The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 206

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 206
Fire
Episode 206: Return Home (1)
—What in the world is that sword technique?! You claim that white flame belongs to you, but it’s clearly power absorbed from an external source. Yet you’re wielding it flawlessly!
Cardmos suddenly became more talkative.
It was a sign of how profoundly shaken he was.
—I’ve refined the flame’s power cleanly, thereby amplifying its potency. At this level, it rivals the Pope of the Elpsys Theocracy…
Sihae Yeomhwa was hardly different.
She too wore an expression of disbelief.
—No, no. This can’t be the end. There’s something more. Isn’t there? Am I right?
“Huh? How did you know?”
Mincheol spoke with wonder in his voice.
Just as Cardmos said, the first form of the Sun and Moon Divine Sword didn’t end there.
The Sun and Moon Divine Sword was a technique that wielded contradictory forces simultaneously.
Therefore, the first form possessed two distinct manifestations.
【First Form ‘Sweeping Moon’ activates.】
Swish—
A black line suddenly traced across empty space.
Mincheol had extended his left sword horizontally.
In that brief moment, he’d slashed through the void with his blade.
It was a movement as though the cutting motion itself had been omitted.
“Both forms of the Sun and Moon Divine Sword’s first technique emphasize speed.”
Mincheol sheathed his sword as he explained.
“However, their nature differs. One Brush is a rapid sword that unfolds continuous attacks, while Sweeping Moon is a swift blade that ends life with a single strike.”
Remarkably, when Sweeping Moon was unleashed, the nature of my inner energy transformed completely.
One Brush was a technique unfolded based on Whitey’s power.
Therefore, it burned with intense brilliance and sanctity.
But when Sweeping Moon was activated, everything changed.
Demonic energy.
It exuded a killing intent so thick it made one’s spine tingle. Rather than intensity, it felt ominous.
The remarkable thing was that despite such drastic fluctuations in energy, Whitey experienced no strain whatsoever.
“And I can combine both of them.”
【First Form ‘One Brush Sweeping Moon’ activates.】
The sword dance unfolded.
White sword energy poured forth in succession, dyeing the world in its radiance.
And black lines filled the gaps between.
Cascading white sword energy.
And glimmering black sword energy.
Swift blade merged with quick blade. Each carried its own distinct nature.
Even facing two martial masters simultaneously wouldn’t be this bewildering.
“Phew.”
I stopped my hands.
My entire body was drenched in sweat.
‘It was fine when I used them one at a time. But using both together is incredibly draining.’
Not only had my mana consumption skyrocketed, but my stamina was being devoured at an alarming rate.
However, the power was undeniable—proportional to the cost.
This felt worthy of being called a finishing technique.
“That’s all for now.”
I had inherited the entire Sun-Moon Divine Sword, but at my current level, I could only comprehend the first form.
The rest required me to elevate my understanding further.
It was as if a Memory Stone had been embedded directly in my mind.
-….
-…
The two fell silent again.
“Excuse me?”
I had no choice but to call out to them once more.
But they didn’t answer.
Instead, they faced each other and began a discussion.
-What on earth was that? We’ve never seen anything like it in our dimension. Not even in any dimension we experienced while climbing the Tower. Is such a thing common in the Murim?
-That can’t be. At least not during my lifetime. Even the greatest master of that era couldn’t have created such a sword technique….
-He perfectly reversed two completely different energies without the slightest waste. I can’t even begin to grasp the principle behind it.
-Cheon-ma… a figure from thousands of years ago, so I underestimated how impressive he could be. It seems I’ve been fundamentally mistaken about something.
The two turned to look at me, their eyes trembling.
I shrugged and spoke.
“Impressive, right?”
-Ha! Don’t get cocky. Th-th-that level is n-not, not that impressive.
Cardmos gritted his teeth and continued.
-M-my Meteor Spear Technique is, is n-not inferior to th-that sword technique at all!
“Come on, that’s not true.”
-Elder, you have no conscience.
Sihae Yeomhwa and I openly rebuked him.
At that, Cardmos’s face flushed red.
-Y-you insolent brats!
“But it’s the truth….”
-This punk! This won’t do! Follow me at once!
“Huh? Why?”
-Let’s clear the fourth Quest! I’ll show you that my Meteor Spear Technique is no inferior to that sword technique!
I looked at Cardmos with an exhausted expression.
This old man certainly had a disgustingly strong pride.
“But you said you’d never give me a Quest until I cleared the assignment….”
-If it were you, you would have already mastered the application method!
“Huh? How did you know that?”
-Given your talent, it’s only natural.
Mincheol sighed.
Not only did Cardmos speak with certainty based on mere speculation, but he was assigning a Quest without even verifying whether I’d completed the previous task?
Still, I couldn’t deny that what Cardmos said was true.
From my perspective, there was nothing to lose.
To face the World Game without regret, I needed to grow stronger by employing every possible method available.
“But I can’t do it right now.”
Separate from that, I had a reason why I couldn’t undertake the Quest at this moment.
-What are you suddenly talking about?
“Well, you see….”
* * *
“Hey, Mom. I’m at the train station right now.”
The next morning.
Mincheol was at the train station.
“It’s an express train, so it won’t take even an hour. About 58 minutes? Oh, the train’s here. See you later then.”
Mincheol hung up and boarded the train.
The seat assigned to Mincheol was one of two pairs facing each other across a table.
Fortunately, there were no other passengers besides Mincheol.
“Since the seat’s empty, you sit here.”
“Purrrr.”
Just as I was placing Kkwaekkwi, who had been perched on my head, into the adjacent seat.
-Ho, so this is what Earth’s conveyance looks like.
-It’s quite clean. I like it.
Cardmos and Sihae Yeomhwa appeared in the two seats across from me.
Of course, only Mincheol could see them.
“Did you really have to follow me?”
Mincheol spoke as if annoyed.
Then the two responded firmly.
-Your teacher wants to see the sights outside. And here you are, being so cold-hearted, you disciple!
-Staying only in Memory Stones is hardly an exciting existence, you know.
The reason these two could venture outside was because Mincheol had lent them his magical power.
Though they were once absolute beings, maintaining their souls outside was said to be no trivial matter.
‘Ugh, my neck’s stiff.’
Mincheol rubbed his neck.
Even with my stats, maintaining these two was quite taxing.
-The Rooftop Continent has similar conveyances. There are trains powered by magical energy, but….
-My, what is that hole over there?
Watching the two of them enjoy themselves, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them to get back inside.
‘That went more smoothly than I expected.’
Mincheol gazed at Cardmos and thought to himself.
When he’d mentioned going back to his hometown, he’d been certain Cardmos would throw a fit.
But Cardmos had reacted in the complete opposite way.
[Going to see your mother? Then there’s nothing I can do about it.]
Mincheol recalled Cardmos’s childhood as he’d seen it in the Memory Stones.
Those days when he’d been unloved by his father and his siblings alike.
But perhaps his mother had been different.
The fact that he hadn’t tried to stop Mincheol from going home suggested as much.
【The train departing for Daejeon will leave shortly.】
With the announcement, the train began to move.
Mincheol turned his head and gazed out the window.
Suddenly, Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek came to mind.
They’d only been together for a few days, yet they weighed on his thoughts.
What had become of them in the original history?
Had they successfully rebuilt the Demonic Cult as they’d hoped?
Mincheol asked Sihae Yeomhwa, who was gazing out at the scenery.
“Do you know anything about Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek?”
-Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek?
“Yes, they were residents I met in the Martial Arts Layer….”
Mincheol explained about the two of them.
But Sihae Yeomhwa immediately shook her head.
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“I see.”
Mincheol wasn’t particularly disappointed.
According to the records of the Large Guilds, those two had most likely lost their lives during the competition.
So it was highly probable they’d left little trace in actual history.
-However, I can tell you this: the Demonic Cult was revived. Five hundred years before I was born.
“Really?”
Mincheol brightened.
Then perhaps those two had survived and rebuilt the Demonic Cult.
Of course, if Sihae Yeomhwa didn’t know who revived the Demonic Cult, it was unlikely to have been them.
It was probably someone else, but who knew? Perhaps they’d been involved in the process.
‘Wait, should I really be happy that the Demonic Cult was revived?’
Considering the Demonic Cult’s notorious reputation, it wasn’t exactly something to celebrate.
Suddenly, Mincheol noticed something odd in Sihae Yeomhwa’s words.
“But five hundred years ago, you said?”
-Ah, you didn’t know? Events from the past are recreated within the Tower.
“Is that even… possible?”
-Haven’t you seen the evidence yourself?
I had no choice but to agree with those words.
After all, I had genuinely experienced the past myself.
Yet it was equally difficult to believe.
How could events from such a distant past be recreated?
Moreover, everyone who had been there moved with vivid realism.
-It’s truly terrifying, isn’t it?
At those words, I lifted my head.
Sihae Yeomhwa wore a bitter smile.
-It means that once absorbed by the Tower, even the past becomes subordinate to it.
The moment I understood Sihae Yeomhwa’s meaning, chills ran down my entire body.
Simultaneously, a question arose.
What kind of place was the Tower, really?
What exactly was I climbing?
My fingertips began to tremble slightly.
Sihae Yeomhwa watched me in silence.
* * *
By the time I finished conversing with Sihae Yeomhwa, I had already arrived in Daejeon.
I took the subway home.
A rental apartment that had stood for decades.
I had spent my school years here.
Beep, beep, beep—
I entered the password and opened the front door.
The narrow, worn structure came into view.
“Son?”
Mother, who had been washing dishes, turned her head.
I smiled broadly and spoke.
“I’m home.”
“Son!”
Mother approached in one stride, examining me carefully from side to side before letting out a deep sigh of relief.
“I was so worried when you said you were climbing the Tower. Thank goodness you’re perfectly fine. So it wasn’t a lie that you only choose safe places to go?”
“Uh, um… I, I told you. It’s not dangerous.”
An awkward smile crossed my face.
My body bore no wounds because they all healed when I returned to Earth.
In reality, it had been dangerous enough to warrant preparing for death.
“My, what’s this parrot?”
Mother looked up at Kkwaekkwi perched on my head and spoke.
“May I touch it once?”
“Of course.”
I offered Kkwaekkwi to Mother.
Mother petted Kkwaekkwi affectionately, cooing over how cute it was.
“The fur is softer than I expected?”
“Kkwak, kkwak.”
Kkwaekkwi closed her eyes and trembled with pleasure at Mother’s touch, clearly enjoying the caress.
“I adopted her recently. Her name is Kkwaekkwi.”
“Kkwaekkwi…?”
Mother stared at Mincheol with a look of shock.
“No, how could you possibly name her Kkwaekkwi?”
“Kkwak! Kkwak!”
Kkwaekkwi immediately chimed in agreement.
She fluttered her wings as if pleading to be scolded.
“She’s absolutely adorable!”
“Kkwak?”
“Right? I think she’s perfect, but it seems she doesn’t agree.”
“She’s just unfamiliar with it. She’ll warm up to it in time.”
“You think so?”
Kkwaekkwi regarded the two of us with a distinctly displeased expression.
“What about lunch?”
“I haven’t eaten yet. Should we go out?”
“That works for me. Oh, I heard they opened a large new department store in Daejeon. Let’s go there.”
“Oh, there?”
I stepped outside with Mother.
During the taxi ride, I felt a warmth that defied explanation.
‘Maybe it’s because I came back to my hometown.’
Familiar scenery.
Familiar shops.
Familiar air.
Both body and mind naturally relaxed.
Come to think of it, I had never felt this at ease before.
‘There have been so many difficult things lately.’
Whether it was the Tower or emergency Quests, merely participating put my life in danger.
To survive, I had to resort to every desperate measure imaginable.
Looking back, it was a miracle I survived at all.
‘Enough of these gloomy thoughts.’
For once, I’d watch a movie with Mother, eat delicious food.
I was also planning to meet up with old hometown friends who still remained.
At the thought of these happy times, I felt my spirits soar.
But my wishes were not easily granted.
“Everyone, listen up! We’ll kill anything that moves!”
A gang of Awakened robbers had just stormed the department store.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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