.

‘But still…’

He was human.

Habel hobbled over to Fenacian.

“Noya, I apologize. I took my eyes off you for a moment because I was so shocked.”

“What in the world are you?”

Fenacian asked with dull eyes, and Habel smiled wryly.

Then he took a pure white pill out of his pocket and put it in his mouth.

With that alone, Fenacian felt his body recovering.

“I told you.”

Gyeomseong, Habel Banpellion.

Now, that name was forgotten along with his family.

“Thank you for showing me the way. I can manage on my own from here.”

Habel turned around, telling him to rest for a while, and walked into the forest like that.

Looking at him, Fenacian was reminded of an old tale for some reason.

The three stars of Arahan that his grandmother used to tell him about.