Chapter 181

Chapter 181
## Chapter 181

Operation: Escape from the Demon King’s Castle (3)

Every single voyager from Earth who was pulled into this foreign realm was granted a fundamental development perk.

This advantage allowed them to advance their capabilities at a far greater velocity than the local inhabitants, even when absorbing the identical knowledge under equivalent circumstances.

Naturally, the rate of progression varied according to native aptitude, yet it implied that even a person completely clumsy in their own skin back home could transform into a formidable combatant through sheer perseverance.

However, existence rarely offered a smooth path.

Countless individuals squandered their entire lifespans attempting to master a single craft, and unless someone possessed the mind of a legendary prodigy, shaving off a meager fraction of that timeline didn’t alter their ultimate fate by much.

‘Genuine marvels’ on the level of Isea were incredibly scarce.

Consequently, survival-driven voyagers normally gravitated toward more accessible avenues of advancement, specifically the ‘unique skills’ granted upon their arrival and ‘attribute progression’ purchased via the Karma Shop.

‘Yet, even the most broken unique skills possess heavy limitations during the initial phases, rendering them troublesome to deploy. Even an ability like “Avatar” was virtually worthless in the beginning.’

To rapidly surpass such thresholds, one had to rely on the enhancements provided by the Karma Shop, but initiating an upgrade for a unique skill demanded a staggering sum of 300,000 Karma.

It was an intimidating mountain to climb, and most individuals were prone to perishing long before they could accumulate such wealth through strict budgeting.

‘Therefore, the wisest course of action initially is to guarantee survival by investing in core attributes.’

Hesperon glanced covertly down at his palm, flexing and straightening his fingers in a rhythmic rhythm.

A subtle shimmer of cerulean mana sparked along his skin, proving that reinforcement had been enacted within that split second.

“…Reinforcement magic…? When exactly did he…!”

Crown Prince Simon stumbled backward onto his feet, pressing a hand against his jawline.

He had sustained a blow to a critical area when his guard was down, but luckily, he managed to avoid a total knockout because he had already insulated his frame with a layer of aura.

Even so, the humiliation stung deeply, given how boastfully he had carried himself just moments prior to being struck down.

“…You possess some competence. Ha! I suppose that explains your arrogance.”

He attempted to project an aura of indifference to salvage his dignity, masking his internal panic before locking into a combative stance once more.

“And it appears you have trained in close combat. Resorting to manipulating mana instead of channeling aura suggests you simply lacked the capacity for true swordsmanship.”

“Honestly, who is the one desperately trying to talk their way out of this?”

Simon raised his voice, fiercely asserting through his tone that the battle was far from decided.

Hesperon completely tuned out the prince’s remarks, focusing entirely on structuring the spellwork he had rapidly assembled.

Wooong—

His cognitive processes accelerated, causing the surrounding environment to decelerate to a crawl.

Within that fleeting pocket of time, minor enhancements—such as heightened visual tracking, faster physical responsiveness, and elevated muscular output—integrated seamlessly into his physique.

This degree of precise mana orchestration was far beyond what a novice sorcerer should be capable of executing, yet it required minimal exertion from him.

This held true even without factoring in the passive guidance flowing from Immortal King Hans.

‘Of course it does. I have dedicated an immense amount of capital toward this.’

The parameters required to command magic effectively extended far beyond basic mental fortitude.

They comprised faculties governing comprehensive intellect, such as recall speed, mathematical processing, and logical deduction.

Furthermore, it involved traits tied directly to mana interaction, including elemental attunement, arcane defiance, and strict governance.

The options were so vast that standard protocol dictated focusing strictly on patches for flaws or doubling down on primary strengths…

‘Still, distributing points evenly across the board yields decent results.’

It represented a sensible allocation of resources for someone like him, who maintained a consistent influx of Karma.

The entry barrier for upgrading any base attribute was pinned at 10,000.

Given the sheer variety of traits available, it amounted to mere pocket change compared to the steep pricing of specialized traits.

Ascending to the second tier demanded 20,000 points.

He had confined his spending to the exact areas where the initial upgrade paid immediate dividends, and while the remaining categories were numerous, the cost remained manageable.

The third tier escalated to 40,000 points.

He had indulged in this tier frequently due to the relatively low barrier, but past this threshold, he was forced to become highly discerning with his selections.

Naturally, typical voyagers could never dream of spending Karma with such casual disregard.

They were forced to hoard every scrap, agonizing over each expenditure while ensuring a safety net remained for their eventual journey home…

“…To think you would grow conceited over a single accidental strike. Allow me to demonstrate actual warfare this time.”

Right at that second,

The neglected Simon growled under his breath, summoning a fresh wave of aura.

His ego had evidently shattered because Hesperon refused to acknowledge his persistent rationalizations, delivering a line that perfectly mirrored a defeated antagonist about to face retribution.

“I let my guard down previously! Such rudimentary parlor tricks won’t save you now!”

Boom—

He bounded forward at double his previous velocity, fully committing his reserves to this assault.

Aura—the very manifestation that permitted mortals to shatter their physical constraints—swirled intensely around his form, drastically multiplying his locomotive power.

It was an onslaught so rapid that an average bystander wouldn’t even register the motion.

‘Well, his assessment isn’t entirely wrong.’

Under normal circumstances, low-tier auxiliary magic could never hope to neutralize a veteran combatant like Simon.

Relying solely on such magic would have resulted in far worse consequences than mere embarrassment.

‘If that was my singular asset, perhaps…’

Hesperon, tracking the path of the incoming fist that loomed inches away, tilted his skull just enough to clear the trajectory without shifting his gaze.

Sustained by the residual expertise of the “Path of Martial Arts” channeled via Heinrich, his posture contained zero wasted energy.

His feet locked onto the stone floor, his hips pivoted effortlessly, and his fist, pulled tightly against his flank, launched outward—.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

Thud—!

The strike drove deeply into Simon’s diaphragm before snapping back.

Thump! Thwack! Crack—!

A relentless barrage immediately followed, capitalising on the brief window of paralysis caused by the precise strike to his core.

Hesperon pinned the heel of Simon’s retreating foot to halt any retreat, and the moment the prince lifted his forearms to shield his face, an elbow slammed directly into his ribs.

He deflected a desperate counter-punch with the outer edge of one wrist, simultaneously driving his opposite hand toward the exposed flank beneath the raised shoulder.

Digits, knuckles, elbows, patellas, heels…

Every facet of his anatomy operated as an instrument of destruction.

“Ugh! Cough!”

Yet, owing to Simon’s stubborn resolve to endure,

The prince contorted his posture and stumbled backward, managing to re-establish a defensive guard even after absorbing more than ten consecutive impacts.

‘…Is this the result of consuming high-grade tonics? The density of his aura and his natural resilience are absurd.’

He remained upright and functional despite absorbing several targeted blows to his vital regions.

Most notably, the dense shroud of aura shielding his skin mitigated the momentum, preventing the kinetic energy from shattering his defense completely.

“Huff, huff. No, th-this… this defies logic! How can an ordinary mage exert such…!”

The heir to the throne muttered incoherently, utterly derailed by the stark contrast between the power level he perceived and the sheer martial dominance he was actively enduring.

‘If his defense holds, I will simply continue striking him until he drops. Wealthily, I possess “Super Recovery”, so endurance isn’t an issue.’

Hesperon grunted inwardly, rotating his wrists to crack his joints as he pressed forward, signaling his readiness to keep going.

Princess Riley, who had remained frozen in place like an accidental audience member to the brawl, finally found her voice.

“…Heron? Was close combat your original discipline? You command exceptional magic, yet you possess this level of physical mastery too? That is profoundly unfair…”

—

Roughly sixty minutes from the opening exchange,

“Whew— that cleared my head. Aside from absorbing impacts well, he actually counters effectively to keep things engaging; he serves as an ideal training partner.”

Hesperon elongated his spine in a relaxed stretch after the extended physical exertion, clearing the perspiration from his brow.

Crown Prince Simon, thoroughly pulverized, lay draped across the stone tile like a shredded garment.

He had perhaps applied a bit too much force due to the target’s high durability, but given the royal family’s healing properties, the man would be functional in a matter of days.

However, an unexpected notification manifested before him.

《The participant achieves realization through continuous physical application. You have unlocked the trait “Hand-to-Hand Combat”.》

He was uncertain what exact parameters had been fulfilled during this brief skirmish, but a close-quarters fighting trait had materialized regardless.

It was a practical asset that provided passive enhancements to all unarmed physical engagements, an absolute necessity for anyone walking the warrior’s path.

‘Hold on, I am supposed to be a sorcerer.’

While any additional utility was welcome, he couldn’t shake a lingering sense of irony.

His intended trajectory involved casting grand spells from a safe distance while protective thralls insulated him from danger, yet he seemed to be drifting toward an aggressive frontline battle mage archetype.

“…It appears to have concluded. To witness Simon being utterly dismantled right before my eyes is… quite satisfying, yet entirely surreal.”

At that moment, Riley stepped closer, observing her unconscious sibling with a complicated blend of emotions.

Regardless of her profound disdain for him, blood ties remained blood ties, leaving her somewhat unsettled by the sheer volume of bruising on his frame.

“…Ah! Now I understand.”

Before Hesperon could offer a word of comfort,

She gasped softly as an epiphany struck her, looking down at Simon with a sardonic smirk…

Thwack!

And planted her boot directly into him.

“…Riley?”

“Am I mistaken? I need to verify.”

Ignoring his questioning look, she delivered another sharp blow with her footwear.

Thwack!

“Ah! The clarity is settling in…”

Thwack! Thwack!

She finally stepped back after a succession of targeted impacts, an air of contentment washing over her.

“Whew— simply observing from the sidelines was infuriating. I have harbored the desire to strike him like that for a lifetime. To think this opportunity would present itself.”

“…… Simon’s resilience is immense, so a few impacts from a slender noblewoman won’t cause lasting harm.

If it brought peace to her mind, it counted as a positive outcome, didn’t it?

“At any rate, this bizarre deviation has cost us valuable time, so we must depart. With Simon thoroughly incapacitated, our window of opportunity is ideal.”

“Are you certain your condition allows it? The physical exertion must have taken a toll. Perhaps a brief intermission to recuperate…”

“No, I am perfectly fine. This required minimal effort. It is far wiser to vacate these premises while the path is clear, agreed?”

He extended an open palm toward Riley, inviting her to connect.

Naturally, she concurred entirely, desperate to distance herself from this environment, and gripped his hand with absolute sincerity.

As though it represented her singular path to salvation.

“Let us depart.”

“Understood.”

The moment of transition had finally arrived.

Wooong—!

He marshaled every remaining drop of his internal reservoir, wrapping both of them in a dense layer of mana, and then…

[Where do you imagine you are fleeing…?]

“Ugh—? Cough—!”

Thud—

An icy cadence resonated through the space, and instantaneously,

He discharged a spray of crimson as his spellwork collapsed violently back into his circuit.

“Heron!”

Riley rapidly fell to her knees to support his collapsing frame.

Overwhelmed by the abrupt reversal, she scanned their surroundings with mounting panic, her teeth biting into her lip.

A heavy, low-lying mist had blanketed the terrain, bringing with it a freezing aura that choked the atmosphere.

[I arrived to investigate the disturbance… An escape plot? How remarkably fascinating…]

Emerging from the center of the dense vapor, a noble lady with an ash-white complexion, clad in dark funerary vestments, stepped into view.

The supreme authority overseeing the Immortal Fortress.

Banshee Queen Olivia.