The Player Who Can't Level Up

Lim Hye-Sook had already made several attempts to save Shin Yoo-Bin in the past. However, she failed every time because of this Seat of Power-holding demon.

-Naberius…

Lou muttered. Although it didn’t hold the highest Seat of Power, it was a special demon.

“Grr!”

“Grr!”

“Grrrr!”

The three individual heads of Naberius roared. It was hell’s doorkeeper and the king of all Cerberi.

-Dammit.

Lou muttered angrily.

-I guess he doesn’t recognize me. Damn… He swore fealty to me, but now it’s being used like a lab rat. How could they disrespect a Seat of Power holder like this?!

“Lou…” Gi-Gyu kept a careful distance from Naberius. It was special to Lou. It was one of the very few Seat of Power holders like Paimon who hadn’t betrayed Lou. And since it was especially loyal to Lou, he remembered it fondly.

Gi-Gyu muttered, “I think it’s too late for it. It looks like it has lost its sanity.”

-They managed to bring a Seat of Power holder here while keeping most of its strength intact… That’s impressive. In fact, he’s even stronger than before. But, it looks like his mind has regressed terribly.

Lou regained his cool and replied.

He knew very well that this wasn’t the time to be emotional. They came here per Lim Hye-Sook’s request, even though they knew it would be dangerous. Their mission was to save Shin Yoo-Bin and…

-The hierarchy within the Seat of Power holders rarely changes. If someone holds a seat, it’s assumed they have reached their full potential and filled their shell to the brim. So, a holder usually doesn’t get stronger after gaining a seat.

So, Naberius’ shell had been full and reached its full potential in hell. Yet it appeared stronger now. Andras must have found a way to further strengthen a demon who had already used its full potential. Lou seemed to have calmed down, but Gi-Gyu could still sense a tiny bit of anger in Lou’s voice.

-I have a favor to ask.

Lou was again asking for his help.

Meanwhile, Naberius looked around like a mad hunting dog, searching for its enemy. It was clear Naberius couldn’t tell enemies from allies. Its eyes glowed when it spotted Gi-Gyu, who was keeping his distance.

Lou implored,

-Please save Naberius with true death.

“All right,” replied Gi-Gyu.

“Kwarrrrk!” With Naberius’s roar, the battle began. His three heads moved independently as he stormed toward Gi-Gyu.

Bi also rushed forward, surpassing Gi-Gyu.

“Grrr!”

***

“Haa… Haa…” Lim Hye-Sook panted loudly. She had defeated several players so far on her quest to find Yoo-Bin. Her past excursions had ingrained this place’s layout in her mind. It looked like they had increased the defense and changed the configuration of the place a little, but the overall layout was still the same. She suspected the changes were due to the damages caused by Naberius.

When Lim Hye-Sook waved her arms, the wall in front of her exploded.

Kaboom!

Lim Hye-Sook promptly jumped over the crumbling structure. She was an elderly woman, yet her speed and stamina were incredible. Unfortunately, she was exhausted and barely managed to run by using the last bit of magic left inside of her.

“I-I must stop the ritual!” Lim Hye-Sook moaned. Her body was failing her. She was so weak that she was having a difficult time utilizing the great amount of magic she possessed. A strong, solid physique was necessary to employ such a large amount of magic. But at the moment, Lim Hye-Sook’s body was old and frail. She didn’t have the time to recover, so all she could do was push herself beyond her limit.

“I must find her before the ritual is completed!”

“Stop her! Kill the intruder!” an enemy player who had spotted her screamed.

“What the fuck is the doorkeeper doing?! How did she get inside?” another player yelled in confusion.

Lim Hye-Sook’s eyes lit up with icy blue flames as she roared, “Where is Yoo-Bin?!”

A large amount of magic was unleashed from her. The old worn wooden cane on her back suddenly appeared in her hand. She swung it without hesitation.

Slash!

“R-run!” an enemy player screamed in fear.

“Shield up!” another player yelled to activate a barrier around him. The players moved quickly to protect themselves from Lim Hye-Sook’s attack, but it was too late.

“Ackkkk!” Several players screamed in pain.

“I asked you where Yoo-Bin is!”

“Yoo-Bin? Y-you mean the shell?!” a Chinese player whose arms were amputated shrieked. It seemed like he was cursing her as he continued, “It’s too late! The ritual is almost over! Soon…”

The armless player fell to the ground and screamed, “Another king will arrive!”

Stab!

Lim Hye-Sook forthwith plunged her cane into the armless player’s neck. But she didn’t stop there. She ran even faster, her face so pale that it looked blue.

***

A proper dogfight was taking place in front of Gi-Gyu’s eyes.

-...

Lou remained quiet while Gi-Gyu stayed still. He still hadn’t gotten involved in the battle against Naberius yet. All he did was watch the fight between Naberius and Bi.

“Lou, do you think it will be okay?” Gi-Gyu asked. Just a moment ago, Lou had asked Gi-Gyu to save Naberius from this degrading life. They both knew that death would be its only salvation.

But Bi had entered the battle all of a sudden. Gi-Gyu hadn’t ordered him to fight, yet Bi seemed to consider Naberius his nemesis and was fighting it with his all.

For some reason, Lou didn’t stop Bi. He replied.

-It will be okay. Let’s just watch for now.

Gi-Gyu was planning on interfering, but he could almost sense Bi’s feelings. It was clear Bi didn’t want Gi-Gyu to stop him.

Based on just the size, their fight was similar to the one between Goliath and David.

“Kwerrrk!” Bi grabbed onto one of Naberius’s three heads. Bi’s whole body was glowing bloody red as if he had a high fever.

Gi-Gyu whispered, “I had no idea Bi was this strong.”

Lim Hye-Sook had to flee from Naberius, which showed how powerful this demon was. Although Bi wasn’t stronger than Naberius, it appeared that they were equally matched. Because of the heat, he was glowing red, but Gi-Gyu could still tell he was severely wounded.

-I think Naberius…

Lou studied Bi and Naberius’s fight and made a guess.

-Is one of Andras’s failed projects. I can understand why Lim Hye-Sook couldn’t defeat it, but… The way Naberius is fighting at the moment is embarrassingly terrible. His physique is stronger now, but that’s it.

“Only his physical body?” asked Gi-Gyu.

-Naberius’s most powerful skill is its Hellfire. But look at it now.

Gi-Gyu complied and watched the fight. The surrounding area was nearly in shambles. This was an underground building, so he was surprised that it was still standing.

Suddenly, Gi-Gyu realized what Lou was saying. He commented, “Bi’s Elemental Flame is damaging Naberius. Naberius can’t use fire at all.”

-Exactly. Whatever happened to it, only its physical attributes and sorcerous energy were increased. It can’t even use any of its real powers. It’s a fake. Or even worse, it’s an empty shell. At this point, it’s just a Cerberus with an unusually strong body. It has lost all of its intelligence.

Lou’s voice was filled with bitterness.

Gi-Gyu only nodded and continued to watch the battle. The air was filled with explosions and Bi and Naberius’s screams.

Gi-Gyu tensely whispered, “I think it’s almost over.”

Bi had gone all out, but…

-It’s clearly not enough.

Lou explained.

He had known since the start that Bi couldn’t defeat Naberius. All Bi had done was buy Gi-Gyu some time. Although the current Naberius couldn’t use its true power and fight efficiently, its now-strengthened body was enough to defeat Bi.

Bi seemed to have had a chance at the start; now, he was only dodging Naberius’s attack and barely surviving.

‘I can see why Advisor Lim Hye-Sook had to run,’ Gi-Gyu thought while staring at Naberius’s giant body. He muttered, “His body is completely unharmed…”

Indeed, Naberius’s body was pristine. Every injury Bi caused or had caused was healed instantly. Bi had wounded the demon’s neck badly a moment ago; now, the wound was gone, covered with a much thicker and firmer hide.

Lim Hye-Sook was weakened and wounded. Gi-Gyu could imagine how draining it must have been for her to fight Naberius before. No wonder she ran after realizing she wasn’t going to win.

Lou announced coldly,

-Bi’s going to lose. You gotta get involved before it’s too late. I understand that Bi wants to do this alone, but there is no reason why he should get hurt. And we don’t have much time either.

Gi-Gyu nodded in agreement. Bi still looked determined to fight alone, but Gi-Gyu couldn’t let him do this.

“Grrrrr!” Suddenly, Bi screamed when Naberius’s giant front paw slapped his face. With a loud piercing sound, Bi’s body flew far and slammed into a wall.

Finally, Gi-Gyu unsheathed Lou.

“...!”

-...!

Gi-Gyu and Lou couldn’t move. Nonplussed, they watched Bi crawl out of the wall.

“Grr…”

[Ego “Bi” has awakened Death.]

A black cloud materialized around Bi.

***

“Yoo-Bin!” Lim Hye-Sook screamed, her voice now too hoarse to be heard. She had finally arrived where Yoo-Bin was. Many enemy players were in front of her, but they were no match for her cane. Her Branch of Knowledge destroyed them all. The enemy players weren’t weak by any means, but they weren’t powerful either. It was apparent that Andras relied solely on Naberius to protect this place.

“Stop her! The ritual is almost over!” an enemy player screamed in desperation.

“We have to ensure she doesn’t interrupt the ritual!” a player in a black robe ordered. Every player nearby stormed toward Lim Hye-Sook per the order.

But Lim Hye-Sook barely saw them. Her eyes were glued to one place.

“Yoo-Bin!” Lim Hye-Sook screamed.

Shin Yoo-Bin was lying on top of a stone altar. She was unconscious, and her breathing was shallow. She was tied down to the altar with various surgical tubes hooked into her arms and body. Around her were various magic circles and laboratory equipment. The old-fashioned stone altar and the modern tools created quite a contrast.

All Lim Hye-Sook could focus on was Shin Yoo-Bin. Her eyes burned with vicious flames as she roared, “You can’t stop me!”

When the enemy players neared her this time, she didn’t swing her cane at them. Instead, she raised it high before slamming it to the ground.

Thud.

Suddenly, time stopped. No, it was more like this was how every player felt at that moment. The enemy players seemed confused as they looked around.

“O-our bodies…” the most powerful of them all whispered.

Fsssshhh…

All the enemy players had turned into dust.

“Khoff… Yoo-Bin…” Lim Hye-Sook coughed and groaned. This attack didn’t work on Naberius, but it was enough to take care of these players. But she had used too much of her power, and her body was creaking in pain. Blood was pouring out from her lips, eyes, and ears.

But Lim Hye-Sook took another step forward.

The enemy players continued to scream, “Get her! We have to let the ritual complete!”

Plop.

In the end, Lim Hye-Sook knelt on the ground. She whispered, “I-I guess this is it.”

Her body refused to move. She knew it was the punishment for pushing herself too hard. She had been weak and fatigued even before she had come here. Not stepping a foot here would have saved her, and she had known that very well, but…

Yoo-Bin was right in front of her eyes, yet she could only kneel on the ground and pant helplessly.

“Ahhh….!” All the enemy players were about to rush toward Lim Hye-Sook when suddenly, they stopped. Everyone, including Lim Hye-Sook, turned toward one place.

One of the players in the black robe announced, “A new king has finally descended to save us all!”

Shin Yoo-Bin, who had been lying on the stone altar, was now standing on it rigidly.