When You're Not Smart

All actions in reality inevitably involve energy.

Unless you go to a world where physical laws and rules are fundamentally different, Eye of Truth, which visualizes and perceives energy, cannot miss any phenomenon or event that occurs in reality.

No matter how complex it is, even if it’s a supreme martial art created based on dozens of martial principles, it can be seen, understood, and reproduced without any problem.

However, the ice Olga created was different.

‘I can see it but can’t understand it.’

The structure of ice crystals, the flow and conversion of energy.

Everything was clearly visible but completely incomprehensible.

The only fact Yuseong could understand was one thing.

Just that this ice was composed of various types of energy.

“Are you hurt somewhere perhaps?”

Olga’s worried voice was heard.

The battle was over but he was just standing still with his back turned, so naturally she couldn’t help but worry.

“No, it’s not that, I’m just curious about the ice. It doesn’t seem like ordinary ice.”

While he couldn’t ask about the source or principles of her ability, this much was a question that could be asked between comrades, just like how Olga had asked about his power.

“Oh, impressive. You’re the first user to say that since Bruce.”

“What’s with the ice? Isn’t it just ordinary ice?”

“…..”

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”

“…How can there be such a difference when we’re both Three Strong?”

Olga, who had been looking at Kasim as if he were pathetic, turned her gaze to Yuseong.

“To explain simply, this ice is created by combining various abilities.”

“Don’t all users do that?”

Users who can bring abilities from infinite dimensions.

Naturally, even specialists focused on one field don’t actually learn and use abilities from just that one field.

Even Bruce who specializes in martial arts can use basic magic, and Kasim who is called GreatMage also incorporates sorcery into his magic and learns martial arts to prepare for close combat.

“That’s true. But there probably aren’t any users who combine as many abilities as I do?”

“How many did you combine?”

“Martial arts, magic, psychic powers, alchemy, holy power, sorcery, Taoist arts, immortal arts, authority, blessings, curses, and so on. Twenty-five in total.”

Now he could understand why he couldn’t comprehend Olga’s ability.

It’s like how you can easily understand a picture drawn in one style, but can’t understand a picture mixed with dozens of different styles.

You can tell what was drawn when looking at the whole, but how many people could explain the picture in detail if asked?

‘I could analyze the mechanism of the ability if I observe it over time, but there’s no point.’

Even if he stole it, it would only be parts of martial arts and parts of magic, and he couldn’t do anything with just that.

He could reproduce it if he mastered all the skills composing the ice and could handle all types of energy needed to use those skills, but going that far would be far too inefficient.

Having given up on Olga’s ability, Yuseong decided to change the subject.

‘Let’s suggest leaving first and returning after meeting up with other users.’

They hadn’t even entered the city yet but already encountered an army of artifact-equipped skeletons.

He couldn’t even imagine how many undead were inside that city, and what kind of outrageous undead might exist.

However, before Yuseong could open his mouth, Kasim spoke with a frown.

“Looks like we need to do some cleaning up.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Along with heavy sounds that shook the underground cavern, various undead began appearing from all over the city.

Skeleton legions like the ones they had just defeated, spectre swarms clustered like clouds, grotesque flesh golems.

He reflexively looked toward the entrance, but the path leading outside had already vanished without a trace.

At this point, they had no choice but to fight.

The only fortunate thing was that he wasn’t fighting alone.

“Ah, why does it have to be underground.”

“This looks like it’ll be a long battle. Mind your stamina.”

Kasim emitting massive magic power and Olga creating weapons made of ice.

Though they showed clear signs of irritation, seeing that neither of their expressions showed any anxiety or worry, Yuseong raised both arms while instilling confidence in himself.

It was the moment the full-scale dungeon conquest began.

* * *

Kasim believed that talent differences existed even among users.

Some users say there can’t be differences in talent when it’s just about solving problems using items and skills from other worlds, but that was no different from the fox’s claim that grapes they couldn’t get were sour.

Even doing the same quests spending the same time, the results vary greatly depending on how you clear them.

You might not feel the difference much with just one or two attempts, but when those accumulate, it leads to an enormous gap.

This was a fact that any top-tier user would know.

‘I know. I know but…’

Boom!

Seeing a flesh golem that must have been 10 meters tall float up high then crash down, Kasim unconsciously clicked his tongue.

The giant floating itself wasn’t very surprising.

He could do something like that easily enough himself.

Levitation, anti-gravity magic, group blink etc – there were several methods he could think of right away.

What surprised Kasim was the person who made the giant float.

‘Han Yuseong.’

The ridiculous friend who became a user after being deceived by OneLifeOneShot.

He had known he had talent since seeing him take down the lizardman horde.

By absolute standards it wasn’t much, but considering it had only been 2 months since he became a user, his strength and growth speed were unbelievable.

“In about a year he could reach Three Weak level, and in about 3 years Three Intermediates level. That’s assuming Earth still exists until then.”

Kasim felt both admiration and regret for Yuseong’s talent.

If he had become a user just 3 years, no, 1 year earlier he could have accomplished much, but the world wasn’t in a situation leisurely enough to wait for his growth.

No matter how talented a user is, they need time to do quests to become stronger.

He thought that at best, Yuseong would have trouble breaking free from the status of eternal prospect.

However, that was just his misunderstanding.

‘Above Three Weak, below Three Intermediates level?’

He had thought something was off since his victory in the power struggle with Isaac, but what Yuseong was showing now transcended even that.

Strength that could throw flesh golems weighing dozens of tons, durability that didn’t even get scratched after taking the Elder Death Knight’s sword strikes, internal energy and magic power that showed no signs of bottoming out despite using skills non-stop for half a day while fighting.

In terms of ability diversity, flexibility, and expandability, he would be below Three Intermediates, but looking at pure destructive power alone, Yuseong wasn’t far behind Three Intermediates.

‘Even Bruce didn’t grow this fast. Just how…’

Woong!

Looking at Yuseong who was tearing through the city like a shooting star befitting his name, Kasim stopped thinking and focused his consciousness on the light orb formed at the tip of his staff.

Outside he could spam magic without worry, but doing that underground would get them crushed under collapsing ceilings.

He had to aim for pinpoint strikes while minimizing impact to this space.

-Target setting complete.

The moment the dry words were heard, Kasim lowered his staff.

Shining Ray.

Hundreds of light beams pouring from the orb.

The undead raised shields or entered nearby buildings, but the magic that Kasim had perfected with utmost care wasn’t something that could be blocked by just that much.

The beams pierced and vaporized everything.

Aura-imbued weapons, powerful artifacts, thick walls – all were like paper before the beams.

The rain of death only lasted about a minute, but that was enough to take down the undead.

“Hey, if you had magic like that you should have used it earlier, why did you save it until now?!”

“I wasn’t saving it, I couldn’t use it! Do you know how many dispels the lich and beholder were throwing?” ^[1]

“As GreatMage you should overcome that much.”

“What are you two chatting about so happily?”

When Yuseong appeared, Kasim and Olga shut their mouths as if by agreement.

That’s how impressive Yuseong’s skills had been.

“What’s with the atmosphere? Don’t tell me you were talking behind my back?”

“No, we were just surprised because you’re stronger than expected.”

At the straightforward answer, Yuseong paused briefly before breaking into a smile.

“That’s thanks to your support magic, what skills do I have on my own?”

“If support magic was enough to fight like that, Kang Changseok wouldn’t have needed to create Contractors. You’re definitely strong.”

“Even so, it’s nothing compared to other users right?”

“…..”

“…You’re somehow unlikeable.”

When humility goes too far, it becomes arrogance.

Sweating at their cold gazes, Yuseong hurriedly opened his mouth to divert their attention elsewhere.

“Ahem, more importantly, shouldn’t we find the signal first?”

There was no one here foolish enough not to distinguish between public and private matters.

Recalling the time spent fighting undead, Kasim pointed somewhere with a serious expression.

A majestic temple located in the center of the city.

The three exchanged glances and began walking toward the temple.

The inside of the temple was so splendid it reminded one of the lord’s room in Dragonia, but no signs of life could be felt.

“Just looking at it, there’s clearly something beyond this.”

A massive door blocking the path leading to the innermost depths.

At a glance it seemed like an ordinary door with no energy emanating from it, but as if protected by some absolute law, it didn’t get even a scratch from Kasim’s magic or Olga’s cold energy.

“Step aside. Let me try.”

“No. No. This isn’t something that can be done with force. It perfectly nullifies external impacts.”

“Who said anything about using force?”

Moving the two back, Yuseong pulled back his fist and unleashed Shadow Moon Style 16’s Rock Piercing technique.

However, his target wasn’t the door but the wall beside it.

While the door might be protected by some law, the wall wasn’t.

Each time Yuseong threw a punch, the temple wall crumbled like styrofoam, and soon after losing its support, the door fell helplessly like a rotten tree.

Crash!

“When you’re not smart, your body suffers. Use your head.”

“…..”

Whether this could really be called not making the body suffer was questionable, but anyway he did use his head so there was nothing they could say.

The scene revealed inside after the thick dust settled was quite different from what they had seen so far.

A massive golden statue stood in the middle of the wide hall, with statues made of silver and bronze positioned on both sides.

“King and subjects?”

“Good eye for an intruder.”