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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 304
The searing pain throughout their bodies disappeared after 20 minutes.
“Huff! Huff!”
Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo collapsed on the spot.
Their faces were filled with exhaustion.
Although Jeong-Hoon’s Divine Healing had prevented their bodies from breaking down, the mental damage was immense.
Had Divine Healing not continuously treated their minds as well, they would have lost consciousness long ago.
“……”
Their mother also exhaled heavily, her face pale with shock.
Yeo Sunwoo and Yeo Min-Ji were the same.
Their condition was so bad that it wouldn’t have been strange if they passed out right then and there.
“You’ve all worked hard. By now, you should be somewhat accustomed to the mana of the Demon Realm.”
Jeong-Hoon wasn’t in good shape either, but he had something driving him forward.
The determination to win the bet against that bastard.
[Using ‘Divine Healing.’]
Jeong-Hoon poured out his divine power without hesitation, healing everyone.
Thanks to Divine Healing reaching the Celestial grade, they were able to stabilize quickly.
“Hah… I seriously thought I was going to die.”
Bong-Goo groaned.
“We’re just getting started, and you’re already talking about dying?”
“Started…?”
“Yeah. You saw the message, right? This was just the first test.”
“Ugh… I can’t do this anymore. I really can’t.”
Bong-Goo shook his head, his face drained of color.
“Then are you just going to stay here and fall behind?”
“Fall behind…?”
“You’ve already gotten stronger after gaining two fortuitous encounters on the way here. Who knows if there are more opportunities like that in the Demon Realm?”
“I already feel strong enough, though…”
“Oh yeah? Then can you make it back alone?”
Jeong-Hoon gestured behind him.
At some point, a Grandmaster Orc had respawned and was roaming the forest.
To escape this place, they would have to defeat all those orcs, but Bong-Goo wasn’t strong enough to handle that yet.
“S-Sorry! I’ll endure the test!”
“Good decision.”
Jeong-Hoon checked the message.
[The second test will begin in 10 minutes.]
[7:42]
The second test would start in 10 minutes.
With 2 minutes and 18 seconds already passed, 7 minutes and 42 seconds remained.
It was only a brief moment to catch their breath.
“Jeong-Hoon… do you think we’ll be able to endure these tests until the end?”
Yeo Min-Ji asked cautiously.
“I don’t know. This is my first time experiencing a test like this as well.”
He didn’t know.
There was no information about it, whether before or after the regression.
“I see…”
She didn’t ask any further.
Regardless, there was only one option.
They had to endure and cross over to the Demon Realm.
“Mother, are you feeling a little better?”
“Yes, this much is fine.”
Contrary to her words, her expression was not good.
‘She must be struggling a lot.’
Even for Jeong-Hoon, who had overcome countless hardships, this pain was difficult to endure.
It would be strange if she could endure it without issue.
But stopping here was not an option.
“…Mother, I’m sorry. Please hold on just a little longer.”
“I will. Don’t worry too much.”
Ten minutes passed in an instant.
[This is the second test. Get accustomed to the mana of the Demon Realm.]
Absurdly enough, the second test was also about adapting to the Demon Realm’s mana.
‘It’s worse than before.’
Even denser mana was pouring in compared to the first time.
Was their body supposed to get used to it like this?
Jeong-Hoon once again used Divine Healing, doing his best to keep everyone from collapsing.
Just like the first time, it took 20 minutes for the excruciating pain to subside.
“Ugh… I can’t do this anymore.”
“Fuck… Fuck…”
Even Ha-Jin cursed under his breath, unable to suppress the pain.
[The third test will begin in 10 minutes.]
[9:50]
The tests weren’t over yet.
“Just hold on a little longer! We have to endure this to move on to the next stage!”
Jeong-Hoon encouraged them.
It might have seemed forceful, but there was no other choice.
*
The tests continued.
The third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Now it was clear why this place was known for its extreme difficulty.
And then came the sixth test.
The unbearable pain no longer came.
Instead, they had to eliminate the demon guarding the entrance to the Demon Realm.
[Lv. 850 Gatekeeper of the Demon Realm]
A Level 850 Gatekeeper.
If not for Divine Healing restoring both their bodies and minds, it would have been a difficult fight.
But for Jeong-Hoon in his current state, it wasn’t an opponent that was too challenging.
“Guhk!”
Jeong-Hoon activated Shadow Crescent Moon and instantly severed the Gatekeeper’s lifeline.
“It looks like the adaptation to the Demon Realm is complete. I’ll take care of the rest, so please rest.”
Then came the seventh test.
The Gatekeepers kept appearing.
However, their levels gradually increased, and soon, Apostle-class beings began approaching the players one after another.
“Damn it. Why do I have to stop this bastard… Ugh!”
“Human! Calm yourself! I have no intention of fighting— Guhk!”
Jeong-Hoon mercilessly cut them down again and again.
It wasn’t until the fifteenth test was over that all the tests finally ended.
[All tests have been completed.]
[You have completed the entry quest.]
[Entry to the Demon Realm is now possible.]
It was finally over.
“Wow… it’s done.”
“I thought I was going to die from the sheer tension…”
A total of five rounds of excruciating pain.
Although the pain stopped from the sixth test onward, the fear that it might return at any moment had them trembling with anxiety.
Only after the tests ended could they finally relax.
“Are you going to enter the Demon Realm right away?”
“No.”
Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
Yeo Min-Ji, who had asked the question, looked slightly flustered.
She had assumed he would immediately enter the Demon Realm to settle his bet with Baal.
“There’s something lurking in the Demon Realm. I can’t just charge in without thinking.”
“But I thought he said he wouldn’t interfere…”
“You shouldn’t take his words at face value.”
Jeong-Hoon smirked.
That entity desperately wanted to form a contract with him.
Because of that, it had been subtly interfering.
Would this time be any different?
‘It’s his domain. There’s no way he won’t interfere.’
He could use a Demon King-class Transcendent as his pawn.
Or he could manipulate the Demon Realm itself to make exploration difficult.
The first option seemed the most likely.
That way, he could claim he wasn’t directly interfering and get away with it.
In any case, interference was 100% guaranteed.
“Hmm… Then what should we do? We’re nowhere near strong enough to face him.”
Just making eye contact with those red eyes had been enough to freeze their entire body.
That alone made the power gap painfully clear.
If they crossed into the Demon Realm and faced the true form of those eyes… what would happen?
Just imagining it made everything go dark.
“It’ll be fine. We made a bet, after all.”
One thing was certain—he wouldn’t directly interfere.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Jeong-Hoon’s mother, who had been silently listening, asked.
"I'll enter the Demon Realm alone for now."
"Alone?"
"Yes. I'll just explore the outskirts and return right away."
They had all completed the entry quest.
They could enter the Demon Realm at any time, but there was no reason to rush.
It was wiser to gather solid information first before entering together.
"Hmm… Will you be okay?"
His mother’s face was filled with worry.
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
"If you sense any danger, you must send an SOS signal. Understood?"
"Yes."
Jeong-Hoon nodded, signaling his intent to enter.
At that moment, the portal swallowed him whole.
*
After Jeong-Hoon left, the others fell into contemplation.
"Madam, is it really okay to let Hoon go alone?"
Yeo Min-Ji asked Lee Na-Yeon with a worried expression.
"Yes. I think it's best to watch for now."
Her son's expression had been incredibly serious.
She knew better than anyone that when he was like that, no words would get through to him.
And considering everything he had accomplished so far, it was impossible not to trust him.
That was why she had chosen to take a step back.
"Hmm, then how about we wait for three hours before entering?"
Ha-Jin suggested.
"Three hours?"
"Yes. Look at Hoon's skill. Three hours should be enough."
"That does make sense…"
As Lee Na-Yeon hesitated, Yeo Sunwoo quickly added,
"I also agree with Ha-Jin. I don't know how much help we’ll be, but standing around doing nothing isn’t any better."
However, there was opposition.
"But what if we end up getting in his way?"
Bong-Goo believed they should wait until Jeong-Hoon returned.
"What if something happens to him?"
Ha-Jin furrowed his brows
"Ha-Jin, nothing will happen to Hoon."
"That may be true, but…"
"Which is why we should wait!"
"Bong-Goo, how long do you plan on relying on Hoon to spoon-feed you?"
As Ha-Jin faltered, Yeo Min-Ji coldly joined in.
"I'm just saying I don’t want to be a burden to him."
"Don’t make excuses. You just want to take it easy, don’t you?"
"Huh? Hey, what do you take me for?"
Bong-Goo furrowed his brows.
"Enough!"
As the atmosphere grew tense, Lee Na-Yeon quickly stepped in to mediate.
"That's right. This isn't the time to fight."
With Yeo Sunwoo adding his support, the hostile mood eased somewhat.
"…For now, I think it's best to just wait and watch."
Lee Na-Yeon sided with Bong-Goo.
"But—!"
Everyone was about to object, but she continued.
"He promised to send an SOS signal if things got dangerous. Let's trust Hoon for now."
"…Understood."
In the end, they decided to wait for Jeong-Hoon to return, following the stance of Lee Na-Yeon and Bong-Goo.
*
[You have entered the 97th Demon Realm.]
[You have stepped into a zone forbidden to humans.]
[You have achieved a remarkable feat! Earned 200,000 achievement points.]
[You have achieved a remarkable feat! Earned 1,000,000p.]
Simply entering the Demon Realm granted him 200,000 achievement points and 1,000,000 points.
It was proof of how difficult the entry itself was.
Additionally, the mana of the Demon Realm attempted to take control of Jeong-Hoon.
‘The test really was just a test, nothing more.’
He had thought he had grown accustomed to it through intense pain, yet the crushing pressure still weighed down on his body.
Even so, this level of pressure should be manageable for everyone to enter and explore.
Jeong-Hoon nodded and surveyed his surroundings.
Shiiiiiik—
Just then, a sharp sound cut through the air, and he twisted his body.
Boom!
Something grazed his cheek, embedding itself into a distant, withered black tree before exploding.
If he hadn't dodged, his head would have been blown off.
‘Master! Above!’
At Mukho’s warning, Jeong-Hoon's gaze shot upward.
Above him, six Transcendents were looking down at him.
‘Not a single surprise.’
A smirk formed on his lips.
All six of them were Demon King-class.
The six Demon Kings under Baal’s command.
For them to gather in one place meant they intended to crush him with sheer power and drag him to their master.
‘Good thing I came alone.’
If they had all entered together, there would have been no chance of winning.
Unlike Jeong-Hoon, who had reached the pinnacle realm, the others weren’t strong enough to face Demon King-class opponents.
In the end, he had to deal with these Demon Kings alone. If he also had to worry about protecting his mother and the others, fighting would be nearly impossible.
"Human, the Sovereign has summoned you."
"A warning—come quietly."
At their warning, Jeong-Hoon raised his middle finger.
"F*** off."
He had no intention of letting them subdue him so easily.
He would crush them and demand the information he had bet on when he faced Baal.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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