CHAPTER 26: HIDDEN MIGHT

"He’s trying his best to live a low-profile life, even if everyone thinks he’s weak. But that didn’t work. People can’t tell. No one can know if he’s pretending to lose—only if they truly understand him," Lucan continued.

"That’s why everyone is so interested. For the first time, people see someone joining the Adventurer Guild who is truly powerful. They know he’s strong, and they know Garrick can’t mess with him. Even by just the way he carries himself, you can tell he’s different. That aura... it’s not ordinary."

"I’m sure people can tell," Lucan added, glancing through the window.

"Yes, you’re right," Ella replied. "He’s pretending. But in his own way, he’s still trying to live a low-profile life. He’s holding back. He’s trying his best."

"Yes," Lucan said. "He really is holding back. I’ve never seen anything like him—in his manner, in his abilities, and in the sheer intensity of his aura. He’s even more dangerous than the Demon Lord who brought calamity to Earth. The day he decides to go against the world... no one will be able to stop him."

Ella turned to Lucan. "Well, I understand that too. But what about the hero? The new summoned star? Do you think he stands a chance against Nolan?"

Lucan responded thoughtfully, "He hasn’t truly seen battle yet. He did his assessment—he scored high—but he’s not even one percent as strong as Nolan. We can read his abilities and skills, but Nolan’s? We have no idea what he’s truly capable of. That’s the frightening part."

Lucan sank into his chair. "Yes... you’re right. Sometimes I even question if he’s human—or perhaps a deity in human form."

"There’s a possibility that’s true," Ella whispered. "But for now... we just don’t know."

"Go back to your desk," Lucan instructed firmly. "Continue your work as a receptionist. Stay focused."

She bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir." Then she turned and quietly walked out of the room.

He wondered... just how powerful Nolan truly was. And not just that—something like what had happened today wasn’t going to happen again. He had to make sure no one ever messed with him. Because Nolan... he was capable of destroying everything. Capable of waging war and ending it instantly. There was no need to test someone with that kind of strength.

Lucan shook his head. There was no telling how far Nolan’s abilities truly went. Even now, all anyone could do was guess. The moment he decided to oppose the world... there would be no one capable of stopping him.

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. "Even sometimes I question," he muttered quietly, "is he even human... or a deity in human form?"

Ella had already left the room, and the quiet returned. Lucan rested his hands on the desk again. "For now... we just don’t know."

Meanwhile Nolan was still in the forest removing the king golem core with his bare hands. Each strike had shattered stone and allowed him to extract the cores with terrifying precision and strength.

The cores themselves were enormous—each roughly four times the size of a volleyball and weighing about ninety kilos. Nolan had collected all five, a feat that left many in awe.

Just then, Celia and Linda arrived.

"Sorry we couldn’t help," Linda said apologetically.

"It’s fine," Nolan replied. "My fault—I didn’t bring weapons. You could have helped if you had them. But don’t worry. You two are experienced fighters. You can start training tomorrow."

Neither of them responded immediately. The real problem, Nolan realized, was: how was he going to carry all of these massive cores?

"That isn’t the problem. Leave that to me," he said.

Celia stepped forward, her hand reaching toward one of the King Golem cores.

"Store!" she commanded.

The core vanished instantly.

Nolan blinked in surprise. "What just happened? How—?"

"I just stored it in my magical space," Celia explained.

"Wow! That’s amazing! I didn’t know you could do that. Since when?"

"I learned it when I was a slave," Celia said. "The first master I had was a farmer. He taught me to store perishable fruit in a magical space so it wouldn’t decay."

"That’s even more amazing," Nolan said with a smile.

"Alright, let’s get going," he added. He stretched his hand forward.

"Zuru!"

From the ground, the small boar emerged. Nolan bent down and rubbed its head gently.

"Hey, buddy. You don’t need to stay small. You can go back to your normal size."

The boar shimmered, then grew to its usual large size—big enough for the three of them to fit comfortably on its back.

"What are you waiting for? Get in!" Nolan instructed.

He jumped onto Zuru’s back. Celia and Linda followed, leaping up smoothly.

"How come it’s so soft now?" Celia asked, touching Zuru’s side.

"It’s his ability," Nolan explained. "He can adjust his form. He softened it because we’re about to go on a ride. Hold on tight."

With that, Zuru dashed forward, sprinting as fast as he could out of the forest.

As they finally emerged from the forest, Zuru moved steadily toward the Sindra Gate, which was large and surrounded by a tall fence.

As they drew closer, one of the knights squinted. "Wait... isn’t that the adventurer who left here with two women riding on the back of that beast?" he whispered. The other knight had noticed too.

Zuru stopped. "I think it’s about time we leave," Nolan said, then jumped down from Zuru’s back. Celia and Linda followed, landing gracefully.

"You can return now," Nolan added, stretching his hand toward Zuru. A yellow light swirled around the boar, and it slowly sank into the ground, disappearing as if returning to its resting place.

The trio continued toward the gate on foot. The knights watched, bewildered.

"What was that? You were on top of a massive beast," one knight said.

"Yes... what’s going on? Where did it go? It’s like it obeyed some order to return," the other asked.

Nolan glanced at them briefly and smiled. "I think that’s just your imagination," he said, walking past them without hesitation.

Celia and Linda moved closer to Nolan as they passed through the gate, following him calmly.