Chapter 490

" 'It's broken....'

'Yes....'

Luna stared blankly at the axe that had broken in the middle.

'Ad-dnim?'

'Please don't call me that....'

Luna realized why she was disgusted with being called 'Mother' all of a sudden.

Something feels really strange!

Of course, like I did, Luna pretended not to hear.

'You know that Lijai isn't a place with abundant resources. How valuable are one axe and one pickaxe?'

'I'm sorry....'

I'm in trouble.

It was also a headache that I almost got killed by Luna.

The existence of the Demon King will someday be a great threat to Ellen, and Luna tried to kill me because Ellen might die.

But now, two years have passed since then.

I'm being scolded by Luna for breaking a wooden handle.

I'm even bowing my head and apologizing as if I've committed a crime.

What's going on?

I'm dizzy.

In many ways, I'm indecisive and useless.

'You relied only on your strong power like an ignorant person, and that's why this happened. Right?'

'...Yes.'

It was so accurate that it gave me goosebumps.

'You're always anxious and neurotic, and you can't even do what you're told to do properly. You're not doing anything properly.'

Come to think of it, I haven't done anything except complain since I came to Lijai.

But not doing anything properly.

Still...! There are many things that can't be done without me...!

I couldn't say anything because it would sound pathetic.

The king of Edina and the archdemon.

The enemy of humanity.

And I'm being treated like a useless person just because I broke an axe in a rural village.

Luna took a deep breath and went back to the warehouse, rummaging around for a while before bringing out another axe.

'This one is a bit old, so you have to handle it more carefully than before.'

The first axe Luna gave me was not an S-class, but it was an A-class axe.

But this one was an axe blade, but the handle felt quite old.

'How do I cut wood with this....'

'That's right. Even if someone didn't break it in one blow, there wouldn't have been any need to use this axe to cut wood.'

'Is there a axe with an iron handle or something like that?'

'....'

'Yes, I'll go....'

Do you think there's something like that?

With a look that was too easy to read, I had no choice but to go back to the forest with a worn-out axe that had been downgraded from A-class to C-class.

* * *

You don't necessarily need an axe.

I didn't say not to use artifacts, but not to use your body.

If you pull out the magic enhancement to the maximum output and kick it, you can smash anything that's not a big tree.

But doing that in itself is already a language barrier.

I'm trying to get used to new magic enhancement through this, not to follow Luna's words to create a new cultivation land. That's even funnier.

The moment you do that, you're already being led by the nose." "Concentrate and get used to the new power without distractions. However, if you only focus on chopping wood and go back to the past, it will become a useless task. I concentrate with the axe in my hand. If I use too much strength, there is a risk of the axe breaking instead of the wood. I don't know how to chop wood properly, but I know one thing. If I chop too hard, the axe will break. I swing the axe towards the wood. The bark of the tree bounces off slightly. I wonder how many more times I need to chop this tree down, then cut it into a good size to transport it. I chop another tree, cut it, and carry it. When I finish chopping all the trees, I will dig up the roots of the trees and plow the land. I wanted to become a master class, but why did I become a lumberjack? I throw the axe and collapse. I am not just strong. My agility and skills have already surpassed the culprit. However, the important thing is strength. I couldn't hit the wood too hard because I didn't know how durable the axe was. I had to control my strength. I wanted to break the wood with heat, but I had to endure it. I am lying in the forest, catching my breath, when I hear a squeaking sound somewhere. "I told you I would be like this, didn't I?" "No, I didn't know, so I couldn't help it." The voices of Arta and Lena are heard from a distance. When I drank the water from the jug that Lena handed me, Arta and Lena's faces appeared. Luna seems to have gained the conviction that I am a useless person since I messed up with the axe. Arta hits her forehead as she sees that there is only one tree with a shallow groove and no fallen trees. "Do you have to use an axe?" "Since I'm doing it anyway, I thought it would be better to get used to concentrating with the axe." "Hmm... I see." Arta looked up at the notches in the tree. "It's not a problem with strength, it's a problem with technique. Who chops a tree like this? Give it to me." Arta held out his hand and I handed him the axe. "Watch closely." With the axe in hand, Arta aimed at the tree trunk. "From top to bottom." -Thwack! As Arta swung the axe down, the bark peeled off slightly and a notch was made in the tree. After swinging it once, Arta looked at the blade. "This time, from bottom to top." -Thwack! As Arta struck accurately, a part of the tree fell off at the two points of impact. I could only stare blankly at the triangular-shaped pieces of wood that fell off. In just two swings, I realized what I had been doing wrong all this time. "It's because you're trying to chop the tree down ignorantly. How can you expect to succeed like that?" I had only been hitting the same spot. Chopping wood was more like shaving it. Arta looked at me with a sigh. "What, are you a city boy or something?" Translation:

In Edina, they worried about how to feed the survivors who crossed the river on boats, how to handle a murder case, and how to keep them alive. The whole world hates me. Even if the Gate incident is resolved and I manage to survive, I might have to fight Ellen later, or there might be a war between Dark Land and the Empire. I have only talked about death and the path between death. In reality, I had to kill countless people under the pretext of stabilizing the system and society. And yet, here I am, in this remote village, trying to make a field and chop wood. They say I'm a city boy who doesn't know anything and I even got scolded for breaking an axe. "Ha..." For some reason, I burst out laughing, feeling like an ordinary person. When I left Edina, I wasn't even a demon king. I'm just a city bumpkin who is a little too strong and knows nothing about rural life. They say that position makes the man, but in a place where I can't be a king, no one sees me as one. No one respects or worships me, and no one hates or despises me. I still have the possibility of living an ordinary life. Regardless of whether I can live like that or not, I can have such a feeling. No one demands that I be a king. No one looks for hope or despair from me. I am not a saint of Tuwan, Alus, or a demon king. I don't think I can forget them because I don't hear them looking for me. But the thought that I'm not really anything special gave me a sense of relief. I am a being no different from the origin of this world, but I am not almighty or omniscient. Not everything in the world is something I have to solve, nor can I. I was arrogant to try to care about everything in the world. I was just arrogant. I was feeling anxious because every situation was out of my control. How ridiculous I am, not even knowing how to chop a tree in front of me, feeling anxious because everything in the world is out of my control. I am now in the village of Lijai, not on my throne in Edina. I should think about what to do when I return to my throne. Even if I can see every situation, it doesn't mean I can solve it. Thanks to Luna and Arta's words about my incompetence, I realized how arrogant I was living in my own thoughts. The work of a king is done on the throne. Now that I'm in the position of a city bumpkin, I'll do what a city bumpkin should do and learn what I don't know. Only then did my jumbled thoughts begin to calm down, and only then did I begin to understand the true meaning of a wise man. There may be things I don't know here. So what? I'll do my best to imagine. Luna Artorius said I have to believe in myself. So I believe in Luna. That's all there is. "If Luna keeps calling me 'mom', she told me to act like a son. So, my son's duty now is to turn the forest into a field. The first step is to cut down trees. I don't know what this will lead to, but I've given up on thinking in Lijai. Our mother must have a reason for asking me to do this! I don't know anything else! I had to take responsibility for too many things until now, so it's okay to avoid this kind of responsibility. 'Huh, huh-huh...' I laughed, thinking of the time when I was running around like a madman at the temple. It's not like the peace of mind comes after a great realization or a huge event, but after being treated like a useless person. Whatever the process is, as long as the result is good. I believe Luna Artorius has a plan. I am actually a useless person who doesn't know much. So, I just do what I'm told and clear my mind. I spent all day worrying and thinking when I was a king, but now I am a guest in Lijai. So, I just have to do what I'm told. There's no point in thinking too much because it won't help me know anything. I pick up an axe. I didn't know how to do it before, but now that I know how, it's easy. I don't need to use too much power. I just need to enhance my magic power to a certain extent and control it as much as possible. From top to bottom. -Chook! The movement of my hand is accurate, and it's not difficult to control the power. I match the axe blade to the groove. This time, from bottom to top. -Chook! I see the wood chips bouncing off. Only small pieces have been chipped away. But I definitely chipped it away. -Chook! -Jjeo-eok! -Puck! More and more. I'm chipping away at it. I still don't know what immovable mind and clear perception are. But I have definitely succeeded in clearing my mind. In the sense of just doing what I'm told, the distracting thoughts that were bothering me were falling away like the wood chips. There are a lot of trees. There are also a lot of distracting thoughts that need to be cleared away. I will turn this forest into land where something can be planted. Like planting new seeds in new land. I will pull out the despair and suffering that have taken root deep in my heart. No, even if I can't pull them out, I will plant a new spirit in the crevices of that despair and pain."