Emperor! Can You See Stats!?

Chapter 163: The Purifier

Whoosh!

A black shadow was speeding through the mountain range, where countless strange rocks stood. 

It was running through the rugged terrain without any hesitation.

Clack!

The shadow stopped in front of a building after running through the harsh mountains. 

This place was called the Thousand Mountain Range, a remote area that was treated as a forbidden zone by the martial artists.

The reason was this.

“Vice-sect leader! Have you returned?”

“I request an audience with the sect leader.”

A low and hoarse voice came out of the shadow’s mouth.

Soon, he was guided to a room. 

On one side of the room, there was a curtain, and behind it, a human silhouette could be seen faintly.

“I greet the great sect leader of the Dark Sect.”

“Hmm…”

The voice from behind the curtain was low and full of dignity.

“It seems that your mission did not go well?”

“I apologize!”

The absolute master who was called the Frost Sword Demon in the Demon Sect bowed his head deeply. 

He was the second in rank in the sect, but there was only one person who could make him bow his head.

The person behind the curtain was none other than the sect leader of the Demon Sect!

“You lost the divine artifact?”

“…”

The Frost Sword Demon kept his head down without moving an inch. 

Even though he was the vice-sect leader, his actual authority was not that strong. 

The sect leader had enough power to take his life for failing his mission.

“Why?”

“There was a master on the side of Justice Alliance that I could not handle.”

“I see.”

“…!?”

The Frost Sword Demon widened his eyes. 

There were not many masters in the martial world who could defeat him. 

Did the sect leader know in advance that he would lose?

“It’s fine that you lost the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, they are a force that can be easily rebuilt.”

Until now, the sect leader’s tone was gentle. 

He seemed to not care about losing the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, the second strongest force in the Demon Sect.

“But failing to obtain the divine artifact is a rather painful loss.”

“I have no excuse.”

The Frost Sword Demon had to bow his head again. 

Contrary to his brutal reputation, the sect leader was not a cruel person. 

Rather, he had a soft personality if anything.

This level of reproach meant that the sect leader was not in a good mood, so he had to be very nervous.

But the next words that came out were not punishment or scolding.

“I will assign you Number One.”

“What?”

“I mean I will give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

The sect leader said his last words in a calm tone. 

Hearing that, he could not help but open his eyes wide.

“I will give you your orders later. Take Number One with you and go to Yellow Palace.”

‘Yellow Palace!’

***

On the day he gave his answer and sent back the envoy of the royal family, Eurius was struggling with one problem.

‘I locked him up for now, but how should I deal with him?’

He meant Shin Jaeseong, the leader of Justice Alliance who was still trapped in ice.

Even if he was half-dead, he was still a living human being. 

If he kept him in ice for too long, he would soon die.

‘But I can’t release him when I know he is being controlled by magic.’

He thought that something would come up if he locked him up, and there was a reason for that. 

Jegal Seungwoon, who planned the operation with him, said this.

“If the leader is controlled by magic, then a master of Buddhism can heal him by infusing inner energy.”

Wasn’t there Jiu Sunsa, the top master of Shaolin Temple in Justice Alliance?

So he partially thawed him and handed him over to him, but this answer came out.

“Namu Amitabha… I’m sorry that I can’t help. I can’t save the leader with my poor medical skills.”

“…!?”

Jiu Sunsa explained the reason with a shameless expression.

“The unknown energy is mixed with magic and blocking my inner energy of Binseung.”

“Huh…”

The reason was none other than Shin Jaeseong’s divine artifact,Vermilion Bird. 

The energy it emitted was mixed with magic and prevented Jiu Sunsa’s inner energy from healing him.

‘Then what if I take out the divine artifact first?’

He tried this idea too, but it was useless.

[The reason why that old man is still alive is because of the heat from the divine artifact. If you take it out now, he will freeze to death right away.]

Eurius was in a dilemma because of the words of the Yellow Dragon. 

The people of Jeongdo Clan treated him as if he was a savior from heaven.

“Eurius Daehyeop will surely save our clan leader! Isn’t that why he suppressed him so firmly without moving?”

Because of their admiring gazes, Eurius couldn’t say ‘I need his divine power, so I don’t care if he lives or dies!’

‘How annoying…’

As Eurius continued to worry, the night came. 

He walked towards the conference room and stopped in front of a huge ice pillar.

There was no sign of life around him in the dark night. He sighed and tapped the ice with his fingers.

‘I have to leave for the Yellow Palace soon, but what do I do with this trouble…’

But there was no solution no matter how much he thought.

‘In the worst case, I’ll have to kill him and take him out.’

Swoosh!

“…!?”

Just when he reached that conclusion! Eurius turned his head sharply. 

He sensed an unknown presence.

“Who’s there?”

“You seem to have a problem.”

“…!?”

What he saw was an old man with white hair. 

He didn’t notice him until he came so close, even with his senses.

But that wasn’t why Eurius was so surprised.

‘Where did this monster-like old man come from?’

It wasn’t just because of the old man’s stats. 

Eurius’s senses told him. 

The white-haired old man was stronger than anyone he had ever met.

Even his biggest enemy, the Great Demon, seemed to be inferior to the old man.

“…”

Shuffle shuffle.

The old man slowly walked towards Eurius and reached the front of the ice pillar. 

Then he suddenly stretched out his hand to the pillar.

Whoosh!

The old man’s hand was covered with red flames. But Eurius knew at a glance that it wasn’t fire.

‘Mars Church!’

He had heard that the paladins of the Mars Church, one of the three great churches on the western continent, used red flames instead of blue force.

But that wasn’t all that happened in the old man’s hand.

Fwoosh!

The red flames gradually faded and turned into a dazzling white color.

The old man inserted his hand into the ice pillar with a white flame.

The hard ice cracked like butter and his hand went in easily.

“Wait!”

It would be troublesome if the ice melted now. But the old man said something unexpected.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Huh?”

Before he knew it, the old man’s hand was buried in ice up to his elbow. 

And the white flame from his hand shone brighter.

Fwoooosh!

Suddenly, a bright light exploded and lit up the conference room like daylight. 

And Eurius saw what was happening inside and widened his eyes.

“What is this?”

Meanwhile, the light that could be clearly seen from afar could not be missed by the experts of Jeongdo Clan.

“What’s that?”

“What’s going on again?”

Whooosh!

Thud!

Soon dozens of experts landed on the conference room floor again. 

They ran towards Eurius in a hurry.

“Daehyeop!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Gasp!”

They all focused their eyes on Eurius’s arms.

“Clan leader!”

The clan leader Shin Jaeseong, who had been trapped in ice, was now unconscious in Eurius’s arms.

“Could this be?”

Jiwoo Seonsa looked at Eurius with a rare expression of surprise.

“I guess as you can see… he seems to have detoxified the magic that was corroding him.”

Hearing his answer, everyone in Jeongdo Clan exclaimed.

“He succeeded!”

“Daehyeop is a great benefactor to Jeongdo Clan!”

Although Shin Jaeseong had caused a great incident under the control of the Demon Sect, he was undoubtedly a respected leader of the Alliance. 

The experts of the Righteous Alliance had always admired him, but now they seemed to reach the level of worship.

However, Eurius sneered.

“Shouldn’t we move this person to a warm place? He looks very weak.”

“Understood.”

They lifted Shin Jaeseong’s cold body and hurried to call a doctor.

Watching them, Eurius recalled the old man who had appeared earlier.

“…”

***

Whoosh!

The old man’s hand, burning white, melted the ice and enveloped Shin Jaeseong’s body in an instant.

“…!?”

At first, Eurius wanted to stop him, but he was shocked when he saw Shin Jaeseong’s status window.

‘The demonic energy that corrupted his body was detoxified?’

But he was only surprised for a moment.

“What’s going on!”

“It’s from the conference room!”

As he heard the sound of people running from the Righteous Alliance, the old man showed a slightly regretful expression.

“You must have many questions, but there are too many people today. I will greet you formally tomorrow.”

Swoosh.

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man disappeared from his spot like a ghost.

Eurius stared silently at the place where the old man had vanished.

‘What is the intention of the Holy Kingdom’s people to appear here? And why did they save the leader?’

****

The next day.

“Your Highness! The reinforcements sent by the fleet have arrived.”

“Is that so?”

Eurius had ordered Gu cheon-geol to bring people who could prove his identity. 

But he could only send the knights first if he wanted them to come as fast as possible, and the rest of the people had to follow later with a time difference.

And now, a few days after the incident at the Righteous Alliance. 

The people who had left as reinforcements finally reached where the Righteous Alliance was located.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince! I am Cornel, in charge of the 1st Fleet.”

“I’ve heard your name. You’ve worked hard to get here.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

He first received a greeting from Cornel, the admiral of the 1st Fleet. But Eurius was not waiting for him. 

In fact, he had already received a hint when the knights arrived.

After a few words of formal courtesy, Eurius got to the point.

“I heard that someone from the Holy Kingdom wanted to see me?”

“Yes. Huk!”

Snap!

Before Cornel could introduce him, an old man with white hair walked out from behind.

Eurius raised his eyebrows when he saw him.

‘I confirmed his status yesterday, so it’s obvious that he’s the one I saw.’

The old man bowed his head slightly in front of Eurius.

“I greet Your Highness, Crown Prince of the Empire, whose fame is widespread.”

Even in front of the Crown Prince of the Empire, the old man only bowed his head slightly. But no one in the hall blamed him for that.

Eurius also nodded his head with a friendly face.

“It is an honor for me to see the greatest superhuman of West Continent.”

“…”

Yes, this person was none other than Galeus, Archbishop of West Continent!

He was regarded as one of the oldest and strongest superhumans in West Continent. 

Even in the Holy Kingdom, his position was right below that of three Popes. 

That’s why Eurius, Crown Prince of Empire, couldn’t treat him lightly either.

“I have just met Your Highness and I apologize for being rude, but I have one request.”

He went straight to his purpose. 

It was an attitude that showed his blunt personality.

“A request?”

“Can I ask for a private conversation in a quiet place?”

Eurius also had a lot of questions for him. He readily agreed.

“I was hoping for that too.”

***

A short while later, they were facing each other alone in the ruined conference room where they had first met.

“So what is your reason for requesting a private conversation?”

“Then let me ask you one question first.”

“As you wish”

In this situation, it would be natural to expect him to explain why he wanted to see him from Holy Kingdom. But what came out of Galeus’ mouth was an irrelevant question.

“People often divide four stages of martial arts mastery in this world. Do you know them?”

“…!?”

Eurius was slightly surprised, but he opened his mouth.

“Isn’t that common sense? Aren’t the fourth-level warriors called superhumans?”

Galeus nodded.

“I asked because you called me a superhuman just now.”

His eyes gained more intensity. 

He stared at Eurius with a strong gaze and asked another question.

“Then, what level would you say this old man belongs to?”

Galeus was obviously a superhuman, and he belonged to the fourth level. But Eurius burst into a snicker.

“What do you think?”

His laughter made Galeus tense up a bit.

“…!?”

Eurius knew the answer he wanted to hear.

He stopped laughing and began to speak slowly, emphasizing each word.

“From what I see, you have surpassed the fourth level! If I have to name it, I would call it the fifth level?”

“…”

“Did I answer wrong?”

Snap!

Eurius’s answer was correct. 

Galeus suddenly knelt down on one knee. 

It was a contrast to his reaction of only bowing his head when he met the crown prince earlier.

“Hm?”

Galeus, who knelt down, lowered his head further. 

And a heavy voice burst out.

“Galeus, the Purifier of the Holy Kingdom, greets the Godly One!”